A new mystery… a growing threat… Will she be able to stop them?
Claire Abelard has never been normal. She has always been able to see and communicate with energy projections, or the entities more commonly known as ghosts. As an agent of the Bureau for Historical Preservation, her abilities come in handy on the job, but they tend to complicate every other aspect of her life.
Now, four months after a series of world-shattering events in Galveston, Claire’s life is still in turmoil. No one at Bureau headquarters in Boston will even acknowledge the existence of the sinister secret organization known as The Syndicate, but Claire is convinced they are behind the disappearances of dozens of rogue energy projections.
When Claire hears that rogues in New Orleans are behaving strangely, she immediately joins the investigation. As she and her fellow agents unravel the new mystery, they discover The Syndicate has more ominous plans for the rogues than simply making them disappear… and it appears they have plans for Claire as well.
Ghost Agents: Revelations is a cozy, paranormal mystery that continues the story of Claire Abelard and her work with the Bureau for Historical Preservation.
A new mystery… a growing threat… Will she be able to stop them?
Claire Abelard has never been normal. She has always been able to see and communicate with energy projections, or the entities more commonly known as ghosts. As an agent of the Bureau for Historical Preservation, her abilities come in handy on the job, but they tend to complicate every other aspect of her life.
Now, four months after a series of world-shattering events in Galveston, Claire’s life is still in turmoil. No one at Bureau headquarters in Boston will even acknowledge the existence of the sinister secret organization known as The Syndicate, but Claire is convinced they are behind the disappearances of dozens of rogue energy projections.
When Claire hears that rogues in New Orleans are behaving strangely, she immediately joins the investigation. As she and her fellow agents unravel the new mystery, they discover The Syndicate has more ominous plans for the rogues than simply making them disappear… and it appears they have plans for Claire as well.
Ghost Agents: Revelations is a cozy, paranormal mystery that continues the story of Claire Abelard and her work with the Bureau for Historical Preservation.
“If you ask me, what we need is another revolution!”
The translucent figure waved his hand dramatically as the group of energy projections standing nearby groaned. It was midnight, and in the Granary Burying Ground in Boston, Massachusetts, that could mean only one thing – a heated discussion was taking place about the current state of politics in America.
“Please, Samuel, not this again,” the energy projection of John Hancock admonished. “A revolution isn’t the solution to every problem.”
“It worked out pretty well in our day,” Samuel Adams pointed out. He made another sweeping gesture. “And now look what they’ve done with the foundation of democracy we gave them.”
“It’s hard to truly appreciate freedom when you haven’t fought for it,” Paul Revere’s projection observed. “But we can’t entirely blame them for that, can we?”
“Maybe we did our job too well,” John Hancock agreed with a smile. He turned his attention back to Samuel Adams. “If you could get your hands on some paper and a pen, you could write a pamphlet about it, maybe it would rouse the people to take action.”
“Why? So you can sign your name on it in big letters?”
John Hancock nodded. “And if we’re really lucky, someone might write a poem about us.”
“Wait a minute,” Paul Revere protested. “Why are you attacking me? That poem wasn’t my idea.”
The three colonial patriots laughed good-naturedly. They had had this discussion hundreds of times in the past two hundred years, and odds are they would have it numerous times again.
Their laughter froze in the air as a familiar and unwelcome sensation came over them. The half dozen other projections in the area stopped in their tracks, registering the same feeling of dread.
“Do the livings sense the disruption?” John Hancock asked after several minutes had passed.
Paul Revere turned a wary eye toward the building across the street and shook his head. “It doesn’t happen when they’re there.”
The three projections stood in silent contemplation, disturbed by the sensations they were feeling but unable to explain them. One thing they knew for sure, whatever was causing the energy tremors, it didn’t bode well for the Bureau for Historical Preservation.
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As the taxi slowly wound its way through the provincial streets of Brookline, Massachusetts, Claire watched the familiar stream of suburban homes glide past her window. She had grown up in this affluent suburb southwest of Boston, the birthplace of President John F. Kennedy. Seeing the collection of American Colonial, Cape Cod, and Dutch style homes usually brought her comfort, but lately coming home hadn’t felt the same. Her most recent visits hadn’t been for vacation or even for family holidays. Instead, they were because she had been summoned, once again, to explain, once again, what had happened in Galveston four months earlier.
On this visit, for the fourth time, she would sit in front of a group of high-level officials of the Bureau for Historical Preservation and describe the events as best she could remember them. And for the fourth time, she would be scrutinized by men and women who still hadn’t decided if they even believed her, much less if they needed to take any action or even seriously look into the disappearances of dozens of rogue projections over the past several years.
Initially Claire had been frustrated by their apparent lack of urgency in the face of such a serious problem, but then she had recognized her own part in holding up the investigation. If she had been completely honest with them from the start, maybe they would have given the situation the attention it deserved. Or maybe she would have found herself in a creepy Bureau research lab somewhere, being poked and prodded like a specimen on a microscope slide.
She knew she was probably being overly dramatic about the potential danger, but it was her life and her freedom on the line. Until she understood more about what had really happened that night in the cemetery in Galveston, and what she had learned about herself from her parents after the fact, she wasn’t taking any chances.
Claire absent-mindedly nibbled on her lower lip as the taxi turned the corner onto her parents’ street. She wasn’t nervous about testifying in front of another committee. She had stuck to her story from the beginning, providing all the pertinent details while leaving out the truly dangerous ones. No, her nervous energy had another source.
Drew.
They hadn’t spoken much since Galveston, and they had seen each other even less. Just as she had predicted, her superiors at the Bureau had pounced on Drew the instant he had accepted Zach’s offer of recruitment. He had been admitted immediately into the agent training program with only preliminary testing being conducted on him. He was a Level-5 sensitive with Force Perceptive Acumen. They didn’t need to know much more than that.
And now he was approaching the end of his training. In a week’s time, they would know if he had passed. Claire no doubt he would. And shortly after that, they would find out his service assignment. Claire wasn’t as confident about that.
Drew’s acumen and sensitivity level practically guaranteed him a cushy assignment, maybe even a position at headquarters in Boston. That would be a wonderful opportunity for him, but it would suck for Claire. There was no reason to think she would be leaving Galveston any time soon. In fact, if her family history didn’t date all the way back to the founding of the Bureau, she probably wouldn’t even have a job anymore. There was no way she’d ever receive any kind of promotion or position at headquarters, which meant she and Drew wouldn’t be living in the same city. Of course, she’d be able to see him when she came home for holidays, but what kind of a relationship would that really be?
The taxi pulled up in front of Claire’s childhood home, but she didn’t immediately open the door. There were no signs of any additional visitors at the house, so it would just be Claire and her parents that evening. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that.
With a resigned sigh, she stepped out of the cab and waited as the driver removed her suitcase from the trunk. She paid the man, then began the familiar trek up the driveway to the house. Before she had even stepped foot on the porch, the front door swung open.
“Claire Bear!” her father announced, rushing out to wrap her in a warm hug. Claire melted into her dad’s embrace, a genuine smile on her face. He squeezed her tightly for several seconds, then reached out and took her suitcase. “Let’s get you inside so your mom can feed you.”
Claire nodded, more than happy to comply. She was starving.
Her mother met them just inside the door and Claire found herself wrapped in another embrace. “Oh, Sweetie, we’re so happy you’re home, even if it isn’t for the most pleasant reason.” She held her daughter at arm’s length and scanned her face. “What’s wrong?”
Claire shook her head and sighed. “It’s nothing important.”
Her mother’s highly tuned Affective Acumen made it almost impossible to lie about anything, but that didn’t stop Claire from trying.
“I can tell you’re upset,” Leila Abelard insisted, taking a step back. “Are you nervous about meeting with the committee tomorrow?”
Claire shook her head again. “No, I’ve got that under control. My story’s not going to change, no matter how many times they ask the same questions.” She forced a weary smile. “I think I’m just tired after my trip.”
Claire could tell her mother didn’t believe her, but thankfully she didn’t continue her interrogation.
“Noah,” Leila said instead, gesturing toward her husband, “why don’t you take your daughter’s bag upstairs.”
Claire patted her dad on the arm and retrieved her suitcase. “Don’t worry, Dad. I’ve got it.”
As Claire made her way up to her old room, she was greeted on the stairs by a familiar translucent figure.
“It’s about time you came home for a visit,” Emma Lynn scolded, blocking Claire’s path with her hands on her hips. “You’ve been gone for ages.”
It had only been two weeks, but Claire didn’t bother pointing that out. Energy projections didn’t share the same concept of time as living people, so it could have been months or days and Emma would have missed Claire just the same.
Claire smiled at the young girl, genuinely pleased to see her. “I got here as soon as I could.”
Though child projections were rare, they did form from time to time. Since Emma Lynn had died at the age of four, the projection she left behind was frozen in an eternal state of childhood innocence.
Emma returned Claire’s smile, her sour mood gone. “You’re forgiven.” She leaned in close to study Claire’s suitcase. “What did you bring me?”
“I’m sorry, Emma Lynn,” Claire told her, feigning sadness. “I don’t have anything for you this visit, but I promise I’ll make it up to you next time.”
Emma pouted then slowly faded from view as Claire resumed her journey up the stairs. The young projection’s disappointment would be short lived, so Claire didn’t let it bother her too much. She had other things on her mind.
She would feel ridiculous admitting to her parents that deep down she was disappointed Drew wasn’t there to greet her. He had texted her earlier that day and told her he was swamped preparing for his final assessments and wouldn’t be able to meet her at the airport. It was just her own stupid optimism that had allowed her to think he might be waiting for her at her parents’ house instead.
In the four months since the events in Galveston, they hadn’t made any declarations to each other about the status of their relationship, so Drew had no obligation to act like a boyfriend. Claire could be reasonable and acknowledge that, though it did little to ease her nerves, or her insecurity. But now that things were close to settling down, maybe they would be able to find some time to talk about the future, an idea that both excited and terrified Claire at the same time.
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Revelations is the second book in the Ghost Agents Trilogy by author Nita DeBorde and a more appropriate title I cannot imagine! Nothing is as it first appears and no one is off-limits from having secrets! The entire story is chockful of eye-opening twists and turns! And I really enjoyed getting to see behind the scenes at the Bureau, the Syndicate, and, of course, the dark world of the ghosts.
Claire continues to be a heroine I can root for as she presses ahead in her search for the truth about what’s happening to the rogue projections (the ghosts not under the protection of the Bureau). Her clandestine investigations are the main plotline for everything that occurs.
I loved the Galveston setting of book one, and the change of venue to Boston and New Orleans certainly did not disappoint. The immensely entertaining spirit of Jean Lafitte returns, and the new locations provide a wealth of opportunities for the ghosts of additional historical figures to make appearances. I laughed out loud at some of Paul Revere’s characteristics and mannerisms. The author also slips in interesting and delightful snippets of history as our protagonists investigate their way across these two great cities.
Readers are introduced to several other Bureau figures, adding to the Ghost Agents’ world-building and increasing our understanding of its history, mission, operations, and politics. So much secrecy, suspicion, and surprising loyalty switches all make for an exciting story of danger, hidden agendas, and betrayal, with Claire Abelard, who is only now realizing her own unique abilities, at the center of it all. The book ends at a very exciting point in the story with a cliffhanger ending, so I will be waiting with great anticipation for the resolution and finale in book three.
If you haven’t read Ghost Agents, Revelations might be hard to get into; so much of its story depends on knowledge from the previous novel, but I highly recommend it to fans of book one. I recommend The Ghost Agents Trilogy to readers of mystery fiction who enjoy a paranormal element in their puzzles, especially those who like ghost stories.