Sword of Mercy

Sword of Mercy
By Doug Phillips

Some families inherit fortunes. Others inherit curses.

Newlyweds Peter and Angie West should be enjoying the adventure of a lifetime-a honeymoon across Canada followed by a journey to Angie's home in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

But Peter isn't an ordinary newlywed.

He is heir to a mining fortune built during the brutal working conditions of the nineteenth century, and he believes generations of suffering have left his family cursed. His father and grandfather both died violently.

And Peter sees ghosts.

Before their wedding, Angie convinced him to seek help from hypnotherapist Dr. Brenneman. The treatment eventually leads to an unusual recommendation: Peter should visit one of his family's abandoned mining sites near Houghton, Michigan, confront the source of his fears, and finally put the past behind him.

At least, that's the theory.

The closer Peter gets to the mine, the worse his visions become.

Soon he realizes something even more disturbing.

There aren't just ghosts following him. There are two groups of spirits and they appear to have very different plans for Peter.

Meanwhile, Dr. Brenneman is facing a nightmare of his own. Diagnosed with inoperable cancer and driven by a mysterious directive received after Confession, he races toward Michigan's Upper Peninsula. After hiring a tough female private investigator, he desperately tries to reach Peter and Angie before they arrive at the mine.

Because whatever is waiting there may have nothing to do with therapy.

Blending psychological suspense, supernatural mystery, family secrets, and the dark history of America's mining industry, this Ironfield thriller asks a chilling question:

Can you escape a family curse when the dead are determined to collect what they're owed?

Reviews
"Relentless suspense and unforgettable characters make this a must-read." ~ Iron Review Journal
"The tension never lets up from beginning to end." ~ Black File Reviews
"Every chapter raised the stakes and kept me reading late into the night." ~ The Crime Fiction Chronicle
"Doug Phillips is a fantastic storyteller!" ~ The Investigation Review
"Complex characters and razor-sharp storytelling make's this unforgettable." ~ The Final Chapter Review