Angel Baby

A Raegan O'Rourke Mystery (#2)

Fiction - Paranormal
260 Pages
Reviewed on 06/16/2023
Buy on Amazon

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    Book Review

Reviewed by Rosie Malezer for Readers' Favorite

Angel Baby is the second book in the Raegan O'Rourke Mysteries by Brenda Lyne. Raegan rushes to Ainsley Manor, hoping to save her father Liam O'Rourke from dying at the hands of the Faust family. Edison and Morgan Faust were desperate to get their hands on buried gold and need Liam's wife Grace to find it. The Ainsley women have a unique gift of seeing the past of any person or thing with just one touch, but Grace can also see the future. After foiling the murder attempt, Raegan meets Officer Jesse Hendricks at the scene. She sees the name Mia carved into a post and learns about a young woman and her newborn baby who had vanished eleven years before. The cold case is reopened, with Raegan and Jesse leading the investigation, to finally uncover what happened to new mother Mia and her infant baby who had disappeared without a trace. Little does Raegan realize that the man she is in love with is the prime suspect.

Brenda Lyne has written a series that contains a touch of the paranormal, and Angel Baby blends mystery, romance, suspense, and sleuthing which bring one surprise after the next. When I first came across this book I pictured in my mind a tale from the fifties, the likes of Grease, but was stopped cold when I realized what the title referred to. Raegan finds herself at odds with her emotions as she and Jesse remove layer after layer of this heartbreaking mystery, entwined with her past, and bringing the man she loves to the forefront of the investigation. The struggle Raegan has in pushing aside her hurt and anger was the hardest part of getting to the truth. The book evoked many emotions of my own. I loved the writing style in this second installment and look forward to reading more of this incredible tale. I recommend it highly to those who enjoy their mysteries wrapped around a good dose of the paranormal.

Carmen Tenorio

Angel Baby is the second installment in the Raegan O'Rourke Mystery series by Brenda Lyne. This time it is about Raegan, who, upon returning to her old town in River Junction, decides to put her work as an investigative reporter on hold. After successfully unraveling and resolving a twenty-five-year-old missing persons case, she decides to go into business as a consultant helping solve cold case files. She realizes her inherited gift of clairvoyance, which gives her the ability to see visions of past events and receive information about something by touching it, can come in handy. Her new case requires that she locate a mother who has been missing with her child for eleven years. As Raegan gets involved in the investigation, devastating and startling secrets come to light that throw her love life into a crisis and shake her family to the core. To survive, the family needs to be reunified. Will Raegan be able to assist in solving the missing person cases despite the harsh facts and circumstances surrounding them?

Brenda Lyne has successfully crafted another page-turner. It is narrated in the first-person point of view, which builds almost instant empathy with the protagonist. Lyne uses simple language, but her writing is captivating due to its interesting plot development and flow, making it an easy and enjoyable read. There is never a dull moment as scenarios mesmerize and hook you. The pacing starts a little fast but eventually slows to a moderate pace so that it isn't overwhelming. A strong point of the series is its flawed, emotional characters. They have relatable weaknesses and reactions even though Raegan's family is used to being embroiled with the usual but undoubtedly powerful clairvoyant abilities of the women of their clan. Primary and supporting players are multifaceted and can be dramatic, engaging, enticing, and disturbing. This story is intriguing, entertaining, and highly recommended for those who enjoy paranormal thrillers and mysteries with a dose of psychological suspense and drama.

Nino Lobiladze

Angel Baby: Raegan O'Rourke Mystery, Book 2 by Brenda Lyne features Raegan O’Rourke, a former investigative reporter and an aspiring private detective specializing in cold cases. She must first save her father Liam from the cruel grasp of Edison Faust and his son Morgan. They kidnapped Liam to make him reveal the whereabouts of Raegan's mother Danielle. There is an old feud between the Faust and the Ainsley families. The Ainsley women possess a special gift that enables them to see past events when they touch an object with their bare fingers. Danielle's touch is even more incredible, and Edison Faust vows to find her at any cost. Raegan starts working on a cold case involving the disappearance of Mia Masterson and her baby daughter Isabel. She makes frightening discoveries and finds a new love interest in Officer Jesse Hendricks. Will Raegan and Jesse find out what happened to Mia and Isabel more than ten years before and will Raegan's family finally face their foes and bring Danielle home?

Angel Baby is a smooth and engaging read that will not disappoint fans of mystery, suspense, and crime thrillers with a touch of the supernatural. Brenda Lyne is a great storyteller and highlighted the complex relationships between the characters. The author raises the topic of forbidden love, further enriching the captivating plotline. Raegan is not perfect and has problems with alcohol. She is a troubled soul forced to lie to her family through the years. Her development is remarkable as she is a true fighter capable of making the right choices. She leads by example, showing great compassion toward Mia despite uncovering disturbing facts about her past. Raegan's love for her family is inspiring and heartwarming. The book questions whether it is better to be a victim and hide from our troubles or fight back. The author gives interesting insights into the history of the Ainsley women and their gifts, making it exciting and distinguishing. The unpredictable storyline promises more breathtaking mysteries for Reagan to solve in the next book in the series.