By Kathryn Mackel
WestBow Press
Paperback

Maggie is pleased with her life. Her and her husband, Joshua, travel in a small camper with his sister, Geneva, going from city to city and performing their magic act.

The money and their audience is running out, however, and something needs to happen.

The Departed Excerpt Maggie yanked the handlebars, pulling a hard right. Time slowed to a crawl as she tumbled from the bike. She could see the grit on the road as it rose to me her, fell the heat of embarrassment, then a shock as her face hit the pavement. The pain was bad, but the fear was worse. A man in a hooded sweatshirt leaned over her, his face marked with black lines and dotted with scars. ©2005 Kathryn Mackel Published with permission from Bethany House

Joshua, overhearing a suicidal woman on a pier, has a brilliant idea.

What if he were able to “talk” with the dead - and give those still living solace? Maggie is at first okay with the idea that brings her husband back to happiness but as he becomes more involved and more well-known, Maggie grows closer to God and wonders if Joshua is moving in the right direction.

Strange people begin to appear and strange things begin to happen to them and Maggie and Joshua slowly drift apart. When a mysterious presence enters their life, Maggie and Joshua must hold together and turn to God, if he is still there to listen.

Bookworm's Briefing
Although the novel carries an uplifting Christian message, it was a little tough to read at times with a lagging plot for a thriller. It could be seen as rather judgmental or harsh in some areas as well.