Ella's Voice

Ella's Voice is a new entry in a series that also includes the novels Obscure Felicity, Obscure As Ever, and You Think You Can't See Me. Like its predecessors, it's a thoughtful, philosophical work that explores the personalities, relationships, circumstances, and motivations binding a small group of individuals living and working in a suburban city. Most of these people, including two young children, have been brain-boosted by a well of infinite intelligence that the adult members of the group refer to as the Universal Mind, through two pairs of cosmic sunglasses. The title derives from the case of a young woman, Ella Maxwell, who has been left in a coma after a hit-and-run accident that killed her beloved stepmother, Trisha. Partially roused by an inner advisor she calls VOICE, Ella is fully awakened by an experimental treatment performed by audio scientist David and his friend Jim, a successful veterinarian who uses sound to help his animal patients. Ella awakes, still advised by Voice, with the ability to sense and diagnose illness in others. Ella rapidly recovers from her coma, spending some time getting to know Voice better. Voice presents as male, and insists he's just a part of her though he's not the same as the inner voice we all listen to at times. One day, following Voice's recommendation and her own heart, Ella dresses in street clothes and sneaks out of the hospital, to spend some time in its attached garden. The Universal Mind leads Renee, Felicity's 7-year-old daughter, to Ella, who then brings her to meet Brenda and Felicity. They all become fast friends and receive Ella into their inner circle. Even though Ella has not yet experienced a BAM! from the sunglasses, the others view her Voice as another vehicle of infinite intelligence and are intrigued by Ella's abilities upon coming out of her coma. Frank, who is currently investigating both Ella's hit-and-run and a jewelry store heist that left two dead, eventually realizes the two crimes are connected. The investigation leads to a brutal Romanian gang who target Ella, fearful she'll derail their plans. The adventure guides you through a labyrinth of circumstances, characters, and happenings that take you to the belly of a psychotic underworld, an unsuspecting restaurant owner, a thief swallowing a handful of diamonds, reformed criminals, a sting, and a ledger that is decoded by two youngsters who'd been touched by the sunglasses. Frank and his friends will need all the help they can get from the two pairs of sunglasses, and Ella's Voice, to bring the thugs to justice. Elements of fantasy, science fiction, magical realism, medical drama, and police procedural interweave throughout Ella's Voice, making it difficult to pigeonhole. The probing philosophical themes, while further exploring the results of normal people tapping into the Universal Mind and ultimately creating an intriguing tapestry, create a satisfying whole.