What happens to us after we die? Is there a connection
between those in this world and the next? Can we help the souls in purgatory?
Those are the questions at the heart of Theresa Linden’s suspense-filled new
novel Tortured Soul.
Fred Rake was a 45 year-old mechanic when he was murdered by
his 17 year-old son. Jeannie Lyons lives in the home she grew up in with her
brother Edwin and his family. Both of Jeannie’s parents are deceased but she
still feels deeply connected to them and the home where they all lived. But
Erwin’s family is growing and he and his wife want Jeannie to move out.
Erwin picks out a house for Jeannie and he and his friend
Oliver, a photographer, help her move. Unexplained noises and occurrences in
the house soon make Jeannie live in fear, but Oliver is the only one who
believes her and makes an effort to help her. It turns out the house Jeannie
now lives in belonged to the murdered Fred Rake; God has allowed his tortured
soul to visit her in an effort to help both of them.
This thought-provoking and spine-tingling novel is loosely
based on the experiences of German mystic Eugenie von der Leyen (1867-01929).
While Tortured Soul is entertaining
and powerful in its own right, its message of the need of prayer and sacrifice
for the souls in purgatory is even more important. This aspect of our Catholic
faith is often neglected in our modern world. As part of the Communion of
Saints, we are called to help our brothers and sisters who have gone before us
and are suffering in purgatory.
