Raising The Dead (Past Midnight short story, #1) (Past Midnight)

by Mara Purnhagen

[Kim Deister]

Noted to be Book #1.5 in anticipation of the upcoming release of One Hundred Candles in 2 weeks, Raising the Dead is the newest installment of the Past Midnight series. The first novel introduced Charlotte Silver, a teen girl who just wants to be normal, not an easy feat when she is the daughter of semi-famous paranormal investigators. Raising the Dead begins soon after Past Midnight ends, in the midst of a torrential downpour. The story drew me in from the moment it started, the meat of the story beginning almost immediately. Purnhagen draws the reader in and doesn't let go of them, keeping them fully involved with the story to the end. Although this was a fairly short novella, the story was told in completion without any feeling that any part of the story was rushed. The author captures the voices of the different characters in her descriptions and dialogues and really allows you to feel as if you were a part of the story. Although short, there was absolutely nothing lacking in the writing or the plot and it was a perfect tie-in to the series. On another note, the cover art was truly stunning!

NOTE: I would definately recommend reading the first book before this one, as there are a lot of references that would be otherwise glossed over.