This is one of those creepy, crawly, get-under-your-skin, kind of novels that makes you wonder if you should lock your doors and never leave home.  But it was delightful in that respect.  I wasn’t quite sure where this book was going to end, but as each intricate plot twist was revealed, I found myself saying “I did not see that coming!”.

The cast of characters in this book is limited to a handful.  Each character had a lot of character development, and I appreciated the detail to which the author went on making each player different and unique in their own respect, which really allowed for the novel to feel like it was much broader in characters but maintained an easy to follow tree of who was who and where they fit in the story.

I loved that the book was set on an island that felt like it could be any tropical island you would travel to.  While mystical abilities were granted to the island, the island itself and the way it was described made it feel like I could step off a boat or plane and have been right there in the middle of the action.  The author’s attention to how, specifically, water and caves were described and developed dove-tailed well with the free-diving main character.  That alignment added to the complexity of this book and left me feeling as though I really knew the character through the setting.

Overall, this is a great read for those looking for a mystery, romance, and fantasy all rolled into one.  The language is simple, the characters are well done, and it’s worth the time to read.

Review of a Digital Advance Reading Copy Provided by the Publisher

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language:  11 religious exclamations; 7 mild obscenities; 1 derogatory name; 10 scatological words; 3 anatomical terms; 2 f-word derivatives. 

Violence/Gore:  Multiple reliving and instances of drowning or near drownings; numerous instances of creepy dreams and voices; reference to finding dead bodies in bed; numerous instances where character coughs up blood; small cuts, scrapes and non-fatal wounds; ghost is very corpse-like in looks and feel; vines and plants have abilities to trap and bind characters; hand flies off ghost corpse (comical/creepy); head wound from fall; multi-page bloody attack resulting in death of character (who was actually already dead).

Sex /Nudity:  Arm around waist and hand on chest; 3 instances of kissing; 2 instances of handholding; 2 instances of kiss to cheek or forehead.

Mature Themes: 

Death, abandonment, magical abilities, paranormal.

Alcohol and Drug Use: 

Adults and teenagers drink wine.