Reviewed by: Sue Eaton

TITLE: A Spooky Legacy

SERIES: The Spectral Files #5

AUTHOR: S.E. Harmon

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 382 pages

RELEASE DATE: April 9, 2024

BLURB:

Rain Christiansen is settling into married life with fellow cold case detective, Danny 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:

This series just keeps getting better.  It is great to see the evolving relationship between Rain and Danny go from strength to strength.  The insight into their lives, how they live day to day, their family and friend interactions, is lovely.  It’s not often in romance that you get to see beyond the main characters getting together, so this continuation of their relationship is refreshing and very welcome.

Of course, it doesn’t take long before the spooky side rears its head.  I really liked how the two parallel investigations twist and turn around each other.  Are they connected, if so, how?  Victims with no apparent connection?  Ghosts are strangely silent.  The plot is well crafted and complicated and kept me reading, well past the time to put it down, 1am reading in bed with a 5am start.

In the middle of all this chaos.  Rain and Danny have started the adoption process and are waiting to hear back.  Rain is very introspective about the whole thing, is he ready?  Can he be a good father?  What about all the paranormal goings on?  So many questions going around and around.  He knows Danny really wants this, but does he want it too?  When Rain is asked by a ghostly mother to find her ghostly children, he gets a taste of dealing with a child, albeit a ghost.  Will this help him decide or will fear drive him further away?

You would think that as Rain comes from a very loving and accepting family that the idea of a family would be easy for him.  That Danny who ended up in group homes and foster care would be the one struggling.

We get great insight into Danny’s time in care and what his childhood was like, how his biological mother let him down.  Surprisingly, Danny’s childhood friend from the group home pops up and gets invited to help with the investigation. Rain has mixed feelings, he never doubts Danny’s commitment, but he doesn’t like his friend.

I really enjoyed this book, the relationship developments were entertaining and felt exactly what you would expect from a couple who have been together for years.  The intertwined plot was puzzling and mysterious with so many threads, trying to work out which ones belonged to which kept me engaged and thrilled.  It was a finely crafted plot which came together beautifully by the end.

RATING:

BUY LINKS: 

Amazon