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    1989. Salvadorian society is immersed in the horror of civil war. On a fateful November dawn, a...

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Midge (525 KP) rated The First Time I Died in Books

Feb 4, 2019  
The First Time I Died
The First Time I Died
Jo Macgregor | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Thriller
10
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Captivating An Engaging
I was completely (and unexpectedly) bowled over by this book! Why you might ask? It leapt out at me to be read as it is a thriller which is one of my favourite genres. My enjoyment was unexpected as I am usually wary of anything to do with the paranormal, but not on this occasion. It is not a crime novel where the reader is buried under loads of supernatural information. The thriller and mystery parts are well interwoven along with the paranormal aspects and as a result, I was hooked from the very beginning!

Garnet McGee returns to her home-town in Pitchford, Vermont, at the suggestion of her college professor, who thinks she needs some time away from her studies so that she can re-evaluate what she wants to do with her life. Whilst there, she vows to solve the mystery of a murder which shattered her life ten years ago. But after dying in an accident and being brought back to life, she starts hearing voices, seeing visions and experiencing strange sensations. Are these merely symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and an over-active imagination, or is she getting messages from a paranormal presence?

This is the first of Jo Macgregor’s novels I have read and as always when reading a mystery, I started guessing who the main suspect was. Well, I was wrong because it was someone else…

THE FIRST TIME I DIED is unusual in that I had imagined that it would be about Garnet's death, but it was, in fact mostly about someone else’s. I found that this gave the novel an edge that was both engaging and enjoyable. I found it easy to empathise with Garnet and I wanted her to succeed in what she was looking to achieve.

I loved Jo Macgregor’s writing style and some of her descriptions in the novel were so atmospheric, especially those about Plover Pond. The first half of the novel is written in alternating chapters of time, giving the reader clarity, which really worked for me. "Then" referred to a time period of ten years ago, when Garnet was a seventeen-year-old schoolgirl.

Jo Macgregor brought everything together for a fabulous conclusion even though I never did manage to accurately guess who was behind the murder. I haven’t got anything negative thing to say about this book. I loved it and it has left me eager to read more from this author. THE FIRST TIME I DIED is an exciting and action-packed crime/thriller that I highly recommend.

Thank you to Hidden Gems and the author for a free ARC of this book in exchange for a voluntary, honest review.
  
Show all 4 comments.
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Christine A. (965 KP) Feb 5, 2019

Great review! Added it to my want to read list. Thanks for the suggestion.
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Midge (525 KP) Feb 6, 2019

Thanks to all of you for your lovely comments! ??