Title: York Street: A Ghost and a Cop Series
Author: Jan Walters
Publisher: iUniverse
ISBN: 9781491743026
Pages: 288
Genre: Paranormal Mystery

Reviewed by: Anita Lock

 

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Des Moines Officer Brett O’Shea visits his grandmother Maybelle soon before her death. The feisty old woman makes Brett promise that he will solve the eighty-year-old murder case of her father and his great-grandfather, Michael O’Shea. Maybelle assures Brett that he is the only one who can help crack the cold case, because Michael told her so. Brett is certain that his grandmother is losing it since there’s no such thing as ghosts. But soon after Maybelle’s death, a ghost named Al visits Brett, claiming that he was sent by “the man upstairs” to help him solve his great-grandfather’s death. The mischievous Al appears to be more a pain than a help to Brett until he directs Brett to a string of robberies happening on the very street where his grandfather was murdered. York Street, book one of Walters’ A Ghost and a Cop series, is a fast-pace mix of amusement, mystery, and malevolence.

Jan Walters spins “a little fact and a lot of fiction” in her latest read. Walters’ inspiration for writing the first book in a new series comes from two wonderful sources. The first is her family’s legacy: four generations of men—dating back to the 1890s—who had served on the Des Moines Police Department (DMPD). The other from stories, as Walters states, “I grew up listening to my grandmother telling me wonderful stories of the DMPD and the crazy cases they would occasionally encounter.”

Walters’ plot is replete with a colorful cast, a combination of foils and a tight handful of antagonists—all designed for the purpose of developing her main character, Brett O’Shea. Unique to Walters’ third person narrative is the way she weaves in comedy and a bit of romance in the midst of a dark plot. Brett’s firm belief that the paranormal simply does not exist is severely tested when Al confronts him. But the specter does not fit the stereotypical A-Christmas-Carol persona. Al is downright pesky. Fascinated with all the 21st Century gadgets that Brett has, Al acts more like a curious kid than an adult. Walters does a stellar job of balancing heavier plot elements with plenty of light bantering and hilarious scenes.

Another light balance to Walters’ narrative is a bit of romance when reporter Lisa Winslow enters Brett’s life, even though their relationship starts on the wrong footing. Walters incorporates bantering again in Brett and Lisa’s dialogue, but it is edgy. Using the above-mentioned literary schemes, Walters adds to her fluid storyline by alternating a nice mix of clichéd and unexpected scenes punctuated with good-versus-evil spiritual themes. There is so much more going on in Walters’ narrative, but additional information will only make for spoilers. Bottom line: York Street is an entertaining atypical paranormal read—one that appeals to a wide audience. With so many creative interleaves of themes, situations and complex characters, one can easily become a fan of Walters’ style. I look forward to the continuing adventures of Des Moines Officer Brett O’Shea in the next novel in A Ghost and a Cop series.

The story left me ready for more adventures with all the characters. I look forward to the next book from this author – Kelly Stuhr, Senior Des Moines Police OfficerBrett O’Shea is a young street cop in Des Moines trying to make detective. He works by the book and doesn’t believe in hocus-pocus. When a killer begins terrorizing the streets of his city, Brett is forced to alter his view of the paranormal world when a ghost appears in his bedroom.Al is an irreverent, rule-breaking ghost, and his appearance forces Brett to reassess all his no-nonsense beliefs. Logic goes right out the window when Al offers to help catch the man terrorizing the city as well as solve the murder of his detective grandfather in 1933. It soon becomes apparent the killer lurking in the dark corners of Des Moines has strange capabilities. Brett and Al are on a supernatural rollercoaster, and they find danger at every turn. How is Brett supposed to stop a killer with otherworldly powers, and what does the murderer have to do with his grandfather? To save the city, Brett and Al must become a half dead crime fighting duo or lose everything.
Jan Walters and her husband live on a farm in Iowa. She grows produce to sell at local restaurants and farmers markets. Besides writing, she enjoys researching family genealogy. Her family has served on the Des Moines Police Department since the late nineteenth century. She is also the author of Believe.