Author: Traci Wilton
Genre: Mystery/Paranormal
Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #: 9781496721518
Kensington Publishing
298 Pages
$7.99; $.99 Amazon
July 30, 2019
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A grieving young widow, Charlene needed a new start -- so she bought a historic mansion, sight unseen, and drove from Chicago to New England to start turning it into a bed-and-breakfast. On her first night in the house, she awakens to find a handsome man with startling blue eyes in her bedroom. Terror turns to utter disbelief when he politely introduces himself as Jack Strathmore -- and explains that he used to live here -- when he was alive. He firmly believes that someone pushed him down the stairs three years ago, and he won't be able to leave until someone figures out who. If Charlene wants to get her business up and running in time for the Halloween tourist rush, and get this haunting houseguest out of the way, she'll have to investigate. Though truth be told, this ghost is starting to grow on her...
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Charlene Morris was widowed eighteen months ago, and not being able to stand being in her home in Chicago anymore -- too many memories of a happy marriage -- she decides to strike out on her own and move to Salem, Massachusetts, where she's bought a mansion by the sea, sight unseen. When she arrives, she's pleased with the condition of the house, with very little to do except decorate it to her liking.
But her first night there, she's awakened in her bedroom by a man standing over her. Once she gets over her initial fear, he's finally convinced her that he's the ghost of Jack Strathmore, and he was murdered three years ago in this house. At first, she has no idea what to do, but Jack eventually convinces her to find his killer so he can move on, and she'll have the home to herself at last.
But the more Charlene digs into his past -- with his death being listed as a stroke causing a fall down the stairs -- Charlene is convinced Jack is right, and wants to find out the truth. Unfortunately, there's people in this old, established town that don't want her look into their tangled web of lies and secrets...
This is the first book in a new series, and I really didn't know what to expect. I did, though, know enough to suspend belief when I read books such as this. I actually love to read stories about ghosts (not poltergeists) and their interaction with humans, so that was probably a plus for me. I also have a habit of trying to delve into the mind set of the characters and I think that Charlene is obviously a damaged soul, as well as Jack, and it's what really brings them together. Healing is a process that is better shared than alone. That being said...
I found the descriptions of Charlene's home by the sea delightful, and I would love to stay there (even though I have an abhorrence of bed and breakfasts themselves and have never stayed at one because of it). In this case, I would make an exception, because the decor sounds wonderful, leaving us to imagine that it fits the house. I would also enjoy going antiquing with her just because I love history and the stories that furniture can tell.
When Jack and Charlene begin to spend time together, it sets something loose within her -- her grief for her husband is lessening, and the grieving process is hard on most people, and finding Jack's killer helped her think about something else. Unfortunately, in a town as old as Salem, there are families that want to keep their secrets, and this was no different.
There was also a potential love interest in the local police detective, but it lay stagnant for the time being, and it will be interesting to see if that goes in another direction. There is also a Silver Persian cat that Charlene 'inherited' and I think the story behind that is also quite different; sometimes animals find us instead of the other way around.
I liked the plot itself, and I've read probably every series out there that has a ghost/human relationship in it, I still want to see where this one goes; especially since it's new and it takes time to hone characters in a new series; as it is, I do like the main characters and that's a really good beginning.
When we discover the murderer (as we know Jack was murdered all along) it's very sad, especially because of the circumstances. But murder cannot be condoned, no matter the reasons why. I did like the ending quite a bit and do look forward to the next in the series. Recommended.
https://www.amazon.com/Mrs-Morris-Ghost-Salem-Mystery/dp/1496721519/ref
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3539907069
More on Traci Wilton's Books: https://www.fantasticfiction.com/w/traci-wilton/
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