More Than I Bargained For by Kelli A. Wilkins
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Paranormal, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by AstilbeKatie doesn’t like going to estate sales. Why? Because she sees dead people.
When Katie reluctantly attends an estate sale with her friend Diane, she gets more than she bargained for. The deceased former owner of the house, Grace, realizes that Katie can communicate with her, and she has a lot to say.
As Katie pretends to shop, Grace tells her the story of how she was murdered—and reveals that her killer is still in the house.
It’s up to Katie to uncover the murder weapon and get it to the police… before time runs out.
There’s plenty of unfinished business happening at this estate sale.
The character development was fantastic, especially when it came to Grace who was the deceased woman who wanted Katie’s help. I had a strong impression of what all three of the characters were like as individuals, but Grace’s personality was so well-formed that it was easy to forget she was fictional. It was delightful to get to know all both of these women as the estate sale went on.
I would have preferred to see a bit more time spent on the mystery elements of the plot. Most of the hints regarding it were shared almost immediately, so the audience wasn’t expected to do much thinking about what had really happened to Grace. If the narrator had expected more of us, I would have easily chosen a full five-star rating.
The ending was satisfying. I appreciated the way the narrator wrapped up all of the most important details of it while still leaving a little wiggle room for a possible sequel. If the author ever decides to revisit this world, I’d love to find out what Katie and her best friend, Diane, get up to at their next estate sale. They were such a good team that they could communicate with each other in all sorts of subtle ways that other people might not notice. This was exactly the sort of skill that comes in handy when spirits and strangers are milling about.
More Than I Bargained For was a wholesome and heartwarming read.
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