C. Rae D’Arc’s Dead and Back Again series chronicles the life of private investigator Aeron Spade, also known as Earl Aeron Fromm, the Haunted, of Margen. He lives in the magical world of Novel where each “land” represents a literary genre. For example, on the map “Fantasy” exists across the sea from “Contemporary Romance” and each time period represents its typical setting (e.g. Fantasy is in the past, SciFi is in the future, etc.).
Aeron is in line to become a duke one day, but instead he moved to the land of Mystery and became a private investigator. His partner, Nita Incog, has amnesia, leaving her with only muscle memory of top-notch battle skills. In a recent novella, Aeron and Nita discovered she has a connection to a mysterious organization known as Arrowhead, which is situated in the land of Special Ops, Thriller.
Spirit of Suspense starts with Aeron’s family calling him home. They feel he should forget his private eye job and take up his royal duties in his home world. First, Aeron uses his influence to get an appointment at Arrowhead, and that’s when the novel ratches up the action and tension.
Spirit of Suspense continues the delightful stories in Novel where, from chapter to chapter, the reader may encounter anything from talking bears to modern, gun-toting assassins. This series achieves the promises of the variety of a multiverse without the downsides of that tired stereotype. In this entry of the trilogy, the plot starts in Mystery, proceeds to Fantasy, and then to Thriller, jumping around those lands in the second half of the novel. A short novella at the end also introduces the continent of Romance.
This novel extends Aeron’s journey and reveals some of Nita’s past. The middle novel of a trilogy has the burden of carrying the first novel’s exciting premise and characters and building something new, yet not quite concluding the three-book arc. Usually, the second in a trilogy ends on an unsatisfying cliffhanger. Fortunately, Spirit of Suspense is a contained narrative and completes what it sets out to do. The characters’ stories aren’t resolved by the end, but the plot guides them to a logical place and leaves them there. Readers following this series should enjoy the conclusion.
Spirit of Suspense (per the author) is not recommended if you haven’t read the first novel in the series. Reading at least the third story in the novella, Visionary Investigations, will also aid in the entertainment. Your engagement in the novel will likely be measured by how much you enjoy thrillers of the James Bond nature. It has plenty of shadow organizations, car chases, and safe houses, all the events standard for this novel. Pairing espionage with candles that allow you to teleport, hats that reveal your deepest desires, and a royal / commoner romance treats the reader to something quite special.
Overall, Spirit of Suspense is an exciting read, stuffed with gadgets and magic galore. If the two prior Dead and Back Again offerings entertained you, this novel will continue the trend.