Tom Sisto is used to getting late night calls from his contacts at the Saratoga City Police Department. He has quietly put his undesired psychic abilities towards helping the city he grew up in. His liaisons don’t like him much and the one detective that actually believes in his abilities has to fight to keep him on the books as a consultant. Detective Camille Caden, along with her not so accepting veteran partner, Detective Calvin Bell, come across a case that requires they bring Tom Sisto in the loop. Expecting pushback from Bell with Caden to mediate, this case is different. Sisto isn’t brought into the case because of his psychic abilities. He is brought in because the brutal murderer using the city as a killing ground has Tom Sisto in their crosshairs. From the first crime scene, Sisto recognizes the intensity and ferociousness that the kills hold. There is a deep seeded personal touch, yet he has no understanding how he is connected. In between the moonlighting as amateur detective, Sisto is still trying to get his life back together. He routinely visits his local support group center, trying to work on his own inner demons while proceeding head to head in a dangerous game that could cost him his life if he is not careful.
Sisto’s visions come in the form similar to an old school projector, kicking on and presenting atrocities he never wished to view, let alone experience first-person while thrust into the memory of a victim or an offender. He playfully nicknamed these horrifying images The Reels. The first time he experienced them eight years prior, he noticed a flicker behind his eyelids, before being swept away into a chaotic jumble of sensory cross-wiring that he is still managing to work out in present day. Carrying that burden takes a toll and over the years Sisto has developed a very dark humor about his observations. With the help of his colleagues, friends, and The Reels, Sisto uses all he has learned while working with the SCPD, along with his binge-watching of police procedurals to try and catch a killer. He has to stop playing detective and actually become one as one wrong move can put himself or the ones closest to him in harms way. There is no more room to hate or dismiss his gift. If Tom Sisto wants to get out of this situation alive, he must embrace The Reels and enhance his skillset, before the game of cat & mouse ends badly.
If you like crime stories and have an affinity for movies, you will LOVE this book! Oracle follows Tom Sisto, a police consultant with the ability of premonitions. Don't worry, it is not over the top, take away from the story visions.. but he must rely on the gift of "The Reels", as tragedy from his past threatens his present.
The colorful descriptions really put you in the scene and allow you to connect to the extremely relatable and down-to-earth characters. Sprinkled throughout the story are obscure movie references that precisely fit each situation in perfect comedic fashion. There were many twist along the way, that had me laughing, had me sympathizing, and had me in shock. I can't wait to see what the next books hold for Tom Sisto and the Saratoga City Police.
This book had me turning page after page. Sisto, is a physic working a side hustle for a group of detectives. The twists and turns in this action packed novel keep me in suspense and guessing at every chapter. Ewing painted this story with masterful perfection. Can’t wait for the next book to come out!!
Nonstop page-turner. Whenever I picked the book up, I found myself reading for hours on end. The way Mr.Ewing wrote his characters, makes them feel like actual people. I constantly found myself seeing and hearing the characters, as if they were right next to me. If I could I would give this 100/5 stars. Can't wait for #2!
Anyone who loves a dark mystery with a myriad of twist and turns won’t be able to put this dark Twisted tale down! Well developed villains and victors, with unique characteristics! I’m not a spoiler so go grab it on Amazon and get reading! can’t wait for his next one to come out!
Tom Sisto’s “gift� wasn’t something he wanted but something he felt compelled to put to good use. His work as a consultant with the SCPD led him down a trail he never intended. Lots of twists and turns that left me captivated all the way through! Excellent work! Can’t wait to read the next one!!!
Beautiful character development and had to read the last 10 chapters all in one sitting because I could not put it down! Looking forward to the next book.
The first in a new series about a reluctant hero, Tom Sisto. He is an introvert that has forced himself to put his unwanted gift of second sight to use, helping the local police department as a serial killer starts to play a dangerous game in his city. The inspiration derives from a variety of novels that have touched me in some way, movies that have resonated, growing up in the 80's and 90's with story driven action and suspense thrillers. This is one to jump on board with, as Sisto and acquaintances will go through many cases in the seedy shadows of his hometown, Saratoga City.
ORACLE: A Story From The Reels by Brian B. Ewing is the first book in a series that focuses on Tom Sisto, an introvert with a tragic past gifted with a psychic power to experience first-person memories of victims and evil-doers alike. These visions come to him in a manner akin to an old-school projector; this is why he has named them "The Reels." The novel reads like a well-paced, cleverly constructed story arc from an engaging TV crime procedural. Ewing clearly loves the Thriller Genre and has a talent for writing in this graphic format. Oracle: A Story From The Reels is a well-crafted Urban Thriller with sensational cover art that's a must-read. I'm looking forward to reading further work by him.