Review of Ghosts
Posted: 20 Feb 2025, 13:45
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Ghosts" by Lacynda Mathes.]
Ghosts weaves an intricate tale of mystery surrounding the protagonist, Gavin Mahoney. The story focuses on events that happened during the war in Afghanistan over a decade earlier against the backdrop of a family preparation for Christmas.
Gavin is a recently retired police officer battling Breacher Syndrome, a disorder brought on by repeated exposure to explosions. Smoking medical marijuana is the only thing that helps his condition.
He works to uncover a memory block from the war in order to unravel the secrets behind several attempts on the lives of family members.
As the tale unfolds, family relationships are revealed and ghosts play a small part in helping Gavin and his wife understand some of the background to their stories. The family dynamics are quite complicated and the revelations are never-ending.
The gatherings of Gavin’s large, extended mixed-ethnicity family play a prominent role as the setting for most of the action.
The story is well-edited; no mistakes were found. The only drawback involves family relationships. The book introduces new characters often and links them in multiple ways through blood and marriage relationships. A large diagram would come in handy in trying to keep all the character’s connections straight for the reader.
The story moves at a relaxed pace, detailing the parties and the back-and-forth banter among family members during Christmastime. This gentle tempo gives the reader a chance to understand Gavin, both in how capable he is and how he manages the symptoms of his neurological disorder.
Many of the relationships feel authentic; the dialogue is first-rate. I give this 4 out of 5 stars. One star was deducted for the confusing family connections that make it difficult to follow all the twists and turns. If readers can keep up with them, they will find this an intriguing little mystery.
******
Ghosts
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Ghosts weaves an intricate tale of mystery surrounding the protagonist, Gavin Mahoney. The story focuses on events that happened during the war in Afghanistan over a decade earlier against the backdrop of a family preparation for Christmas.
Gavin is a recently retired police officer battling Breacher Syndrome, a disorder brought on by repeated exposure to explosions. Smoking medical marijuana is the only thing that helps his condition.
He works to uncover a memory block from the war in order to unravel the secrets behind several attempts on the lives of family members.
As the tale unfolds, family relationships are revealed and ghosts play a small part in helping Gavin and his wife understand some of the background to their stories. The family dynamics are quite complicated and the revelations are never-ending.
The gatherings of Gavin’s large, extended mixed-ethnicity family play a prominent role as the setting for most of the action.
The story is well-edited; no mistakes were found. The only drawback involves family relationships. The book introduces new characters often and links them in multiple ways through blood and marriage relationships. A large diagram would come in handy in trying to keep all the character’s connections straight for the reader.
The story moves at a relaxed pace, detailing the parties and the back-and-forth banter among family members during Christmastime. This gentle tempo gives the reader a chance to understand Gavin, both in how capable he is and how he manages the symptoms of his neurological disorder.
Many of the relationships feel authentic; the dialogue is first-rate. I give this 4 out of 5 stars. One star was deducted for the confusing family connections that make it difficult to follow all the twists and turns. If readers can keep up with them, they will find this an intriguing little mystery.
******
Ghosts
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon