Eye of the Beholder by Shari Shattuck
Signet, $6.99, 387pp, pb, 9780451221995.
As soon as I picked up Eye of the Beholder, I was hooked. Greer Sands, a psychic, downplays her psychic abilities when, as a single mother, she moves to a new community with her 17-year-old son Joshua. But as she goes about making new friends and meeting her neighbors, she senses that something is going to happen to her neighbor’s daughter, Joy, and the woman at the bank… unless she intervenes, but what can she do? Joshua, starting to have visions of his own, is unaware of his mother’s gift. When Joy, his new friend, disappears, he senses a spirit trying to lead him to her.
While Joshua’s visions were an important part of the story, I didn’t feel that Greer’s psychic abilities did anything to aid those in trouble. It wasn’t the psychic part of Shattuck’s narrative but her story telling ability I found enjoyable. Shattuck skillfully brings in about 12 new characters, and I never had to look back to say “which one was he/she” as I followed Greer’s new friends and the suspects. I especially liked the way Shattuck portrayed Joshua: he’s the kind of kid we’d all like to have around. The hints she drops along the way as to who has taken the girl keep you guessing. I did find one hint however that I felt was a red herring—or an error. Still, all in all, I’d say it was a quick, fun read.