Turned out better than expected

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	• The Rainy Season James P. Blaylock Ace, 2000 - 356 pages average customer review:based on 23 reviews view larger image
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Turned out better than expected

What looked like a creepy, mournful psychological ghost story turned out to be a fun, time-traveling mystery. In Orange, California, our hero Phil inherits custody of his 10 year-old niece Betsy when his sister suddenly dies. This also draws the vengeful attentions of Betsy's crazy neighbor who was obsessed with being a surrogate mother to the girl.

Meanwhile, there's a creepy old antiques dealer and his conniving, pretty assistant sneaking around trying to find a valuable piece of crystal on Phil's property. The crystal is a repository for a ghost's memory.

There's also a well on Phil's property through which people from the past traveled through time and got stranded in his present. This links us with a couple of chapters of their drama in the 1880s.

A well-written fantasy, notable for the "hook" with which the author ends every chapter: e.g., "The doorbell rang." And then you have to read through the next chapter and the 1880s story, to get to the next chapter after that to find out who was at the door.

My only complaint: the ending felt a little mechanical to me, like he'd set up his characters to shuffle through the prescribed actions rather than making them threaten more or resist more. Recommended!

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Definitely Not A Ghost Story

I've read several of James Blaylock's novels, but this one was quite different. It's not a ghost story, it's more of a fantasy, or something. Basically, it is hard to catalog this novel. While it is good, and the story kept me interested, it lacked the necessary elements to keep you reading and on the edge of your seat. The story revolves around a crystal that supposedly has the spirit of a young girl trapped within it, and her father's search for that crystal. To me it was rather convoluted, and was about 100 pages too long. I believe Mr. Blaylock could have completed his plot in a shorter period of time. All in all I rated it about a 3.5 because it did hold my interest, but it wasn't up to his usual standard.

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A true Gem

When I bought this I was expecting it to be more "creepy" than it turned out to be. I am glad I did buy it though, since it turned out to be a delightful surprise. I thought this book had a great storyline & was well written. Even though the book was a fantasy it didn't seem totally "out there." The characters were sympathetic & believable. Blaylock even gives the villains a humanistic side. This book has a little fantasy, mystery, suspense, & warmth all rolled up together.

Good book for a "rainy day"

I picked this book up at a discount book store because it sounded interesting. It was so well-written that at times I almost thought crystals and the ceremonies that produced them were fact :-). For those who found this book trite--lighten up. I loved it!

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

The World Fantasy Award-winning author of Winter Tides presents the haunting story of a grieving widower, a little girl with an unusual gift, and an old house permeated by the past.

"Blaylock is a singular American fabulist."-William Gibson

"A chillingly realized tale of how the past haunts our lives."-Dallas Morning News

"Ambitious." -Publishers Weekly (starred review)

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