Mind Games by Nora Roberts #NoraRoberts @justjanuary @MacmillanAudio @norarobertsauthor @januarylavoy @macmillan.audio

the setup…
John and Cora Fox take their two children, twelve-year old Thea and ten-year old Rem, to visit their maternal grandmother Lucy in the Appalachian hills of Kentucky every June. This year is extra special as the kids will spend two weeks this time in the place they love with the woman they adore. John and Cora return to Virginia, taking advantage of some precious alone time. But soon after they get home, Thea and Lucy wake from a horrific nightmare where they witness John and Cora’s murder. Thea has inherited the “gift” passed through the maternal bloodline but it’s much stronger than Lucy’s. You see, not only did Thea witness everything that happened to her parents in real time, she could see it through the mind and eyes of the killer.

the heart of the story…
Despite the tragic beginning, this felt more like a loving tribute to the spirit and beauty of an Appalachian community in Kentucky. Thea and Rem were raised with loving and kindness but with an appreciation for hard work, nature and looking out for your neighbors. They thrive as they mature and though Thea learns how to manage her gift, she never loses the connection to the inmate who killed her parents. There was always something sinister brewing in the background, even while Thea moved on with her life, finding a career and romance in the meantime. You just knew a reckoning was coming.

the narration…
LaVoy just keeps surprising me! I could have sworn there were three separate narrators…for the women, the men and the children. She’s a gifted performer.

the bottom line…
This is a moving saga covering more than a decade. Its conflation of several genres made it even more fascinating, especially Thea’s extraordinary gift of sight. I loved Lucy’s way of life that she passed down to her grandchildren who embraced it willingly. Thea’s romance was lovely, even when it hit a bumpy path. There’s so much breadth and grace here to offset the evil of Thea’s mental nemesis who is dangerous and scary. I didn’t want it to end, even after 15 hours! If you have the option to listen to the book, choose it because LaVoy is incredible.

Book Info

• Release Date: May 21, 2024
• Narrator: January LaVoy
• Audio Length: 14 hours, 52 minutes
• Publisher: Macmillan Audio

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(Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)