Title: Decay of Sorrow
Author: Jacqueline Garcia
Publisher: XlibrisUS
ISBN: 978-1664166196
Pages: 166
Genre: Adult Fiction
Reviewed by: Michaela Gordoni

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In Decay of Sorrow, newly wedded Esme Porcher is off with her husband Bill to their new, well, somewhat new, home. Bill lived there before—with Esme’s twin sister Joanna, who seemingly died of a natural heart attack. Esme quickly finds out that there is another woman in their new marriage, Bill’s assistant, Amanda. Not only does she have this surprise to deal with, but her new husband is acting strangely, and Esme keeps hearing her sister’s voice. It turns out the voice is Joanna’s invisible ghost. Joanna tries to warn Esme of her fate, but Esme is desperate for her charismatic husband’s affections. So much so that she ignores her dead sister’s sound advice. Esme makes some foolish decisions, but Bill’s other employee, Todd (who happens to be kind and handsome), is there to help her just in time.

Author Jacqueline Garcia writes very descriptive sentences, fully fleshing out exactly how a character thinks or feels. She uses much more adjectives than the typical author. The story, while there is little backstory to the new couple’s arrangement, is quite interesting. It starts off with Esme visiting a therapist in the aftermath of her marriage to Bill, so the reader knows right away that she will eventually pull through the ordeal. There is a lot of back and forth with Esme’s feelings. She is very unconfident about what choices she should make, but eventually grows in courage. Bill’s character is chaotic. One moment he is making his new wife breakfast, and the next moment his temper is flying. He does and says strange things, which not only confuse Esme but the reader as well. The reader eventually finds out that his motives seem to be more psychopathic and crazed than anything else.

It is not clear what time period this story takes place in. Todd addresses Bill, who appears to be his own age, as “Mister Porcher.” This is an uncommon way to address someone, especially someone close in age, in modern-day settings. Esme also stays at home and has no career. However, the characters drive cars and use cell phones. So perhaps the word “Mister,” as it is written, is just a formality that Bill’s authority necessitates, and it is in fact a modern-day story. The title of the book’s correlation to the material is also a bit unclear. I speculate that the “decay” portion refers to the several characters that die, while the “sorrow” refers to the ongoing grief and torment that Esme and Joanna both feel. Though Esme and Joanna are twins, they don’t have that strong twin connection which is often the case with twins in fact and fiction.

Overall, this is an interesting story with vivid characters. Each person’s personality is clear-cut, and the story is unique and written with much description.