Island of the Forbidden by Hunter Shea

Three years have passed since the events of the last Jessica Backman book, and Jessica has walked away from the paranormal investigations started by her father. Instead, she’s traveled the States doing charitable works and trying to distance herself from the dead.

Psychic medium, Eddie Home, hasn’t fared so well. After the events of the last book he’s struggled to control his powers and now the dead constantly surround him, his old barriers and protections no longer working.

When the ghosts of beautiful women haunt Eddie until he contacts Jessica, he knows that this time she won’t refuse to work with him. Children are involved, ones who can see the dead, and they need Jessica’s help.

I love the Jessica Backman books and this is my favorite one. Jessica and Eddie are on different paths, but I love how their gifts compliment each other. They’re realistic people, stronger together than apart, and they make a great team.

Private islands are as alluring as they are creepy. Shea ramps up the atmosphere with ghost children and hints of the horrible things that took place on the island.

As well as great characters, a creepy plot and lots of scary scenes, there is a great theme to this book that I really loved. The dead are spooky, the living are greedy, but it’s the past that provides the real horrors in this tale. Unfortunately the story is too believable, but Shea manages to bring light to all the darkness, and there is lots of heart in this novel.

I hope we will see more of Jessica Backman.

I award Island of the Forbidden…