cover image Kindred Spirit

Kindred Spirit

John Passarella, . . Pocket Star, $7.99 (387pp) ISBN 978-0-7434-8480-0

Stoker Award–winning horror novelist Passarella (Wither ) brings a paranormal twist to this thriller about a television reporter probing the murder of her twin. On the first anniversary of Heather's slaying, her identical twin sister, Hallie Moore, revisits the crime scene and unexpectedly taps into her sister's final memories, seeing the attack through Heather's eyes. Hallie becomes more than haunted by Heather's spirit, recalling their childhood talent for communicating telepathically. Driven to solve the slaying, Hallie pursues several angles, including ghost research and hypnosis, while spiraling ever closer to danger, in the process neglecting her job and distressing Heather's surviving husband and son. A meticulous researcher, Passarella deftly interweaves Hallie's crisis of identity with her investigation. The early revelation of the killer's identity (from his viewpoint) can frustrate, as the reader watches Hallie make obvious mistakes despite all her unearthly assistance. Still, Passarella offers enough tension and fresh twists to make this a strong entry in the evolving field of cross-genre suspense. (June)