Blurb: He came back, determined to keep his promise.
Daniel and his younger brother grew up in an abusive home. Daniel escaped. Now an established stunt rider, he intends to go back to rescue his brother. But then one jump goes horribly wrong . . .
He recovers to find himself in Iowa, unscathed, yet his life has drastically changed. His best friend won’t answer his calls. Even his girlfriend is hiding something. Increasingly terrified, he clings to the one thing he knows: He must pick up his brother in San Francisco. In five days.
From the isolating fields of Iowa to the crowded streets of San Francisco, Daniel must fight his way through a fog of disjointed memories and supernatural encounters to face the truth and pay a debt he didn’t know he owed.
Review: Daniel Shepherd had a rough start in life, but managed to escape an abusive home and have a career as a stunt rider. Yet he would not forget his younger brother Tony. His memories are hazy as he forgets why he suddenly wakes in Iowa. The only clear thought in his head is that he must pick up his brother from camp in San Francisco in five days. Meeting with his former girlfriend, Jolene and her new companion, Brent, they agree to help him on his way to the west coast. Yet things are not as they seem, and with each strange encounter and weird event, memories come back to Daniel. He wonders if he'll make it to the coast at all or even if he should.
I had no idea what to expect when I opened this book, and I was amazingly surprised on several levels. First, I had no idea it was paranormal fiction. Daniel is a spirit and he has unfinished business. It takes Daniel a while to accept this, but his ex, Jolene has always seen ghosts, and for some reason, so can Brent. Daniel has a lot of holes in his memories, but they slowly come back as he recalls his terrible childhood. It's dark and awful and pulled desperately at my heart. Then there's the mystery of how Daniel died, and I loved the way that unfolded with each layer unveiling stunning new revelations. There's also the mystery of Brent and Jolene and how they're all tangled together. So many twists and turns! While I love books with the paranormal and mysteries, it is the phenomenal characterization which made this book an incredible read. Every emotion was evoked and whirled around and had me so wrapped up in the story. This was Daniel's story, but the secondary characters were also so beautifully layered.