A Barricade in Hell

April 28, 2014
Moyer’s ghost-busting sleuths of San Francisco (introduced in Delia’s Shadow) are back in fine form. Madam Isadora Bobet and her apprentice, Delia Ryan, are always surrounded by the shadows of the dead. Most of these shades are quickly sent on their way, but when the ghost of a persistent little girl invades Delia’s dreams, she knows that mystery is afoot. Is it a coincidence that her husband, Capt. Gabe Ryan of the SFPD, happens to be working on a murder case that is likely part of a series of ghastly slayings? How do the deaths and ghosts connect to Miss Effie Fontaine, an evangelist for peace who recently arrived in San Francisco? It’s going to take courage, quick thinking, and stout hearts, for Delia and her team to solve the tangled mess of clues in front of them. Moyer has definitely upped her game. Agent: Tamar Rydzinski, Laura Dail Literary Agency.

May 15, 2014

In 1917 San Francisco, police captain Gabe Ryan and his partner Jack Fitzgerald are on the trail of a woman they believe may be responsible for dozens of deaths, but they need the help of Gabe's wife, Delia, and her mentor, Dora, to stop the killing. Delia has the ability to see ghosts, and with Dora's help she is learning how to banish them. But the dark forces they trace to the pacifist evangelist Effie Fontaine are no mere ghosts, and the stakes are higher than they thought, perhaps even affecting the war that is raging in Europe. VERDICT Chapters focused on Gabe and his police work alternate with those told from Delia's point of view as she deals with spirits that seem to be calling to her husband, seeking justice. The period setting of this series, which began with 2013's Delia's Shadow, adds an interesting layer to this fantasy/mystery mix, making it something you could hand to fans of Charles Todd or Jacqueline Winspear.

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