Talking With The Dead

Surrounded by death, a man with a terrible gift reaches for life.

A horrific tragedy blasted open a door in young Michael O'Rourke's mind-cursing him with the ability to talk with the Dead. Nearly two decades later, Michael has moved from victim to survivor, using his abilities to seek out those who would go unjudged.

With his gift, he talks to those who've died violently and seeks out their killers. Only once he's found the murderer, can the victims be at rest. After his last case, the only thing he wants is peace and he hopes to find it in the small town of Mitchell, Indiana.
But something is horribly wrong-the dead are waiting for him there, as well.

Michael has had a rather shitty childhood. His mother is a drug-addicted, scam artist and a bad one at that. His only solace comes from his big brother, Lucas, whom his mother adores. Of course, that doesn't stop her from trying to prostitute Lucas every chance she gets.

Despite the constant horrors brought on by their mother's twisted ways, Lucas and Michawl survive as only they can, plotting that one day they would get away from her. But the day comes when their mother's debts are high enough that her drug dealer is looking for greater payment than cash and takes Lucas away.

Michaels flees. Safe, away from his mother, he calls upon a special bond he and his older brother share. A kind of telepathy. Instantly, Michaels feels the pain his brother has been inflicted, tastes the blood, and then sees the gun. Lucas howls for him to run just before the shot's fire and everything goes black.

My eyes were wet before I left the prologue. I love the darkness of Walker's writing. That pitch black history where each of her characters have spawned from. Yes. The devastation.

Years have passed. Michael finds himself in a small town in Indiana trying to escape the death that follows him. Since that night, sharing in the connection as his brother breathed his last, Mike and death have formed their own bond. He sees dead people. He talks with them.

One bright light amidst it all though- his brother is right there with him.

Throughout the story we follow Michael's POV as well as Daisy's, the killer's, and even a prior victim's. When the victim starts haunting the killer things really get wild. And I didn't expect the quick peek through the dog's eyes. Weird.

The best quote is simple, but deep, and was said by Lucas near the end:

Give up your ghosts, Michael.