TITLE: ⟫ A Spooky Legacy
AUTHOR: ⟫ S.E. Harmon
SERIES: ⟫ The Spectral Files #5
RATING: ⟫ 5/5
BLURB: ⟫ Rain Christiansen is settling into married life with fellow cold case detective, Daniel McKenna, and life is good. Better than good, even. But when it comes to the topic of expanding their family, Rain isn't so sure he's ready. Yes, a new addition could enrich their lives. But it could also tear down the delicate balance they’ve worked so hard to achieve. Do they really want to take that risk?
He’d love to brood over that a little more, but murder never takes a day off. A decade-old mystery of the missing Parker family is heating up. Most seem to think the Parkers pulled a disappearing act to get out of financial debt. It isn’t before the PTU finds out the reality is far grimmer than that. It seems that Quinn stumbled upon something better left hidden. Now that Rain has stumbled upon it, too, he has to be careful that he doesn’t meet the same fate.
Sometimes it amazes him how far he’s come from strait-laced FBI agent who couldn’t admit—even to himself—that he saw ghosts. He’s done the work, learning to get some measure of control of his paranormal side. And while his relationship with ghosts may not be perfect, it’s evolved into something symbiotic... which is a very good thing. Because in order to protect himself from the living, he might need a little help from the dead.
REVIEW: ⟫ I was so pleased when I saw that S.E. Harmon was doing another story in the Spooky files and this story didn’t disappoint. It was fantastic to be back with Rain and Danny, as well as the cast of usual suspects and to a certain extent, it felt like we’d never been apart.
I love Rain as a main character – he has no illusions about himself, about how grumpy and sarcastic he is – but there is also an understanding of just how lucky he is, despite all of the issues being able to communicate with ghosts have caused him. He and Danny are taking a truly grown up step, and we get to watch as Rain realises that he is ready, that he and Danny represent something good and kind, and that despite his flaws, Rain might just be exactly what is needed.
The cold case they are working is entertaining, twisty and downright insane on occasion, and we have our usual circumstances where Rain gets himself into situations that no-one else possibly could. I loved his interactions with the people in his life (his mother cracks me up every time she’s there), but throughout it all, I love that the relationship between he and Danny is centre stage. Slices of domestic life, including Watson, are treated with the respect that they deserve as Rain knows just how badly things can turn out for people through his work and his supernatural experiences.
This book was lovely to dive into – it was like turning on a new episode of your favourite TV programme where you know all of the characters and get to enjoy everything about them that you weren’t aware you missed. Thoroughly enjoyed reading this and so pleased with the conclusion where Rain begins to understand just a little about the new star.
I received an ARC from GRR.
