Been getting quite a few books to review lately, but I'm not complaining since I love to read!
The book I just finished reading just so happened to be a paranormal one. I love a good ghost story...
Title: Beyond the Path
Author: H.L. Baker
Genre: Paranormal/Mystery
Audience: Older Teen/Adult (no graphic adult scenes)
Synopsis:
In the sleepy town of Mont Bocale, a legend lives.
A heart-broken wife.
A scorned lover with a score to settle.
Both women were killed in an act of bloody revenge. By some cruel twist of fate, wife and mistress were buried next to each other, separated by a narrow dirt path. The spirits linger, unable to cross the path or cross over.
Today, the chilling story of the haunted path is a popular tourist attraction in Mont Bocale. Plagued by writer's block, Jackie Conner thinks a romantic weekend getaway with her boyfriend David is just what she needs to clear her head. After hearing the infamous ghost story, she thinks she has finally found her next bestseller. But David wants nothing to do with stupid superstitions or ghost hunting, and the locals want nothing to do with Jackie.
The legend has awakened more than just inspiration. Plagued by the sense that a spirit is watching her, troubled by visions that could be a warning or a guide, Jackie is unable to turn away. As she digs deeper into the past, a mystery more scandalous than local legend unfolds. Some people don't want her unearthing the secrets of the past--and they may not all be living.
My Thoughts on This Book
The synopsis seemed promising to me so I was really interested in how this book would turn out.
Jackie is a writer with writer's block--(been there, done that!---Yes, if you were not already aware, I am a writer as well)
As a writer I can tell you that no, it's not so easy to just sit down and write a book.
It's always good to get away from the usual, head to a new place, experience something new, and then you never know--a best selling story might just fall into your lap!
The character, Jackie, did what I would of done in her situation. Why not write about something as interesting as the local ghost story? Right? However, sometimes a person can be carried away by this sort of thing and end up in something more dangerous than what they bargained for!
The book was well written, with well developed characters.
Jackie and David are realistic characters with a bit of boyfriend/girlfriend relationship drama. Actually, the book seemed to have some relationship drama between quite a few of the characters...
One of my favorite characters was nosy and rude old Ruth, the woman in charge at the B&B that Jackie and David were staying at. She always seemed to have something to say whenever Jackie set foot in the place---made me laugh. I've known some people like this...who just always have to put their two cents in and are simply rude for no good reason...
The story did flow just fine. I got through the book in a couple of days because it's not really long. Despite it's length, it was still a good story. I didn't find it as scary as I really hoped it would be, but this isn't to say that I didn't like it. I really did. There was a scene in the book where Jackie wakes up, the room is pitch black, and some really creepy things occur with an unseen visitor, while her boyfriend is fast asleep and none the wiser...I don't want to ruin the book though, so I won't say much else about that.
I don't want to add in any spoilers, like I said, but the ending was okay. I think that it might be better if there had been more of a twist-some sort of spookier event that occurred?
This might just be me, though. I just love stories that end with a twist or something really unexpected. Something that could make me say, "Oh my gosh, I didn't see that coming!".
Overall, I did enjoy reading the book very much.
And by the way, one of my favorite things about this book was the fact that yes, it was written by a woman!
Gotta love that :)
I would love to read another book by her soon!
You can also connect with her on:
**Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. No other compensation was received. All opinions expressed here are solely my own**
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