Review posted on Dark Faerie Tales. In the third book of the Banished series, Sophie Littlefield’s Hanging by a Thread changes momentum, allowing Clare to voice the story. Murder and mystery graces the pages, presenting the reader with a thrilling read for the paranormal genre. A mother’s love extends through generations, and Hanging by a Thread reiterates that very well. For many generations, a gift has been passed throughout family members. Aside from a gift, came a curse. Set in the 1920s, Clare’s great-great-grandmother Alma was killed on her wedding day, by a jealous man. Killed in Alma’s dress shop, she lost her life shortly after giving life to her daughter. A unique gift resulted from the unfortunate event, and has since been passed down through the generations. Clare has a special ability, one that others before her have had the privilege of knowing. She has visions upon touching a fabric or article of clothing that someone has worn. Clare can see glimpses of actions when they wore the article of clothing, especially if it was of extreme importance. One item in particular has revealed the real reason behind a girl’s murder, tying someone she knows to the murder. Clare must now reveal the truth and trust her instincts to solve the mystery. I had a like/dislike relationship with Clare. She was a good heroine, one who addressed her life circumstances with an adult attitude. I think that she was someone who many young girls could look up to, especially where Clare’s self-esteem was involved. She was creatively intuitive which translated into more things than just art. She was smart and curious, and at times a little nosy. I appreciated the many relationships between the maternal generations. From Clare’s Nana to her own mother, there is a level of love and loyalty that is clearly shown throughout the story. There is strength from these women, including the small glimpse of Alma that we see. Rachel was someone that I didn’t relate to, but it is usually the case for friends. It did, however, allow me to appreciate Clare and her traits as a person. Littlefield’s world is different, but definitely not outside the realms of reality. Even if Hanging by a Thread is a paranormal themed genre, there are many realistic scenarios that come into play. There are many definite details that Littlefield has written, and it allowed for an interesting read. I felt that at times the story disconnected from itself. There were a lot of different stories within the main storyline that left me confused. I also thought that there were strings of thought that weren’t complete, leaving me wanting more out of the story. And because of this, I felt that the pacing was a little slower than I would have wanted.
