Douglas Todt

In 1869, young Abagail Starr was lynched by six men. In most cases, that would have been the end of the story.But Abagail is determined to have her revenge on her murderers, and her determination is strong enough to allow her to haunt the world for 142 years, searching for a body she can enter to return and wreak vengeance.Abagail needs to become a 'soul' survivor, a soul technically dead that exists in a living body with another person.Unfortunately for Sam and Bam Grant, key operatives in the paranormal government division known as Special Operations, they are the people that get drawn into the nightmare of Abagail Starr and Starr Gayle . . . who become one person, a 'soul' survivor.

In this third entry point to the Torture Magic series, twenty-one year-old redhead Searly McTaggert from Cairo, Illinois finds herself on assignment in Hawaii with her old friend, Clarke Kent. She likes Clarke, although his paranormal elemental channeling of . . . manure . . . makes him less than, shall we say, a desirable companion. Still, Hawaii? Oh, yeah, roll with that Uh, not so fast. As far as Searly is concerned, Hawaii bites Dragging through homeless camps in Honolulu to search for a mysterious TM using the homeless to power his long-range plans, Clarke and Searly don't exactly get to see the scenic sights of, say, a volcano exploding. Even worse, Clarke just sees Searly as one of the guys, nothing special, just another operative in Special Ops. A paranormal able to channel fire, Searly's most important goal in life is the continuing quest to save her friend, Kathie Vasquez, who in 2007 was possessed by the ancient torture magician Quafara. But, hey, she has a life outside that, too. So why can't anyone see she's a great woman and not just another agent? Then again, if she and Clarke fail in their assignment, she won't be alive to worry about it.

In this book, the third entry point to the Torture Magic series, we meet Searly McTaggert, a petite young redhead from tiny Cairo, Illinois. She gets a rough introduction. Her best friend tries to kill her. And that's just the start of her problems, as she learns the legends of Quafara and Elkrod somehow pertain to her. Meanwhile, Special Ops agents Sam Grant and Bam Cartier work as a team, continuing their successful pairing begun when they met in Stark, California. Now they're actively investigating unusual and dangerous paranormal activity in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, the home of Southeast Missouri State. Going undercover as a deliberately stupid college student, Bam struggles with her issues of self-esteem as she tries to ferret out the murderer of several college women. While Sam works cautiously behind the scenes, Bam works the college, but at first she has no suspects. That changes as she gets close to others: Madison, the kind but nosy accounting professor; Chase, the sultry and bisexual redhead who has eyes on Bam; Frost, her lover; and Velvet, the mystery girl. Only when Sam is kidnapped does Bam realize the overwhelming danger they face. With unexpected allies, it's up to her to save the day. But is she ready? Or will it end in disaster, like her career with the Arizona Highway Patrol? And if it does end in disaster, it will certainly cost Sam his life. The fifth torture magic novel may well be the last for Searly, Sam and Bam.