Unbreathed Memories: A Hannah Ives Mystery

Those of us who have experienced traumatic amnesia at some point in our lives understand that there are blank spaces in our memories for varying periods of time. I had a childhood accident where I remember starting to fall, and my next memory is having bandages removed from my leg some period of time later. I was left with a large scar and no memory of the intervening time period. In this novel, Hannah Ives has a younger sister who is undergoing counseling. Her analyst has convinced her that something buried in her past is causing her problems. She recreates her childhood in her mind, but are the resulting memories real or fantasies? Was she really abused by someone as a child? What she thinks she remembers is causing a major turmoil in her family. Hannah Ives gets involved in some sleuthing, intermixed with reconstructive surgery after having breast cancer. Hannah's own life is put in danger as the mystery is solved. The novel could be classified as a tragedy. Events are somewhat unfinished as it ends with her sister still in counseling and trying to resolve her past. What really happened when the family was in Sicily? It deals with mature subject matter, and I would probably rate it at about the PG-13 level.

Marcia Talley has done it again with the continnuing tale of Hannah Ives. This is a true mystery that keeps you guessing. you can feel the hurt, anguish her characters went through. Can't wait for the next one!

I loved Sing It To Her Bones and was anxious to read the next in the Hannah Ives series. I loved the book. It's a page turned and I couldn't put it down. I don't usually read mysteries but Marcia Talley is changing my ways. I can hardly wait for the next installment. I think the character (Hannah Ives) is so real and normal. In fact, all of the characters in this book seem so true. The sisterly relationships, the weirdo at the church, all of them seem like people I know.Keep em coming Marcia Talley.

Marcia Talley has a knack for handling serious subjects with ease and wit. Breast cancer, incest, and false memory syndrome are all treated with the seriousness they deserve, but not in a heavy-handed, over-serious manner. Her main character, thrust into life-threatening situations, still manages to make you smile or laugh out loud with her occasional jibe or quirky humor. Add a plot full of mystery and you have an absorbing read, the kind of book you hate to see come to an end.

Marcia Talley's second mystery, Unbreathed Memories, features spunky breast cancer survivor, Hannah Ives. Hannah's sibling, Georgina, believes she's a victim of child sexual abuse. When Georgina's psychologist is murdered, Georgina becomes a suspect, along with Hannah's father who believes the psychologist was a quack. Hannah, eager to save her family, sets out to prove her father's innocence. If you like your heroines spunky, heroic, and humorous, then you will enjoy Unbreathed Memories. It's a fast-paced jaunt that draws you in and keeps you turning the pages to the end.