Dream Stalker is a unique paranormal cozy mystery novel by Nancy Gardner. The book setting takes place in Salem, Massachusetts around Halloween. This engaging story is told from the first-person point of view through the main character, Lily Scott’s eyes. The author sets the stage with the first stage with the Dream Stalker and Lily’s first and (for the time being) last encounter with him. Then fast-forward to present time and Lily’s life is about to get turned upside down and it all starts with the tragic death of her friend.
Dream Stalker is one of those stories that will grip you from the beginning. I was quickly enticed into this story by the young Lily and the near loss of her when she’s attacked by the Dream Stalker. From there, the author gives me a much older and more mature Lily, but so much has happened in her life. I’m heartbroken by the rift that has been created in her family by her gift of dream walking. Due to the rift in her relationship with her daughter and her sister, she would be alone in the world if it weren’t for her great friendships. I love that she has Martin and Honey to really depend on and be there for her.
I like that despite the fractures in her relationships with her daughter and sister that Lily always does her best to be there for them when they need her. The mystery in this novel is so well done, as well. The mystery really begins with the death of Lily’s friend, Kitty. It’s a really tragic death, and I think that some readers should exercise a bit of caution since her death is a suicide. Kitty leaves her with the words “find the truth” and then she’s gone. Lily has no idea just how deep things go, and the danger that she will find herself in as she digs to find the truth.
The mystery in this novel is multi-layered and I think that that is what really keeps me page-turning. One clue leads in one direction, and then another comes and leads in another. I liked that Lily’s friends are there to help her and even bring some light to certain situations that would have thrown her. Even when she was doing things that could have gotten her into a lot of trouble, they didn’t yammer on about her not going forward with it. They helped in what way they could to help keep her safe. This book’s mystery is the perfect jigsaw puzzle and I love that while the pieces come together, the whole picture isn’t visible until the last pieces fall into place.
This book is really well written and I enjoyed reading it immensely. My only dings on it would be the death of another character. I’m curious as to whether it really is what the author lead it to be, or if it was yet another murder committed by the bad guy in the book. Then, we get a small taste of some romance as well, but I wanted more! LOL! I at least wanted to know if they sat down and had that conversation and where things are going. (wink wink) Also, who is the Dream Stalker? Have they always been? Is the Dream Stalker the paranormal boogeyman? I will say this though if you see "paranormal" and think that you are going to get a lot of what most have come to consider paranormal: ghosts, spirits, spooky elements, etc then you're going to be disappointed. The "paranormal" aspect is more of a mild supernatural element in this story, and there is really very little of it. But it's enough for the author to say that there is a bit of a paranormal element to the story.
All in all, I’m choosing to rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. You get a nice taste of paranormal with this book, though I could have used a little more, it’s still good. I am left with some questions, but I can’t complain too much about the ending. It’s a good book and I wouldn’t mind reading more by this author in the future. If you enjoy cozy mystery novels that weave engaging storylines that pull you in then you’re not going to want to pass this book up.
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