Into the Light reviewed by fran lewis

Into the Light

Author: Darcia Helle

Reviewed by Fran Lewis

Max Paddington had a bad morning. Getting up was his first mistake. Saying good morning to his wife Rachel a bigger one. Listening to rant and rave and her request a marriage deal breaker. Poor Max was totally blindsided and never saw it coming. How about a Divorce with your breakfast bun? How about a divorce as the main course this morning? No matter how you turn it, it still spells DIVORCE! But Max did not quite believe Rachel who delivered the message quite scantily dressed. Thinking this was some kind of joke or bad mistake he went to work at Publix, screamed at the stock boy, fell and slipped on the floor, poured coffee on his tie and managed to escape work before causing more of a commotion. But, Max should have gone home and stayed under the covers. Instead, he did what any hotheaded guy would do, got into his car, went out to eat and hoped he imagined the entire scene that morning. Leaving the restaurant he even stopped and thought about getting dinner for Rachel. Now, you see how considerate he should not have been. This my dear readers is where the story and real fun begins as poor Max was standing by his car thinking about Rachel when someone wearing a baseball cap shot in the left eye. The next thing he knew he was floating above the scene and trying to get the attention of the onlookers and the police. Max, don’t you know you are dead? Guess not the way you are acting. So, Max began to rethink what happened when his dead Grandfather Maxwell appears and wants to bring him to the other side. No way was that going to happen until he finds out who killed him and brings him to justice.

Enter Joe Cavelli: SUPER SLEUTH: PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR EXTRODINARIE!

Imagine going out to dinner with your friend who wants to get it on with the waitress in the restaurant only to find yourself getting yelling out by a spirit or ghost. Poor Joe thinks he is losing his mind when Max finally gets his attention, winds up in the back of his car and insists on making him find his killer. Poor Joe, decides to call his brother Jimmy who brings things basically into the light for Joe explaining that hearing voices and talking to invisible friends is no anything he has not done before. So, ghost and PI strike a really strange deal, arrangement or bargain and now the really detective work begins but not before Max is sent back to meet his gym teacher Mr. Connor and learns a valuable lesson in forgiveness. Just what he learns you will not get learn from me. I made a deal with Joe not to give away too many of Max’s secrets in exchange for this review.

So, poor Max is stuck with Joe and Joe with Max until Max decides he is ready to cross over Into the Light. Author Darcia Helle takes the reader on a ghostly paranormal event, journey and ride into the world of spirits, the dead meeting the dead and how one detective named Joe just might learn something about life itself.

Poor Max needs some help in order to control his newly acquired spirit non- body. His life as a spirit has not been easy. He cannot seem to control his movements or how to get from one place to another. Each time he thinks he has it together; well you have to read it and picture it for yourself. Next, our creative author takes Max back to his past to reconcile his differences with many people he met along the way. Although, they are not part of his family or even close friends these characters, also gone to their last repose, feel compelled to ask Max for forgiveness for past deeds that might have hurt him before they can move Into the Light. Moving ahead to Joe and how he might be able to find his killer is really hysterical yet heartwarming. As their friendship seems to develop each one learns more about the people in their past, why Max feels it is necessary to apologize to some he thinks he hurt and how he helps another spirit. While helping Eddie find his way into the light Max learns more about what might have been the cause for Rachel’s anger other than the golf clubs he splurged on. A revelation about Joe changes everything as he realizes that he just might be his own kindred spirit in human form. So, why would Joe take time to help this spirit? Could it be out of kindness? Intertwined to let the reader know that Max is going to have to make a decision and turn in the direction of the light is Grandpa Max who turns up at different moments trying to explain to Max that he no longer belongs in the physical world. Max, on the other hand thinks that he and Joe make a great team and can go on cases together or even haunt people. That might be really hysterical if the author decides to bring them back again.

Self-esteem is something we all should embrace and have. Max’s self-esteem has always been low and has not changed as an adult. But, when one neighbor remembers him in a kind way and others say some nice things about him, he begins to reflect on his life and maybe he had some things all wrong. As Joe calls his brother Jimmy to update him on Max’s case he too reminds him of his past, his fiancée in a broken engagement and one fact about his nephew that might have caused the rift.

The fun has just started as Joe tells his best friend about Max and he joins him on a date that will send the reader over the top with laughter allowing Joe to come to some strong realizations about his life. Max and Chris team up to have some fun in a restaurant.

Would you attend your own funeral? Would you want to find out the truth about your murder even if you come face to face with the killer or learn the truth behind what really happened? Max, Chris and Joe are about to attend his wake. As once again we are reminded that Max will not have a choice much longer and Grandpa Max is ready to show him the way. What happens next you won’t believe and will Max finally get the resolution he needs to rest in the afterlife?

When the reasons for his murder come to light you won’t believe why he was killed? When Max finally reconciles that his life on earth did leave a positive “imprint” as the author states or positive meaning, you will definitely understand why finding out about his life from those gone, having Joe help him really helped Joe too. As the time drew near and Max was saying goodbye to Rachel something amazing happened that would bring him peace wherever he went. An ending that will definitely surprise the reader. A ghost that you will fall in love with and a Private Detective that did one thing so many did not: Listened to the heart and mind of one name/ghost named Max. So many things go wrong when we do not hear the words and meaning of what others are trying to say. This and much more are brought to light in this outstanding paranormal, funny, heartwarming and okay the ending might bring some tears to your eyes, novel of how many man named Max and one PI named Joe learn much more than heaven and earth can teach them about life and death. So, who killed Max? I promised him I would not tell. What is in store for Joe next and will the author bring them back to solve cases or work together? That depends how on our talented author. Characters that are well crafted and a plot that will keep you glued to the printed page from start to finish.

Mistakes: We all make them then we need to let them go!

This book gets: FIVE BRIGHT LIGHTS

Fran Lewis: reviewer