Review: Shrouded in Illusion by H.D. Thomson

Shrouded in Illusion

by H.D. Thomson

Adult Paranormal Mystery

Published June 7, 2013 by Bella Media Management

*Ebook obtained as part of the tour in exchange for an honest review*

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Someone wants Skye Hunter’s son, Tyler, and they’re willing to kill to get him. On the run for her life, Skye turns to the only person she believes can help her—a complete stranger with a shared past.

David Bishop thinks Skye is crazy. But when he realizes she has the same strange phenomenon inside her body that he does—the ability to move objects with her mind, David is forced to question his life, his childhood and his father’s motives. Can these two lost souls uncover the mystery of their telekinetic powers and save Tyler and themselves in the process?

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H.D. Thomson moved from Ontario, Canada as a teenager to the heat of Arizona where she graduated from the University of Arizona with a B.S. in Business Administration with a major in accounting. After working in the corporate world as an accountant, H.D. changed her focus to one of her passions-books. She owned and operated an online bookstore for several years and then started Bella Media Management. The company specializes in web sites, video trailers, ebook conversion and promotional resources for authors and small businesses. When she is not heading her company, she is following her first love-writing.

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 Honestly, I'm not sure where I want to go with this review. I enjoyed the novel for the most part, but thinking back, I'm not sure what I read that drew me in. That sounds harsh but that's not the way I mean it. I mean it in the since that so many things were happening that it all ran together for me at some point. I don't mean that in a negative way by any means. It was a well-written, very eventful novel. Now I'm rambling. Ack! Okay. Let me see if I can organize my thoughts a little better. 

The characters: I enjoyed them all. The only hard part for me was the many different POV swaps. It was hard to keep up with so many POV's AND concentrate on the mystery that needed to be solved AND concentrate on how the lead female character had to keep her son & herself safe from this unknown bad guy. 

This is technically the 3rd book in a series; however, it can be read as a standalone. I can't help but wonder if I would've caught on to the mysterious aspect sooner had I already read books 1 & 2? 

Now, the mystery... I was so lost... There was soooo much going on and everyone had secrets. I felt like I was running around in circles. The moment I thought someone would finally solve a small mystery, it would be snatched away and I'd end up with more questions. I know that sounds a little negative but again, I don't really mean it that way. I was kept on my toes in a constant state of "Huh? How? Why? What does that mean?" 

Now, I have a son. So reading about Tyler being kidnapped or how someone attempted to kidnap him literally tore me into pieces. No, I don't really mean that literally. I mean that figuratively. Any time children are involved in novels where they could potentially be hurt or harmed in some way, I flip out. I have to push myself to read through them because that hits too close to home for me. Ya know? 

So the plot... Obviously it moved quickly, even though I felt as thought I was running in circles and slamming into brick walls here and there. Right from the start, the very first scene nearly had me freaking out on this side of my Ipad because I was worried about Tyler. Scared me death. I was thinking, "holy crap...tell me this isn't going to be happening throughout the book!" There's so many questions... why does Skye have the ability she has, why does David, why did it pass on to Tyler... Who did it? Why? Are there others? Who in the hell is chasing her? What's the deal with her ex? What secrets is David's dad harboring? Question after question after question after question. Okay, you get the point. 

Once I finally reached the moment of "OOOOHHHH I GET IT!" it all seems to move at a smoother pace for me. I got to a point where, towards the last 3/4 of the book, I didn't want to put it down. When that happened, all of the angst I felt towards the earlier points in the novel were just pushed aside. 

So overall... I have to say that this was a solid 3.5 for me. I liked it but I think others would probably like it more. 

Overall: 3.5 Stars
Cover: 3 Stars
Characters: 4 Stars
Plot: 3.5 Stars
Climax: 4 Stars
Ending: 3.8 Stars