FLASHES

An English girl sees “flashes” of murders from victims’ eyes but can’t get anyone to believe her in this detective mystery.

Charley, 17, lives in Cornwall with her father, her mother having committed suicide years before. She’s learned to keep her visions to herself. Just two days after burying her best friend, killed in an accident, she has a new vision, of a girl named Kerry being dragged to her death on railroad tracks. Newly minted police constable Tom, 19, doesn’t believe that Kerry’s death is as straightforward as his belligerent fellow detectives do, so when Tom and Charley meet, and Charley tells Tom her secret, he tries to use her visions to find the killer. Charley’s father disapproves of their relationship, while Tom runs afoul of his new superintendent when he admits his activities. Meanwhile, more clues point to an actual serial killer on the loose. O’Rourke, himself a former policeman, writes with confidence, but both characters and story are fairly uncomplicated. Although much of the dialogue strains credulity, the author includes enough clues and red herrings to keep readers guessing.

A simple but suspenseful and entertaining mystery for readers who can’t get enough.