
Esperanza by Trish J. MacGregor
Esperanza is a supernatural adventure novel set in Ecuador. It has a lot to recommend it, even though I was ultimately disappointed.
Some of the problems have to do with marketing. Esperanza is blurbed as a “supernatural thriller.” The book is tense and suspenseful, but I was never scared by it. Also, it is clearly book one of a series, but the blurb does not make that clear. As it is, Esperanza doesn’t end, it just stops, which added to my frustration.
There’s a lot to like about Esperanza, like exciting action sequences and chase scenes. MacGregor plays with some interesting ideas about the afterlife and time-travel, including a riff on the Tibetan Buddhist concept of bardo states. Main character Tess, an FBI agent, has a Shirley MacLaine-style old-hippie mom and a bright,... Read More