MYSTIC PIECES by Ada Bell is the first in a new series, A Shady Grove Psychic Mystery.
Following the mysterious death of her sister-in-law, twenty- one year old, Aly Reynolds makes a cross-country move to help her older brother care for his three-year old son. With the little time spared while her nephew is at preschool, Aly searches for a part-time job to help pay for the classes she will be taking at a local college to finish her molecular biology degree.
With only a handful of stores on Main street in Shady Grove, a small historical town in Upstate, New York, she finds a job at Missing Pieces. An antique shop owned by Olive, a quirky yet kind -hearted woman. Browsing around the shop, Aly finds herself gravitating to a particular object and that’s when it happens! Her first vision! Confused and scared, Aly’s only scientific and logical explanation is that she has just experienced some sort of psychotic break-down. However, Olive reassures her that she had just tapped into her supernatural gift. Reluctant, but curious, Aly accepts the job offer – if not for the pay, but wanting Olive to help her understand her gift.
Only matters become complicated when Olive is accused and arrested for the murder of Earl Parker, a cantankerous local, known around town. With Olive in jail, Aly is at a loss as to how her visions come on or how to use them. She realizes she must help Olive if she is to ever understand her psychic abilities. And so, Aly embarks on her first murder investigation….
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The book was enjoyable and the characters are like-able. Aly perceives the world through a scientific lens, where everything is explained with facts, but her world of reasoning is now conflicted as she must accept her psychic abilities.
Overall, the book was a great introduction to the series and did a good job establishing a suspect list. However, in the last chapter, the author attempts to keep the killer pre-occupied long enough for Aly to untie the others to escape. But it was unclear what the killer was doing that kept him engaged for that long - when his plan was to stage a gas leak, which will blow up the place leaving Aly and the others to their demise.
I’m interested in picking up the next book, particularly, that there has been hints that Aly may use her gift to solve the mystery of her sister-in-law’s death. Also, hoping to see if her parents were aware of Aly’s psychic abilities and all the while it was kept a secret.
Reviews expressed on this site are solely my opinion. They are not based on any sponsorship (unless indicated).
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