Gerard's wish is to break out of paranoia, discover daughter Rosie's love. Is the eerie music tutor Ruth's foul-smelling well a place where wishes happen? Ashamed he cannot relate to his daughter, Rosie, Gerard accompanies and stays with her for violin lessons at the home of tutor, Ruth Stein. Ruth, fascinating him for her musical sensitivity, becomes a confidante. Against his better judgement and his wife's reservations - the paranoid, Gerard, can only cling to believing the tutor can bring him closer to Rosie. Soon, he must wrestle with his suspicions again, for Ruth mothers Rosie, almost smothers... Reaching out to a broken doll, propped in the darkness at the bottom of Ruth's garden well, Gerard wants to believe what he touches and smells is just the decay of sacks enfolding a doll; the closest to a child that the lonely old spinster could cling. Investigating, Gerard's fears for Rosie's safety begin to mount. Rosie draws closer to her father, notices his new concern but, if she is in real danger, can he save her? If he needs to save her, can Gerard triumph over the emotional void of paranoia; feel, accept, he and Rosie could share the love of which others speak? ( Set in the Malvern hills and German occupied Prague.) Reviews Candace Bowen Early - author of A Knight of Silence Growing up in a suburb of Chicago, the first scary movie I remember seeing was the 1965 Bette Davis movie, The Nanny. To this day, that movie has always stuck with me as one of the great psychological thrillers of all time. For me, A Child from the Wishing Well, is reminiscent of that movie. Ruth and Gerard strap you in, and take you on a psychological thrill-ride to the very end. Raven Clark - author of The Shadowsword Saga Raymond Nickford has a writing voice that has to be one of the most unique and intriguing I have come across. The story is both enjoyable and oddly chilling, all the more so for its apparent warmth. The pleasantness of Ruth and her liveliness should seem gentle, grandmotherly and appealing, a sweet old lady one could adore, but reading the pitch, what seems kindly suddenly turns sinister, her upbeat excitability oddly macabre. Each time she says lines like "Our Rosie," and speaks so excitedly, rather than hearing a pleasant old lady, I think of a bird screeching. Fingers down a blackboard. Will Gerard realize what he feels is not a symptom of his disease? And if not, will Heather uncover the truth and save Rosie before the hurricane that is Ruth sweeps her into oblivion? Stephen Valentine - author of Nobody Rides for Free The author gives great voice to his characters, describing well their idiosyncrasies. A good story must either go deep or wide, and with Nickford's background in psychology he goes deep within the human condition. For some adults, the ability to relate to a child does not come naturally, and requires enormous if not awkward effort. This is an often overlooked subject worth exploring. Burgio - author of A Grain of Salt This is an intriguing story: is Gerald being overly possessive toward his daughter or is Miss Stein really a threat? Every parent is aware today that he or she needs to supervise their child's friends. But a violin teacher? I liked Gerald because of his predicament. This should have a wide appeal because it touches parents so personally. Good read. A. R. Taylor - author of Sex, Rain, and Cold Fusion Full of dark shadings and menace. I like the tenderness of the father's feelings.