Review: Blood Visions by L.J. Hamlin

Title: Blood Visions

Series: Visions: Book One

Author: LJ Hamlin

Length: 294 Pages

Category: Paranormal, Mystery/Suspense

At a Glance: The story’s pace is somewhat bogged down with the author’s detailed description of what is happening, but I hope the series continues as I can’t wait to see more of Ronan and Dustin growing as a couple and as a paranormal crime fighting duo.

Reviewed By: Jenn

Blurb: Private detective Ronan Bayne is a former cop who now runs his own agency specializing in all things paranormal. After several women go missing, and the cops and FBI are equally frustrated and at a loss, Ronan is called in to see if he can find answers they can’t.

After waking up from a terrible vision of a girl, darkness, and blood, Dustin tries to go to the police but to no avail. But on a visit to the crime scene, he crosses paths with Ronan.

Reluctantly, the two men join forces to locate the missing, but both the case and the partnership prove to be more complicated than either man expects…

Review: This was a great story that had an interesting take on urban fantasy. Instead of government cover ups or illegal experimentation or separation of the paranormal from humanity, thus leaving them without our laws and citizenship, in this world the paranormal is simply ignored—an inconvenience that prevents justice really getting served. It’s this blindness that caused Ronan to start his own PI business to really help those people affected by the supernatural.

Ronan is called into a case where ten women have been kidnapped, and he’s given the pressure of trying to find them alive and get them home. One of the first people he meets is Dustin who has no background in policing or PI and is simply trying to help the people he sees in the visions he’s sent. Ronan’s scepticism in Dustin’s psychic abilities surprised me, as who else would be a believer than the man fed up of people not talking about the supernatural elephant in the room? Yet as he continues to question his abilities, I could also start seeing how he might have encountered a lot of cons and hoaxes during his time that would make him hesitant.

It’s also a natural extension of the wall he surrounds himself with to ensure that people can’t hurt him.

The story is slow to start as Dustin and Ronan get to know each other, something that is further bogged down with the author’s detailed description of what is happening. It felt like each individual step the characters were making was told—from which hand they outstretch to open a door, to searching through the phonebook in their phone and then bringing the number up for dialling. This keeps us that bit distant from the characters and makes it harder to empathise with them. None of what they are feeling or experiencing really impacts us as it should have. I really hope the author continues this series, however, as I can’t wait to see more of Ronan and Dustin growing as a couple and as a paranormal crime fighting duo.

You can buy Blood Visions here:
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