Alexander and Greta Harstad of Buena Park have finally built their retirement home in Vista de Cielo, in the San Benicio mountains east of Los Angeles. They've gone there for the weekend but their respective mothers begin to worry when neither calls after the weekend to talk about their time in their new home. Alex's brother tries to get help in finding the couple but to no avail; so he treks up to the cabin with an employee. Neither expect what they find - the scene of a gruesome murder of Alexander, Greta, their sons and their family dog.

Blood is everywhere and multiple bullets have been used on the victims! But no one heard any shots or saw anything over the weekend that could be called questionable other than a young man with rather longish hair hanging around the area.

So begins the investigation that offers many a hint of something not quite right about Alex's finances, about a questionable age difference between husband and wife, and a husband with a propensity to gambling. In fact, it's the latter aspect that will lead to the solving of this crime, with the help, once again, of the talented psychic, Clarene Davis, who will wear the coat of the victim and thereby solve the mystery behind lots of money, gambling, real estate, and some disgruntled people who involve other sordid folks in the process.

Clarene doesn't get much personal attention in this mystery but she is dead on target (no pun intended) in assisting Sheriff Detective Bill Edwards in solving the multiple crimes herein.

There's also a more objective and clinical atmosphere around the investigation of these murders that works very, very well and holds the reader's attention as it would in a normal murder investigation.

Nice work, Robert Bonson - another page turner thriller that's not easy to figure out but is very real in clues to motives as well as imagined and actual commission of a horrific crime! Neat read for all mystery lovers!

Reviewed by Viviane Crystal - January 25, 2006

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