When psychic Emma Jackson experiences a terrifying vision of a teenage girl being attacked, she is shaken to the core. Her husband, David Harris, tries to comfort her, but his worry increases when her shattered voice whispers, “Her name was Maggie.” David questions the wisdom of his team using the paranormal to solve cold cases.
Emma and David, with Bryan, a retired police officer, and his wife, Laura, have been working with New Elgan Police Service to solve cold cases.
They learn Maggie was a young woman who went missing twenty years ago and has moved on to the afterlife.
During a séance, she takes over Emma’s body and demands the team take on her case to find her children.
Except, at sixteen years old at the time of her disappearance, she had no children.
When the team uncovers a sinister baby ring where young women are kidnapped and forced to breed made-to-order children for the elite, they are shocked to learn their nemesis, the Dark Hands of Anubis, is behind the trafficking.
Emma insists on continuing, but isn’t her sanity and peace of mind worth more than solving a cold case from beyond?
When psychic Emma Jackson experiences a terrifying vision of a teenage girl being attacked, she is shaken to the core. Her husband, David Harris, tries to comfort her, but his worry increases when her shattered voice whispers, “Her name was Maggie.” David questions the wisdom of his team using the paranormal to solve cold cases.
Emma and David, with Bryan, a retired police officer, and his wife, Laura, have been working with New Elgan Police Service to solve cold cases.
They learn Maggie was a young woman who went missing twenty years ago and has moved on to the afterlife.
During a séance, she takes over Emma’s body and demands the team take on her case to find her children.
Except, at sixteen years old at the time of her disappearance, she had no children.
When the team uncovers a sinister baby ring where young women are kidnapped and forced to breed made-to-order children for the elite, they are shocked to learn their nemesis, the Dark Hands of Anubis, is behind the trafficking.
Emma insists on continuing, but isn’t her sanity and peace of mind worth more than solving a cold case from beyond?
SQUEALS OF LAUGHTER permeated through the dense forest. The girl turned her head around to look at her pursuer and tucked a stray tendril of light-colored hair behind her right ear. “Catch me if you can,” she taunted.
The boy stopped in his tracks, transfixed by her beauty in the soft light of dusk filtering through the trees. Thin, new subtle curves hinted at the fuller shape she would soon possess.
“Come on,” she said. “We’re almost there.” She turned on her heels and started running, strong and supple, as she wove through the tangled vines interlacing the pathway which led to the old gristmill.
The boy picked up his pace and raced after her, unwilling to be left behind in the growing dim. “Wait up,” he shouted, breathless from the exertion.
“Last one there is a dirty rotten egg,” she teased.
That final goad did it, and the boy’s long legs closed the distance. When he was within an arm’s length of her, he reached out and grabbed a long strand of her golden hair, stopping her from running.
“Hey,” she screamed. “That hurt!”
He roughly whipped her around and grabbed her around her slight waist with one hand and still clenching a fist full of her hair, mashed his lips against hers and forced his tongue down her throat, causing her to gag.
“Yuk!” The girl jerked her face away from his and coughed. She tried to wriggle free, but he wound her hair even tighter around his fist, making it impossible for her to move her head. “You’re hurting me.” Her voice was thick with fear and terror.
“Stay still.” He could feel the panicked hammering of her heart against his chest which made him feel strong and superior. The more pain he caused, the more intense was this new-found pleasure coursing through his body.
He kicked her feet from under her and pushed her to the ground. The flailing of legs and arms against his body aroused him even more. He released her hair, and, in a fluid motion, grabbed both her wrists and pinned them to the ground. He rammed his mouth against hers again and this time bit her lower lip hard. He savored the iron taste, as the warm velvety blood gushed into his mouth. He moaned with excitement and whispered, “Maggie.”
***
Emma Jackson groaned and shifted in bed, then kicked David Harris hard in the shin. He switched on the nightlight and watched her squirming in her sleep, her breathing erratic. Worried, he placed his hand on her shoulder, to calm her, but she continued to thrash, her eyes open, clearly seeing something other than their cozy bedroom.
He shook her shoulders gently. “Emma, honey. Wake up.” He was relieved when his wife’s breathing returned to normal and the haze of fear in her emerald-green eyes dissipated. He helped her sit up and adjusted the pillows behind her, then pushed the unruly curls of auburn hair away from her face. He took a corner of the bedsheet and carefully wiped away the tears from her cheeks.
“Bad dream or a vision?” he asked in a gentle voice.
“Vision.” Her voice cracked with emotion. “David, it was awful.” She buried her face in his chest, hot tears staining his dark-blue silk pajama top. When her sobs had subsided, she pulled away and said, “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay, honey.” He filled a glass from the crystal pitcher of water resting on the nightstand. “Here, drink this.”
Her hands shook as she took a few sips. “Maggie,” she whispered and handed the glass back to David. He gently placed the glass on the nightstand and waited for her to continue. “Her name was Maggie.”
He handed her a notepad and pen and said, “Here, write everything down.”
She nodded, leaned forward, and with trembling fingers took the pen and began to write. When she finished, she leaned back against the pillows and said, “That’s all I can remember.” She closed her eyes, dark circles around them punctuating the depth of her exhaustion.
“Let’s try and get some rest.” David took the pen and notepad and slid them into the drawer of the nightstand. He shut off the light and adjusted his body until he formed a protective spoon around her slender form. He looped his top arm around her protectively, kissed the nape of her neck and waited till he heard the soft rhythm of her breath.
As usual, sleep was never an easy companion for him, and his thoughts were preoccupied with Emma’s burgeoning psychic ability. He worried he wouldn’t be able to protect her. Was it really last year that they had first met and fallen in love? It seemed like a lifetime ago. Together, they had pursued Enrico Bianchi, the man who had murdered him in his past life. Sometimes, he wondered if his quest for revenge had been worth it. They had both lost loved ones in their pursuit of bringing Enrico to justice and not one day went by that he and Emma didn’t miss Anna, his Uncle Liam and Sarah.
He questioned their decision to work cold cases together. Perhaps this idea of working on decades-old cases of missing people and murders using the help of spirit guides, such as Spirit Anna, was flirting with a danger best left alone.
He checked the time on his phone: 3:00 a.m. Even if sleep might elude him, at least he could keep watch over Emma and comfort her if her vision recurred. In the morning, he’d call Laura and Bryan Grant, his in-laws and his and Emma’s business partners from their newly formed company, Jackson, Grant & Harris Investigations. Was it time to reconsider this venture? Wasn’t Emma’s safety and her sanity worth more than trying to solve cold cases the police had abandoned years ago?
Frustrated and conflicted by these thoughts, David brushed away a lock of wavy brown hair from his dark eyes. He was roughly six feet tall with a slim and athletic build and kept fit by rowing, lifting weights and practicing yoga. Although powerful and strong, he worried if he had what it took to keep his young wife safe.
Psychic Emma Jackson has a vision of a young girl being attacked. Alongside her husband, mother, and stepfather, the four embark on a journey to discover what happened to Maggie – a girl who wants revenge on the men and adoption ring that kidnapped, impregnated, and eventually killed her. Maggie will do anything she can to get her vengeance from the grave, even if it means risking Emma’s life, but first Emma must find her children. Things go from bad to worse as Emma’s connection to the spirit world becomes shaky just when she needs it most.
A riveting sequel to van Breemen’s Past Live’s Revenge, Revenge is Not Enough continues Emma, David, Laura, and Bryan’s story as they work together to solve cold cases with the help of Emma’s psychic abilities. What’s more is that readers won’t miss a beat if they haven’t read the first instalment of the series - van Breemen isn’t afraid to recap previous events.
Revenge is Not Enough is beautifully paced, making it an easy page-turner, and explores themes of pure love, loss, revenge, forgiveness, and trust. Pair this with an engaging, multi-faceted, and involved (without being too complex) plot and paranormal world, and you have the perfect book to add to your fall reading list.
Unfortunately, some of the dialogue felt exposition-like, especially since van Breemen tells the reader exactly what’s happening rather than showing it, losing the book a star. For example, when introducing a new aspect of the plot, such as how Interpol works, the information is presented through dialogue rather than the third-person narrative, which would read more naturally in this genre.
The slightly anti-climactic conclusion also loses the book a star. What it (and readers, too) craves is a more satisfying confrontation between our beloved heroes and the depraved villains that van Breemen has successfully primed readers to dislike passionately.
However, van Breemen has created wonderfully lovable, unforgettable characters. There’s a deeply emotional connection and dynamic between the four main characters, as well as a host of intriguing background characters, making Emma and David’s story and world fascinating and comforting. Ultimately, van Breeman has created a world filled with characters that readers will happily root for and turn to, likely ensuring a lifelong following.
So, if you’re looking for a paranormal mystery that has intrigue, great characters, and comforting vibes, then this is the book for you. Revenge Is Not Enough is a compelling story of revenge that demonstrates that this can take many forms. A satisfying continuation of this promising series, this book will thrill fans of suspenseful paranormal worlds with friendly, entertaining, and relatable characters.