RS Review: The Presence [Hardcover]

I've finished "The Presence" by Heather Graham.

Product Description

The ultimate moneymaking plan — buy the ancient, run-down Scottish castle and turn it into a tourist destination. Toni Fraser and her friends will put on reenactments combining fact and fiction, local history, murder and an imaginary laird named Bruce MacNiall.

Just as someone arrives, claiming to actually be Laird MacNiall — a tall, dark, formidable Scot somehow familiar to Toni — the bodies of young women are found, dumped and forgotten in the nearby town.

But even stranger, how is it possible this laird exists? Toni invented Bruce MacNiall for the performance yet sinister, lifelike dreams suggest he's connected to the recent deaths. Bruce claims he wants to help catch the murderer. But even if she wants to, can Toni trust him when her visions seem to be coming from within the very eyes of the killer himself?

Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 432 pages
Publisher: Mira; Reprint edition (December 28, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0778329283
ISBN-13: 978-0778329282

My Review:

Toni Fraser and her five best friends (married couple Gina and Ryan, partners Kevin and David and her Scottish cousin Thayer) rent an ancient run-down Scottish castle that belongs to Bruce MacNiall to re-enact events that combine fact and fiction, local history, murder and a made up laird named Laird MacNiall.

Then Bruce MacNiall arrives home to find his castle has been over-run by Americans.  He is angry and so is the group for being taken.  Bruce allays their fears by allowing them to run their tours for six months to help make up for their losses.

Meanwhile someone is killing and depositing prostitutes body in Tillingham forest which is on the edge of MacNiall's castle.  Bruce found the first body and Eban who takes care of the horses and the grounds found the second body.  Toni finds another body which everyone believes is Annie O'Hara the third girl reported to be missing.  Evidence collected proves it's the body of Annalise MacNiall Bruce's late wife.  Annalise is believed to have disappeared from this castle history but people thought she was strangled by the Laird because he believed she was cheating on him.  The tattered cloth found around her neck bears the mark belonging to Grayson Davis, the traitor to the highland people.

When Bruce returned to the castle he clashed with Toni (she was being witch to him and was always angry/yelling at him).  Gee what was her problem?

Also I didn't like how she jumped Bruce when she had a nightmare she saw him at the end of her blood with a bloody sword dripping with blood looking down at her.  She wants to feel alive and this is the only reason when they fall in bed.

3/5