Review Tuesday: Remnants of Fire by Alana Lorens #Suspense #Occult #ReviewTuesday

 

Remnants of Fire by Alana Lorens

Dragonfly Publishing, 2023

In the small town of Ralston, Ohio, young women who were formerly vibrant and healthy are inexplicably dying. Newly-arrived newspaper reporter Sara Wood finds herself blocked at every turn as she tries to track down the story of the latest corpse, discovered in a roadside snow bank wearing just a tee shirt and jeans. There are no wounds or signs of foul play. The police insist the death can be attributed to natural causes, but one look at the girl’s straggly hair, bleached-out skin and skinny body is enough to convince Sara there’s nothing natural about her demise. Many of the townspeople seem as eager as the police to dismiss the multiple deaths as simple coincidence. Only a few, like physician Dr. Rick Paulsen and Sara’s editor Gloria, seem interested in investigating further.

The victims all have one thing in common. All were receiving treatment at the local Goldstone Clinic, which specializes in non-traditional therapies for pain, insomnia and anxiety: deep massage, energy balancing, even hypnosis. The beautiful Dr. Rufrei and her colleagues at Goldstone have an almost magical ability to soothe and rejuvenate their patients, as Sara herself discovers when she seeks relief from the lingering effects of an auto accident. At the same time, she can’t shake off her suspicions that she’s being manipulated and used for some nefarious purpose. When she tries to distance herself from the clinic, she experiences an almost irresistible compulsion to return, coupled with an agonizing surge in her symptoms.

Bit by bit she uncovers the truth, not only about the clinic but about her own hidden powers. The creatures who run Goldstone believe that Sara holds the key to achieving their secret mission. Her own life as well as that of many innocents depends on her ability to harness her inner energies and foil their plan.

Remnants of Fire by Alana Lorens is a compelling read with vivid descriptions and a complex, appealing heroine. Ms. Lorens succeeds in conveying an intense sense of dread as Sara gets pulled ever deeper into the darkness of Goldstone. “Don’t go back to the clinic!” you want to scream, as both Sara and her young colleague Debra struggle against the dual temptations offered by the blissful sense of relief and the clinic’s gorgeous and seductive practitioners.

In fact, there are some gruesome elements in this tale. It is certainly not light entertainment. There’s also a romance thread, but like other aspects of the plot, this ends up twisting in unexpected directions. To avoid spoilers, I can’t give you any details, but the book’s conclusion involves a monumental betrayal.

Indeed, after finishing the story, I found myself wondering about some of the events, which seemed a bit inconsistent with the final resolution. My own experience writing has taught me that you don’t always know when you’re in the middle of a book how it will turn out. I suspect some of this dynamic was operating in Remnants of Fire. Still, the core premise of the book is strong and engaging. If you enjoy dark suspense with an edge of horror, then you won’t be disappointed.