Make this spring the Season of the Witch

Gabriel Blackthorne is a first class computer hacker for hire living and working in London,but his true talents lie in the not-so tangible psychic realm. Formerly a Remote Viewer(telepath)who used his powers in a secret government run agency until his hubris caused the death of a young woman,Gabriel gets a call from a wealthy
man,William Whittington who wants him to find his missing son,Robbie.



Gabriel is reluctant at first,but it turns out that the one who recommended him for this job is Frankie,an old lover and fellow RV who is the second Mrs. Whittington. Frankie convinces Gabriel to help reunite father and son,especially important since the father is dying. The only real clue they have to Robbie's disappearance is his recent and deep association with the Monk sisters,Minnaloushe and Morrighan.




Gabriel gets involved with the Monk ladies to find out not only what happened to Robbie but what strange"game" they played with him(and intended to have Gabriel join them in as well). Turns out that these women are not just bored ladies of leisure,they are incredibly intelligent and are honing their memory skills to a fine point. They can not only recite word for word text from books they haven't read since high school,both sisters are involved in creating a "memory palace",with the ulitmate goal being to seek total knowledge of the universe. Considering themselves to be modern day alchemists following in the footsteps of their ancestor,mage John Dee,their search for enlightenment becomes a deadly one.



Gabriel is torn,not only between the two sisters but in either solving the mystery of what became of Robbie but in discovering more about the mental/spiritual quest of the Monks. The stakes get even greater when it turns out one of the sisters is a RV who may be more powerful than Gabriel was back in his glory days. Also,he's been reading the computer diary written by one of the sisters who's clearly in love with him but who is it,Minnaloushe or Morrighan? Even if he figures that out,what if his new love is also a killer?

This might seem like a very long and drawn out story from my description but never you worry,Mostert tells her tale in just the right length and breath,nimbly discussing and imparting elaborant ideas and theories about the Art of Memory and the history of alchemy without overloading the reader. Also,she creates clever and challenging characters who are not only drawn in by their own desires but lure you into "slamming the ride" with them into the many questions and answers that await you with each absorbing chapter.



Mostert has written several other books but I think that Season of the Witch may be the one that gets her the big league recognition that she richly deserves. I was inspired by SOTW to find another one of her novels,WindWalker,and if you would like to know more about Nastasha Mostert and her works,please click the title link above to check out her official website that also has a Memory Game for folks to play.

Season of the Witch will be out in stores by April 19 and if you're looking for a lush,vibrantly romantic supernatural read,go no further. Mostert delivers all of that and so much more.