Title: Enigma
Author: Amie Van Gogh
Publisher: LitFire Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-64398-535-0
Pages: 204
Genre: Fantasy
Reviewed by: Candace L. Barr
Hollywood Book Reviews
Amie Van Gogh’s Enigma combines fantasy elements with mystery to tell the story of groups of agents of S6, an Argentine forensic research center, who become involved in a strange case. It is up to Shein, Sue, and Mike to try to stop a mysterious killer, known only as the “predator,” with an insanely high body count and a strange modus operandi. Sometimes it takes time for those with power to take an issue seriously, and when an anonymous email detailing the location of a cache of corpses arrives at the agency, it gets ignored as a hoax until a second message arrives informing the agents of yet another murder. The scene yields a variety of parts from unidentifiable victims as well as strange symbols and artifacts. Shein, Sue, and Mike each begin to have odd experiences after coming into contact with the scene and the gathered evidence. In the meantime, supernatural creatures hold meetings in the forest, kidnapping victims go without being missed, and shadowy figures conspire away from prying eyes.
It is impressive how Van Gogh manages to take her time to develop the characters while also diving into the plot. She uses the strange occurrences that each character must navigate to highlight different aspects of their personalities and their backgrounds, filling the reader in on what they should know as the story moves along. Shein, Sue, and Mike, as well as the antagonists and other side characters, are very well-developed, which helps the reader make sense of a plot which has many paranormal and fantastical elements and many moving parts.
One thing that could be improved is the lack of transitions between scenes and perspectives. It is easy to get lost in the story, and not in a good way, since there are no visual indicators of these abrupt shifts, just a new paragraph. Even a little extra space between different scenes could help with that. Furthermore, there is a character simply referred to as “He,” or “Him,” and while it ties into the idea of an enigma, it also causes more confusion, especially when He is mentioned mostly in connection with another male character.
This novel is a good read for fans of fantasy, mystery, science fiction, and magical realism. There aren’t enough errors to detract from the story, so advanced Spanish learners who like those genres will find it a fun challenge to read if they keep the scene shifts and He/Him in mind.