With a Spirit of Vengeance - the seventh Bay Island Psychic Mystery

I so love rejoining my favorite friends for a new mystery!  And that's exactly what author Lena Gregory has turned Cass, Bee, and Stephanie into - friends.  For the past six books, I have found myself completely invested in their lives, their ups and downs, their dangerous adventures, and their loyalty to one another.  Now, with the seventh book, I couldn't wait to find out what happens next (particularly since the author already made it clear that Bee really shines in this book, and let's face it - EVERYONE wants a friend like Bee!).

With a Spirit of Vengeance pretty much picks up where A Spirit Seeks Asylum left off.  After the events surrounding the Twin Forks asylum were put to rest, and after Cass helped the police solve a current day murder, while at the same time proving a spirit reaching out was innocent of the murders she was convicted of doing nearly a century ago, she thought that whole mess was behind her.  But it seems the spirit of Ophelia Wilson is not yet done with her. Cass's new assistant, Thea Newburgh, is still being plagued by nightmares, and since the girl is a descendant of Ophelia, Cass is worried that Ophelia wants more than just vindication - she wants vengeance against the people who wronged her.  The only problem is, those people would be long dead.  And wouldn't you know it, just as Cass and Bee start to look into the lineage of Ophelia Wilson, another of her descendants turns up dead, his body discovered by Cass and Bee.  Did their investigation put a target on his back?  Before long, a second body turns up, and Cass knows that she has to find out what exactly Ophelia really wants - if it really is Ophelia at all!

Gregory spins another great mystery that involves spirits of the past as well as a vicious killer of the present, and all of it is tied into the new Paranormal Pursuits outfit that not only wants to prevent Twin Forks from being torn down, but they also plan to compete with Simone Carlson, the psychic who is starting up a new ghost tour business on Bay Island.  As usual, there are a number of players involved, and plenty of motives to go around, and it's up to Cass and Bee to figure it all out before a third body turns up.  Along the way, Bee gets set up to take the fall for the second murder, and Cass discovers that her house has been bugged, and the closer they get to uncovering the truth, the more dangerous the killer becomes.  And just what secrets does Ophelia Wilson's journal hold, and why does it seem like everyone wants to get ahold of that little book?  Gregory throws in a couple of great twists (she definitely got me, because there was a clue dropped that I thought hinted at the identity of the killer, only to find out later that is was pure coincidence and nothing but a red herring!) and provides a very suspenseful conclusion that will have readers on the edge of their seats!

Bee truly does shine brilliantly in this book.  Not only is he there for Cass in some dire situations (page 141 is probably one of the best scenes of the series, which gives a perfect example of Bee's prowess!), but he works overtime in this book to overcome his fear of all things spiritual.  And while Stephanie does not play a large part in the book, it is absolutely touching to see how she is handling her newly adopted son, who is on the spectrum and is quite the little handful.  Gregory keeps readers up to date on the personal lives of the characters while still telling an amazingly well-plotted mystery.  This is why I feel like Cass, Bee, and Stephanie are friends - their lives are just as much a part of the mysteries as the murder mysteries themselves!  We get treated to more of Beast, and there is some developments in Cass and Luke's relationship that die-hard fans of this series are not going to want to miss.  The only thing I'm still waiting to see is for Bee to finally find someone - I mean, after all, Stephanie has a husband, Cass is dating Luke, but poor Bee remains single.  Guess we will have to wait and see what future books hold in store.

And speaking of future books ... there's nothing listed on Amazon or the author's pages, so I hope and pray this is NOT the last Bay Island Psychic Mystery.  This series is a true gem, and I want to read many more adventures of my three friends here!

RATING:  10 containers of left-over barbecue out of 10 for keeping the stories fresh, the characters real, and the mysteries exciting!