Echoes of Harmony
Synopsis:
Celia Davenport worked faithfully for seventeen long years to honor her divine inheritance. All who had played a part in the destruction of their family had faced judgment. All save one. Dana Elizabeth Mitchell. One by one, Celia would destroy everyone Elizabeth cared for before allowing her the sweet release of death.
Dana Mitchell fought her way off the streets of Memphis to build a life she could be proud of. As the Director of the Department of Family Services, she was in a unique position to help other young girls beat the odds. When a serial killer targets her girls and closes in on her daughter, Dana becomes the primary suspect of a vindictive detective. In order to stop the slaughter, she must uncover the terrible truth of her family’s past- and face the dead.
The Pedantic Punctuator’s Review:
This is Miranda Nading’s debut novel, and whilst her writing shows a reasonable amount of naivety in her first book, Miranda proves in this book she will be a force to be reckoned with as her writing continues to mature.
Miranda writes scary stories. Extreme stories which will mess with your head and stay with you, long after you’ve turned the final page. She has a knack of creating flawed characters, some of whom you’ll love, others whom you’ll hate. In this instance, the character of Celia Davenport was one I hated, someone who made me cringe with her inherent evilness and warped sense of justice. Her motives for what she does are borne from her background and whilst one can sympathize with the way she was brought up and the way it has affected her – she’s a character who is easy to loathe.
Dana Mitchell suffered an equally dismal childhood, but has turned her life around. She has a beautiful daughter, a housekeeper who is more friend than employee and a brilliant job as Director of the Department of Family Services. The only downside in her life is her divorce from her husband, whom she still loves. Until a situation evolves in which the young girls whom she has helped turn their own lives around, start turning up dead.
Miranda Nading writes beautiful prose, her descriptions are well thought out and beautifully explanatory. Her dialogue is very natural, which is something I noticed from the first time I worked with her and her characters are well-rounded individuals who have their own flaws and difficulties, but grow and develop throughout the novel.
Miranda’s descriptions of what is done to some of the victims is realistic, chilling and thoroughly entertaining. The visuals she manages to create with words will stay with you, long after you’ve finished reading the book.
The Pedantic Punctuator’s Rating:
D.S. Williams 