Zach Slade is a Montana policeman forced to retire due to an on the job injury. Mistakes made during an arrest of a DUI suspect left him with a broken foot and shattered ankle. He’s leaving for Denver and has a job offer with a private investigation firm. Zach is a seer and ties his predictions to crow sightings. Four gathered mean death, five means silver is near. Clare Cermak inherited more than money and property from her great aunt. She is visited by ghosts. She must accept the gift or die. Plus she must help the ghosts or go crazy. Her first visitor from the great beyond is her late aunt’s dog, Enzo. She feels the cold before a spirit appears, similar to The Sixth Sense. Her human ghost is an infamous outlaw from the Old West, Jack Slade. No relation to the Montana policeman. He wants to crossover to be with his wife. He has some unfinished business with an old nemesis. He cut off his ears and wants to return them. He presses Clare to find the ears. One is in an antique box in a local auction house. Clare and Zach meet in a café. He hears Enzo bark, but can’t see him. He’s hired by his boss’ aunt to look for stolen jewelry. She believes it’s in the auction house. Clare and Zach join forces to search for the ears. A man at the local library thinks their interest in the outlaw’s travels revolves around the legend of a gold robbery. He follows Clare and demands the treasure. There is no fortune, only mummified ears. He’s not satisfied and threatens her. Will Zach’s gift give him the clues he needs to find Clare in time?
I love ghosts. They shed some much light on the past and future. Clare’s great aunt Sandra, who makes an appearance to her niece, made a fortune, cashing in on interacting with ghosts. Zach the outlaw is interesting. He tries to dispel parts of his myth, hopes to right a wrong, and return to the woman he loves. His choice of quest is odd and not worthy of his stature. Ears are a strange assignment for Clare. I agree with the bad guy, I would have chosen gold.
Clare and Zach have no spark. They should be intriguing or edgy because of their Gypsy and Native American roots and gifts. They speech is stilted, including the words ‘like’ and ‘nice’ to describe each other. Zach describes Clare as being “nubby with passion.” Is this a good thing? The book makes a promising start, but falls short.
**ARC provided by Publisher**
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