The Burning of Her Sin (Brenda Strange Mystery, 1) [Paperback]

Patty G. Henderson (Author)

Book Description

Series: Brenda Strange Mystery, 1 | Publication Date: June 1, 2002

Meet Brenda Strange. Wealthy. Dead Ringer for Princess Diana. Once a junior partner in a thriving, prestigious New Jersey law firm, she had everything going for her. But something went wrong. When a disgruntled client goes on a killing spree in the office, Brenda is counted among the dead. Except she came back.

After learning to cope with her near death experience and newfound psychic abilities, Brenda and her lover decide to move to Tampa, Florida and the house of their dreams. Malfour House is an old Victorian located in The Tides of Palmetto, an exclusive community for the rich. But after she and Tina move in, Brenda finds the dingy walls and empty rooms screaming their secrets in her mind. Brenda begins tracing a path filled with unsolved murder, betrayal, ghosts and the deadly curses of Santeria, a darkly exotic religion.

Realizing that Malfour House will not let her leave until she unravels the clues to the horrifying murders long buried in its past, Brenda renews her career as a private investigator. And if that wasn't enough of a puzzle to solve, there is a mysterious intruder trying to chase her and Tina out of Malfour House.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...secondary characters are believable...setting is well evoked and the story rattles along in an easy to read style..." -- Karen Meek

"...when it comes to the supernatural or "woo-woo" element, fans of the paranormal won't be disappointed..." -- By Christine A. Verstraete, The Electronic Writers Group

"Brenda Strange is a quirky, intelligent and decidedly offbeat addition to the female PI ranks. Imaginative, well paced and frightening." -- Sandra Scoppettone, author of "GONNA TAKE A HOMICIDAL JOURNEY

"Brenda Strange is a quirky, intelligent and decidely offbeat addition to the female PI ranks. Imaginative, well paced and frightening." -- Sandra Scoppettone, author of

"THE BURNING OF HER SIN is a wonderfully entertaining cozy mystery with a splash of the supernatural. Eerie and satisfying." -- Phillip Tomasso, author of

Product Details

• Paperback: 231 pages
• Publisher: Spectral Visions (June 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931402264
• ISBN-13: 978-1931402262
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,832,455 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Spooky Mystery, May 29, 2003

By 

Kathleene Thomason "katreads" (Dunbar, KY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Burning of Her Sin (Brenda Strange Mystery, 1) (Paperback)

If you like strong women characters, meet Brenda Strange, a wealthy lawyer who is a dead ringer for Princess Diana. Brenda has everything going for her, looks, money, and brains, about to become partner in a prestigious law firm. And then, in one terrifying moment, her life is changed forever. A disgruntled former client goes on a killing spree, leaving many of her co-workers dead and Brenda was at first thought dead. But when she comes back, it is a slow, difficult recovery from her near death experience, so she and her lover decide to move to Tampa, Florida into the house of their dreams, hoping to speed her re-entry into the land of the living. But after she and Tina move into Malfour House, an old Victorian mansion located in an exclusive community for the rich, she begins to feel the past closing in on her and ghosts screaming for her help in finding peace and justice. When no one believes her about her feelings, Brenda decides to revive her career as a private investigator. As she begins to travel a trail of love, betrayal, murder, Santeria curses and greed almost a hundred years old, she begins to realize that the past and the present are hopelessly intertwined and that either one could prove fatal. The Burning of Her Sin is a dark, almost gothic style mystery that moves seamlessly between the past and the present in a story that you will make you want to lock the door and read it undisturbed from beginning to end.

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic mystery, March 18, 2010

By 

TerryB "Lesfic fan" (Truro, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Burning Of Her Sin (Paperback)

Brenda Strange has a great life, looks, money and a great job. She's is a lawyer and she's just been made junior partner. All is changed in the blink of an eye when a crazed gunman goes on a killing spree and she becomes one of the victims and is seriously injured.
Brenda, literally, is pulled back from deaths door to find she has a strange psychic abilities.
Brenda and her lover Tina, decide to buy an old Victorian house in Tampa, something Brenda has wanted to do for a long time. Tina hopes this will help Brenda's recuperation.
Brenda was drawn to the house from the beginning. After they move in, the mystery begins and Brenda will not rest until it's solved.
This story has so many twists, turns, ups and downs going from the past to the present, with a bit of help from beyond the grave. It will keep you enthralled from the first page right through to the last page. A real page turner. This is the first Brenda Strange mystery I've read. I have had to buy all the others. This is the beginning of a really excellent series.

5.0 out of 5 stars Top Notch Paranormal/Supernatural Mystery, December 18, 2002

By 

Terri Nuzum (South of the Mason Dixon line) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Burning of Her Sin (Brenda Strange Mystery, 1) (Paperback)

The Burning of Her Sin is a five star entry into an often overlooked mystery sub-genre: Paranormal/Supernatural Mystery. While I would classify this as more supernatural, others may call it a paranormal.

Brenda Strange is the main character in what appears to be the first in a series. We see Brenda first as a lawyer but as the story unfolds, circumstances push her into another aspect of her career: Private Investigator. But she's no ordinary private detective. After a near death experience, Brenda Strange has become "sensitive." She can see, feel and smell things others can't.

Set in a big, spooky house, Malfour, this book has all the feel of a dark gothic with ghosts, a mysterious religion and weird characters, but at it's core is the classic mystery. The book and I assume the rest of the series is set in Tampa, Florida and the author has captured a great sense of place. You can soak in all the atmosphere.

The relationship between Brenda and Tina and the rest of the characters ring true and from the first pages, Ms. Henderson grabs you and spins a tale of suspense.

You will want to read this book in one sitting. I was sorry to see it end and I can't wait for the next Brenda Strange book. I hope Ms. Henderson doesn't keep us waiting.