Monday, April 14, 2014

Dying to Know

Author:  T. J. O'Connor
Genre:  Mystery

Five Stars
 
Detective Oliver Tucker prefers to be the guy investigating shootings, not the guy getting shot.  So when he returns as a ghost after being murdered in his home, it's only natural for Tuck to investigate the most important case of his life - his own.  Detective, solve thyself!
 
Piecing together cold cases, foggy memories, and eerie premonitions, Tuck fears that if he doesn't figure out who pulled the trigger, his wife may be the next victim.  Surprised to discover many earth-bound spirits chasing the same killer, Tuck's unique perspective from the other side leads him to a chilling conclusion - it's the living, not the dead, who are most terrifying.
 
*****
 
Well, this book was definitely a surprise.  I wanted to read it because I really liked the premise - a man is murdered, and then has to find out who did it.  (Sounds kind of creepy the way I wrote that, but I like books with a twist).  When he returns mere minutes after he is killed, he soon discovers that only his dog, Hercule, can see him.  He also finds out other things, with the help of another mysterious 'ghost', Doc.  That once you pass, thoughts become nothing and emotions are everything.  Definitely a different twist on what people might or might not think happens when they die.
 
Once Tuck discovers that his death might have not been planned, and his wife Angel (Angela) could be in danger from the same killer, he strives with everything he has to find a way to communicate with her.  Even when he does eventually reach her, he doesn't have all the answers, and while she is struggling to come to terms with Tuck's death and sort-of reappearance, he doesn't know who to trust or how to keep her safe, and this includes whether or not to trust his partner, 'Bear' Braddock.
 
Angela is a Professor who is assisting a local dig, Kelly's farm.  Just when I thought the book couldn't get any more interesting, I was delightfully surprised.  I say that because I am a huge Civil War devotee, and intermingling with not only Tuck's murder, but others', is finding out that the dig at the farm has to do with the Civil War and brings elements of that into the story.
 
Yet when you dig deeper into Tuck's murder, you will find that things are not always as they appear, and what does appear may not be what you see after all.  Read the book.
 

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