The Dark and Dangerous Gifts of Delores Mackenzie

Delores Mackenzie has always seen spirits. When she was a child, they were benign and friendly and used to join her for tea parties but, now she’s older, the Bòcain have become increasingly sinister and malevolent. And now they are trying to kill her.

If she’s to have any chance of a tolerable life, Delores must learn to control her powers, so she is sent to the Uncles who run a bookshop in Edinburgh Old Town.

But things seem to go from bad to worse and Delores finds herself in a frantic race to rescue a little girl who may, or may not, be dead and battling the ghost of a murderous mother who, despite being dead, is desperately clinging on to life. 

The world Delores inhabits, which is the same as ours but with added psychic activity, is surprisingly easy to relate to and the prevailing presence of evil is defused somewhat by a talking French gargoyle who enjoys chess and sherbet straws.

As well as the immediate and urgent threats to Delores and the rest of humanity, there are underlying mysteries and unexplained events that give extra depth to the story and potential clues to future adventures.