A review of “Midlife Psychic” by Carolyn Arnold

Full disclosure – I was provided an advanced reader’s copy of this book by the author or their representative but have voluntarily provided a review. All opinions are my own.

When dreams become reality

Erin Stone has a difficult job as a 911 operator for her city, but she enjoys the work, and it keeps her busy. As a single parent of a child in college, Erin’s only companions are her cat Harvey, and her best friend/Yoga instructor Trish. When she has a vivid dream about a plane crash she chalks it up to jitters surrounding the upcoming anniversary of the crash that took her parents years ago. That is, until a breaking news story chronicles an accident in Texas that eerily resemble her unsettling dream. When she starts seeing “things” in the middle of the day Erin is spooked and wonders if there isn’t something medically wrong with her. Having a strict religious upbringing, things like visions, and premonitions are more terrifying to her than a brain tumor. When she meets up with a handsome NTSB agent at an event for her parents and other crash victims, Erin is drawn to the possibility that he can help her discover the catalyst behind her visions and possibly bring the closure to the newest survivors that she never had. But as her and David set out to uncover the truth of the crash, other forces are at play that do not want the truth to be told. When Erin’s family is threatened, will she push forward for the truth or leave the revelations buried?

Midlife Psychic is the newest book by international best-selling author Carolyn Arnold and is the first in what I hope becomes a new series. The story introduces us to Erin Stone, divorcee, and newly minted psychic as she struggles to come to acceptance with her unexpected gifts at an older age. From the first sentences, Arnold captivates the reader with vivid imagery of a plane in the throes of going down. The various emotions, fear, acceptance, and despair is evident and make for the foundation of what is a fast-paced, heartrending, yet also heart-warming story. The struggles Erin’s character faces are very realistic for her predicament. Does she tell her ultra-religious family about her visions and risk ostracism or worse, disowning, or does she keep them to herself and hope that it’s just a “phase”? Arnold does an exceptional job of weaving a story that is as entertaining as it is thought-provoking. While this is a new subject for Arnold who is most well known for her crime fiction novels, but also has titles in the Cozy Mystery and Action/Adventure genres, Midlife Psychic proves yet again that whatever genre Arnold attempt to tackle, that she will most definitely excel at it. After reading Midlife Psychic, I am hoping that Arnold expands the story of 911 operator and psychic Erin Stone into a regular series. While I realize that there is a potential for a series such as this to become formulaic, I am confident that Arnold will tackle each new case that Erin takes on with a fresh and innovative eye.