Review: A wonderful first foray into the mystery genre - Past tense pulls you right in and doesn't let you go until the end
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 16, 2010
I have read Samantha Hunter's Harlequin Blaze titles in the past and have always enjoyed them.  She brings a little suspense into her romance titles and has always done a great job with it.  Past Tense  is her first foray into the mystery genre.  I think she has done a wonderful job.  Past Tense had a way of sucking me right into the story beside of Sophie as things happened.  I felt like I got to know Sophie as she came to know herself and like I took part in every scene.  I was just so absorbed in the story as a whole.Ms. Hunter does a marvelous job with the characters.  Sophie stands out the most as the main character and she is easy to relate to.  In her late 20s or so and she's still trying to find her way in life and tragedy has struck in the past and strikes again at the beginning of this book.  Roger is Sophie's fiance and also a police officer.  He contrasts nicely with Sophie and you can see his love for her even though he can't seem to accept the supernatural world that Sophie seems inclined to become involved with.  Gabe is great, a psychologist, and a ghost hunter.  He's the best of both worlds and he's interested in helping Sophie find out about her past and put things to rest.  All three make a great relationship triangle and while it's not at all the focus of the book, it makes a great side story and all three characters help propel the plot.  I liked all three and if you are like me, for a long while you weren't sure which man was right for Sophie.The main part of this book is the mystery and Ms. Hunter does an excellent job on moving the mystery forward without giving too much away.  I was even surprised at one point by something that happened. Ms. Hunter did such an excellent job at leading you to believe one thing even though it was never stated.  I am rarely surprised like this and found it very refreshing.  As the mystery builds I found myself unable to put the book down.  Who is behind the death of Sophie's friend?  And who is the ghost that was there?  These questions are brought to a conclusion that I did not see coming.  The ending is tidy and finishes the book off nicely, but it's also left open to further books which I hope will be forthcoming.All-in-all this is an excellent paranormal suspense.  I loved the tarot and ghost element.  I've never been into tarot, but like the way Ms. Hunter presents it in this book, so if you don't like tarot, don't let that scare you off.  Sophie is a very likable character and I liked seeing her world, it is a world I am unfamiliar with so I find it fascinating.  This is a book that mystery lovers don't want to miss!So please read Past Tense and then let Samantha Hunter know that you want to see more of Sophie Turner in the future!  I know I do.