Reviver

Starred review from April 29, 2013
Supernatural thrillers don’t get much better than British author Patrick’s assured debut, the first in a trilogy. Journalist Daniel Harker stumbles on the story of a lifetime when he pursues a tip about a fraudulent medium, Eleanor Preston, who shows the skeptical Harker that she can briefly revive the recently dead. Harker soon becomes a wealthy bestselling author by demonstrating to the world that certain people, who become known as revivers, have this uncanny ability. Those who have lost loved ones now have a chance to say a final goodbye, while the police can employ a reviver to get a murder victim to identify his or her killer. During one such conversation with a dead woman, forensic reviver Jonah Miller hears something unsettling from the woman’s mouth that suggests dark forces at work. Patrick has carefully thought through the implications of this phenomenon, including religious objections and insurance issues, and maintains the suspense throughout.