Note: Thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing, and author Gregg Dunnett for the advanced reader copy of this book. This review will also be posted on NetGalley. What follows is my unbiased review of the book.

This is a challenging book to review. It has me of two minds. On one hand, the premise is terrific and author Greg Dunnett’s use of a potential paranormal plot point works quite well despite the fact that some people wouldn’t believe the story. I think it’s a healthy skepticism that he actually works well into the story itself. On the other hand, there are two major problems I had with the book and definitely took away from what was otherwise a compelling story.

The story opens with Kate Marshall being interviewed by FBI Agent Jim McGee regarding a fire that took the lives of several members of her family. As one of the few survivors, she’s also one of the suspects in a potential case of arson and murder. The story is told from her perspective, leading up to the events that landed them here.

Kate was the middle of three sisters with Amber being older and Bea being younger than her. When their father dies and leaves the family lake house to the three daughters, it becomes a mistake. The intention is to keep the family together, but this isn’t what happens. Bea really doesn’t care, since she lost her only son, Zack, in a drowning accident at the lake several years before. Kate and her husband are navigating the terrible twos with their son, Jack. Amber steps in and takes over, remodeling the house to go way beyond what it once was to the family.

Jack is two years old and pretty non-verbal as the story begins. As he adds words to his vocabulary, what Kate hears him saying is pretty remarkable. He talks about being bigger in the past and having memories from back then. One day, they are visiting Bea when he spots a train that used to be Zack’s favorite toy and declares it “my train.” Kate’s husband Neil is a published scientist and rationalizes much of what Kate thinks is happening. As time goes on, however, Kate can’t explain how Jack knows things he couldn’t possibly have known otherwise. Eventually, Kate asks him about his death when he was Zack, leading to a situation that threatens to blow the family apart.

I was roped in very well by the story itself. I figured out most of where this was going to go early on, but getting there was intriguing. The characters all bounce off of each other well and act the way I’ve seen in many families. Amber is the oldest and an over-achiever, used to running everything. That her sisters step back and let her do so is on them, although Bea’s indifference can be ascribed to her grief. Why would she care what is done with the beloved family lake house where her only son drowned? Going there can only be a harsh reminder of what happened. Kate is caught up in her own situation and doesn’t seem that concerned about it, either.

However, despite Neil’s downplay of the situation, Kate is troubled by what Jack has told her. Up until the weekend of the grand reopening of the house following Amber’s renovations, she has hidden all this from Bea. This is despite the doctor she consulted with experience in this wanting to talk with Bea as well. All of this is told from Kate’s perspective as she’s being interviewed by Agent McGee. Both he and his partner are skeptical, feeling that Kate is the likely suspect in the arson as one of the few who survived. The question is if they will believe her about Jack. This part of the story worked very well.

The problems I had were twofold. One, it’s very obvious the author has never been to Maine. That is the setting he chose for these events but they don’t fit. I imagine he looked at a map and thought it would work well as there are a lot of lakes in the northern part of Maine, away from the coast. That area is remote, though. You won’t find yuppie caterers there as is depicted twice in the book. You’re lucky to find anything there that could cater a dinner, never mind set up and serve it in your home. That’s more akin to Center Harbor, New Hampshire, or Meredith, New Hampshire on Lake Winnipesaukee where people with more money are catered to. At one point they order takeout as if it’s a thing. I’ve been to the town on these lakes and if you find one decent Chinese restaurant, you’ll have to go pick it up yourself. Also, the only airports in these areas are small airports for private planes. You can’t just grab a flight from Portland to there.

The second problem was the entire way the book began. Kate begins by telling the story of her father’s death. There’s no point in these events as it has no bearing on the story or the fire. It feels like filler that has no purpose other than to make the story longer.

The central story of Jack and whether he was once Zack in a past life is intriguing and very well done. I wish Gregg Dunnett had stuck to that story and left the rest out. He also should have set it in a place he is familiar with. This likely could have been set in the Lakes District in England where the author is from and worked just as well. If you’ve ever been to Maine you’ll be shaking your head at a lot of it. The story is solid and intriguing, but it does have some problems overall.