Darrell Henshaw and his new wife Erin are flying to Florida to enjoy their honeymoon, and the last thing Darrell wants is for his “gift” to ruin their plans. But, of course, he can’t say no when the ghosts of two innocent children beg him for help. So with Erin and their new local friend Luis at his side, he digs up the past to find out what really happened to those missing, forgotten children.
What a wonderful book! This is the second mystery I’ve read from Mr. Overbeck and won’t be my last. He has such a unique way with words. I love reading his stories.
Darrell and Erin have a great relationship. They trust each other, and though Darrell does tend to keep secrets to protect her, he ultimately knows he’ll have to fess up. She’s his partner in all things.
I don’t often read books that focus heavily on social or political issues, but the issue in this book—the horrible treatment of migrant workers in the US—is something that’s important and needs to be addressed. Mr. Overbeck handled this hot-button issue with respect and care.
Anyway, Scarlet at Crystal River is a compelling mystery to dive into. You won’t regret it.
5 Stars ( )

It might help to read the previous books to gain greater context. Darrell sees ghosts, and on this occasion they show up at his honeymoon. This is a slow story looking at the children's past.


I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading SCARLET AT CRYSTAL RIVER by Randy Overbeck. The book, like the other two in the series, is engaging and hard to put down. Ghost whisperer, Darryl, is chosen by troubled spirits to help them by solving their murder and bringing justice to those responsible.

In this final installment, Darryl and his new wife are on their honeymoon in the panhandle of Florida when he encounters the photo of a young migrant boy and girl drawn and covered on the backside of an artists' canvas. A fortune teller warned him prior to leaving home to expect a visit from two spirits. When he touched the photo, Darryl's gift identified the kids as the two visiting spirits who needed help.

The author does a wonderful job at taking readers through the area while enjoying his honeymoon and while conducting his investigation to identify the children and find out what happened to them. They are shot at, crash their car, and threatened at gunpoint for their efforts. The couple and friend, Luis, continued to hit roadblocks, leaving readers to continue guessing. The last 20% of the story is fast-paced and the author does a great job to bring it all together.

This was a smooth error-free read with well-defined characters and plenty of mystery. It is stand-alone, like the other two books in this series, and it isn't necessary to read the preceding books first. Great job Dr. Overbeck! Highly recommended! ( )