The paranormal, mystery and a touch of romance blend together to create this highly entertaining novel.
In spite of her dark disturbing past, Amanda Poole leads a life many women would be jealous of. Not only does she have a great job as curator of Pittock Mansion, but she is also engaged to a handsome, rich man.
Happy indeed… until she suffers a terrible car accident which turns her life upside down. Not only does she seem to have “disappeared” a few seconds during the actual crash that would have killed her, but she also now possesses some very bizarre paranormal abilities she isn’t able to control. Amanda soon realizes something dark and evil wants her dead. But what? And how is it connected to her past and to the strange ring she has on her finger?
But most of all, where does Michael Northwood fit into all this—a strange man who claims to have “crossed” the passage of time in search of his wife and the infamous Ashkhanna jewels? Should she believe his crazy tale? Together, and with the help of a bunch of very likable characters, they set out to solve the mystery.
Patricia Little carefully weaves an original, intricately layered heaven-and-earth story that is filled with suspense and leaves no loose ends. Though the protagonists and secondary characters are mostly well-rounded, one of the them—Leland, the man engaged to Amanda—is rather a stereotype and at times broke my “suspension of disbelief.” However, there are so many good things about this novel they make up for this characterization flaw. There are romantic elements in the novel but it is primarily a mystery and readers seeking a strong romantic plot/scenes might be disappointed. On the other hand, if you love a good mystery, the idea of time travel and legends of angels and demons, this is the book for you.