The Portal: A Supernatural Mystery of Life After Death

by Lou Pugliese

Vicki Roadcap dies for moments.

A violent water-skiing accident leaves her revived—then suspended in a coma that lasts for days.

When she wakes, Vicki can’t fully explain where she’s been. Only that she crossed into a place between life and death—a place she comes to call The Portal.

As Vicki and the people who love her struggle to reconcile the woman they knew with the one who returned, unsettling questions emerge:

What happens in the space between arriving and departing?

Can the boundary between the natural and the supernatural be crossed—and crossed back?

And what is carried home from a place not meant to be remembered?

The Portal is a contemporary novel about survival and aftermath, about family, love, and the unseen forces that quietly shape our lives.

Subtle, emotional, and quietly haunting, it explores the fragile line between what we accept as reality—and what may exist just beyond it.

246 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 16, 2026

About the author

Lou Pugliese writes contemporary fiction that explores the spaces between certainty and mystery, focusing on the emotional consequences of extraordinary events in ordinary lives. His work often draws on real places and relationships, weaving subtle paranormal elements into character-driven stories rooted in realism.

Author, Lou Pugliese is retired from two careers: a senior manager at Toyota Motors with national (US) and international experience, and a business professor at a small, liberal arts college in Shenandoah Valley Virginia.

Lou and his wife Kathy (and their dog Mitch) are now settled in Green Cove Springs Florida. His writing influence comes from both careers, extensive travel, and a passion for obscure research.

Outside of his mystery and historical fiction writing, he published his doctoral dissertation on the roots of prejudice, and has had poetry published through voxpoetica. Lou belongs to the Mystery Writers of America and the Florida Writers Association (FWA), hosting the monthly FWA chapter for Clay County Florida.

Reviews

[Dori J W · Rating 3 out of 5]

An Engaging Mystery with Room for Technical Growth 3.5 starts

The Portal is a propulsive entry into the Blame it on the Moon series, blending supernatural intrigue with a classic "whodunit" pace. The concept of the Portal itself is haunting and unique, and the story effectively kept my attention from start to finish. I particularly enjoyed how the author built tension around the mystery of a missing girl and the supernatural echoes she left behind.

However, the immersion was occasionally broken by what I felt was a "tonal disconnect" regarding the male characters. During high-stakes medical emergencies—specifically when one character is in a coma and another is in premature labor—the husbands seem strangely detached, opting for "pizza, beer, and cigars" rather than staying at the hospital. This made the men feel more callous than caring, which made it harder to root for them as heroes. Additionally, as a reader who appreciates realism, I found several medical and forensic inconsistencies that I believe would benefit from a closer look in future editions.

Overall, it’s a strong story with a great hook. With a bit more attention to character depth and technical accuracy, this could be a standout in the supernatural genre.


DETAILED READER NOTES & SUGGESTIONS

Characterization & Realism

* Medical Accuracy (P. 15 & 23): It is highly unlikely for an OB/GYN to send a father home after a wife’s water breaks a month early (PPROM). This is usually a high-monitoring event. Furthermore, Trey’s willingness to stay away from his wife while she is in the ICU felt unrealistic for a "caring husband."
Reference: https://share.google/aimode/WlauDisD8...

* Hospital Logic (P. 47): A week-long hospital stay for a healthy delivery without complications is unusually long in modern medicine.

* Forensic Consistency (P. 159-160): The forensic tech’s confidence in DNA recovery was jarring. Extracting a profile from charred, crushed remains mixed with clay after two years is statistically a "long shot." Additionally, there is a contradiction between the ghost's description of dry granules (P. 110) and the tech's description of "absorbent material" (P. 160).
Reference: https://share.google/aimode/KZ4AMGUXF...

Editorial & Flow Fixes

* P. 32: Typo: "significance" should likely be "significant."

* P. 59: Grammar: "in her floor mattress" sounds like it should be "on her floor mattress."

* P. 75: Flow: "I feel so much better that you’re better" would be stronger as "I feel so much relief..."

* P. 78: Word Choice: "Don uninterrupted" should likely be "Don interrupted."

* P. 85: Flow: "bundle of baby" would flow better as "baby bundle."

* P. 137: Missing word: "Do you think this is what a Catholic..."

* P. 178: Word Choice: "convicted" appears to be a typo for "conflicted."

* P. 179: Typo: "turn is out" should be "turn us out."

* P. 195: Grammar: "...help me to believe and trust in you. And sleep." (instead of slept).

[Dori J. W. · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 starts
An Engaging Mystery with Room for Technical Growth

The Portal is a propulsive entry into the Blame it on the Moon series, blending supernatural intrigue with a classic "whodunit" pace. The concept of the Portal itself is haunting and unique, and the story effectively kept my attention from start to finish. I particularly enjoyed how the author built tension around the mystery of a missing girl and the supernatural echoes she left behind.

However, the immersion was occasionally broken by what I felt was a "tonal disconnect" regarding the male characters. During high-stakes medical emergencies—specifically when one character is in a coma and another is in premature labor—the husbands seem strangely detached, opting for "pizza, beer, and cigars" rather than staying at the hospital. This made the men feel more callous than caring, which made it harder to root for them as heroes. Additionally, as a reader who appreciates realism, I found several medical and forensic inconsistencies that I believe would benefit from a closer look in future editions.

Overall, it’s a strong story with a great hook. With a bit more attention to character depth and technical accuracy, this could be a standout in the supernatural genre.

DETAILED READER NOTES & SUGGESTIONS
(Spoiler Alert)

Characterization & Realism

* Medical Accuracy (P. 15 & 23): It is highly unlikely for an OB/GYN to send a father home after a wife’s water breaks a month early (PPROM). This is usually a high-monitoring event. Furthermore, Trey’s willingness to stay away from his wife while she is in the ICU felt unrealistic for a "caring husband."
Reference: https://share.google/aimode/WlauDisD8...

* Hospital Logic (P. 47): A week-long hospital stay for a healthy delivery without complications is unusually long in modern medicine.

* Forensic Consistency (P. 159-160): The forensic tech’s confidence in DNA recovery was jarring. Extracting a profile from charred, crushed remains mixed with clay after two years is statistically a "long shot." Additionally, there is a contradiction between the ghost's description of dry granules (P. 110) and the tech's description of "absorbent material" (P. 160).
Reference: https://share.google/aimode/KZ4AMGUXF...

Editorial & Flow Fixes

* P. 32: Typo: "significance" should likely be "significant."

* P. 59: Grammar: "in her floor mattress" sounds like it should be "on her floor mattress."

* P. 75: Flow: "I feel so much better that you’re better" would be stronger as "I feel so much relief..."

* P. 78: Word Choice: "Don uninterrupted" should likely be "Don interrupted."

* P. 85: Flow: "bundle of baby" would flow better as "baby bundle."

* P. 137: Missing word: "Do you think this is what a Catholic..."

* P. 178: Word Choice: "convicted" appears to be a typo for "conflicted."

* P. 179: Typo: "turn is out" should be "turn us out."

* P. 195: Grammar: "...help me to believe and trust in you. And sleep." (instead of slept).

[Karen Siddall · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young woman is convinced the answer to keeping her friend’s newborn safe lies where life meets the afterlife.

The Portal is the third book in author Lou Pugliese’s riveting and original paranormal mystery series, Blame It On the Moon, and puts faith, love, and commitment to the test when Vicki Roadcap discovers the Crafts’ new baby may be the target of kidnappers. With suspense lurking around every corner, I was loath to set this book down before the final page.

The entire gang from the previous books returns as Robert, Audrey, and friends relax on the water in the final weeks before the birth of their first child. A freak accident, however, lands Vicki Roadcap in the hospital in a medically induced coma as doctors work to save her life.

Spiritually gifted, but not necessarily a religious person, Vicki finds herself floating in a welcoming, light-filled space that exists between life and the afterlife, a place she calls ‘The Portal,’ where souls can linger as they pass to or from one existence to the other. She discovers she can connect with loved ones from her past as well as the spirit of the victim in a murder investigation she and her friends had assisted with in the previous novel.

These characters, including Lincoln, feel like real people, old friends I enjoy catching up with. I loved that they returned to Pennsylvania to visit Don Weston and Abbey Foster and that they made another attempt to find out what happened to Isabel. The Ouija board séance scenes had my heart in my throat and my stomach in knots with anxiety and anticipation at all times. The author tells an absorbing story, and I really enjoy his ability to craft realistic and witty dialogue.

The plot picks up and resolves the threads of a couple of storylines left over from earlier books, such as the murder of Isabel Helms, and readers finally learn the truth behind the ghostly basketball game that takes place in the wee hours at the old Craft house. However, the focus is on Vicki Roadcap and her desperation to return to ‘The Portal’ for answers, so readers new to the series should be able to read and enjoy this book as a standalone. (But do yourself a favor and read the previous books in the series.)

The lengths Vicki is willing to go to in order to return to ‘The Portal’ are shocking, and I was on the edge of my seat as she put her plans into motion, completely invested in what the outcome might be. There were clues along the way as to the identity of the kidnapper, so observant readers may be able to guess the truth behind Baby Elizabeth’s disappearance. As a mother, I can imagine the agony that Audrey and Richard endured, but my belief in who the perpetrator was and why they did it actually helped talk me off the literary ledge.

I recommend THE PORTAL to readers of paranormal mysteries.

[Almiria · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re looking for a new and original supernatural novel, then you should definitely try The Portal by Lou Pugliese. This book follows the protagonist Vicki, who dies briefly and remains in a coma for days. She has a near-death experience and when she wakes up, the biggest mystery is not where she’s been, but who she is. Her personality seems to have changed completely, and her friends and loved ones have to come to terms with a completely new version of her. I love how this book explored different reactions to Vicki’s experience and how the author grapples with complex questions. While it would be easy to go for a reductionist approach just to write a “good story”, I was impressed with how this book doesn’t shy away from ambiguity.

[CarlitasFox · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delicate and thought-provoking novel
It's a novel that goes beyond imagination. “The Portal” narrates what Vicki experiences when she was in coma after a terrible accident. While she sleeps, something strange happens to her that connects her with a portal that is between life and death. This dichotomy makes her feel confused about her life and she needs to look for answers to understand the place where she has been. Together with her friends and family she strives to figure out everything about her life.
It's a novel that invites readers to ask questions about life, after life and the kind of relationships people need to cultivate. I found it absorbing- it was a rollercoaster of emotions and I definitely recommend it.

[Steven Finkelstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vicki is in a terrible water-skiing accident. She is in a coma for a while, and when she comes out of it, she finds herself changed. She feels certain that she crossed the forbidden border between life and death. She is one of the few who have gone through the Portal but then returned to the waking world.

Now, she finds that her relationships with everyone around her have changed. They don’t understand what she’s been through. Now could they, when they have not experienced what lies beyond? This novel is a mystery story of sorts, but it also closely examines the idea that there’s no more to life than what we see. It’s gripping, emotional, and disturbing all at once.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

After so much time reading academic material, this was a refrfeshing and surprisingly emotional break. The story really pulled me in, I think especially the moment when Vicki has a life changing moment and after that she remembers a strange place. I like this approach the book has that the focus is put on how the experience changes her.
I also enjoy the simple writing style, it feels scalm and easy, with a certain flow I would say.
I love the exploring of very deep questions. The book definitely left me thinking about how mysterious and fragile life can be.
Overall, a great book for those who want to end up reflecting at the end of the read.

[Michael Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

Viki is severely hurt in a water-skiing accident and placed in an induced coma to help her recover. While under, she has what she believes is a near-death experience, seeing a portal and a blurry woman. Later, under anesthesia again, she sees the same woman in the portal. The story unfolds as Viki learns that Audrey’s baby, Elizabeth, will be kidnapped. She tries to go under anesthesia again to find out who the kidnapper is, but the doctors refuse, leaving her in suspense. It’s a fascinating story that I’d recommend to all readers.

[Claudia N. Oltean · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Book Worth Reading

“The Portal,”a well-written novel by author Lou Pugliese, held my attention page after page. The journey of the main character Vicki is a fascinating one, especially her incredible paranormal experiences and then her surprising and satisfying arc towards the end. There is love and kindness here between all the interesting characters. “The Portal” will surprise you but it won’t disappoint.

[Lavender]

Placeholder.

I won this book via Goodreads Giveaways.

[Tom Justice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best Yet

Lou’s skills as a storyteller and a writer continue to improve. Another crisp and interesting read from Dr. Lou! Looking forward to the next.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

faith

Was a really good and interesting read. Glad all s well thru out the process of faith and trust and friendship.