Sandra Parshall, The Heat of the Moon

The Heat of the Moon

On the surface the Goddards, mother and therapist Judith, her veterinary daughter Rachel and her sister Michelle are a close knit family. Yet Rachel always felt that Michelle was the true daughter and she an afterthought. Visions that she had as a young child begin to reoccur; Rachel believes they mean something significant to her. Just like Judith refuses to discuss her husband's death or her family, Rachel feels her mother either lies or is so filled with remorse and guilt, she has raised them to not have friends especially significant others.

Luke owns the clinic where Rachel works. He makes it clear that he cares for her and to her shock she feels the same way; for her this is the first caring deeply for someone else outside of her family. When Luke comes to her home for dinner, Judith subtly places him in a bad light. It takes him weeks to recover from the damage to his relationship with Rachel. When she suffers another vision, Judith persuades Rachel to allow her to hypnotize her so that they can learn the underlying cause. What mom fails to know is that her daughter is secretly taping the session so she can replay it later with Luke at her side. They will both be shocked what they learn.

Fans of Patrice McDonald and Mary Higgins Clark will love this exciting psychological suspense thriller. The sense of foreboding gradually increases as the protagonist begins to question her family relationships and what her mother has told her and Michelle. Interestingly unlike Rachel who is obsessed to know the truth, Michelle prefers to not challenge the so-called facts, which might destroy her comfort zone. Sandra Parshall's debut novel will gain her award nominations and fan accolades.

Sandra Parshall

Poisoned Pen, Apr 2006, $24.95, 278 pp.

ISBN: 159058256X

Harriet Klausner