Reviews of Too Near The Edge

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Reviewed by John R. Clark http://tcm-ca.com/reviews/1425.html November, 2006 ©2006 TCM. All rights reserved

I enjoyed this book immensely. It might be the first or near first in a new genre-the psychic cosy. Lynn Osterkamp has combined elements of her professional experience and the community of Boulder, Colorado into a nicely crafted plot.  The result is a very readable mystery that kept me wondering who really pushed Adam off the edge of the Grand Canyon right up to the point where the culprit was unmasked.

Several things work well in this book.  First, the author weaves the neighborhoods and surrounding natural features of Boulder into the story in ways that made me feel like I was there or at least could easily visualize them.  That's a rare gift and certainly one that bodes well for future books. The variety of characters also works.  There are numerous players, but they all have a logical fit in the story.  Nobody seems like a throw-in. While their emotions edge close to 'over-the-top' at times, they never cross that invisible line that starts turning them into caricatures.

The psychic aspect works because the author has done her homework, particularly in terms of educating the reader regarding how Cleo, the protagonist, got started in that aspect of her grief therapy practice. Having spent 27 years in the mental health field, I can attest to the idiosyncrasies of psychologists and Lynn captures some of that very nicely in this story. It is also worth noting that in the acknowledgements, the author credits her local Sisters in Crime group with helpful criticism and feedback. This group is one of the best things to happen to women writers and demonstrates the author's desire to get things right before publication.

I'm happy to add this to the Hartland Library and can think of several patrons that will enjoy reading it as much as I have. A winner for sure.

John R. Clark Website: http://personalpages.tds.net/~berek/gonzo.htm

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Reviewed by Joe Graham http://www.readerviews.com/ReviewOsterkampTooNe artheEdge.html December, 2006

Sharon Meyer’s husband Adam is killed in a fall at the Grand Canyon and the authorities rule it an accident or suicide.  But Sharon suspects foul play and is introduced to Cleo Sims, a Grief Counselor in Boulder, Colorado.  Cleo also runs a project called the Contact Project to help people who she feels can benefit from it to try to contact loved ones who have died.  Cleo quickly becomes drawn into to the problem of what happened to Sharon’s husband. She also has to deal with Donald Waycroft, a psychology professor who is Sharon’s father and who is vehemently opposed to Sharon having anything to do with Cleo and her “wacko”   Contact Project and he threatens to ruin Cleo’s reputation.

Also, added to the mix is a very attractive man, Erik, who seems to be interested in Sharon and/or Cleo and is possibly a con man, Sharon’s ex-boy friend, Joel who is the father of Sharon’s son Nathan who reappears on the scene after Adam’s death, and a doctor, Dr. Ahmed, who may be involved in drug trafficking (Cleo’s mother is in a nursing home under Dr. Ahmed’s care).  Besides dealing with Sharon’s problems, Cleo is also dealing with troubles in relationship with her boyfriend, Pablo, a police detective and problems with her mother in the nursing home. Cleo also has a dead surfer dude named Tyler that appears to her to give her hints to help her solve the crime.  But don’t let this paranormal visitor throw you off the book. Tyler adds a little more mystery, but he doesn’t interfere with the main story line of the book.

Osterkamp stirs all of these elements together for a very satisfying read.  And with several possible candidates for who might have done Adam in, if he was done in, the reader is kept guessing until the final pages of the story.  An added plus in the novel is the descriptions of the various locations in and around Boulder.  Boulder residents, besides enjoying the mystery itself, will enjoy reading about their town and non-Boulder residents may want to make a list of places to visit in Boulder when they get the chance to visit.

I would recommend “Too Near the Edge” for any mystery lover. Osterkamp kept me engaged throughout the book as I tried to figure out what was going to happen next. I was a little concerned that the paranormal aspect of the book might be a little too far out, but that was not the case. The surfer dude Tyler added to the book instead of detracting from it. The book is a very enjoyable read as the reader tries to figure out the mystery. And again, an added bonus to the book was all the descriptions of the great locations for recreation and food and shopping in Boulder. A good mystery story, characters that I made a connection with and locations that I wanted to visit, what else can you ask for from a book?