An Angel On Her Shoulder Kindle Edition

I truly enjoyed my time spent with this new book by Dan Alatorre! Being a Tampa resident and reading it during hurricane Irma made it even more meaningful to me. An excellent balance between mystery, suspense and downright scary moments!
I'm glad I read it and you will be, too!

Dan Alatorre has written another great novel! This story grabbed me from the first line and kept me turning pages until the final word. Intriguing, spooky, heartfelt and funny...An Angel On Her Shoulder is a fantastic read!

Author and humorist Dan Alatorre became a first-time dad at the age of 47 - a daughter by the name of Savvy. His comedic debut book "Savvy Stories" tells humorous tales about a loving dad who sees the magic in children, and isn't a bumbling stooge about changing diapers like some TV sitcom. Dan was born in Ohio, and graduated from the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida before earning an MBA from Tampa College. Dan, Michele and Savvy live in the Tampa area. Beware! There is a problem with reading Dan Alatorre's book - Savvy Stories Series: They are addicting. Few writers today have that keen gift for finding the humor in challenging situations and Dan has a secure place at the top of the heap for comedic writing. He knows how youngsters think, and better ye he knows how to appreciate their joyful outlook ...and wisdom.

Now. After his many successes in writing humor Dan turns his attention to the paranormal/ghost/psychic/suspense book genre – and here he succeeds just as well. His talent is so fluent that after the first few pages deciding whether or not Dan is capable of entering ‘the dark night’ is succinctly answered positively: ‘“Call 911! CALL 911!” The man’s shouts ripped through the tasting room of scenic Hillside Winery. At the counter, Mallory lowered her brochures for 2017 vintages and glanced over her shoulder, unable to see who had called out. The other customers, two dozen or so elderly tourists and a smaller group that called the server by name, were looking around, too. With confusion working its way into their expressions, nobody moved or called 911. The man’s voice rose, straining with fear and urgency as his words boomed down the hallway and spilled over them. “Somebody call 911! There’s been an accident in the parking lot!” A robust fellow, gray at the temples but broad in the shoulders and belly, pushed away from the tasting counter and headed toward the shouts. “Martin.” The woman next to him reached out for his arm. “Don’t. You’re not on duty.” He didn’t break stride. “A cop is never off duty.” Rejoining the others at the granite countertop, his wife muttered to herself but for the benefit of anyone within earshot. “Retired ones are.” Mallory set down her Virginia Wine Country pamphlets and smiled at the woman. The officer’s wife sighed, having found a willing audience. “He just can’t relax. He’ll—” “Jenny!” From the window, Martin wheeled around, his eyes wide. “Tell the bartender to call an ambulance. Now! Tell them there’s an accident with severe injuries and we may need a medevac unit.”

Where does this opener lead? The very terse synopsis offers a hint – ‘A series of unexplainable tragedies surround a family and their young daughter as they seek to determine whether they are possessed, paranoid or collectively going insane. Meanwhile, forgotten clues from the father's past may indicate forces are at work in ways more ominous than any of them could have imagined.

So Dan Alatorre can summon the chills and thrills of a supernatural horror story. Where will he take us next? Grady Harp, August 17
This book is free on Kindle Unlimited

An excellent read. What I like most is the slow build-up of tension through the occasional killer punch. This is woven into a story of everyday life that gives it a ring of authenticity through the childhood memories, the couple’s relationship and their interaction with their daughter, Sophie. Though the book can indeed be called a paranormal thriller, the pace isn't relentless, which personally suits me fine – I don’t go a bundle on the breathless type of thriller (or at least, I tend to forget them pretty quickly). Here there’s more reasoning, subtlety, and depth in the background context, and that to me is what gives the story its appeal. In short, what we have here is a thriller that isn't formatted to fit neatly into a genre template, but instead goes its own way. And that's all to its credit.

I really enjoyed the audio book version of this story and thought the narrator had a very good voice and reading style. 

The style of this book reminded me a bit of Stephen King's book It where he goes back in time to the children's childhoods for pieces of the story which help to explain how the events in the book all fit together in the end.

Alatorre's main character, Doug, is an ordinary man with a good job and a lovely family. He adores his wife and small daughter and enjoys spending time with them and going on family holidays. 

The story starts with an unexpected and nearly tragic incident in the parking lot at a wine farm which appears initially to be frightening, but not completely out of the ordinary; accidents and tragedies do happen in life.  When Doug starts to realise that this latest incident is another in a seeming series of similar events, he starts to wonder what is happening to his family. Is this normal or is there more to these near tragedies than meets the eye? 

Doug sets out to investigate the matter and learn more about why these incidents are occurring.  His investigation leads him to a priest at his local Catholic Church and other interesting characters who delve into the world of spirituality and the occult. Something out there doesn't like his attempted intervention though and is determined to step up its efforts to achieve its goals.  

Very creepy and yet written with a sense of possibility that makes it all the more eerie, Dan Alatorre conveys his story in a way that really plays on the readers emotions and imagination.

I rated this book five out of five stars.