Haunting Blue by RJ Sullivan

Fiona (“Blue”)–against her wishes–moves with her mother to a small Indiana town. At first, it seems that all Blue has to look forward to is the day she’ll become a legal adult and can move back out, but then she is drawn into an exploration of a dark incident in the town’s past–and attracts the attention of a restless spirit with unfinished business.

RJ Sullivan takes the time to develop his characters, investing them with depth, secrets, and real emotion. Third-person scenes within the overall first-person narrative develop the driving incident from the past, and what seems to be a straightforward path toward the intersection of the two takes several surprising twists into dark and dangerous territory. Solid storytelling, clear and evocative prose, and compelling characters make this a memorable read, one I very much enjoyed.

***Gary W. Olson is the author of the dark fantasy novel Brutal Light and several previously published and forthcoming short stories. He can be found via his website, his blog A Taste of Strange, as @gwox on Twitter, and in many other far-flung places on the Intertubes. He lives under your bed.