Book 52 of my 2012 Goal

A Death Displaced by Andrew Butcher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Have you ever picked up a book wanting to read a few pages before you started your day just to find that the day is now night and you finished the book? Be warned, "A Death Displaced: Lansin Island Series" by Andrew Butcher is one of those stories. Not only was the plot interesting, the mysteries crying out to be solved, the mystical and magical waiting to be discovered and the 'dark past' history behind it wanting attention. The author's ability to take you places and make you a part of the surroundings is undeniable.

Nicolas Jack Crystan (Nick) works at Creaky Crystals, a tourist shop that specializes in witchcraft items in Amiton which is on Lansin Island. The Island has a 'dark past' of 143 people being burnt at the stake for being witches but today it is a tourist destination for Witches, Wiccans, Pagans, and wannabes. One day Nick has a 'daydream' of a crash which resulted in a women being thrown to her death only to find that his 'daydream' was really a premonition that came true the following day. He recognized the signs and acted quickly to save Juliet Maystone's life. Juliet runs off without even saying 'Thank You' to Nick but the two of them meet up later on.

Juliet 'felt' herself get hit by the car, fly through the air, crash onto the street below and die only when she opened her eyes Nick was there and the car never touched her. She couldn't explain it but ever since that day she felt different. She was disconnected with her body but apart of everything around her. She sees and hears things that aren't there. She makes an appointment with Tamara Trewin, the last living descendant of Lansin Island Witches where she learns that she was meant to die and although she was physically saved, she spiritually died and her soul was in the Otherworld while her body was here.

Nick and Juliet are the two main characters of the story and each of them have their own family problems and 'supernatural abilities' to sort through. The author not only has them grow and mature as individuals but even some soul searching and moral issues are examined as they uncover the mysteries about their own abilities and of their families. They also uncover the mystery about the missing children and the haunted manor as well as the islands 'dark past'. There are so many layers to this story it is hard to think of them all but they are done in such a way that it was always interesting and surprising. Although I am learning about the characters as people there is still this 'supernatural/mystery/suspense story' going on at the same time. And by learning about the characters it didn't bog down the story but instead added to the depth of the characters. I wasn't reading about them, I knew them! The author makes me feel as if these are real people dealing with real family/personal issues and they live in a place I have been to (since I can picture it so well). Ok, these two might have some psychic abilities but none the less, the author makes them so real.

The paranormal elements in the story are plentiful and varied. I don't want to say too much on this and give the story away but I will tell you that the author's ability to describe these sightings and events are just as descriptive as the characters are. You don't just see them, you experience them right along with the characters. Some really caught me off guard as I wasn't expecting it. It seems that not only is everyone on Lansin Island not what they say they are but not everything on Lansin Island is what it seems to be which kept me glued to the book turning page after page.

I really can't say enough about how much I enjoyed reading this book and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys the paranormal/mystery type books. (A Body Displaced is the next book to come out in the Lansin Series in 2013 and you can bet it is on my 'to read' list.)

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