"Well written and entertaining." Lotus Petals by @GinaDrayer #mystery #review
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Lotus Petals
A Supernatural Mystery
Written by Gina Drayer
Genre(s): Mystery
The dead are easy. It's the living you need to worry about.
Olivia Harmon isn’t much of a people person. But then again, most Empaths aren’t. It's not easy to deal with the constant assault of other people's emotions. That's why she prefers to work with the dead. As a funeral director, Olivia can keep her distance from the day to day drama of the living, and control her temperamental gift.
But everything changes after she accepts a job at the county coroner's office.
Only a few months into her new position, Olivia finds a disturbing connection in a series of unrelated death. A dark and powerful magic has found it's way to her sleepy rural town. But instead of being rewarded for her discovery, Olivia becomes the main suspect. Now at the center of a murder investigation, she has to make a choice.
Will she ignore the facts in order to protect herself or risk everything to stop a killer?
Olivia Harmon isn’t much of a people person. But then again, most Empaths aren’t. It's not easy to deal with the constant assault of other people's emotions. That's why she prefers to work with the dead. As a funeral director, Olivia can keep her distance from the day to day drama of the living, and control her temperamental gift.
But everything changes after she accepts a job at the county coroner's office.
Only a few months into her new position, Olivia finds a disturbing connection in a series of unrelated death. A dark and powerful magic has found it's way to her sleepy rural town. But instead of being rewarded for her discovery, Olivia becomes the main suspect. Now at the center of a murder investigation, she has to make a choice.
Will she ignore the facts in order to protect herself or risk everything to stop a killer?
Walki's Review
At the crossroads of crime and supernatural/paranormal
‘Lotus Petals’ is at the crossroads of crime (Patricia Cornwell, Kathy Reichs, etc) and supernatural/paranormal (Laurell K. Hamilton, SW Fairbrother, etc). The main character, Olivia Harmon, is a witch, a deputy coroner and a funeral director in small American town Sycamore Springs. She is independent and works her jobs at all hours. She is an empath and sometimes has a difficult time protecting herself from people’s emotions.
One summer night, Olivia is called to a crime scene, which, –contrary to the habit of her sleepy town– is a homicide, if even the corpse came from elsewhere. The following November, Olivia’s private property is used as a body dump, and in January two more dead bodies confirm it is the work of a serial killer. With her empathic skill Olivia can read the aura of a dead person. She finds out that witchcraft is involved, and these cases are connected to a Federal Psyonic Division’s investigation on kidnapping and slavery.
This novel was overall well written and entertaining. The main characters are well developed and engaging. Olivia Harmon appears a little naïve at times behind the great control exercised over her empathic power. Her best friend Charlie is more than once her life saver with her occasional translation of the world around them.
I am not quite sure about the fate of one minor character at the end of the story. This said, I believe Gina Drayer is a writer whose evolution is worth following.
‘Lotus Petals’ is at the crossroads of crime (Patricia Cornwell, Kathy Reichs, etc) and supernatural/paranormal (Laurell K. Hamilton, SW Fairbrother, etc). The main character, Olivia Harmon, is a witch, a deputy coroner and a funeral director in small American town Sycamore Springs. She is independent and works her jobs at all hours. She is an empath and sometimes has a difficult time protecting herself from people’s emotions.
One summer night, Olivia is called to a crime scene, which, –contrary to the habit of her sleepy town– is a homicide, if even the corpse came from elsewhere. The following November, Olivia’s private property is used as a body dump, and in January two more dead bodies confirm it is the work of a serial killer. With her empathic skill Olivia can read the aura of a dead person. She finds out that witchcraft is involved, and these cases are connected to a Federal Psyonic Division’s investigation on kidnapping and slavery.
This novel was overall well written and entertaining. The main characters are well developed and engaging. Olivia Harmon appears a little naïve at times behind the great control exercised over her empathic power. Her best friend Charlie is more than once her life saver with her occasional translation of the world around them.
I am not quite sure about the fate of one minor character at the end of the story. This said, I believe Gina Drayer is a writer whose evolution is worth following.
Disclaimer: Book provided by the author free of charge in exchange for an honest review.
