Dark and Disorderly by Bernita Harris

Book Details
Dark and Disorderly by Bernita Harris
eBook, 409 KB (about 258 pages)
2010, Carina Press*
ASIN: B003NX7BSU

Synopsis
"I was standing there naked when my dead husband walked into my bathroom..."

Lillie St. Claire is a Talent, one of the rare few who can permanently dispatch the spirits of the dead that walk the earth. Her skills are in demand in a haunted country, where a plague of ghosts is becoming a civic nuisance.

Those skills bring her into conflict with frightened citizens who view Talents as near-demons. Her husband comes to see her as a Freak; so when Nathan dies after a car crash, she is relieved to be free of his increasingly vicious presence. Lillie expects to be haunted by Nathan's ghost, but not to become Suspect #1 for her husband's murder and reanimation.

But what's most surprising of all is the growing attraction between her and psi-crime detective John Thresher. He thinks that Lillie killed Nathan--and Nathan must agree, because his zombie is seeking revenge. Now she and Thresher must work together to solve her husband's murder--before his corpse kills her... --Amazon

Review
I never had a clue what was coming next while reading Dark and Disorderly. It was fantastic. Every twist and turn was a complete surprise and you just don't get those kind of experiences often enough.

I loved Lillie. She's strong, determined, has been through hell and she's not going to take it anymore. Still she cries for others pain and vomits in the face of grisly death. She's a balanced, realistic character that's easy to fall in love with.

There were some obscure mythological/paranormal terms that could have been described in more detail as they were not easily understood through context alone. Those with an education in myths and legend and extremely avid readers of fiction involving lesser known paranormal creatures will love the way they are worked into the story. The author writes in a style that expects readers to already have some knowledge on the subjects and doesn't drone on by explaining every new thing.

Lillie exorcises ghosts. I'm not really into ghosts stories, but I don't mind them in the background. The ghosts are a huge part of Dark and Disorderly, but they're shown through Lillie's unfrightened, logical point of view. Seeing them this way, instead of through the eyes of a haunting victim, made them a really interesting and exciting part of the story. If all ghost stories were told this way, I could easily become a fan of the theme.

You never quite know what's going on with detective Johnny and that's what makes the book all the more engrossing. Why is he so interested in her? Is it because of her ability? Does he consider her a suspect? Is he merely attracted to her? Once you think you know his motives, he goes in an entirely new direction.

I could go on at length about how wonderful this book is, but the point is that Dark and Disorderly is a twisted and completely unexpected paranormal thriller that shocked me time and again. Bernita Harris is a fantastic new voice in the paranormal genre.

Rating

Links

Bernita Harris' blog

* Carina Press only publishes books in eBook format.