A Guide for Murdered Children

December 11, 2017
This highly unusual and, at times, uneven synthesis of whodunit and paranormal suspense from the pseudonymous Sparrow, billed as a “distinguished award-winning novelist,” centers on 57-year-old Willow Wylde, an alcoholic former NYPD cop. Fresh out of rehab in Arizona, Willow, whose wreckage of a personal life is one long cautionary tale, accepts a job as the head of a newly formed cold case task force in Macomb County, Mich. One case in particular—the decades-old disappearance of a brother and sister—draws his attention. Further investigation leads Willow to some mind-blowing revelations: the spirits of murdered children are returning and inhabiting adult bodies, seeking a “moment of balance” so they can track down and enact supernatural retribution on their killers. The dense narrative is slow-building, but those readers who have patience to get through the somewhat confusing beginning will be rewarded with a touching, albeit brutal, tale of redemption. Agent: Andrew Wylie, Wylie Agency.

Keith Szarabajka adds a fatherly tone to his gravelly voice as he narrates this wonderfully bizarre police procedural. Fresh out of rehab, detective Willow Wylde works cold cases near Detroit, where he finds himself investigating a support group whose members are possessed by the spirits of slain children. While the hard-boiled writing style and disturbing title are jarring, the book's premise, along with the voices of the child characters, is oddly tender and uplifting. Conveying paradox, Szarabajka's gritty voice sounds as though he's telling a bedtime story. He articulates the voices of the supporting characters, adults and children, but is strongest in the voice of Willow Wylde. This unforgettable novel with its mind-bending premise is, ultimately, a tale of redemption. S.E.S. � AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine