Title: Dark Passage “Chosen”
Author: M.L. Woolley 
Every now and then I read a book that catches me by surprise. Expecting a haunted house story, I instead discovered a tale about the human struggle to find our place in this world. This story is told from multiple points of view which made it fun and easy to understand.
The story centers around an old Victorian house in Olalla, on the Dark Passage of the Puget Sound.
Bill has come to Olalla looking for inspiration about a book. He is drawn to an estate sale at an old house and for reasons unknown to him he feels compelled to buy it. It has a sense of familiarity to him. Before he can complete renovations he has an accident which puts him in a coma. While unconcious, he sees a woman in a tunnel beckoning him.
Desperate to escape the frequent, violent attacks of her abusive husband, Jen accepts an offer from her friend Peter to rent an old house. The strange man from her dreams, the one she loves in this other reality, has given her the confidence to leave her abusive relationship and take her life back. She senses something special about the house, something otherwordly, but is unsure if it is evil or good. There is something or someone watching her.
Strange forces have drawn Bill and Jen together through their dreams. They will need each other as they slowly come to understand what the house is and where their place is in the coming events.
There are many characters that have important roles in this story of darkness and light.
Bill’s cousin Lisa has been corrupted by something evil and commits unspeakable acts in her hunger for fortune. You will loathe her.
David is ensnared by Lisa’s manipulations and blindly follows her wishes, ignoring an inner voice that warns him not to.
Jen’s best friend Ivy gets drawn into the mystery of the house and discovers she has a very important part to play in the times ahead. She really endeared herself to me. the guilt she has carried around for years over the death of her brother and sister has led her to pick all the wrong men.
Peter has been friends with Bill since childhood and is his guardian in more ways than one while he lies in a coma. He begins to receive messages from Bill, but that is impossible. Bill is still in a coma.
John’s life spins out of control after Jen leaves him and, in his madness, dark forces control him for their own purposes.
I could write so much more about this book but then I would be telling too much. Now that the stage has been set and I have come to know the characters, I am ready to dive into the Guardians, the second book. Due to be released soon, you can read a little bit about it at the end of Dark Passages.
I am now hooked and the author has reeled me in.
A resounding 5 Stars for Dark Passages.
