Title: Foiled Breach

Author: Thorn Osgood

Genre: Paranormal mystery / Suspense / Thriller

 

Foiled Breach by Thorn Osgood follows a single older woman named Jayle as she tries to make the connection to murders happening where she lives with the extrasensory perceptions she is having. These unnerving visions start after a run-in at the grocery store parking lot with a disgruntled male driver who tries to cut her off. When these mysterious visions begin to strike a little close to home, Jayle grows increasingly concerned for her welfare and that of her friends and family.

Foiled Breach is an easy read at just over twenty-four thousand words. For readers seeking a short read for a trip or the weekend, this is a good pick. The action is fast enough to keep the reader’s interest, and the author does a satisfactory job with pace and balancing dialogue with narrative. Marketed as a paranormal mystery, Jayle’s ESP is the only factor, so if the reader is seeking something higher on the paranormal spectrum, they won’t find it in this story. However, lovers of suspense and thrillers will not come away disappointed with just the right amount of both.

All that said, the story is interesting enough that it could make an even more superb book if longer. The suspense and thriller genres are typically over eighty thousand words for full-fledged novels. While the story is compelling enough to keep turning the pages, the author could have gone deeper with the antagonist and his motives. The villain is an especially unsavory character, and Osgood makes some unexpected twists and turns along the way. When the antagonist, Reid, who also goes by other aliases, is at his most disturbing, readers who enjoy thrill, suspense, and even a bit of horror would no doubt savor more details about this wretched man.

On the flip side, Jayle, the protagonist, is a lovely woman. She has a sweet dog named Rodney, a best friend named Diane, a roller-skating friend named AJ, and a daughter named Charlotte, plus four grandchildren. Jayle is simply an honest, hardworking woman who wants to live her life and enjoy time with her loved ones, so her sudden ESPs throw her normal life into a whirlwind. Her panic over what to do and who to confide in regarding these visions are natural. We feel for her and are cheering for her during the whole story.

Osgood brings in a character more than halfway through the book who winds up playing an important role, and the author’s use of literary misdirection is clever. The reader may come away a bit perplexed on what this character’s background and role are, but an explanation is not necessary to enjoy the story.

More connection between the protagonist and the antagonist at the climax may be expected, as narratives typically follow this formula, but Osgood delivers a pleasing resolution.

Foiled Breach is a satisfying murder-mystery thriller for lovers of this genre. Osgood adds a hint of the paranormal and a truly wicked villain to keep the reader turning the pages. For readers seeking an easy, enjoyable read, Foiled Breach would prove a good choice.

 

 

This Editorial Review was written by the Book Review Directory staff. To receive a similarly honest, professional review for one of your own books, click here.