The Other Side: Melinda's Story Book Review

If I tell you the story, will you believe me?

Melinda James’ father is dead. But he tries to warn her from the ‘Other Side’ that the killers from the past want something only Melinda can give them. And they are beginning to get far too close for comfort. Can dead people protect the living? And if they can, will it be enough? And does this ‘Other Side’ really exist or is this all in Melinda’s mind?

In her world, as portals open and close, Melinda must find a way to understand that the voices speaking are sending dire warnings. She is out of time. They are here, desperate to take what they feel is theirs and they will stop at nothing to get it.

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My Review

I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.  Melinda James has been placed in a sanitarium.  Her parents and brother were murdered, they don’t believe her story.  It does seem rather odd.  I mean, she says her father's car accident wasn't an accident, it was murder and he's visited her from the ‘other side’.  Her mother and brother subsequently disappear and she says they're dead because Kyle visited her from the 'other side' and told her.  Now, she's all alone.  I felt really sad for Melinda, but she was such a brave character that she was quite admirable.

Starr Reina does an excellent job writing this paranormal, psychological suspense novel.  It’s in first person, so you feel like you’re reading a journal.  It flowed wonderfully and was quite a page tuner.  The ending of the mystery surprised me.  This is a great first novel and I look forward to reading more from this author.

About the Author 

A paralegal by day, she’s an author by night. Apart from being an award winning author for her short story "Cut", Reina has appeared in a blaze and made her mark on the literary world with her Ivanovich Series. The first is “In the Name of Revenge”, the second, “Deadly Decisions” and the third, "One Major Mistake" was released July 10, 2012. Having studied and obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Literature/Creative Writing, she has found her unique style and is known for her works' distinctive voice, making every character stand out.

Reina is the artistic creator of the Ivanovich series featuring Pavel Ivanovich. Flanking Ivanovich's side in "Deadly Decisions" is Teresa Mancini, who vies with Ivanovich for readers' attention. According to J.M. LeDuc, who was "raised in an Italian family", Teresa "is perfect...like all your characters". Reina is also the author of young adult novella "Cruel Whispers" and its sequel novel "Cruel Past".

Reina is an executive editor for Suspense Magazine. She has been interviewed in the newspaper and on the radio with relation to her fiction work. She has been a co-host on Suspense Radio.

Reina is a member of International Thriller Writers (ITW) and of Sisters in Crime, Los Angeles Chapter and nationally. She has won three Best Speaker awards as well as Best Evaluator at the Voice Ambassadors chapter of Toastmasters. She has always been active in events. As co-chair and main coordinator for the West Coast Author Premiere, she arranged the weekend-long event to help authors from all over network, learn and share their work with the public. Reina has also been instrumental in compiling authors and planning a local author event at Barnes and Noble in Ventura, California along with the store’s event manager.

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