The first time I died, I didn’t come back alone.When Garnet McGee returns to her small Vermont hometown for the holidays, she vows to solve the mystery of the murder which shattered her life ten years ago. Then she dies.After she’s resuscitated, she starts hearing voices, seeing visions and experiencing strange sensations. Are these merely symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and an … symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and an over-active imagination, or is she getting messages from a paranormal presence?
Garnet has always prided herself on being logical and rational, but trying to catch a killer without embracing her shadow self is getting increasingly difficult. And dangerous, because in a town full of secrets, it seems like everybody has a motive for murder.
Stephanie Plum (Janet Evanovich) meets Medium in this fast-paced and haunting crime story with a psychic twist. Great reading for fans of Paula Hawkins, Gillian Flynn, Ruth Ware and Liane Moriarty.
BONUS CONTENT!
This ebook contains a sneak preview of chapters 1 and 2 of the second book in the Garent McGee series, The First Time I Fell.
Reviewers are saying:
“Leaves you breathless. I LOVED this a LOT. Incredibly clever … It genuinely kept me guessing and, between that and the incredible characters, it kept me turning pages like the book was crack. I literally spent all day reading it. All. Day. Practically in one sitting. All in all, this book was an emotional roller-coaster. I definitely, HIGHLY recommend this book to any mystery lover — but ESPECIALLY if you’re a reader like me, who gets pretty burnt out on the repetitiveness of the mystery genre. I can guarantee that this book will restore your faith in the genre.” – Dream With Your Eyes Open Book Reviews
“A fabulous mix of love story and paranormal mystery, skillfully stitched together with beautiful writing. A gripping, sometimes funny and heart-wrenching read!” – Edyth Bulbring (Author: The Mark, The Club)
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Garnet McGee returns to her home town after 10 years. This is her first Christmas at home with her parents after living and going to school in Boston. When she gets to town she starts to reflect on her like before she left. She remembers her high school boyfriend, Colby, and the other couples in their goup. She also starts experienceing strange emotions, both auditory and physical, and visual. She doesn’t understand the coincidental things that are happening to her, but she’s trying to put the pieces together. Read this exciting thriller to discover what Garnet discovers after leaving her home 10 years ago. Happy, sad and poignant.
When Garnet returns to her small Vermont hometown for the holidays, she vows to solve the mystery of the murder that shattered her life 10 years ago. Then she dies. After she is resuscitated, she starts hearing voices, seeing visions and experiencing strange sensations. She does not if this is post-traumatic stress, an over-active imagination, or messages from a paranormal presence. Garnet has always prided herself on being logical and rational. Tring to catch a killer without embracing her shadow self is getting increasingly difficult. It is also dangerous because in a town full of secrets, it seems everybody has a motive for murder. – It took me awhile to get into this book. It goes back and forth between 2007 and 2017. After I started following, it was engaging. I figured out the killer, but I enjoyed how Garnet solved the crime. She is a little strange and full of grief. Her mother is even stranger. There are a variety of interesting characters..
Although it started slow it was worth the time to get the background, built into a good story!
good read
A powerful interesting book, a murder mystery with esp.
I really enjoyed this book and as soon as i was finished i was thinking about what the next book would be like. This will not disappoint if you have ever entertained the thought that has to do with the afterlife.
Loved this book. Plan on reading the next book in the series.
Loved the writing and characters. The book was unpredictable, with a very good story line.
I borrowed this book from my local library because the title intrigued me; it managed to remain pretty intriguing throughout the novel.
It takes an interesting approach, alternating past and present, past being ~2007, and ‘present’ being ~Fall, 2017. It does have a slight supernatural element, which at first I considered might be the author’s excuse for 10-year-old clues being uncovered, there are bigger things at play here (which I won’t state, due to spoilers).
I found it worth seeing through and will likely seek more by this author.
4 stars.
Note:
The audiobook performance is great, voice even stands up to being sped up. Well done.
Good read. Touches on the effects that losing someone you love can have on your life. Ten years after losing her beloved boyfriend to a tragic accident she realized that her life had virtually stalled at that moment. She wasn’t where she wanted to be in life because she wasn’t sure where she wanted to be. After returning to her home town to help her parents she realizes she must finally have answers to the puzzle of his death if she’s ever going to move on with her life. Very interesting book.
What a unique and well written story that is sure to please readers of many different genres. It’s part romance, part mystery and part paranormal/supernatural. I absolutely loved the characters, the setting, the plot…. the everything!
Garnet and Colby’s love is timeless…Can the bond they once shared truly withstand the test of time and eternal separation? When Garnet has a near death accident and begins to the experience the unexplainable will she be able to solve the mystery of Colby’s death? Sounds intriguing… this is a must read.
I’m very glad I had the opportunity to read this book and I’m looking forward to future books in the series. I will also be reading other books written by this talented author.
“I received this book for free from Hidden Gems. I voluntarily reviewed this book and this is my honest review.”
This was one of the best books I’ve read in a long time, very suspenseful with a great supernatural twist. Also, well written and well edited. Highly recommend.
Oh my, this book was brilliant. The characters the story, the momentum was excellent. This story had me guessing in every chapter, every turn of the page, of who did what and why. If I wasn’t pointing at one character it was another and so on. Very well written, and very entertaining. With the cover showing it’s book 1, I’m excited to see what else comes out of this series.
Garnet McGee never planned to come back to Pitchford, Vermont. Not after what happened ten years ago. But when she hears about her mother getting hurt, she decides to come back briefly despite the demons that still haunt her. Plus, as she’s struggling with what it is that she really wants to do concerning her schooling, she’s advised to take a break, think things over and come back with an answer. Garnet has never been the same after the tragic death of her boyfriend, Colby, but those wounds are about to be reopened as she finds herself on the trek of discovering what really happened to him and why.
The First Time I Died by Joanne Macgregor is a supernatural mystery novel and the first book that I have read by this author. When I first read the blurb of this book, my interest was piqued and I was eager to read this story and learn what happened. As I read, for me, the story has a slow start and I considered putting the book down, but I pushed on. I found that the “flashback periods” were more engaging initially than the present day moments. The further I got along into the story the more engaging it became. I gradually developed more of a love/hate relationship towards Garnet than an annoyed one like I had initially. Garnet struck me as selfish and a touch arrogant in the beginning. I say this because I felt that she looked down on others when she first returned. This viewpoint of her returns in various moments, but I understand it because the author is trying to get the reader to view Garnet as a human being. Basically, …she’s flawed, as we all are.
I have to say…if you are looking for a story with a heavy supernatural presence in it…then you’ll be disappointed in this book. The supernatural elements are subtle, but they are well done in my opinion. It’s like communicating with a spirit…they can only do so much and that is reflected in this story. The mystery element is handled extremely well. I pride myself on being able to piece it all together and figure out who did what and why, but the author plays things very close to the vest. You’ll piece a few things together the closer to the end you get, but the author does a fantastic job giving you a big reveal.
There isn’t much that I don’t like about this book. For me, the beginning was slower than I would have liked. Garnet is a bit pretentious for a while, but when the story comes together and gains some steam and momentum, it becomes truly enjoyable. Also, her constantly nibbling on her fingers or picking at something really annoyed me. I honestly wanted her to stop. I will admit that I was curious as to what brought about this terrible habit of hers but the author never touches on this. So if you have an issue with a character constantly fiddling, biting, picking at something…brace yourself.
I am rating this book 5 out of 5 stars. While the story has a slow start, it is worth the push through because it’s not long before things get truly interesting. Secrets long hidden are revealed, facades that people have worked so hard to conceal are pulled away and the real them are exposed. The tragedy that took away a loved one from so many is only compounded exponentially when the truth comes out. If you enjoy an engaging mystery that only comes together at the end then this is the book for you.
Garnet swore to Colby, and Colby to Garnet, that they would love the other always and forever. But Fate had other ideas. 10 years ago December 19th, Colby was discovered, badly beaten and drowned, and his murder was never solved.
Garnet left Pitchford, and never looked back. Boston was her destination, far from her painful memories and ugly regrets. But now Garnet is back in Pitchford, to help care for her mother and to close down her mother’s business. While there, Garnet discovers a young child stranded on the ice of the pond; the same pond that claimed Colby’s life 10 years prior. Garnet had hated that pond for years… Malevolence seemed to roll off its dark surface. And now, the pond was going to claim another victim…. Garnet McGee….
Garnet, unlike Colby, was resuscitated. But Garnet quickly discovers that she is not the same. Strange, chilling phenomenon are occurring; flashes of color, intense phantom pains, and faint whispers of “always and forever” echoing in her soul… When Garnet came back, did she come back alone…?
Absolutely riveting! I devoured this book! Intense! Serpentine twists and turns, unexpected outcomes, and an evil so deep, so dark, that it left me gasping.
**** SPOILER ALERT ****
An Engaging Suspenseful Read!!
Garnet McGee left her small town home as soon as she graduated high school in 2008, She couldn’t wait to leave & never wanted to return!! Her heart was broken by the loss of Colby, her sweetheart, her ‘Always and Forever! She was laden with grief after his unsolved murder just before Christmas 2007. She was left numb to other’s and felt it was easier to have no connections than risk feeling like that again so she isolated herself completely!!
Nearly 10 years later, after drifting through years of College, but never committing to her final thesis, Garnet is urged to go home by her professor. To visit her parents but to also make some serious decisions regarding her life & education – he’s clear the drifting has to end!!
Garnet has imagined her home town & it’s inhabitants just as it was when she left. She shocked & surprised to see all the changes in the town and how people have aged. She expected them to look the same After getting coffee she heads past the pond to her Parents house but sees a child on the ice and they’re alone!! She has to help!!
From this point onwards we head into the possibility that Garnet is getting messages from beyond the grave! Her Mum wholeheartedly believes in all things spiritual but she is dismissive, to the point of rudeness, towards her Mum’s beliefs. I found this side of Garnet unpleasant!! She decides to try and get to the bottom of Colby’s murder, with his help – possibly?!
This is moving forward for her I felt, as it seems she has a huge tendency to bury her head in the sand about nearly everything around her!! It’s like his death pressed pause in her life but she is the only person who hadn’t realised it!! It was sad.
I was really engrossed in this book. I did guess the ‘who’ but not the ‘why’ or the other pertinent bits It was fascinating watching her trying to reconnect with old friends & acquaintances. She’s become so awkward compared to them yet she was the one from a big City & should’ve felt comfortable!! I liked Ryan, he pushed her An interesting & suspenseful read that I’d recommend!!
Debbie, 1970, UK
I’m so happy to have discovered this new-to-me author.
Mysteries are one of the hottest sellers in the market these days, and when you read as many books as I do, you can get jaded. Jo Macgregor doesn’t “play by the rules”. She writes across genres ( YA, thriller, crime and supernatural) asthe story telling alternates between 2017 and 2007, as Garnet McGee finds herself back in a place she’d never wanted to be- Pitchford, a town she’d left after a tragedy forced her to start over.
This book is full of loss, grief, confusion and retribution told at breakneck speed, it is seasoned with just enough of a paranormal trope to keep me entertained. The idea of a “love across time” got me hooked, and Garnet is a protagonist I hope we see again. Highly recommended 5/5
[disclaimer: I received this book as a gift from the author and voluntarily reviewed it]
When I heard about this book it had me very intrigued.
As a fan of suspenseful reads I loved the sound of this.
The cover drew me in too and the Supernatural twist was the icing on the cake.
This book had me engrossed from the beginning. It kept me turning the pages, I found myself absorbed in the story.
Garent left her small town behind after a shocking tragedy to start her life over.
Years later she finds herself back in the suffocating town she left behind to find answers.
I love these kind of reads where you just don’t know who to trust.
This Author did a great job because to me everyone seemed like a suspect. The town and its residents held a lot of secrets.
I really liked the supernatural element to the story it gave it a unique twist so it wasn’t just a typical who done it mystery. It definitely made me pause for thought and wonder about the possibilities.
A thoroughly gripping read and I’m looking forward to reading more from this Author.
When our heroine stops being a whiny brat (which happens only on rare occasions), there is a good book and a decent mystery hidden here. Sadly, the brat side nearly drove me to stop reading several times. If your tolerance for major faults in your lead character is high, you will enjoy the book. If not, probably give it a pass.
Enjoyed it. Good reading.