"Paranormal mystery"

After her husband left her for a young bimbo, Emerald O'Brien and her two children left Seattle and moved to Chiqetaw where she opened up the Chintz 'n China Tea Room, a store that sells fine china and other objects pertaining to tea. To bring in additional income she reads the tarot cards and is known to the townsfolk as the resident witch. Emerald knew from an early age that she had the Gift, seeing spirits and casting spells.

One night she is woken up to see a ghost hovering over her bed. Using automatic writing, the spirit says she is Susan Mitchell and that her husband killed her. The next day Em sees a picture of Susan in the paper stating she died in an accident and her spouse has an airtight alibi and doesn't inherit a dime of her considerable wealth so he has no motive. Em risks her life to fighting an evil spirit that followed Susan into the material plane and finding her killer so the woman can travel to the next plane.

This paranormal mystery has enough romance in it to keep readers of three genres very happy. The spirits are the kind portrayed in the movie "The Sixth Sense", the good, the good and the evil, all who have to pass on to the next plane of existence with the heroine's help. The audience will adore Emerald, a bright, shining and caring soul who wants to do right by everybody and use her powers to make the world a better place. Yasmine Galenorn is a bright new star in the mystery horizon.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted July 13, 2003

Summary

Emerald O'Brien is the owner of the Chintz 'n China Tea Room where guests are served the perfect blend of tea and tarot reading. She never set out to be a detective, but once word gets out that she can communicate with the dead, there's no turning back... When the ghost of Susan Mitchell asks for Emerald's help in convicting her own murderer, Emerald can't refuse. Along with her friends-an ex-supermodel and a cop-and her new love interest, Emerald must search for clues to put the killer behind bars-and this tortured soul to rest.