THE RED THREAD

A tangled mystery leads 16-year-old Dana to tangled emotions, some of which aren’t her own, even though they are. Confused? So is Dana. Or is she Hannah, an 18th-century unmarried painter? Or a small boy in 1583, heir to a legacy but murdered at age ten? Plagued by nightmares and waking visions, Dana lets Dr. Sprague try hypnotic therapy. In trances, Dana relives isolated scenes from the past. A trip to England brings another flood of memories as Dana, her ten-year-old brother in a wheelchair and her ever-patient boyfriend Chase follow a locket with a portrait of young William Breen (the boy in Dana’s visions) to the Breen family castle. A tapestry and chapel are essential to Dana’s past lives. Guilt and shame torment her from her haunting new/old identities. Back in New Hampshire, Sprague and Dana continue the probe to a racing climax. Revenge and devotion (both familial and religious) are prime themes, with first-rate suspense and emotion. Captivating and shivery. (Fantasy. YA)