I enjoyed this novel about a woman who goes to a desolate naval base to take charge of her orphaned niece, and ends up fighting a malevolent spirit. Along the way, she meets a dreamy marine biologist and starts a romance with her. Shadow Point was an exciting read that was also laced with wry, subtle humor. (There was a moment that had me chuckling aloud when the heroine Madison is fleeing in terror and yet notices that a rock is shaped like Bing Crosby. It makes more sense when you read it; just trust me, it's funny.)

In addition to the spooky supernatural thrills, I liked the transformation of the heroine from a lonely, bad-tempered drinker to a woman who has found love. It's very romantic but there is no on-screen shagging. I also thought that the character of Madison's five year old niece was very well-realized, and I enjoyed watching Madison struggle to take care of her.

My only tiny criticism of this book is that, although written very crisply and consistently, the plot takes a while to really get going. We don't meet the love interest until oh, sixty pages in. The opening chapters give meticulous detail of everything that happens to our heroine: packing, her plane trip, what she eats, going to the grocery store. This level of detail is more exciting when it's about a vengeful spirit trying to murder Madison. Despite this quibble, I am looking forward to reading more novels by Amy Briant. ( )