A lot of time has passed since I read the last book in the series, taking some time to re-read it probably would've helped me get my bearings. But the plot was good, although I admit that it distracts me when the story flips between a past mystery and a current time mystery. But that's just me and my ADHD-addled attention span. Both mysteries were interesting although I felt the conclusion to the Ragna mystery felt a little rushed. It was a good read, though, I couldn't put it down.
Well, this book has a little bit of everything - present day mystery, historical mystery, and just a little bit of ESP, so I labeled it with paranormal. :)
Chloe goes to Rock Island to stay at a lighthouse for a week to study it's history. As she becomes enmeshed in the history, the author runs a parallel story that takes place in the late 1800's, giving the book two mysteries unfolding throughout the course of the book.
The writing is excellent, and I found myself pulled into the past story line much more deeply then the present day one. I'm not sure if the characters were more clearly written, but I got a much stronger picture of their personalities than I did the present day characters. The present day murder plot seemed a little bit of an also-ran, but that could be because Chloe is not putting herself in the role of amateur sleuth; she's more an unwilling participant. The author does a very good job weaving present day (well, 1980's day) issues into the plot and using them to create a situation out of control.
Overall, an excellent read and I'd recommend it to anyone liking cozies with history.