Embarking on a novel series journey is an adventure I cherish, especially when the backdrop is an intriguing locale. A series that has recently captivated my attention is the Shana Merchant series, an intriguing collection of books staged in the panoramic Thousand Islands area. At present, the series boasts five books, with a sixth installment anticipated to hit the shelves this coming November. Generally, I tend to delve right into the heart of a series; this time, however, I found myself beginning from the first book with Shana Merchant at the forefront.
Shana Merchant, a highly accomplished senior investigator serving in the New York State Park Police, embarked on this journey after witnessing the harsh realities of big city police work as a detective for the NYPD. Her admirable spirit and resilience led her to welcome new adventures after a frightening ordeal of surviving an abduction by a serial killer. She finds herself working alongside her associate, Tim Wellington, navigating a missing persons case amid a storm on a secluded island in the fascinating Thousand Islands region.
The missing individual, Jasper Sinclair, a man of 26 years, mysteriously disappears during a social event taking place on his affluent family’s private island, a verdant three-acre paradise. The grande old mansion, dating back to the late 19th century and sitting regally on the American side of the St. Lawrence River, housed a group of eight at the time of the incident. Jasper’s absence is conspicuously pronounced by the bloody telltale left behind in his bed, though Jasper himself remains elusive.
Stranded on the island with the tempest permitting no assistance to reach them, Shana and Tim face formidable challenges. They grapple not only with the investigation but also with handling the complex dynamics of the wealthy, yet fragmented family on the island. Unraveling a mystery amidst aesthetic landscapes, all whilst treading her own traumatic past, Shana battles tenaciously. This idyllic setting, compelling plotline, and a plethora of intriguing characters render the Shana Merchant series’ debut novel definitely a page-turner.
On a different narrative, Mind Games blends revitalizing, amorous moments with grim, violent undertones, intertwining suspense throughout the story. The narrative follows Thea Fox, a twelve-year-old, and her younger brother, Rem, who anticipate their annual summer trip from their Virginia residence to their grandmother Lucy’s home in the lush Appalachians.
These biennial getaways are cherished milestones in the siblings’ lives. Regrettably, upon returning home from dropping off the children, Thea and Rem’s parents encounter a horrific fate. Their lives are terminated viciously at the hands of Ray Riggs who intrudes their home during their sleep.
In a cruel twist of fate, Thea and her grandmother Lucy are endowed with psychic abilities, allowing them an immediate albeit traumatic cognizance of the calamitous event. Thea’s visions enable her to furnish the police with crucial information, leading to Riggs’s capture and subsequent life sentence. However, the malevolent Riggs also wields psychic abilities of his own, feeding his vengeful ploys by infiltrating Thea’s thoughts.
Thea and Rem, now under their grandmother’s care, continue their life in the idyllic Redbud Hollow. In time, Thea develops an aptitude for video game designing. She also forms a close bond with a neighborhood friend and his young offspring. However, her inherited psychic abilities combined with the lingering connections established by Riggs create a complex web of challenges.
Over time, Thea leads a fairly productive life, yet the persistent invasions by Riggs continue to adversely impact her health and wellbeing, affecting not just her but also those who cherish her. In an audacious move, Thea attempts a face-to-face confrontation with Riggs within the confines of his maximum-security prison in an effort to sever ties permanently.
In yet another captivating narrative, Swift River, we follow the journey of the adolescent Diamond Newberry and her mother. Diamond’s life has not been an easy one; her father’s disappearance seven years ago has left an indelible impact on her and her mother. Now preparing to declare him legally dead to claim his life insurance, Diamond stands out as the lone Black individual in Swift River.
Diamond’s journey, however, sees a glimmer of hope with new friendships, driver’s lessons, and correspondences with an unknown relative. The mailed exchanges unveil the hidden past of Diamond’s paternal family, locking stories of racial prejudice, economic hardship, and personal loss. The letters offer a glimpse into her father’s lineage, revealing the struggles and resilience of women who came before her.
The narrative is situated in the year 1987, in the fictitious Swift River town. Swift River was a well-known sundown town, a place historically recognized for its exclusionary practices against Black and marginalized communities through a cocktail of discriminatory laws and societal harassment.
Swift River notably marks the debut novel of Essie Chambers. It explores the harsh realities a young girl faces and how she foregrounds her familial legacy and identity amidst societal adversities.