A Taste of Ashes: A DI Bob Valentine Mystery

In British author Black’s solid sequel to Artifacts of the Dead, Det. Insp. Bob Valentine, whose near-death experience has left him with an unwanted ability to see ghosts, investigates the murder of James Tulloch, “a jumped-up bouncer” at a sleazy Scottish nightclub. Tulloch was found dead in the kitchen of a house belonging to Sandra Millar. Now Sandra and her daughter, Jade, are both missing and her soldier son, Darren, has gone AWOL. Along with dealing with the stress of his job and his passive-aggressive wife, Valentine must come to terms with his evolving paranormal proclivities. His visions have become more visceral, and he can now speak with the dead. A deceased army officer can’t tell him whodunit, but does provide helpful information about the case, which leaves Valentine thinking, “I can’t collate the facts surrounding the taking of a life when I don’t know what’s real and what’s not.” Despite the inconsistency of Valentine’s newfound psychic powers, the mystery satisfies. Readers will look forward to Valentine’s further exploits. [em]Agent: Donna Eastman, Eastman Literary. (Oct.) [/em]