Nate Tuck is an oddity in Falls Church. He is not a native. Recently moved from Oakland, California, he has assumed duties as a detective, number two man to Chief Philip Hutchins. Nate is looking forward to his job in a small town where his major tasks will be handing out traffic tickets and investigating an occasional burglary. Touted as a hero in Oakland, he saved several lives, but the love of his life was killed in the same altercation. He looks forward to a banal existence while he tries to repair his emotions. Chief Hutchins recruited Nate to groom him as his replacement when he retires in a couple of years. He does alert his young detective that there are two cold cases he would like cleared to provide some peace for the families of the victims.

The more recent of the cases occurred some fifteen years ago. A young boy, Petey McKay disappeared on Halloween night when he became separated from his friend, Victoria Kennelly. Victoria returned home distraught over Petey's disappearance only to find her home in flames, her parents and older sister, killed in the blaze. Nate believes the two incidents are related.

Now strange things are again happening in the small town. Residents, one by one, are having a terrifying dream. They feel compelled to relate the realistic dream to a close relative or friend. When they do they feel momentarily better, but soon begin exhibiting bizarre behavior. The friend then experiences a dream, continuing the chain when he describes it to another person.

Several factors contribute to my dissatisfaction with this book. Of primary importance is the author's heavy reliance upon the supernatural to carry the story line. Evil that has been dormant for years resurfaces and perpetuates itself through dreams. Why it should suddenly reappear is not explained and how the first person in the chain comes to have the dream is similarly a mystery. This is so far from reality that it doesn't even make a good fantasy. (Though, to be fair, the author is not marketing it as a fantasy) Ironically, Mr. Ross paraphrases the plot of his book through one of his characters, a parapsychologist named Kip Hobart.

Hobart makes this comment about horror movies: "Usually - although he or she puts up a valiant fight against the forces of the dark side – the parapsychologist gets killed in those films, leaving the way open for the hero or heroine to save the day." An appreciation of this novel requires more than the usual amount of willing suspension of disbelief.

In addition the book was long - 478 pages. The same story, with more effectiveness could be told in half that many pages. There are short biographical sketches of many townspeople (presumably so their aberrant behavior after their dream will be obvious) but we learn far more than is necessary to get the point. A conversation between a ghost and a person in a sort of limbo seemed extraneous.

There is no attempt to interject any humor or levity into the story, which would, in my opinion, indicate that the author realizes the circumstances are removed from reality but might be interesting to imagine. The "what if" scenario could have been done quite effectively. As a reader, I prefer my mystery fiction grounded in reality. If not entirely plausible, at least within the realm of possibility. Even in children's books of this sort, the reader is usually aware that the author is not trying to pass ghosts and paranormal activity off as the truth.

--Andy Plonka