Sacred Secrets is the prequel to award winning, The Gifts, A Jacody Ives Mystery. The story behind the story. Revealing the dark secret hidden of Gavin McAllister that created Jacody Ives.
Jacody Ives had never had to wonder whether evil existed. He was born knowing it was there. A cunning predator, silently stalking its prey. Lurking in the shadows. Waiting. Patiently waiting for the delicate balance to shift. Give it power. Grant it life. Feeding on lies and manipulation. Anger and hate. Growing stronger as it chipped away at the soul. Destroying the light until there was nothing left but the darkness.
Evil attracts evil. He’d heard its call in the nightmare. The girl was dead, but she wanted something from him. “Please. . .”, she whispered. A small prayer in the darkness. Unanswered.
He would answer. There’d never been any other choice for him. Evil knew his name.
G. A. Bixler IP Book Reviewer
"Truthfully? I was hooked with the Prologue! Except for personal breaks, I read straight through, turning page after page, wonderfully surprised by each new step of fate and how each was mystically woven into one of the best novels I've had the pleasure to read! It's a MUST READ!
****Mystery Lovers Summer Sale**** The Gifts, A Jacody Ives Mystery $3.19 Bet you can't...Find Me $.99
This is the prequel to THE GIFTS... the story behind the story.
Gavin McAllister has always known he had a gift. He never had to wonder about evil .. he has always known it existed. And Gavin kept it secret.
From the book blurb: Jacody Ives had never had to wonder whether evil existed. He was born knowing it was there. A cunning predator, silently stalking its prey. Lurking in the shadows. Waiting. Patiently waiting for the delicate balance to shift. Give it power. Grant it life. Feeding on lies and manipulation. Anger and hate. Growing stronger as it chipped away at the soul. Destroying the light until there was nothing left but the darkness.
Evil communicates with Gavin through his dreams .. or rather, nightmares. The dead whisper to him asking for help. But he's always been just a step behind, just a little late.
Another winner from this author! If you have read The Gifts, you will certainly enjoy this one. As stated previously, this is the story behind the story .... how and why Gavin McAllister has an alter ego ... Jacody Ives. It's a mystery with a bit of paranormal and complex characters you won't soon forget.
Many thanks to the author for the digital copy of SACRED SECRETS. Opinions expressed here are unsolicited, unbiased, and entire my own.
Everyone has secrets. In Sacred Secrets the author skillfully reveals her characters and slowly unveils their secrets. In the beginning I couldn’t understand how such an intricate set of storylines could come together in the end, but as I neared the final chapters it all began to make sense. I enjoyed getting to know these characters and immediately took to Jacody Ives, split personality and all. Ives sets out to track down a killer while at the same time must fight his own demons. Then there is Katie, seeking her own answers about life and death, and a calling she can’t ignore. I liked the way the author painted each scene and I found myself many times picturing it a scene in a movie. If you like suspenseful mystery mingled with the supernatural, and driven by endearing characters then Sacred Secrets is for you.
Sacred Secrets is a beautifully crafted book. It is told from the viewpoints of Jacody Ives, the alter ego of Gavin McAllister and Katie O'Connor, a woman rich in wealth and poor in health who receives a new heart from a mystery donor. As the two stories join themselves together, Ms Prather weaves in a gentle mysticism in a way that you could never doubt it was a normal part of life. It is the kind of book that, even if you put it down for some time through necessity, when you pick it up again - and you will - you instantly remember where you are in the story. It is a book that holds you in the telling to the very last word. I have already downloaded the sequel, [[ASIN:B003U4WVQ4 The Gifts, A Jacody Ives Mystery (Jacody Ives Mysteries)]], and it's on the top of my 'to be read' list. That's the best recommendation you can have.
I ended up liking this book a lot. Glad I stuck with it. At first I did not understand anything about the story or the characters. In the end the story was fascinating. The story of a split personality, mystery, magic, dream weavers, old Indian spirits. A really good read and I will have to read some more of Prather's works
Sacred Secrets, A Jacody Ives Mystery (Jacody Ives Mysteries) [Kindle Edition] Linda S. Prather (Author), Charles, Jr. Prather (Author)
Jacody Ives has a secret and is well suited to solving the crime that haunts his sleep. He seeks absolution in solving what haunts him. Katie O’Connor is a woman who has been living with the knowledge she was at death’s door since she was a child but the door is opening wider and she hasn’t much time. An accident gives Katie the life she’s always wanted but the heart is a bridge to the killer and Katie’s past. Jacody’s and Katie’s lives are about to intersect with a psychic bond involving a serial’s killers actions, his victim haunting them both. In the book Jacody states ”It all boils down to secrets who was hiding what and why?” Isn’t that what every good mystery is about and this one is definitely a better than average mystery. This is a suspenseful story with intricate layers woven with great care and detail to make an exceptional read. I truly enjoyed this stunning mystery as the author drew me in and made me identify with both of the main characters. It reminded me of some of Tony Hillerman’s books with its mysticism and mythic legends woven into the story. Readers who enjoy his books would certainly enjoy this one. This book was one I could stop reading until its conclusion. I look forward to reading the prequel to this book and any other material from this author. 5 stars out of five
This is the third book I have read of Linda Prather's. I love the psychic mystery genre and she does a fantastic job of writing it. The characters were wonderful and Jacody Ives was a lot of fun as a main character. The only reason I did not give this 5 stars was because I was too confused through the first third of the book, not sure who was who. Soon after that though, things straightened out and the action picked up. The ending was not what I was expecting either. After all the mystery/thrillers I have read, it has been hard for me to find authors who can still surprise me at the end! As soon as I finished this one, I had to know what was going to happen next for Jacody and Gavin and the gang, so I picked up the next. That one is even better than this one. If you read this book, do yourself a favor and pick up the next one too.
I have to admit, I was totally lost at the beginning, and never did find out who "John" was, but if you are into mysteries, like following the clues and trying to figure out "who dun it", then this is the one! It's not your every day mystery, though. Everyone seems to be having the same nightmares, and Jacody is schizo. This is way out of my general reading style, but when it came together it was well worth the read.
Although I couldn't stop reading this short novel, the further I got, the more it reminded me of a bad movie.....too contrived, too predictable. The author does a good job of keeping the reader always wanting to know what's going on, which is why I couldn't put it down; however, the ending was less than satisfactory. Jacody is an interesting character, so I plan to read the next book, hoping it will be better.
Sacred secrets is a really BRILLIANT read ...... I couldn't put it down..I like how linda Prather writes and you get hooked right away ...... I'm hoping she h as another one lined up and I don't have to wait too long ....... a must 'read great value..... an author worth following ......
An idiosyncratic mystery/thriller with a supernatural element, featuring a psychologically different private eye. I struggled to get into this at first, but when I did I enjoyed it.
A prequel to The Gifts, the story explains the origins of Jacody, who is in control through most of the book, just as Gavin is mostly present in The Gifts.