Maddie Fynn is a shy high school junior cursed with an eerie intuitive ability: she sees a series of unique digits hovering above the foreheads of each person she encounters. Her earliest memories are marked by these numbers. But it takes her father’s premature death for Maddie and her family to realize that these mysterious digits are actually death dates. And just like birthdays, everyone has one.
Forced by her alcoholic mother to use her ability to make extra money, Maddie identifies the quickly approaching death date of one client’s young son, but because her ability only allows her to see the when and not the how, she’s unable to offer any more insight. When the boy goes missing on that exact date, law enforcement turns to Maddie.
Soon, Maddie is entangled in a homicide investigation, and more young people disappear and are later found murdered. A suspect in the investigation, a target for the murderer, and attracting the attention of a mysterious young admirer who may be connected to it all, Maddie’s whole existence is about to be turned upside down. Can she right things before it’s too late?
I love stories about people with special abilities, specifically uncommon abilities. I have read so many books and watched so many TV shows and movies about people who can see ghosts that it’s become an unoriginal concept. Being able to see everyone’s death date on their forehead, now that’s an unconventional ability. It is also a morbid and frustrating ability, knowing the exact date someone will die but not the how or the where. Having that kind of knowledge is a heavy burden to bear.
Most of Maddie’s actions throughout the story are impulsive and sometimes foolish, but are all realistic to someone in her position. The poor girl’s life was hard enough before the murders started happening. On top of her morbid ability, she is plagued by guilt over being unable to prevent her father’s death, and her mother is an alcoholic.
I find it hard to believe someone would pay to find out their death date. Unless the person is really old and wants to get their affair in order, I don’t think anyone really wants to know when they will die.
I can kinda see where the FBI is coming from with their investigation of Maddie. However, they still come off as overly aggressive and sometimes outright cruel in interrogating her. I get that they don’t believe her, but they don’t have to be complete jerks about it. For one thing, I don’t think FBI agents are allowed to interrogate underage kids without a parent or attorney present.
While reading all the investigation and legal talk, I kept thinking about all the different crime drama shows I’ve watched. It made me think, “How would they handle Maddie’s investigation?” and “How would they react to her ability?” I ended up making a list of all the crime dramas I’ve watched and how I imagine they would react:
Bones: Temperance Brennan (Bones) would not believe in Maddie’s ability and would find many reasons to disprove her. Seeley Booth would test her ability and end up believing her.
Castle: Richard Castle would absolutely believe in Maddie’s ability. Kate Beckett would need some convincing.
Psych: Shawn Spencer, the fake psychic detective with a keen eye for detail, would probably think she is a fake as well, but soon discovers that she is the real deal. His friend and partner, Gus, would be terrified of Maddie’s ability. Detective Carlton Lassiter would mock her so-called ability and be all smug about it.
Monk: Adrian Monk would probably be very upset with Maddie’s ability. He would probably ask her to tell him his death date, then not to tell him, and then back and forth for a full minute.
Supernatural: I’ve only watched a few episodes, but the ability to see death dates would fit the show’s theme.
I could go on, but I’m not confident in my opinions on how other TV show teams would react to Maddie’s talent.
Overall, this is an outstanding murder mystery with a truly original concept. I highly recommend it.