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Torch Songs
When recently widowed Kay Gates moves to Sydenham, Ontario to start a new chapter in her life, she is hoping for some peace after a difficult year. However, what she finds instead is anything but idyllic. Shortly after she realizes her home is haunted by a ghost with an agenda, the house across the road is destroyed by arson, and Kay stumbles upon a murder scene next door.
Fortunately, she doesn't have to go through all of this alone. Her best friend Jules moves in after splitting with her wife, and Jo, a local baker and volunteer firefighter, quickly becomes her roomie's plus one. Her weeks fill up with visits from her disabled adult son, Ben, and the handsome Detective Jack Murphy suddenly seems to be around an awful lot.
With Kay's supernatural encounters increasing and her own personal safety threatened, she struggles to make sense of seemingly unconnected events. And while the torch songs of potential love keep getting louder, Kay begins to realize that she needs to examine the past to make sense of the present because if she doesn't figure it all out fast, she might be the next one burned.
Fortunately, she doesn't have to go through all of this alone. Her best friend Jules moves in after splitting with her wife, and Jo, a local baker and volunteer firefighter, quickly becomes her roomie's plus one. Her weeks fill up with visits from her disabled adult son, Ben, and the handsome Detective Jack Murphy suddenly seems to be around an awful lot.
With Kay's supernatural encounters increasing and her own personal safety threatened, she struggles to make sense of seemingly unconnected events. And while the torch songs of potential love keep getting louder, Kay begins to realize that she needs to examine the past to make sense of the present because if she doesn't figure it all out fast, she might be the next one burned.
- GenresMystery
246 pages, Paperback
Published September 21, 2023
About the author
KJ Johns
2 books4 followersWith two Bachelors degrees in English literature and Teaching English literature, I have done my fair share of reading and analyzing works of fiction. Like Kay, I am a Canadian military spouse and the parent of an autistic child, and I currently reside in a 100-year old house with my husband, son, two Labrador retrievers, and zero ghostly roommates.
13 years ago, I suffered a major traumatic injury that nearly cost me my life, and has left me with permanent pain and complex PTSD. One of the practices I adopted during the recovery treatments for complex PTSD was to start journaling or blogging about my experience. I went through a low period in early 2022 when my previous treatments stopped working. I began to write again as a method to express my anxieties as I worked to find something that helped, and Kay was born.
One of my fondest memories of my childhood is being the kid with the computer in her room. All it did was word process and it was perfect. I had binders full of dot matrix-printed stories that I had written. My favourite one involved a detective named Jack and his sidekick Friday, which the inspiration for Detective Murphy and his "Thursday" came from. For me, writing professionally is like living out my wildest childhood dream.
13 years ago, I suffered a major traumatic injury that nearly cost me my life, and has left me with permanent pain and complex PTSD. One of the practices I adopted during the recovery treatments for complex PTSD was to start journaling or blogging about my experience. I went through a low period in early 2022 when my previous treatments stopped working. I began to write again as a method to express my anxieties as I worked to find something that helped, and Kay was born.
One of my fondest memories of my childhood is being the kid with the computer in her room. All it did was word process and it was perfect. I had binders full of dot matrix-printed stories that I had written. My favourite one involved a detective named Jack and his sidekick Friday, which the inspiration for Detective Murphy and his "Thursday" came from. For me, writing professionally is like living out my wildest childhood dream.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 15, 2024
Recently widowed Kay Gates moves into a new home, hoping for a fresh start. But instead of finding peace she finds chaos as her house is haunted by a ghost, the house across the street burns down, and she finds a dead body in the house next door. With the help of her best friend and roommate, Jules, and Jack, the handsome detective, Kay unravels the mystery surrounding her.
I purchased Torch Songs from the author herself at a book signing over a year ago, and I’m so glad I finally got around to reading it. This is a great, action-packed book that had me turning the pages from beginning to end.
If you enjoy a well-thought-out mystery, with interesting characters, and excellent storyline, check this one out. You won’t be disappointed. And the best thing is there’s a second book, which I will definitely be getting.
I purchased Torch Songs from the author herself at a book signing over a year ago, and I’m so glad I finally got around to reading it. This is a great, action-packed book that had me turning the pages from beginning to end.
If you enjoy a well-thought-out mystery, with interesting characters, and excellent storyline, check this one out. You won’t be disappointed. And the best thing is there’s a second book, which I will definitely be getting.
April 25, 2024
An awesome story. Lots going on all around our main character Kay. Moving, ghost, murder, arson. It all kept my interest. Looking forward to the next one.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews