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The Seawitch sailed out 27 years ago and was presumed lost with all hands. Then, under cover of fog, it slips back into port with no one aboard, damaged with mold, mildew, and years of neglect. Harper Blaine's job is to find out if this was a case of insurance fraud or not, and if possible where it's been and who had it. Unfortunately, things get complicated when one of the crew cabins is found to have arcane sigils and lots and lots of blood about the place. Seattle P.D. homicide officer Rey Solis will be working with Harper which could make her job a lot more difficult.

More Kat Richardson: Greywalker Novels: * Greywalker * Poltergeist * Underground * Vanished * Labyrinth * Downpour * Seawitch

As usual Richardson weaves a multi-threaded story that mixes the present with historical incidents, moving the characters forward while pulling in myth and legend. That's a stew of ideas that could be confusing, but instead becomes a page-turner of a book that will keep you reading long after you know you should turn off the lights.

Harper has matured, but also found some limitations on her Greywalker powers. She's accepted the role of Paladin -- righting wrongs -- sent on missions by the Guardian Beast. She's also learned to trust people and to share information rather than keep things to herself.

Working with Solis on the possible murder case, Harper finds the only way to move forward is to tell Solis about her abilities. In turn, Harper and the readers learn more about Solis' life and his family. While necessary for this case, it also leaves things open for a more comfortable working relationship between Harper and Solis in the future.

Fans of the series will enjoy the turn the story makes as Harper deals with an area of myth and legend that is new for her. The weaving in of the sea lore around the Washington coast was fascinating and the fact that it was all part of the main story line just adds to the texture and depth of the story.

If you haven't read any of the previous Greywalker novels, you could start here as there is enough backstory hints to bring you up to speed. However, you'll get a lot more out of the character interactions if you've read previous books in the series.