Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn

In 1886, Lady Julia Grey's husband dies suddenly of heart disease which runs in his family. His cousin, Simon, is similarly afflicted and not expected to live much longer either. Lady Julia quickly settles into the life of a widow, but then she receives a visit from Nicholas Brisbane, a private detective who tells her that her husband Edward had been getting threatening notes and had hired him shortly before his death to look into the matter. He hints that her husband's death may not have been natural, prompting Julia to begin an investigation that uncovers things about her husband and her life that make her realize she never really knew him -- and herself -- at all.

When I picked it up, I was a little leery of beginning a 500+ page book by a first time author, but Ms. Raybourn's writing style is clear and flows well. Her main characters are interesting and well fleshed-out and she fills her story with secondary characters who are strong enough to be main characters in their own books. I loved how Julia moves from wanting a conventional life, in contrast to her wildly eccentric family, to becoming a little more her own person. And I like how Ms. Raybourn does it without making Julia a true eccentric -- just a mite more unconventional than she envisioned herself wanting to be at the beginning of the book. I'll be interested in how her budding romance with the moody, secretive Mr. Brisbane develops.

It's a great start to a great series, and I'm looking forward to the next one.

Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz

Odd Thomas is 20 years old. He lives in a small California town where he's content to work as a fry cook and lives very simply. He has to live an uncomplicated life with the things he can control -- job, car, money, ambition -- because the gift that he can't control would otherwise drive him crazy. Odd sees dead people and believes that with his gift comes the responsibility to use it to help them. He can also see creatures he's dubbed bodachs -- malevolent spirits who feed off violent death.

The book gets off to a quick start with Odd running down a rapist/murderer but that's only the beginning of a really bad day. While at his diner job he spots an odd-looking stranger who's being followed by more bodachs than Odd has ever seen together in one place. He realizes that something very bad is about to happen in the town and that only he, helped by a few people he's told about his gifts, can prevent disaster.

My favorite so far of the books I've read this year. I don't care much for horror. H. P. Lovecraft's stories give me the creeps and I've enjoyed several of Stephen King's books although they don't scare me. Supernatural beings don't frighten me because I know I'll never really be threatened by vampires, zombies or ghosts and ghouls. A few mystery books have scared me. Psychotic killers and mass murderers do exist and it's mostly a matter of luck whether you'll cross one's path. But horror and mystery stories that have human murderers tend toward the bloody with gross descriptions that depress more than frighten me.

Dean Koontz's books are all in the horror section. I guess that's the only way to classify them and it's probably better for Mr. Koontz; if all his books are together it makes them easier for people to pick up. But I don't consider this book horror any more than I do Stephen King's The Green Mile. Supernatural fantasy? Not exactly a mystery though Odd has to find out who the killer(s) are and the location of the violence in time to prevent it. Suspense definitely.

But why try to categorize it. Odd Thomas is a wonderful story -- suspenseful, sad, funny -- set in a small town full of eccentrics whom I came to care about and hoped wouldn't die (except Elvis, who is already dead as the story begins). And of course Odd himself, with his simple narration, determination to do right and sad backstory.

The Haunted Rectory by Katherine Valentine

The St. Francis Xavier Hookers (they're a rug hooking group -- get your minds out of the gutter) begin work on their new rug for the church's spring raffle, not realizing that with the death of the old pastor, the evil he contained in the rectory has now broken free. It will be up to the new priest, Father Richard Mello, and Jane Edwell, who is hiding her psychic gift, to exorcise the demon once and for all. But they can count on the help of the Hookers, who unite against the threat.

I enjoyed this, though it was a bit odd, kind of a combination of Jessica Fletcher from Murder, She Wrote meets the Exorcist. Ms. Valentine has a tendency to tell to much instead of show. For example, Jane acts nervous about the ladies working at the rectory, but instead of revealing Jane's gift gradually through her actions as the plot goes along, the whole thing is explained up front. One of the women becomes possessed, but it's wrapped up quickly at the end and she suffers no lingering trauma, although a young girl who is mentioned in Father Mello's back story, who has also suffered possession, had to be committed to an institution even though the exorcism was successful.

In spite of this, I'd recommend it. The camaraderie amongst the ladies rings true and the bits of humor ("Now Vera, don't tease the demon") make it worthwhile.