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Olivia tripped, falling on her rump with a yelp. Jacqueline continued to kick out her feet, trying to scurry away from the lurching monstrosity as fast as she could. She tried to get her anger to rise up again, to feel the strength of her rage as she had when Papa Gelick attacked her, but it remained hidden, locked away, out of reach. This wasn’t confronting some boisterous kid in a high school hallway. This was real. This was dangerous.

And Jacqueline was afraid.

“Get away!” Annette’s voice shouted. “Don’t come any closer!”

Jacqueline’s friends rushed forward. Ronni helped Jacqueline to her feet while Annette did the same for Olivia. Neil stepped toward the man with the knife with his phone held up, the flashlight on the back shining. The man held up his hand to shield his eyes. Jacqueline shrugged away from Ronni and joined Neil’s side, trying not to be completely terrified.

The man dropped his hand and leered at them. Neil kept his arm raised, the wavering light revealing a haggard, forty-something adult with a patchy beard, messed-up teeth, and beady eyes. The guy wore a beaten-up leather duster and grimy jeans. He took another step toward them, which prompted Neil to hastily retreat and stumble over his own feet.

“Little pig, little pig, let me in,” the man growled as Neil fell. His beady eyes shifted in Jacqueline’s direction. “Not by the hair of my—”

His mouth abruptly snapped shut, his jaw twitched, his cheeks sagged. Jacqueline froze, not sure what to do. Finally, the brute turned tail and dashed across the parking lot, looking like he was headed for the thin line of woods on the mall’s west end.

Jacqueline wasn’t sure if the danger was over. She heard Olivia sobbing behind her. “I’m so sorry…I’m so sorry…my cousin was mugged last week…what’s wrong with this town?” Jacqueline stepped toward the darkened area between the two cars, where the second shadow still lay. The victim. Jacqueline knelt on wet pavement. She touched the body, and it flinched.

“Please…” whispered a weak, female voice.

“Guys!” Jacqueline called out over her shoulder. “Neil, call 9-1-1!”

My Review

5 stars

Jacqueline Talbot has had a rough go. Her father is a murderer and her mother passed away leaving her an orphan. She has been bounced between foster homes and then her Aunt Mitzy shows up to rescue her and take her back to the family home. She makes friends easily in Mercy Hills but has a secret. Jacqueline’s best friend, Mal is a ghost in her compact. This keeps her busy trying to find a way to free him. But there is more to Mercy Hills than what you see on the outside. The monsters are rising and it is up to Jacqueline and Mall to stop them.

I loved this story. You feel for Jacqueline, I mean her father is a murderer and the best thing for her is to get a fresh start. But, of course, fresh starts don’t always mean a good start. I loved the diversity of her friends and the town. Of course you want Mal to get out of the mirror and I loved how he got trapped there.

I didn’t want to put this book down. There is so much going on and I was kept on the edge of my seat hoping everything was going to work out. This is the first book in a series and a fantastic start. Now I can’t wait to get my grubby little hands and the second book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.