Look Both Ways

September 1, 2015
A Salem woman trying to manage the power of her psychic energy attempts to interpret the meaning of a vision tied to a piece of furniture and a murder that's already been solved to everyone else's satisfaction. Maralee "Lee" Barrett's Aunt Ibby happens to be watching the local television station's Shopping Salem when she sees an old-fashioned oak bureau that's the twin of one Lee grew up with. Lee's still buying furniture to replace what she lost in a recent fire (Tails, You Lose, 2015); when she gets to the store to buy the bureau from Shea Tolliver, she's thrilled to discover that the similarities between this bureau and her last one include the secret hiding compartments she loved so much as a child. Shea warns Lee that the bureau has a checkered history; it's from the house where the famed Helena Trent murder took place. This doesn't bother Lee initially, but when she returns to visit Shea and discovers her corpse, she wonders if someone from the Trent murder is involved. She asks for help from Aunt Ibby and, of course, O'Ryan; even though he's a cat, he's pointed paws to some good insights in the past. And Lee has other pluses when it comes to looking into the secrets behind Shea's murder. Not only is she dating Pete Mondello, one of the town's local detectives, but she's got a bit of second sight into the past herself. Her history as a scryer (or gazer) means she can see visions in dark surfaces. Though this dubious power's gotten her in trouble in the past, she hopes to control it long enough this time to find out the truth. Perry's fans, who are likely more invested in the sweet character interactions and long-term development than the intrusive question of whodunit, will find this perfectly relaxing and readable.

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