Tom has met all kinds of people, after all with his woodworking skills requiring him to go to people’s homes he has seen a lot.  This last job restoring the college library has brought a very interesting, if puzzling man onto his path.  At first glance Adam seems like any charmingly shy fellow that happens to be inordinately clumsy.  However, the more Tom gets to know Adam the more it seems that Adam is not clumsy, but that his bruises and accidents have a wholly different source.  Will Tom just brush off all of this as “acceptable craziness” to pursue the charming Adam or will he let the mysterious source of Adam’s “accidents” spook him for good?

Adam has lived in penance for the last ten years, but it’s not something people understand - so he lives isolated from everyone.  However, when he meets Tom at the library and they discover a shared love for history and architecture Adam can’t resist accepting Tom’s friendship.  Adam knows it is just a matter of time before all the weirdness in his life drives Tom away or Tom just thinks that Adam is just too crazy to bother with.  In the mean time, Adam will enjoy his time with Tom and savor the memories after Tom is gone.

Haunted is one of the best romantic suspense novels I’ve read in a long time.  Mike Shade does a masterful job keeping the suspense until the very last page while weaving the romance through so skillfully that you don’t want the book to end.  Adam is such a sad, vulnerable man that stoically bears his “accidents” making you wish you could protect him from the world.  Tom is the perfect counterpart to Adam with his unwavering support and belief, even in the face of the incredible.  They share a passion that will not be denied leaving you sweating and melting your screen.  Mike Shade has created compelling characters that will keep you turning the pages, a memorable story that will haunt you and enough surprises to keep things interesting.  The plot for Haunted was gripping - turning from chillingly spooky to passionate, seizing your attention and pulling you into the emotional struggles that Adam and Tom face.  Haunted is for your keeper shelf and Mike Shade is on my list of authors to watch out for future releases.