This psychic mystery is a keeper!
Reba Rose Parker, the protagonist in Jenna B. Neece’s debut novel, is an irascible but loveable and irresistible character that takes her small town in Oklahoma by storm. Out walking one morning engaging in her profession as a photographer, she stumbles upon a grisly crime scene. Back at home, while editing her photos, she notices a hand in one of the shots. So she decides to return to the scene of the crime, if you will, to further investigate. That one move kicks off a series of startling and life-threatening events that Reba, although a psychic, doesn’t see coming.
To her chagrin, the police want to bring her in for questioning. Kicking and screaming all the way, she soon learns that she’s not the only one in town with psychic abilities. It’s obvious that Jenna put a lot into how the paranormal element of the book would play out in the story and with each character. She is brilliant in how she uses the phenomenon to move the story forward as well as help Reba and the police, many of whom also have abilities, navigate their way through all the twists and turns as they try to solve the murders.
Handy One will have you laughing out loud one moment and cringing the next. Reba is a hoot and when she gets agitated you better not touch her—literally. Ozzie, her dog and best friend, is a wonderful addition to the story and certain scenes with him will tug at your heart. I also love the romance that has been sprinkled in, just at the right times, so as not to take away from the main story. There are other likeable characters, including Calvin who’s smitten with Reba and Annie, a police woman who Reba views as a sister. There’s also plenty of action and as the story climaxes, I was biting my nails, wondering if Reba was going to survive the nerve-racking and blood curdling situation she was encountering.
Will Reba survive long enough to help stop the murderer? You have to read the book to find out.
This is a great start to what I believe can be a promising series.
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