In Linda M. Williams' paranormal mystery The Stalking Spirit. JJ Gilbert and her boyfriend, Luke, were hiking through Oregon’s only national park to take photographs. JJ was a professional photographer and had the gift of spirit communication from birth. An enraged spirit physically hurt JJ, who had unintentionally taken a photo of the spirit's final bodily resting place. JJ informed Detective Dawson that she had made contact with a spirit known as Piper French, whose body lay at the base of a cliff near Crater Lake. The detective's prime suspect was JJ since, in his opinion, there was no other way she could have known where to look for the body unless she was the murderer. JJ’s team from home rushed to her rescue, but will they find the killer in time to save her from going to jail?

Linda M. Williams's gripping and captivating murder mystery, The Stalking Spirit, is filled with paranormal activity. The story started right in the middle of the action and never let up. I was engrossed in this book from the beginning and found myself flipping through the pages. The plot was captivating, and it was impossible to put the book down until I reached the amazing resolution. Each character had an amazing past and was brought to life with exquisite detail. JJ was a charming, endearing person, despite her reputation for stubbornness. JJ's fear of the spirit was evident throughout a few well-described incidents. This is the kind of novel that presents readers with terrifying and spine-tingling situations while building suspense and mystery through an utterly captivating story.

The Stalking Spirit: A JJ Gilbert Mystery by Linda Williams is the latest in the series on psychic JJ Gilbert and her crime-solving ability of being able to communicate with the spirits of the recently departed. JJ and her boyfriend Lucas are on a photography assignment in Oregon’s Crater Lake. As JJ takes some final shots at the top of a cliff overlooking the lake, she is physically attacked by a spirit that attempts to throw her off the cliff. Saved by Lucas, she is terrified and describes the attack to a local Park Ranger, an Indigenous woman versed in the spirit world, who not only understands JJ’s encounter but believes it. When the body of a woman who disappeared six months earlier is found at the base of the cliff where the spirit attacked her, JJ’s encounter is vindicated. Unfortunately, the lead detective in the inquiry is convinced that the only way JJ could have known about the death is if she was involved. As the spirit continues to harass JJ, seeking justice, JJ’s police friends from California, Sam and Brad, rush to Oregon to help JJ solve the murder and clear her name.

The Stalking Spirit was a pleasant revelation to me. Paranormal and psychic tales are not my genre generally but this is a fantastic story, with an intriguing and twisting plot that will keep readers guessing until the end. Author Linda Williams has tapped into an interesting phenomenon that she explores and develops marvelously. JJ is a complicated character and this story slowly introduces her particular foibles to readers new to this series. As a psychic, she has often wondered if her abilities are a gift or a curse. There is little doubt that her friends and helpers fully believe it to be a gift, especially as she has helped them solve cases in the past. However, the lead detective’s skepticism and outright hostility toward any suggestion that JJ might communicate with the dead form a major part of the tension and conflict in the narrative. I particularly enjoyed the wide range of potential suspects that were narrowed down and then expanded as new twists came to light. A good murder/mystery always leaves the reader guessing until the last chapter, and this story certainly did that for me. This is a wonderful read that I highly recommend.