Book review: Cold as Death by T.J. MacGregor

Cold As Death - T.J. MacGregor

Synopsis:
After psychic and bookshop owner, Mira Morales, has a vision of a burning house, a woman on fire, and a boy being kidnapped, she finds herself searching through the old house on Mango Hill where she discovers the dead body of a woman, whose spirit still hovers in the room where she was murdered.
But unlike in her vision, this woman is not burnt, and Mira discovers that she was the housekeeper of Oscar-winning actress Suki Nichols, her womanising husband Paul, and their 13-year-old son Adam, who is now missing.
Along with FBI agent and former lover Wayne Sheppard, Mira tries to work out how her initial vision is linked to Adam’s kidnapping, and tries to sort through the flood of following apparitions in order to determine the young boy’s whereabouts.
With Adam missing, his dangerous captor after Mira, and the death toll rising, they have to solve the case before something happens that none of them can predict.

What I gained from reading this book:
Mira’s psychic abilities are showcased to the extreme in this book, and it made me think of the many times when psychics have provided the missing links in murder and kidnapping cases. Although I maintain a healthy scepticism about most supposed psychics, I believe that there are some people out there who have a gift. Considering these people have helped to solve similar cases, it’s quite interesting to read about Mira’s experiences, and imagine that they have been recreated in real life at one time or another.

Positives:
The author is very skilled at mixing the murder mystery genre with paranormal themes that extend along the lines of ghosts, psychic visions and supernatural energy.
Through Mira’s ability to see things from the past, readers are able to piece together the story and connect the characters to their roles in the drama.

Negatives:
There were several spelling mistakes in the copy of the book that I read, especially towards the end, which distracted me from the storyline. Besides these errors, there wasn’t too much that stopped me from enjoying the novel. People who dislike novels that deal with ghosts and the supernatural however, may not enjoy the book as much, especially since these themes run throughout the story.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Paranormal Thriller

Recommended for: Anybody in need of a ghost story with interweaving storylines, murder and mayhem.