Death and Resurrection (Fantasy Novel)

Death. Uncles. Cadaver Dog. Hospice. Puppies. Body Switching. Martial Arts. Painting. Delog. Murder. Bear Woman. Magic. Hospice. 

The recently released Death and Resurrection by R. A. MacAvoy was an easy, enjoyable book to read. It is structured more as a series of novellas, rather than as one overarching plot line. A couple of the stories I would label supernatural mysteries. Some of the plots were a trifle cliché, but MacAvoy put her own spin on them. The characters are so darned likeable that it is hard for me to find fault with the book.

Briefly, the main character of the stories is Ewen Young, a martial artist and painter. He has a twin sister, Lynn, a therapist with whom he has a telepathic connection. Lynn’s husband runs a hospice. In the first story, the gambling debts of Ewen’s uncle lead to Ewen being shot in the heart and having a near death experience. In the second story, Ewen meets Susan, a veterinarian, and Rez, her cadaver finding dog. They search for Susan’s missing uncle, whose disappearance may or may not be connected to the grisly murders of holy men. In the third story, Jacob, a patient of Lynn’s, switches bodies with Ewen. In the last story, the remains of three children are found near the hospice.

This is the first book that I have read by MacAvoy, and I now plan to read more of her books.