Helpful Score: 2
This was a good, at times suspenseful book about a woman whose ability to speak to the dead ends up endangering her life.
Mollie G. (amethystlover) reviewed Possessed (Silhouette Bombshell, No 116) on + 330 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
This book was absolutely great. I couldn't put it down.
Helpful Score: 2
A great read! A number of gruesome murders are happening in Cass' neighbour and she soon realizes that she is the one that the killer is after. She is a medium whose peculiar gift has made her the target of the killer who is targeting physics ... I really enjoyed this story and couldn't put it down.
Christina B. (catyasdo) - , reviewed Possessed (Silhouette Bombshell, No 116) on + 33 more book reviews
Quoted from my review @ http://misscz.wordpress.com
Cassandra Allen is a medium. She can communicate with the dead. She has learned to control her gift so that the dead don't overwhelm her with their attempts to contact loved ones. However, her quiet, simple life is also very lonely. Cassandra doesn't like large crowds and strives to avoid being touched - regardless if it's a friendly pat on the shoulder or an intimate caress. She has no social life and her efforts to shield herself have an adverse effect on her ability to keep a job. Eventually her reserved, standoffish and strange behavior gives her coworkers and boss the creeps, and she is fired. And if that doesn't seal her fate, the appearance of a gun-toting and disturbed man showing up at the coffeehouse demanding to speak to her, will certainly do the trick. To offset her precarious employment situation, Cassandra does consultant work for the local police.
Detective Doug Brody, who lost his beloved wife, is Cassandra's one friend. He believes in her abilities and her track record with helping him crack a case is good enough to ensure that the department doesn't baulk too much when she's called in. Her gift allows her to determine if a suspect is guilty or innocent. Doug asks for her help on a new case. A young woman, Lauren, was brutally murdered not far from where Cassandra currently lives. The police have the woman's brother in for questioning. The problem is that Malcolm McDonough has connections and any misstep with him could bring the mayor's office down on their heads. McDonough has been at the station for hours, without calling his lawyer, and the detective can't get a good read on him: his icy behavior could either be his way of dealing with the tragedy or he's a sociopath.
Malcolm is rude and insulting to Cassandra, but that doesn't stop her from clearing him of suspicion. Within minutes of meeting him, Cassandra knows that Malcolm is innocent. Lauren is worried that her brother won't be able to cope with her death, that he'll isolate himself more now that he's all alone. Lauren was the last of his family and she doesn't want him to be lonely and unhappy. Malcolm doesn't react well to learning how Cassandra knows what she does. He's so angry and hurt, he briefly suspects her of having something to do with the murder.
Not only does Cassandra have to deal with Malcolm, something frightening is happening. She is being attacked, mentally, by a monster. Since contact with the dead always manifest itself on her body in some way - bloody nose, black eye - the monster's presence is leaving her beaten and weak. She doesn't know who the monster is trying to contact, since the first attack happened when she was alone in her apartment. The second attack takes place on a busy street, with many people about. Malcolm saves her from being hit by a car and sees first hand what she goes through. He's still skeptical, but that doesn't stop him from being concerned for her welfare.
Even more frightening than the monster is the possibility that Malcolm is getting too close; that there might be a connection between them that has nothing to do with Lauren. She's so afraid of what might happen between them, that she doesn't even realize that Lauren only contacts her when it's absolutely necessary. Lauren's wants her brother to be happy. Malcolm is coping with Lauren's death, for not being able to protect or save her, by trying to help Cassandra. Regardless of the antagonism that crops up between, they make each other happy.
I enjoyed this book very much. I thought Malcolm's reactions to Cassandra were very realistic. Over time, as he witnessed what was happening to her, his skepticism is slowly chipped away. Both are independent, stubborn people who force each other to admit that they are closed off and lonely. I liked the fact that the monster wasn't a real one (something supernatural like a demon, for example). Because the man who died was such a horrible person in life, that is how he is perceived. It added a layer of mystery to what was happening, since Cassandra couldn't understand it or cope with it.
Cassandra Allen is a medium. She can communicate with the dead. She has learned to control her gift so that the dead don't overwhelm her with their attempts to contact loved ones. However, her quiet, simple life is also very lonely. Cassandra doesn't like large crowds and strives to avoid being touched - regardless if it's a friendly pat on the shoulder or an intimate caress. She has no social life and her efforts to shield herself have an adverse effect on her ability to keep a job. Eventually her reserved, standoffish and strange behavior gives her coworkers and boss the creeps, and she is fired. And if that doesn't seal her fate, the appearance of a gun-toting and disturbed man showing up at the coffeehouse demanding to speak to her, will certainly do the trick. To offset her precarious employment situation, Cassandra does consultant work for the local police.
Detective Doug Brody, who lost his beloved wife, is Cassandra's one friend. He believes in her abilities and her track record with helping him crack a case is good enough to ensure that the department doesn't baulk too much when she's called in. Her gift allows her to determine if a suspect is guilty or innocent. Doug asks for her help on a new case. A young woman, Lauren, was brutally murdered not far from where Cassandra currently lives. The police have the woman's brother in for questioning. The problem is that Malcolm McDonough has connections and any misstep with him could bring the mayor's office down on their heads. McDonough has been at the station for hours, without calling his lawyer, and the detective can't get a good read on him: his icy behavior could either be his way of dealing with the tragedy or he's a sociopath.
Malcolm is rude and insulting to Cassandra, but that doesn't stop her from clearing him of suspicion. Within minutes of meeting him, Cassandra knows that Malcolm is innocent. Lauren is worried that her brother won't be able to cope with her death, that he'll isolate himself more now that he's all alone. Lauren was the last of his family and she doesn't want him to be lonely and unhappy. Malcolm doesn't react well to learning how Cassandra knows what she does. He's so angry and hurt, he briefly suspects her of having something to do with the murder.
Not only does Cassandra have to deal with Malcolm, something frightening is happening. She is being attacked, mentally, by a monster. Since contact with the dead always manifest itself on her body in some way - bloody nose, black eye - the monster's presence is leaving her beaten and weak. She doesn't know who the monster is trying to contact, since the first attack happened when she was alone in her apartment. The second attack takes place on a busy street, with many people about. Malcolm saves her from being hit by a car and sees first hand what she goes through. He's still skeptical, but that doesn't stop him from being concerned for her welfare.
Even more frightening than the monster is the possibility that Malcolm is getting too close; that there might be a connection between them that has nothing to do with Lauren. She's so afraid of what might happen between them, that she doesn't even realize that Lauren only contacts her when it's absolutely necessary. Lauren's wants her brother to be happy. Malcolm is coping with Lauren's death, for not being able to protect or save her, by trying to help Cassandra. Regardless of the antagonism that crops up between, they make each other happy.
I enjoyed this book very much. I thought Malcolm's reactions to Cassandra were very realistic. Over time, as he witnessed what was happening to her, his skepticism is slowly chipped away. Both are independent, stubborn people who force each other to admit that they are closed off and lonely. I liked the fact that the monster wasn't a real one (something supernatural like a demon, for example). Because the man who died was such a horrible person in life, that is how he is perceived. It added a layer of mystery to what was happening, since Cassandra couldn't understand it or cope with it.
Irene L H. (NonExistence) - reviewed Possessed (Silhouette Bombshell, No 116) on + 239 more book reviews
Good, story of a medium and her ups, and downs.
Lots of mystery, romance and other bumps in the night.
Quick fast read. enjoyed it very much.
Lots of mystery, romance and other bumps in the night.
Quick fast read. enjoyed it very much.
Excellent paranormal.When the dead want to speak she is their voice.Cassandra Allen's gift is so uncanny that even the skeptical police now consult her on murder investigations. But when she's called in to investigate a rash of serial murders, her mind is assulted bu a terrifying being from beyond.Cass believes the evil force attempting to posses her is involved in the killings but how? Then she meets Malcolm McDonough, brother of the first victim. He's sucessful, attractive, unsettling.... and he doesn't believe that Cass hears the dead. Yet even as Malcolm denies her claims, he is counting on Cass to lead them to the killer.Because all the victims have one thing in common - her.
When the dead want to speak she is their voice.
Cassandra Allen's gift is so uncanny that even the skeptical police now consult her on murder investigations. But when she's called in to investigate a rash of serial murders, her mind is assaulted by a terrifying being from beyond...
Cass believes the evil force attempting to possess her is involved in the killings. But How? Then she meets Malcolm McDonough, brother of the first victim. He doesn't believe that Cass hears the dead. Yet even as Malcolm denies her claims, he is counting on Cass to lead them to the killer.
Because all the victims have one thing in common-her.
Cassandra Allen's gift is so uncanny that even the skeptical police now consult her on murder investigations. But when she's called in to investigate a rash of serial murders, her mind is assaulted by a terrifying being from beyond...
Cass believes the evil force attempting to possess her is involved in the killings. But How? Then she meets Malcolm McDonough, brother of the first victim. He doesn't believe that Cass hears the dead. Yet even as Malcolm denies her claims, he is counting on Cass to lead them to the killer.
Because all the victims have one thing in common-her.