Sara Jennings has a gift - at least she tries to tell herself it is a gift. Her mother,
who abandoned Sara as a child, called it a curse - shaped in the fires of hell itself.
Sara is able to sense the feelings of others. She has the ability to look deeply into
the souls of the people she touches. After being adopted by a couple who nurtured her
and finally gave her the love she so desperately wanted, Sara has been left alone again.
Her adopted parents are dead. Now she hides from life, unable to face the confusion of
feelings that assail her when she ventures into the outside world.
Into her lonely existence comes a man who causes her to feel things she doesn't understand.
Drake Sexton lost his wife to suicide. Now his daughter has slipped away, locking herself
somewhere inside a mind numb with fear. Kelsey is unable to talk, unable to tell her father
what it was that caused her to disappear right before his eyes. Out of desperation, he
contacts Sara, after hearing a story about a psychic who saved a kidnapping victim from
certain death. He wonders if Sara Jennings can also save his daughter. His fear is that
it is too late - that Kelsey has left him forever, just like his beautiful wife, Madeline.
Although at first Sara has no intention of helping Drake, she finds herself pulled along
by something stronger than her own will. She decides to stay at the Sexton home until she
can figure out how to help Kelsey. But there is someone else who walks the halls - someone
unseen but profoundly felt. Sara senses horrific anger, fear, death, and sadness. Where
is it coming from? Did Madeline Sexton commit suicide, or was she murdered? Although
Drake adamantly refuses to believe that someone killed his wife, Sara senses that learning
the truth is the only thing that will set Kelsey free.
As Sara delves into the mystery that surrounds the family, a killer begins to stalk her.
Will she be able to find the truth before it's too late for Kelsey - and for her? Will
her feelings for Drake complicate things and cause her to see only what she wants to see?
Gloria Marlow has written an outstanding romantic thriller with a delicious touch of
the supernatural. Her characters are skillfully drawn, and her plot is captivating. Calling
Shades of Silence a page-turner doesn't do it justice. It is an afternoon of pleasure
- a story to get lost in. It is a perfect balance of plot, characterization, suspense, and
romance.
I have learned to anticipate great things from Ms. Marlow. Shades of Silence
exceeded even my highest expectations. It is one of the best books I've read this year.
It receives my very, very highest recommendation.