Psychic Detective Mysteries, Volume 3 - Shadows Deceive

It's been a while since I read S.C. Wynne's last psychic detective mystery, and quite honestly, I wasn't sure there were going to be any more books in this series.  So, I was pleasantly surprised when I came across this third book on Amazon.  I had enjoyed the previous two books, so I did not hesitate to pick up this latest one.

Shadows Deceive takes Liam Baker and his partner, Kimball Thompson, to a completely new level in their relationship - to meet Thompson's family!  Baker, of course, is a nervous wreck.  He met Thompson's younger brother in the last book, and that didn't go so well.  So, how would the family react to meet their son's psychic boyfriend?  Baker's insecurities increase drastically as he meets his lover's mother, father, and two brothers.  The family welcomes him with open arms, but shorty after their arrival at Big Bear Lake, they have two very unexpected visitors - the first is a dead body, which Baker can handle; the second is Thompson's ex-boyfriend from his younger days, which is something Baker can't seem to cope with!

Let's look at the first visitor - Thompson and Baker take a hike up into the woods behind the Thompson's house, but they don't go too far before Baker happens upon the naked body of a young man lying in the woods.  Baker is no stranger to dead bodies (after all, he communicates with the dead and helps the police in murder investigations), but in this instance, something unexpected happens.  There is no spirit.  There is no ghost waiting to give Baker some cryptic clue as to what happened to him.  Did the man die of natural causes or was he murdered?

Now let's look at that second visitor - Alexander Barnaby.  A flame of Thompson's back in the days just before he left for college.  Now, he's a big-time author, so he's famous and somewhat wealthy.  And he just so happens to be REALLY good looking.  And he is polite and the perfect gentleman.  And from the thoughts that Baker is able to read, he truly has no apparent inclination to rekindle that old relationship with Thompson.  So, why is Baker so uncomfortable around him?  Is it simply because he knows the other man used to be Thompson's lover?  Or is it because Thompson seems to be doing everything he can to please his old friend?  Is it simple jealousy or something else entirely?

This is a murder mystery, after all, so it isn't too long before another body turns up - this time, a young pizza delivery boy who just so happened to have a crush on Alexander Barnaby.  Baker and Thompson manage to work their way into the investigation (this is out of their jurisdiction, and the local Sheriff is none-too-keen on having interference from out-of-towners), and when they search the delivery boy's apartment, Baker discovers one of Barnaby's books which is autographed to the boy - along with Barnaby's phone number!  Baker is suspicious, but Thompson ignores his suspicions, writing it off as jealousy.

Wynne crafts a wonderfully twisted mystery this time around, giving poor Baker a difficult time in trying to determine if his psychic skills and intuition are failing him and he truly is feeding off his own jealousy, or if his instincts are right and Thompson is being sucked back into a relationship with the love of his past.  A third murder and a suspect taken into custody only adds more confusion to the mix, and when Baker is kidnapped and left to die, it puts his and Thompson's relationship to the ultimate test!

I think one of my favorite things about this book is Thompson's family.  Patricia (mother), Robert (father), Jeff (younger brother), and Sean (youngest brother) are the kind of family I would love to have!  The brothers banter and poke fun at one another.  The parents are loving but stern.  And the mother has no problems reaching out to her son's boyfriend to make sure he is welcomed into the family.  And their acceptance of Baker - psychic powers and all! - makes it all the more enjoyable to read.  These are the in-laws that every person would love to have!  Wynne provides very natural dialogue for the family, and none of it comes across too sappy or unrealistic.

Oh, and lest we all forget - Baker's arch-nemesis, Steven Pine, manages to worm his way into this book as well...

RATING:  8 glasses of gin and tonic out of 10 for mingling family drama with murder and psychic visions and keeping it thoroughly enjoyable to read!