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Epiphany Mayall has many psychic gifts, including prophetic visions, being able to see and speak to the dead, and even divining people's moods and intentions from their auras. But when her mentor and friend, Professor John Bernhardt, asks her to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a valuable William Blake drawing from an exhibit he curated, it challenges her to use her skills on an entirely new level. She begins to suspect that the theft is somehow connected to a string of environmental disasters that are also plaguing her family farm. Recent fracking in the area and illegal waste disposal by a nefarious oil company have led to earthquakes and poisoned water. As the mystery unravels, it turns deadly, and Epiphany suddenly finds herself involved in not only a murder investigation but what could be a worldwide conspiracy.
O'Connor creates a vibrant world of contrasts, pitting the polluted garden against the purity of the wilderness. She doesn't let humanity off the hook, arguing that they are irresponsible gardeners at best and, in their worst moments, avaricious and downright evil villains. The novel is lush with descriptions of the sensations and visions Ephiphany experiences. Art history and literary buffs will revel in Epiphany's deep dives into both William Blake and Dante as she draws fascinating connections between these prophetic works and the world's current climate crisis. The emerging genre of climate fiction, sure to become more and more mainstream, dovetails nicely with paranormal mystery in this intriguing first novel of a new series.