Borrowed Destiny

This was a book club pick, and it's not exactly something I would have picked out for myself. I tend to do a decent amount of research about books before I commit to them. I want to be reasonably sure that I'll like something. This was written by a neighbor of mine and released by a small, local press, which made for a dearth of reviews and recommendations. I knew virtually nothing about this book going into it.

It's billed as fantasy, but I would actually classify it as more of a horror story. Jeanie Maxwell has been possessed by the ghost of someone with unfinished business. She's first made aware of this by a psychic she visits on a lark, though she's understandably skeptical. But as her life starts falling apart, the ghost is able to take over and seek out closure in her former life. Meanwhile, the psychic is dealing with the death of her sister and the demands of her nephew regarding the will.

The story was compelling, and I especially liked the descriptions of both Barcelona and New Orleans. It made me want to visit both cities. But the two plot lines were more disconnected than I would have preferred. I was expecting everything to come together a bit more neatly than it did. But it did leave me feeling unsettled, the way any good horror story should.

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