In this paranormal ghost story, a reluctant clairvoyant must find out the truth about a ghost that haunts an old man’s dreams in this intriguing story about holding on to and letting go of the past.
As a boy, Barry Cook, the extremely unlikable anti-hero of this novel, was celebrated for locating two stranded boaters around Rockland, Maine. Rumored to be psychic, Barry grew up to be an unstable, untrustworthy, odd-jobber with an anti-social personality and a penchant for violence and self-sabotage. Now at age 37, he’s prone to violence and unlawful behavior, without friends or a partner, living by himself in his father’s rundown trailer with no electricity or water.
An ill-tempered, chain-smoking old man named Nevers hires Barry to locate his dead daughter’s ghost. Although Nevers had little connection to Josephine (who went missing as a teenager) or his ex-wife for many years, the man is plagued with nightmares in which Josephine’s ghost haunts him. Barry, aided by family friend, Meredith, goes on a mission to discover if Josephine was murdered by an old boyfriend or died by accident.
Another paranormal team, a purple-haired woman and her creepy young sidekick, are also hired to locate the ghost. Barry tangles with the team frequently, threatening them and committing minor crimes to impede their process. This other team creates confusion for the reader: Sometimes they compete with Barry; other times they’re comic relief; sometimes their purpose feels malevolent; and eventually they may not be so bad after all.
Enveloped by a heavy, brooding atmosphere, this novel features a cast of unpleasant characters – perhaps too much so. Just when you think characters might redeem themselves, they say or do something to remind you why they’re in their current predicament. The only exception may be a young man named Drew, who appears throughout the story to help guide Barry to his destiny.
~IndieReader.