Just Talking Books

Am completely sold on Ms MacGregor's works!  Different and mysterious.

What I liked:  I won't lie, when I felt the direction Black Water was going, I was more than skeptical about how Ms MacGregor was going to make the story believable and not over the top.  She did it very well by understating what the black water does.

Some readers don't like the point of view changes in their books, but I've found several authors who do it well and use it as a tool for the story. Ms MacGregor is one who does it very well.  The changes flow smoothly and I didn't find myself confused.  

As with the first book in this series, I enjoyed the characters and the mystery much more than the paranormal aspects.  Black Water takes place several years after the first book in the series, The Hanged Man.  The transition is smooth and brief background is given on what happened in those several years.  This made the continuity in the series more "real".

I especially enjoyed the continuing character development.  Mira, Annie, Nadine, and Shep have moved forward and as their characters have grown so have their relationships.  Ms MacGregor doesn't dwell on it, but the characters have moved forward and now have a different dynamic.

I always wondered if I could go back in time, what would I change?  If I changed something in my past, how would it affect not only my future but those around me?  This whole topic was handled very well in the story.  The shifting memories of the people in the present, the sense of deja vu was a wonderful aspect of Black Water.  

What I didn't like:  Again, this is an older book (published in 2003) but neither the story nor the characters felt out of date.  The motive of "the bad guy" and the explanation of the black water was pretty convoluted but didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story.

Overall, another solid book by Ms MacGregor.  I enjoy her writing style and her characters.  The story flows well and the characters are not card board cut outs.

Recommended for mystery readers who like a twist!