A Hemorrhaging of Souls by Nicola Furlong

A Hemorrhaging of Souls by Nicola Furlong
(Mystery)

Not everything is as it appears when young girls begin killing themselves at The Perpetual Soul girl's school. Death by self inflicted trama appears to be the case with each victim, but something about these scenarios doesn't settle right with child psychologist Dr. Tempest Ivory or police Constable Patrick Painter. Based on evidence alone no foul play is suspected, and still both Ivory and Painter believe there's a deeper meaning to be found.

The unexplained deaths are worrisome and tragic; however, what is to be uncovered is far more chilling and disturbing. For Dr. Ivory, what she discovers will take her back through years of hidden pain to the most personally troubling time of her life. She's sitting on the opportunity of a lifetime in her singing career, the role of Gilda in Rigoletto. But she does what she does for a reason, and her own past is nothing, if not partially responsible, for putting her here. Her dreams of singing a big role aren't to be forgotten, yet at the moment there's more at stake than pride.

Meanwhile Constable Painter, not without his own emotional baggage, lurks in the wings attempting to cull enough information from the students and Sisters at the Old Soul to determine what is really going on. In twist of fate that neither was expecting, Painter and Dr. Ivory begin to realize their own families' secretive pasts both have a very real connection to the complicated drama unfurling before them. And suddenly, each has more at stake in the case than either initally assumed. With each passing moment, more blood could be on their hands if they can not solve the mystery of what's going on behind the doors of this Vancouver Island girl's school.

Even with all the technical opera talk, which I'll admit got a bit boring because it's not something that interests me, the book itself appears well researched and well written. The ease with which the author threads together the heavy subject matter of suicide, murder, and sexual abuse is remarkable. It's a story that will send chills up your spine and leave you reeling from the savageness of it all. In a day and age where, sadly, these kinds of things are more common place issues than they were many years ago, some readers may find the talk of abuse hitting too close to home. In that alone I would say tread lightly. For outside of that, if you enjoy a good story that presents you with a true-to-life tale that is both shocking and thought provoking, you'll like this book. I know this reader found it hard to put down once the story really got going.

Interested readers should note, A Hemorrhaging of Souls is no longer available for purchase in paperback. The author has informed me, however, that it is currently available in e-book format. Copies can be purchased for $2.99 from any of the following sites, with more sites to offer it soon:

• iTunes.com (apps store) -http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=309458737&mt=8
• smashwords.com - http://www.smashwords.com/books/search?query=nicola+furlong
• shortcovers.com (any day now)

~Bookish Mom, aka RebekahC