Death Perception

This review is also featured on Behind the Pages: Death Perception

Thank you to Blackthorn Book Tours for providing me a copy for an honest review!

Kennet has a gift. He can discern how someone died by roasting marshmallows over their ashes. Considering he works for the local crematorium, he has the chance to use his abilities on the job. But he's always seen his gift as nothing but a parlor trick. After all, when someone has already died does it even matter if he can discern their cause of death? Until his death perception starts to differ from the paperwork. And as the body count rises, he begins to think a killer is on the loose. As Kennet searches for the truth, he will uncover dark secrets and hidden agendas that may very well mean his own death.

Kennet is a character who is down on his luck but refuses to give up. He lives with his elderly mother in a care facility and knows he must strike out on his own, but feels stuck. He doesn't make enough money to live on his own, yet at the same time, he wants to do better for himself. Haunted by an abusive past, he refuses to become his father. Kennet is constantly comparing himself to his father, and because of this pushes himself harder and harder each day to do better. Even when his temper gets the best of him, he refuses to strike out at those he loves. Lee Allen Howard succeeded in creating a wholesome character readers can't help but become focused on. He chose to build Kennet up as a character and allowed his ability to accent Kennet's personality instead of letting it dominate the storyline.

Death Perception is told from multiple points of view. As the story unfolds, readers are allowed to see the motivations behind the murders and how Kennet stumbles into them. Knowing what the antagonists have in store for the story and Kennet helps build up the tension in each moment. It also adds to the overall darker tone of the story and shows an uglier side to humanity. This story hits close to home because the circumstances surrounding the murder mystery feel like they could have occurred in the real world. It's disturbing to realize people can sink so low, but at the same time, it makes the perfect murder mystery.

There are some religious undertones to Kennet's abilities, but they never overshadow the main plot. And Lee Allen Howard has also worked in a coming of age story among the main murder mystery. While the various topics don't seem like they would fit together, it just works. All the pieces line up to tell a slice of life story peppered with mystery and supernatural abilities. If you're looking for a book to kick off the spooky season, but you don't want to dive too deeply into horror, give Death Perception a try.