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O Espirita (2008)

by Megan Chance(Favorite Author)
3.67 of 5 Votes: 4
languge
English
publisher
Bertrand Editora
review 1: THE SPIRITUALIST was the fourth story that I have read by Megan Chance and a trip back to 1857's New York City. This was such a hard review to write; I was tempted to give it three stars and skip sharing my actual thoughts about the book. I will have to be very careful not to give too much away.The back cover indicates it is a cold morning in January 1856 but the beginning of each chapter indicates it is 1857. Evelyn and Peter Atherton's three-year marriage was at a stand-still. A lawyer, Peter spends the majority of time away from home and 'Evie' was not sure what was wrong. At the opening of the story Peter had invited Evie to a 'circle': a spiritual meeting where people can hear from those who have passed on. Peter wanted to talk to his dead mother. Evie had her ... moremisgivings but she wants to please her husband. At the circle, a gun goes off but no one is injured. Peter tells Evie he wants to investigate what just happened but never returns home. Days go by without a word and then Peter was found dead: murdered.Evie was the center of the story but the many secondary characters drove the plot. At times both gloomy and dark, I continually wondered where Ms. Chance got her ideas from. (Who thinks this stuff up?) There are plenty of twists and turns with lots of trust issues. I felt like I was watching a movie rather than reading a book. The author's description of the extremely cold weather and dirty streets was spot-on. I had an idea of what was going on but there were still plenty of secrets to uncover.If you are an enthusiast of the TV show 'The X Files', a devotee of the director David Lynch or you like Anne Frasier's style of writing, you should enjoy this book. It contained some romance (ok, sex) but was not what I would consider a love story. Also, it was not Ms. Chance's best book but it was complicated, a little bizarre and edgy. I am glad I am done. Now I need to go wash my hands!
review 2: The mystery aspect of this novel is quite weak. I figured out Peter's secret as well as the identity of the killer very early on. Still, I rarely read books for the "mystery" as much as for the story itself, and guessing the culprit early didn't stop me from thoroughly enjoying the tale. I had a hard time putting it down. I couldn't wait to see how they'd manage to clear Evelyn's name. I didn't love the ending. As I thought back on the story in the hours after finishing, I began to realize that not everything was answered to my satisfaction. There were pieces that no longer made sense, or weren't fully explained, and the final resolution felt a bit too rushed and chaotic and unrealistic. Still, it wasn't so flawed as to ruin the book for me.So, not quite five stars from me, but overall, a very fun, enjoyable read. I look forward to reading other books by this author. less
Reviews (see all)
hardiesl
Just when I thought I had this book figured out it threw in a new twist!
blishka
Very good book! T was extremely well written and felt very researched.
General
Terrible...
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