I just finished reading a remarkable book. It is "Children of Salem (Romance & Intrigue in the Time of the Witch Trials – 1692) by Robert W. Walker. The first thing I'll say is that the title is a bit unwieldy. And in all candor I have to say that the romance, while present, is not all that relevant but does make a good vehicle for the story to proceed, which it definitely does. While it is certainly not a 100% credible source, I did do a search on Wikipedia and the story by Walker appears to be accurate as far as the incidents went. At least that part that does not include the romance.

I, like others, have always heard of the Salem witch trials but have never known much about them. Somehow I had understood that the accused witches were burned but as the book pointed out, only one was ever burned and she was also accused of burning the home and killing the family which owned her (she was a slave). The rest were hanged, most of them at Salem. For me this was a riveting story. Well, maybe more chilling than riveting. I was constantly wondering where this would end, fearing the worst but hoping for the best. All this when I had a pretty good idea that it would end, and end in infamy. But I was truly afraid. I felt I was thrust into the terrifying situation rather than just being told about it. I would give this book two thumbs up but that's copyrighted so I'll give it 4 stars. Can that be copyrighted as well? Well, let just say that I HIGHLY recommend it.

The story moves well, from beginning to end though as in this and others of Walker's books, the last 50 pages or so I simply could not put it down. Consequently I am writing this on very little sleep. I'm a fan of well researched historical fiction and this certainly fills the bill. So I would strongly say, good job and suggest all my fellow historical fiction fans to grab this one.

"PSI: Blue is intoxicating in its wicked tendencies. Characters that beg to be explored and saved, weaved into a story that is hauntingly evil in nature. There is no escaping the hypnotic talent of this writing master."
– Okeechobee Book Reviews 

"PSI: Blue is laugh out loud funny and creepy at once! Walker's created a terrific character; ranks up there with Carl Hiassen and Janet Evonovich for sheer nerve. What happens in this book should not happen even to a fictitious person, but Rae Murphy Hiyakawa is up to the challenge! She's all woman and a hell of a psychic detective. Makes TV's Medium look like child's play."
– J.A. Konrath, author Rusty Nail, a Jack Daniels Mystery

"Goodness gracious, PSI: Blue creeped me out like nothing I've read before. From page one I could not get the villain off my skin or out of my head. I've read Walker's books before, but this is one of the best. I particularly like the way he blends the workings of the real world characters with the stuff that's out there (mind reading and psychic stuff). This is great writing and I hope he has many more stories from Aurelia and her crew."
--M. Snyder, Miami, FL

"…graphic and disturbing but it is not gratuitous…right amount of detail and drama…intense …mystery, danger, suspense, family conflict and drama. A rich, suspense filled noir thriller is the end product of his word skill."
--Barb Radmore, Front Street Reviews

"Bring On the Clowns sounds like a fun phrase but after reading PSI: Blue I won't think that again. …suspenseful… humorous. For a very different read pick up PSI Blue."
--Mysteries Galore.com

"Walker's masterful prose cuts like a garrote, transporting us with panache and style into an historical thriller with teeth. Ransom's the best new hero in period fiction. Action on page one holds till the shocking finale. Enough twists and scares for a dozen books."
–J.A. Konrath, author Whiskey Sour & Bloody Mary.

"Walker's taken on Caleb Carr's territory, upgrading it to a dark dirge of demonic grace with a superb haunted protagonist with a graveyard on his back…alongside the most eccentric character to shadow the halls of noir in a long time. It's the best pairing of two damaged souls since Lucifer chose an ally…while nailing Chicago to the depths of its odd, maimed glory. Ransom your soul for this one; it's that mesmerizing."
–Ken Bruen, Macavity Award Winner for The Killing of the Tinkers

"Gut-wrenchingly suspenseful, luridly atmospheric, and utterly plausible, Walker's creation is a brilliant mix of Conan Doyle, Erik Larson, and Wes Craven. You'll be shocked, stunned, beaten to hell, and riveted to the peerless quality of this page-turner."
–Jay Boninsinga, author of Frozen & The Sinking of the Eastland

"City is crime noir at its finest."
–David Ellis, Edgar Award Winner, author In the Company of Liars

"Chicago World's Fair pageantry juxtaposed by outrageously colorful characters… evoking the city's mystical past as neither gala nor carefree. Inspector Alastair Ransom's Chicago is brutal and violent, cloaking mysteries and intrigues in a facade of propriety as spectral and illusory as the grand and gleaming buildings of the vanished "White City."
–Richard Lindberg, author Chicago by Gastlight: a History of Chicago's Netherworld, 1880-1920."