Murder, revenge, supernatural powers, and some mystery are what Spikes by Kelvin J. Kettle will bring you. This short novel will leave you questioning what is real, what is in people’s minds and how do all the pieces fit together. At the center of the story is the Goddess Morrigan, who is known to be a shapeshifter, fearsome, strong, and vindictive. She is also known as the Goddess of Crows and to deal out punishment to those she feels are deserving. Knowing this piece of mythology helps the reader to understand this story better, it is not covered in the book so without this knowledge there are some pieces that don’t make a lot of sense.

The story takes place in Boston. The focus is around several police officers and a mystery woman that no one can ever remember clearly. All they remember is that she is beautiful and wears leather. It starts out in the prologue with Karen. She is clearly abused by her father, physically and sexually. Kettle than jumps to modern day with detective John Quint investigating a murder. While at the murder scene he notices a crow watching everything, it spooks him, this is our first look at Morrigan. From here we follow a choppy story line. Kettle jumps from one scene to the next with no transitions and little connection among the pieces. Eventually they all fall into place and you see where it was going but you are clearly following multiple people in their own world separate from the other characters.

While investigating the murder Quint’s partner, Bill Jennings, is introduced. Most of the story revolves around Quint and Jennings’s investigation of the murder. You learn who Spikes is and how she became the person she is now. Through flash backs and hallucinations, you learn about Quint’s past and how he ended up caring for the character Peggy. There is a very chilling way that justice is met out from Morrigan and her followers. They go through a lot of trouble to hide their identities and keep their members safe.

Over all it is a short novel, and a quick read. This is a dark story that is not for the person looking for a happy ending. It is a fascinating introduction to the Goddess Morrigan and her powers. It will challenge the reader’s perspective to follow the different paths the author takes and see where they all meet up in the end. I felt that Spikes was written so that there could easily be more spin off stories that add to the character of Spikes and Morrigan; or I hope so, because I want more of these characters.

Pages: 112 | ASIN: B01HRBUHQQ