Cassandra Barnes Jenny’s Legacy

Jenny's Legacy

Cassandra Barnes

Five Star, Jan 2006, $26.95

ISBN: 1594144338

In Millwood General Hospital near Phoenix, contractor Kyle Cordell waits for his preadolescent son Jared to get a cast put on his broken arm; at the same time and place, psychic psychiatrist Gaelynn Graham waits for results on her dad. Divorced Kyle helps her somewhat confused mom stay calm.

The next day Kyle and Gaelynn learn they will share a storefront, but he becomes angry when he finds out she is a psychic. Years ago his teenage sister died due to the antics of a guru so he and his parents detest all forms of New Age mumbo jumbo; his father runs the powerful Family Foundation Against Mind Control. When his other son Jason insists he saw the horror of the nearby school killings in Phoenix before they happened, Kyle tells him it was nothing and move on. An upset Jason talks with Gaelynn, a school counselor, who provides him insight into visions of a clairvoyant. This angers Kyle even as he is desires sleeping with the enemy. However, his black aura comes to a pivotal moment when Jason apparently runs away while his grandfather starts to destroy Gaelynn and mentally abuses Kyle and his mom.

This is an interesting paranormal family drama starring an attractive cast except for his dad who is painted as an abusive fanatic who is quite a contrast to her caring, loving father. The clever story line uses differences caused by being a psychic as a means to showing how crippling any form of human prejudice is to everyone. Though his change of heart seems too easy, fans will appreciate this deep look at JENNY'S LEGACY needed to overcome narrow-minded bigotry.

Harriet Klausner