Friday, May 20, 2022

 There's No Second-Guessing What I think of. . .




Afterthoughts


This is another of those reviews, long in the waiting.

As I mentioned last week, I first met Lynn Tincher’s – Detective Paige Aldridge – back in February in The Devil’s Mark, a crossover horror/thriller incorporating Tony Acree’s Hand of God, Victor McCain. Having thoroughly enjoyed that outing, I was determined to find out more about those characters, starting last week with McCain, and this week, with Aldridge herself in her opening adventure: Afterthoughts.

So, what can we expect?

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Detective Paige Aldridge’s family is prey for a serial killer. Desperate to help her sister, she is determined to find out who is behind it all. After being the victim of a kidnapping, she is traumatized by memories she does not know she has. She sees visions of the murders and believes she is followed by someone she’s only seen in the shadows. Trying to run from her dreams, she is sent spiraling down a path of self-doubt, fear, and betrayal. Paige finds an unlikely friend that tries to help her by telling her unbelievable things. Teamed up with her partner, Jay, she tries to put all of the pieces together. Are all of these things connected? Will Jay believe in her and most importantly will Paige believe in herself? Can she get her thoughts together before it’s too late?

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Nice premise eh? Well, it gets even better . . . because what initially appears to be a straightforward set of tragic deaths, quickly become much more complicated. Complicated, in an eerie 'I'm out to get you' stalker kinda way. As the blurb highlights, Paige starts seeing visions of the deaths, and at the same time, notices someone watching her? Suspicions roused, she begins to dig deeper. But every time Paige does so, she either loses interest or starts feeling unwell.

Coincidence?

She soon finds out, as these ‘coincidences’ become much more focused, making her feel as if she’s the target of a personal vendetta. But how could that be? As far as she’s aware, nobody holds a grudge against her. And why would they? She’s honest. Fair. Doesn’t cut corner s or take liberties.

Nevertheless, someone’s got it in for her.

And without spoiling the story arc, what we get is a neat, compact, murder-mystery-supernatural whodunit that transitions through a series of revelations very nicely. I particularly liked the way Paige Aldridge’s vulnerabilities were not only highlighted, but played upon, as it paints a much more believable picture of how events would unfold if this happened to someone for real.

A most satisfying introduction to what I’m sure will be a great ‘new’ series.




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