LEGACY ISBN: 9781800468870 British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data, Matador imprint of TROUBADOR Publishing Ltd, copyright and written by Chris Coppel.
The story opens with a description of a person who had survived in her original dimension while others of her persuasion had been hunted down and burned at the stake or drowned. Now, in this new dimension, she had managed to live several centuries by returning to the original every twenty-five years where she was able to once more gain renewal from taking the life force of one of the younger members of her family blood line. She was frustrated that she almost had waited too long this time as she was close to expiring, but had been able to find and select her next subject to disappear by transporting her through the required entrance tunnel she was able to supply. The reader next is introduced to Craig and his wife Jenny who live in a very old house close to being recognized as a National Treasure in a remote part of Utah. They are rudely awakened very early in the morning by a delivery man who leaves ultimately before they decide to arise and answer the door. The decision is aided by intense barking by their large Labrador “Steeler” and the interest of their 4-year-old daughter Sally and 5-year-old son “Tim”. They discover that a large heavy package has been left that, when opened, is found to be an old mirror that fits beautifully with the house’s ancient décor. It also is revealed that Craig is an ex-Marine sniper finally released from active duty with PTSD but perfectly functional as a well-respected member of the local Sherriff’s Department. As the story progresses the reader is appraised of the facts that Craig’s early life was rife with disruption from a gradually increasing confrontational mother and father whose lives were ended by a murder/suicide while she was very young and of the series of activities that ensued. Also revealed are numerous facts about Jenny’s past life and that of quite an extensive family history. Also of their totally loving relationship from a most unusual beginning. The plot gradually unfolds with numerous twists, appearance of an old Indian Medicine Man, activity by the ‘witch from another dimension’ and introduction /activity of a number of other characters mostly on a lesser level of importance.
Discussion: a quite engrossing, well-paced, suspense/occult/alien (?)/thriller that regrettably is flawed by ignoring a series of activities that lead up to the final stages of action. This probably will create no problems for most readers but will present a bit of one for those with more pragmatic thought patterns, although not sufficient to ‘spoil’ the story per se. Thus, a good read with a couple of ‘hiccups’.
4* 5-1* Suspense/Occult/Alien (?)/ Thriller with a couple of ‘hiccups’