Blur by Steven James is a gripping psychological thriller that keeps readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish. The novel follows the story of Patrick Bowers, a detective with a keen ability to notice the smallest details, as he investigates a series of disturbing crimes. As the case unfolds, Bowers becomes entangled in a complex web of deception, danger, and moral dilemmas, with each clue leading to more uncertainty.

James's writing is tense and fast-paced, with intricate plotting that keeps the suspense high. The character development, particularly that of Patrick, is strong, making his personal struggles as compelling as the case he is trying to solve. The twists and turns in the story are unpredictable, and the psychological depth adds to the dark atmosphere of the book. While the pace may slow down in certain parts, Blur remains a captivating and thought-provoking thriller for fans of mystery and crime fiction.

Unfortunately, I did not have an opportunity to read this book before it became unavailable to me. As my reading preferences have changed in the years since I requested this book, I do not think it would be a good fit for me now.

What would you do if a girl at your high school died suddenly and while you were at her funeral, she sat up, grabbed your arm, and talked to you? Well, I imagine you would react like Daniel did - you would faint. Now imagine that she appears to you a few more times, and gives you cryptic clues as to why her death wasn't an accident like originally assumed? This is what happens to Daniel, and he figures that if he doesn't solve her murder, she will never leave him alone. As you can imagine, this is easier said than done.

This was a very compelling mystery, well written and interesting. Solving the mystery along with Daniel keeps you involved and invested in the story. The characters were likeable and the pacing was even.

All in all, I enjoyed this story very much.

5/5 stars.

Imagine going to the funeral of a girl you didn't know and all of a sudden that girl speaks to you?

That is what happened to Daniel at Emily's funeral.

Throughout the book Daniel is trying to uncover how Emily died. It is said her death was an accident but he doesn't believe it. How can a girl drown who is a great swimmer?

I wasn't sure what to expect from the book but I'm glad I read it. It was a good book.

James is a master at writing books that are gripping and thought provoking at the same time. I believe the audience for this is YA, but it is great for adults as well. Christian speculative fiction at its finest.

This was my first time reading Steven James, who apparently is a master of suspense and this his first YA mystery. Daniel, the MC, starts seeing 'blurs', or basically the ghost of a recently deceased classmate who asks him to investigate her dead. (Why she doesn't just tell him what happened, since she was present at her own dead, is beyond me but would have made for a much shorter book, of course).

What follows is on the one hand a rather standard situation where Daniel together with his best friend and love interest look into the death of said classmate. On the other hand it is also Daniel's story as he is trying to figure out what is real and what isn't and is he going mad or not?

While not the most original mystery and not un-put-downable, it was a nice read and I will continue with the next in the series.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I found this book to be a little confusing. I know the main character is supposed to be confused about what is real and what isn't but it just wasn't done very well or convincingly in my opinion.

I tried reading this so long ago but didn't finish.