That Which Is Lost

by Brandy Isaacs

Talia Riven is twenty-four years old, afraid of the dark, doesn’t drive, oh, and she barely survived being murdered along with her family when she was a child. As an adult, the terror she experienced still haunts her as she desperately struggles to maintain the safety of her average life. Good student, loyal girlfriend and supportive best friend, Talia is all that she needs, or is she?

Talia’s high school sweetheart, Ben, and her best friend Nicole, do their best to protect her from danger--both internal and external. Their dynamic is idyllic and smooth until Evan enters the picture. Tall, dark and mysterious, his obsession with the supernatural threatens to alter the very identity that Talia has carefully constructed for herself.

Haunted by his own past, she finds a kindred spirit in Evan. He awakens an unexpected desire in Talia--a desire for change and answers to question she forgot she had. As he leads Talia and her friends on a search for the unknown, innocent fun quickly turns dangerous.

314 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 31, 2014

About the author

I was born and raised in Lexington, KY, but I've moved around a bit since then. Currently, I live outside of Chicago and write when I'm not working to make the world a better place (my day job is at a nonprofit).

If one person enjoys the stories in my head, I'm happy. And inspired to keep going. If you keep reading, I'll keep writing. Who am I kidding--I'm gonna write even if no one is reading.

Reviews

[L.J. Scar · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I read the description, I thought of ghost hunters in similarity to the cable reality shows. That Which Is Lost is nothing like those.

The story centers on the character Talia. Her childhood trauma, overprotective friends, and stagnating fears keep her from finding the answers to her parents’ murders. That is until Evan, a daring and obsessive man with a dark childhood of his own, becomes in involved. Evan becomes the ringleader of taking Talia down the dangerous path that will do more than just clarify her past.

For me, That Which Is Lost had a slow build on the suspense until about 25%. Then I was hooked and couldn’t put it down. I read the bulk of it during a weekend of stormy weather which was the perfect setting. The ending was dark, and I never saw the plot twist coming.

I recommend this to any reader who likes paranormal, and loves the appeal of what lurks in the dark and goes bump in the night.

[TheConsultingWriter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brandy Isaacs has a way with writing suspenseful, nail-biting scenes. Bravo! If you enjoy paranormal stories with some mystery, this is the book for you. The story is told in first person, for those who are a fan of first person perspective. I'm usually not a fan, but the writing was so well done that I hardly noticed and wasn't bothered at all.


Talia tells us the story of her paranormal experience. A child who had grown up with her aunt, Talia had to cope with the mysterious and traumatic murder of her parents. From the experience, she's been left fearful of the dark and the lurking shadows. This constant fear means she sleeps with the lights on. Her closest friends, Nicole and Ben, have supported her and continue to do so despite the unresolved issues that Talia has. It is Evan, another friend in their clique, who challenges the status quo and pushes Talia to find the answers that deep down she truly desires to discover.

Will Talia solve the mystery behind her parents' murders? Are the unexplained paranormal episodes really her mom trying to communicate with her from beyond the grave? Is it *really* a smart idea to use a Ouija board at the cemetery?!

Alas, you'll have to read That Which Is Lost to find the answers and I highly recommend that you do.

**Note: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review and I was happy to provide one!