Title: Five Steps to Celestia
Author: Terry Segan
Genre: Paranormal Mystery
Book Blurb:
Twenty-two years after a tragic accident claimed Joy’s memories, a chance discovery in a gift shop nudges her forgotten past to the surface. Was it the cashier’s purple necklace, the Celestia seeds, or long-suppressed recollections pushing her to remember her former life?
As she searches for clues leading home, unknown elements threaten her current happiness and those she loves. When a cryptic symbol forms on her wrist and additional instructions appear on the seed packets, they offer more confusion than clarity.
With her best friend’s help, Joy strings together the missing pieces of her mysterious provenance. Her quest uncovers those who have paid the price for her reckless youth. Will she be welcomed back with open arms or scorned for having survived?
My Review:
A unique paranormal mystery filled with secrets, danger, and a touch of family drama.
Twenty-two years ago, a terrible accident leaves Joy with total amnesia. She falls in love with Drake, the doctor that treats her, his daughter Grace, and their family winery, Mystic Swirl. Joy’s memory of the time before her accident never returns, leaving her with questions about who she was before and if anyone misses her.
While in a giftshop with her best friend Suzi, Joy encounters a man wearing the same necklace she received from a stranger after her accident. The man sells her bizarre packets of Celestia seeds with vague instructions on them. Joy returns home, puts on her own necklace, then plants the seeds and pieces of her memory begin to return, leading her on a quest to uncover her past. Along the way, she unknowingly places her friends and family in danger from an unknown entity.
I enjoyed the immersive setting of the wine country in Oregon, combined with the creative paranormal elements woven seamlessly into the real world. I also loved the distinctive characters, especially Joy’s hilarious best friend Suzi who provides comedic relief through the tense parts of the story.
The plot was well-crafted, unveiling the mystery of Joy’s past piece-by-piece, with internal conflict between characters to heighten the drama for readers. I was glued to the page as I devoured the book in a single sitting. Although the storyline was wrapped up in a satisfying way, I didn’t want the story to end. I would love to see a sequel. I highly recommend this book for fans of paranormal mystery and suspense.
My Rating: 5 stars
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Author Biography:
Terry Segan, originally from Commack, NY, resides in Nevada. To appease her gypsy soul and travel cravings, she’s rarely found at home on the weekends. Her journeys inspire the paranormal mysteries filling the pages of her books. Some of her best ideas are worked out while traveling on the backseat of her husband’s motorcycle. His only request is to be a chalk outline in one of her novels—providing she’s still writing fiction. Terry’s goals are to cause her readers to laugh out loud, cry with joy, or cower under the covers wondering if that thump under the bed was real or imagined.
Social Media Links:
Author Website: https://terrysegan.com/
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/AuthorTerrySegan
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/terrysegan
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SeganTerry
Reviewed by: Michelle