Devon’s review of Back to Haunt You by Kate Hill
Contemporary paranormal eBook romance published by Cerridwen Press 25 Oct 07
This book begins with a midnight real estate showing of a New Hampshire mansion. Jerahmy (yes, Jer-ahhh-my) Ward is a telekinetic and telepath, Devlin Carnell is a psychic vampire (he feeds off the energy of others), and Victor Snow is a medium (he sees dead people). The men are looking for a site on which to start an institute for the study of paranormal and psychic phenomena. Having found what they were looking for, the men, along with their colleague Wendy (a faith healer), move to the small town of Wistford to begin their work.
Morgan Bianchi, part of Wistford’s most eccentric family, is at her wit’s end with her daughter Uma. Uma is also a telekinetic/telepath, and although the Bianchi’s all have psychic talents, Morgan is not able to help her daughter develop and control hers. When the paranormal institute opens, Morgan decides to check it out. They’re probably kooks, but perhaps they could help Uma. The serious but sexy Jerahmy not only offers to counsel Uma, but also offers Morgan a part-time job.
Morgan and Jerahmy are attracted to each other, but their opposite temperaments cause tension. Meanwhile, a series of animal mutilations in the woods are causing the people of Wistford to eye their newest residents suspiciously. As Jerahmy, Morgan, Uma, Devlin, Wendy and Victor deal with personal and professional issues, the danger grows stronger, threatening to destroy one of them.
This book was an interesting blend of mystery, romance, and paranormal. I would characterize it as Urban Fantasy. It presupposes a world where a wide variety of psychics exist, although regular folks are not all aware of them. There is a large cast of characters, with several romantic subplots.
I must admit, I waffled quite a bit over what grade to give it. On the one hand, it was quite entertaining. I read it pretty quickly, given the holiday and all. Whenever I had a free moment, I went back to it. On the other hand, I had several strong criticisms of the book. Let’s get those out of the way.
First off, Jerahmy? Why the cheesy spelling and the extra “h”? Unless you’re an enormous leather clad vampire, no ridiculous and unnecessary spellings, ‘mkay? More troubling was my dislike of the main female, Morgan Bianchi. She was a particular pet peeve of mine, one of those heroines who prides herself on being so unconventional because she dresses “semi-Goth” just like her teenage daughter. When Uma and Morgan spot Jerahmy in a tea room, they think he’s rilly, rilly kewl because he dresses all in black. So they all go to a Cure concert and smoke clove cigarettes, then recite Jim Morrison poems to each other. Not really, but come on. When was being Goth really new and unconventional? I think I was still in grade school. She seemed juvenile to me. Her daughter was too, but she was sixteen, so she’s supposed to be. I did like Jerahmy, he was one of those cold and controlled, but secretly warm and kind types. Their romance developed nicely, but every once in awhile, Morgan did or said something that made me dislike her all over again.
The ending of the book was anticlimactic. Some of it took place offstage, which stopped the momentum. Things got wrapped up very quickly, including Morgan and Jerahmy’s romance. It seemed abrupt, given the amount of time spent developing the characters and plot.
I liked Devlin and Wendy the best. Wendy was raised by bible-thumpers and has the ability to heal. Devlin came from a violent background, and can literally suck the life out of people. The proverbial angel and devil, they were the most interesting characters, and I quite enjoyed their angsty romance. Victor the medium kinda got the shaft. I kept forgetting about him. Victor and his ghosty friend got the least amount of attention, but I wasn’t really missing them either. I just wanted more Devlin and Wendy.
There were things I didn’t like in this book, but I enjoyed it overall and finished it satisfied. The Devlin/Wendy story was left dangling, and I would be interested in reading more about them, should Hill choose to write more. If you like stories about psychics, or are just sick of vampires and shapeshifters, BtHY is worth a try.
Grade: C+
Blurb:
Wistford seems like a typical small New England town. Quiet. Safe. Picturesque.
Now evil has come to Wistford. Circumstantial evidence from several violent crimes points to those involved with a new psychic institution. Jerahmy, a multi-gifted parapsychologist, Devlin, a psychic vampire, and Victor, a medium, fall under the scrutiny of the local police and only three psychic women from the Bianchi family believe they are innocent. If their trust is misplaced, they could become the next victims.
Take a look at the excerpt here.
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