Official Review: Epiphany's Gift by Mallory M. O'Connor

[Jsovermyer]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Epiphany's Gift" by Mallory M. O'Connor.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Epiphany’s Gift by Mallory M. O’Connor is a cross between a paranormal novel and a crime mystery. The main character, Epiphany Mayall has seen ghosts since she was a child. She also has visions of people’s futures and can perceive the aura around them. Her father told her to never tell about her gift, and she tried keeping it hidden. But finally, as an adult, she moved to a Spiritualist camp in Florida. There she was finally able to fit in. In this story, Epiphany goes back to Ohio to visit her elderly mother. While there she is asked by her old college Art History professor, John Bernhardt, to help investigate the theft of a famous drawing by the English artist William Blake.

I have always enjoyed tales of the supernatural, and this story is filled with ghosts. It was interesting how Epiphany was able to “see” what had happened to the art piece and get glimpses of the people involved in the crime. One especially interesting ghost was the Old Man. Epiphany saw him in the woods near the family farm when she was a child, and he comes back to help her again. Epiphany is also able to locate missing objects, and she gets a vision of the stolen art hanging in someone’s private gallery. But whose gallery and where is it located?

Global warming and the dangers of fracking for oil and natural gas are a big part of this story. A pond on her mother’s property has become polluted, and a series of earthquakes are occurring in an area where the fracking is being done. A detailed explanation on the fracking operation is given. I didn’t know much about this procedure, and this book was enlightening to me on the subject. Big oil companies, interested only in profits, are painted in a very negative light.

One reason I chose to review this book was the location. The action takes place in Ohio, and since I grew up there, I was interested to see how the area would be portrayed. When Epiphany sees a vision of an “X” and reveals that the villain is in Xenia, I laughed out loud. Xenia is my hometown. What a coincidence!

Epiphany is a well-written character. She is realistic and believable. She is a good woman who cares about her mother’s safety. She is also a little naughty when she is attracted to a much younger man. There are a number of captivating characters in this story like Maro Gaido, the half-Japanese private investigator, and Blake King, the eccentric prophet who speaks in riddles. Even the villain is interesting, but I found it hard to believe someone could be so evil.

The only thing I disliked about the book was the ending. It was not satisfying to me. Although it was realistic, it seemed incomplete. I can’t give away what happens, but a lot was left open. I hope the author writes more stories with these characters and resolves some of the issues.

This story will appeal to lovers of the supernatural and also crime or mystery readers. There are a few uses of profanity, but it is not excessive. There is no sexual content. I would recommend this book to teens or adults. It is not for children due to some violent content. This book is very well-edited, and I found only a few misuses of the comma. This is an exciting book with a lot of action and suspense. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but because of the ending, I feel I cannot give it a perfect score. I am rating Epiphany’s Gift with 3 out of 4 stars. Please check this book out. I think you will enjoy it.

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Epiphany's Gift
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[Kanda_theGreat]

I must commend O'Connor's attempt to create awareness especially in regards to the detrimental effects facing climatic conditions and the natural calamities that continue to affect mankind.
Thank you for the wonderful review.

[Jsovermyer]

I must commend O'Connor's attempt to create awareness especially in regards to the detrimental effects facing climatic conditions and the natural calamities that continue to affect mankind.
Thank you for the wonderful review.

Thank you so much. I especially liked how she incorporated the dangers of fracking in her story. It's an imminent danger that few are talking about.

[Sheila_Jay]

The book has a great storyline but I am not a lover of supernatural; therefore, I will have to skip this one. Otherwise, thanks for the beautiful review.

[Jsovermyer]

The book has a great storyline but I am not a lover of supernatural; therefore, I will have to skip this one. Otherwise, thanks for the beautiful review.

Thank you for your comments. It does have a lot of Supernatural elements. Ghosts, viewing the past, and spirit guides.

[Nisha Ward]

Huh. I did not expect fracking and oil extraction to come into play in a book about ghosts and art pieces but I guess stranger things have happened. It's good that it was woven in well and I'm glad that it's as good as you say it is.

[Jsovermyer]

Huh. I did not expect fracking and oil extraction to come into play in a book about ghosts and art pieces but I guess stranger things have happened. It's good that it was woven in well and I'm glad that it's as good as you say it is.

Thanks for your comments. The author did a good job of tying the two elements together. I thoroughly enjoyed it.