The Colour of Death by Elizabeth Davies

ABOUT THE BOOK

“Mad, bad and dangerous to know.”

Olivia Parr doesn’t believe her ability to see auras is a gift. It hasn’t exactly done her any favours. Quite the opposite, in fact. Having become something of a loner, she tries to avoid people and the glow surrounding them, preferring to view life through the lens of a camera, where she can’t see those telltale colours.

But when a rare visit to a theatre ends in death and bloodshed, Olivia’s life is about to become considerably more complicated.

During the mayhem, one man stands out, and not just because he seems oblivious to the terrible carnage. The reason? He has no aura.

But everyone has an aura, right?

Everyone.

Except for the dead.

Not only is she fascinated and intrigued by this strange, compelling man, in the aftermath of the tragedy she gains a protector; a man whose aura is deep, dark red – the colour of blood.

MY REVIEW

This book took me back to the original legendary vampire stories where vampires dislike garlic, crosses, holy water, etc., and are killed by stakes to the heart. The genre has grown so much that it is refreshing to read and apparently is the first in a series with a cliffhanger at the end.

Olivia can see auras around people which made her an outcast in her family and an outcast to the world. She believes it is a curse, and when she sees a man without an aura standing in the middle of a horrific massacre, her life is in danger.

Crow is desperate to find his sister who has disappeared after being seen with a strange and sinister man named Rochdale. When he sees Rochdale and Olivia exchange a glance at a horrible massacre in a theatre, he decides to follow her and find out what she knows. What he discovers cannot be true. Or is it?

Olivia and Crow don’t seem like a couple who would meet under normal circumstances, but the author does a good job with their growing attraction to one another, but not acting on it. Father Andrew is a nice touch as well with his devotion to God and his belief in other evils.

Let me add that Ms. Davies’ research into Lord Byron reveals startling and fascinating facts about his life and death which inspired her story.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book from the start where the reader is thrown into carnage and death right away and the suspense gradually builds to where Olivia and Crow are running for their lives. If you like a horror story with a touch of nostalgia, give this one a try.

Thank you to Ms. Davies’ for giving me the opportunity to review her book without expectation of a positive review.