In Barry's captivating debut, Towner Whitney, a dazed young woman
descended from a long line of mind readers and fortune tellers, has
survived numerous traumas and returned to her hometown of Salem,
Mass., to recover. Any tranquility in her life is short-lived when
her beloved great-aunt Eva drowns under circumstances suggesting foul
play. Towner's suspicions are taken with a grain of salt given her
history of hallucinatory visions and self-harm. The mystery enmeshes
local cop John Rafferty, who had left the pressures of big city
police work for a quieter life in Salem and now finds himself falling
for the enigmatic Towner as he mourns Eva and delves into the history
of the eccentric Whitney clan. Barry excels at capturing the feel of
smalltown life, and balances action with close looks at the
characters' inner worlds. Her pacing and use of different
perspectives show tremendous skill and will keep readers captivated
all the way through.