Will "Dead" Kennedy sees dead people, a simple McGuffin that forms the backbone of a beautiful novel. In his early thirties, Will is divorced, the father of an estranged 12-year-old daughter, and a willful slacker. Other than age and a passion for music, I don't have much in common with Will, but I felt intense compassion for him, and I was fully drawn into his story.

As in Galveston, Sean Stewart writes seemingly effortless prose, weaving magical elements into what is otherwise a character study. I chuckled at some clever turn of phrase on nearly every page, and I enjoyed the frequent but never annoying pop-culture references. There's nothing here that will change your life, but it's very well crafted, and I'll definitely be seeking out more of Stewart's novels.