WillowTree Press (Paperback), ISBN: 0-9678221-9-X0
Rowan Gant keeps having uncontrollable urges. His nicotine cravings rise exponentially two years after he kicked the habit (except for the occasional cigar). Even more disturbing, he experiences lurid fantasies about women other than his wife, and a dead but determined cheerleader supernaturally tries to get his attention.

Not that spirits trying to get his attention is unusual for Rowan. A practicing witch, Rowan assisted the St. Louis Police Department on two previous serial killer cases with occult overtones at the behest of his friend Detective Benjamin Storm. Both cases nearly left Rowan dead, and this case could turn out the same way. Rowan channels the dead, seeing through their eyes and experiencing their horrors. If he doesn't pull back in time, Rowan could end up in the same state.

The latest case, involving two dead women, lags on as Christmas approaches. One of the women, a cheerleader, insists Rowan do more to bring her killer to justice. She talks to him frequently, then moves on to possessing him, taking control of his mind and body, making him write cryptic messages and touch a corpse at the morgue. Still conscious, Rowan cannot resist her power, and he quickly doubts his sanity.

With a lead from the sex crimes unit, the murder investigation becomes a serial rapist case. The rapist sets his sights on someone very close to Rowan, forcing him to decide how far his Wiccan vow of "Harm none" extends. And just where do these uncontrollable urges taking over Rowan come from?

Although an excellent mystery with a good dash of accurate Pagan information, the story takes a little time to get rolling. Also, the book needs a bit more editing. Pervasive capitalization inaccuracies and typos serve as distractions. But as Rowan's questioning of his sanity increases and the tense confrontation nears, the reader notices these inaccuracies less and less.

Jen Foote

Jen Foote recently moved to central Florida, where she is a copy editor and page designer at a small daily newspaper. She is ecstatic to live an hour away from the ocean.

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