Vibe/Sync

TraceWorld #2

by Letitia L. Moffitt

BARELY A WEEK has passed since she solved her last case and Nola Lantri is already involved in several new mysteries—with a couple of people who may be just as unusual as Nola herself. Vibe Eric Lafferty returns to Redfort City a little too late for his father’s funeral but just in time to get mixed-up in a mystery that involves Nola Lantri, Grayson Bryant, a dead girl, and a missing woman. Eric’s ability to read the vibrational changes in brain waves should be an asset, yet it only seems to make life more difficult for him—and given that he and Nola might be the next victims, things are difficult enough. Sync Emjay used to steal things—nothing big, just enough to get by—but after a terrible accident changes her life, Emjay has only one thing on her revenge. Suddenly private investigator Nola Lantri appears and questions Emjay about her past—and informs her that the mysterious man she works for has a complicated past of his own. Emjay must figure out the best use of her odd ability to “sync,” a technique intended to help people heal—but one that also can cause a lot of harm.

244 pages, Paperback

Published April 21, 2016

About the author

Letitia L. Moffitt was born and raised in Hawaii, and somehow ended up in rural Illinois. Her novels include Sidewalk Dancing (Atticus Books 2013), Trace and Vibe/Sync (Cantraip Press 2015 and 2016). Her memoir, Bird People, was published by Cantraip Press in 2019. In her spare time she runs marathons and ultramarathons and takes care of a lot of animals, including three beautiful, high-maintenance macaws.

Reviews

[Majanka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Review originally published here: http://www.iheartreading.net/book-tou...

I previously reviewed TRACE, the first book in the series, and really enjoyed it, so I was eager to get started on VIBE/SYNC. The sequel brought back all the elements I loved in the first book, and then some. Nola is back, and this time she’s involved in more than one mystery. In book one, Vibe, she deals with Eric Lafferty. He has the ability to read the vibrational changes in brain waves. The paranormal elements were once again a great addition, and this was a particularly supsenseful read, as Eric and Nola are put in a very dangerous situation.

The second part, Sync, focuses mostly on Emjay, who has the ability to “sync”, which can help people heal, but can also be very hurtful. Emjay is mostly focused on getting revenge for what happened in the past, but Nola has some questions about Emjay’s past that might change her life.

I enjoyed the first story the most. Although Eric and Emjay were both engaging characters, I found it easiest to connect to Eric, and I also thought his story was the most interesting of both of them.

[Bonnie Irwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Vibe/Sync, Moffitt expands her cadre of TraceWorld denizens to include characters who can vibe (read others' brain waves) and sync (immediately put an individual into a hypnotic-like state). Like Nola, who is a tracist, these new characters are struggling to come to terms with their unusual abilities. Are they freaks or more sentient beings? Are their skills gifts or burdens? Murder and mystery bring Nola, Eric, and Emjay together an unusual alliance, about which I look forward to reading more. Apart from the mystery, Moffitt's characters are also characters who ponder the ethics of their abilities and choices: "Yeah, people who do nothing to stop suffering to benefit themselves are in some ways more despicable than people who cause suffering to get what they want." Moments like this in the narrative cause me to stop and ponder and add an intriguing depth to the novel.

[Cynthia Raleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started Vibe/Sync immediately after finishing Trace. I very much enjoy reading about Nola as she discovers and develops ways to use her uncommon ability. While I can, at times, enjoy action-packed suspense and escalating excitement in books, I truly appreciate writing that doesn't rely on catastrophes and wild thrills & spills to carry the story. Without that, an author needs to put a lot of effort into creating characters with substance and a personality vivid enough that the reader forms a distinct mental image of the character without much actual description. That accomplishment is something I applaud. I was very pleased with the addition of Eric and his own uniqueness. He is a persona who has a long way to go but is just beginning to see that the tunnel isn't blocked after all, that it actually does have a light at the end. With the introduction of Emjay, I first viewed her as a "Lisbeth Salander-type" character: smart, edgy, and not necessarily very likable. Emjay is an effective, and important, counterpoint to both Nola and Eric. Her spicy, off-color personality provides a balance to the trio. The only thing I can say I wanted to be different, although now I realize why it was not, was I wanted to see Nola, Eric, and Emjay linked up and working together much earlier. But that's a good thing. Another positive aspect is that I think we have their cooperative efforts to look forward to in future Trace World books. (Yes, plural, hopefully.)

[Letitia Moffitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had fun writing this. I think you'll have fun reading it!