Clarity by Kim Harrington

Clarity "Clare" Fern is psychic - along with the rest of her family.  Clare can see things from the past from a persons point of view when she touches something they have touched, her brother Perry is a medium who can talk to spirits, and their mother is a telepath (which makes it really hard to keep secrets from her).  To the tourists in their home town of Eastport they are a tourist attraction, a fun diversion where the Fern family tells them things from their past and maybe even connect them to friends and relatives they have lost.  For the locals, particularly the local high school kids, Clare is a freak to be teased and tormented.  When a murder occurs in their close knit community, Clare finds herself working with the Mayor's son, and the new detectives son to solve the murder - unofficially of course.

This book was a lot "lighter" than I was expecting.  I have read other books that seem to cover this idea in more depth and with more "grit" - but this was still an enjoyable read.  Clare is an interesting character and one of the cool things about her world is that the psychic abilities of Clare and her family seem real - based on facts and laws that govern what they can do and what they can achieve.  The story seems to unfold easily, starting with a dramatic glimpse of the present before diving into events of the past few days before launching back into the present and the big conclusion. 

Overall this was an enjoyable read and I look forward to future books from this author.  She has written a book that is fresh and free from the usual cliches, and has managed to avoid writing a predictable book.  Harrington kept up a good pace throughout the story, and the last few chapters passed in a blur as I rushed towards the end to see how the book was going to end.

If you like this book then try:

• Legacy of lies by Elizabeth Chandler
• Other by Karen Kincy
• Jinx by Meg Cabot
• Deception: Haunting Emma by Lee Nichols
• Legacies by Mercedes Lackey

Reviewed by Brilla