The Book of Illumination

By Mary Ann Winkowski & Maureen Foley
Three Rivers Press, $14.00, 308 pages

Anza O’Malley is, in many ways, your typical single mother; she juggles her five-year-old son and her work as a freelance book binder.  But there is another side to Anza: she can see ghosts.  When a friend asks her to help when a priceless illuminated manuscript goes missing, and two angry ghosts that have been guarding it for hundreds of years tell of its desecrations, she finds herself compelled to help. With the help of her friend and former lover, Declan, a Boston detective, Anza takes us on a journey that uncovers treachery, danger, and chilling intrigue.

The Book of Illumination is a very good easy read and a will keep the reader turning pages.  Anza is a fun character; she isn’t afraid to tell it like it is, even when she knows that not everyone will believe her. The best part of the book is that the ghosts don’t interfere so much in Anza’s daily life like in other books where the main character sees ghosts. She gets to lead her daily life without the constant interruption of ghosts demanding her attention.

The Book of Illumination is based on the life of and co-written by Mary Ann Winkowski, a consultant for the CBS television series The Ghost Whisperer. While similar in some ways, it is very different for the most part.

Reviewed by Katie Monson