Sunday, June 24, 2007

Wraith by Phaedra Weldon


Wraith
(A Zoë Martinique Investigation)
Phaedra Weldon
Ace – Berkley Publishing Group
June 2007
978-0-441-01497-2

Zoë Martinique has a special talent, one she discovered when she became the victim of a violent crime and found herself above her body looking down. As a Traveler on the astral plane, she has set up a business where for a fee she’ll retrieve information as an incorporeal spy. On a job with time to spare, Zoë is drawn to what becomes the scene of a murder where she comes face to face with Trench-Coat, an entity that is not only traveling like herself, but has the ability to become corporeal. When his grab for her is successful, he leaves behind a stripe of white hair and the mark of his handprint burned into Zoë’s skin. With this bizarre encounter she gains the ability to become corporeal in her astral body, but as she quickly learns there’s a price that’s paid.

Detective Daniel Frasier is hot on the trail of Theodore Rollins, a televangelist he’s sure has something to do with the murder of Koba Hirokumi’s employee. Hirokumi is in possession of something that once belonged to Rollins, the plot thickens and Zoë finds herself kidnapped by each man. She’ll need the help of her mother who has been keeping a few secrets of her own, Rhonda who can find the answers to Zoë’s bizarre world, a pair of gay ghosts who have their own special talents and Detective Frasier who wants to catch a killer. Together, they have to stop the evil men from following through with their plans and destroy Trench-Coat before he’s able to fully change Zoë into a Wraith.

Wraith is the debut novel in the Zoë Martinique Investigations series, and offers a great new character and storyline in the paranormal genre. There’s a mystery to solve and people to save so Zoë won’t give in until the evil is put to rest. Ms. Weldon weaves a riveting tale with well defined characters and a marvelously fun world for them to work and play in. A well paced page-turner that leaves plenty of room for future stories in this entertaining and unique series.

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews

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