August Read: In the Lonely Hours by Shannon Morgan

 

We had a short run of cooler temperatures and sweet sleeping nights a few weeks ago and now we're back into the hellscape of heat and humidity. It didn't sway me from jumping into my "Fall feels" and now I just want to read my spooky, moody, gothic, magical novels. I'm ready for pumpkin bread, soup, and early nights. I'm done with summer!

This novel was exactly what I needed to give me that shove into the fall season. Shannon Morgan is a new author to me, and I'll definitely read her first novel Her Little Flowers.  

Taking place on a remote Scottish island, we join Edie Nunn and her daughter Neve. Edie, who grew up in an orphanage and never knew who her parents were, finds out she's inherited an island and a castle from her family, the Maundrells.  Off they go, to check it out and stay for just a few days. No way Edie can keep the castle; it will be sold. 

The castle and the island are filled with ghosts of every shape and size, including Viking ghost ships in the blood red loch (yes, it's red water!), a witch, the evil former owner who scares every other ghost in the castle, and creepy shadows that slither around, waiting to pounce. Edie's ready to leave after just one night; Neve is curious and wants to dig into the family history, which includes the hunt for the infamous Maundrell Red, a diamond coveted by more than one person, living and dead. It disappeared in 1965, and no one has ever found it. Neve wants to figure out the mystery and find the diamond. But is someone else on the island looking for the diamond? Are Edie and Neve safe, as Samhain (October 31) approaches? Will the witch claim Edie and Neve as victims, as the family curse has promised over the years?

At first I had a bit of a time keeping everyone straight as the story bounces from Edie and Neve to 1965 and the Maundrell family. There's a handy family tree included in the book to help you keep track. The haunting is immediate, and there's lots of creepy stuff on the island and in the castle. The history goes back thousands of years, so there's plenty of trauma and death soaked into the island. 

Ghost story fans will love this gothic novel. The setting is well done, and definitely gives you the bone-deep chills only a damp, haunted castle can do. Edie and Neve's relationship is solid and grows with their experiences. And, you are invested in finding out who Edie's parents are...there's plenty of possibilities. The bad people are definitely bad--no doubts about it--and beyond redemption. 

I'd say fans of Carol Goodman, Wendy Webb, and Simone St. James would enjoy this author. 

Rating: 4/6 for an intriguing family curse and mystery wrapped in a historical castle and island, haunted by creatures that will keep you looking into the shadows. 

Available in paperback, audio, and ebook. 

Share: facebook - twitter - pinterest

August Read: In the Lonely Hours by Shannon Morgan

The View from Prince Street by Mary Ellen Taylor

Mary Ellen Taylor is another author I've discovered in the past few years that I have grown to enjoy.  Yes, she has entered the category of "immediately purchase" whenever she has a new book published. This is her fourth book, and I was happy to dive back into Alexandria, Virginia and all the characters from her past novels.  It's my humble opinion that in order to get the most out of this book, you should read all the previous books first:  The Union Street Bakery, Sweet Expectations,  and At the Corner of King Street.  I've reviewed them all, so click on the titles to see my reviews.  You don't have to read them, but I believe it makes for a better story when you know the history of the characters.  Mary Ellen Taylor has made a hybrid of sorts:  The Union Street Bakery  and Sweet Expectations are a duo, and then At the Corner of King Street  and The View from Prince Street are another duo.  Characters from the first three novels all appear in Prince Street.  These books are all perfect for a reader who enjoys early American history, relationships between sisters and friends, contemporary issues, and a hint of mystery and the paranormal.  Once again, my history geek jumps out.  I would love love love to visit Alexandria, Virginia and the Washington, D.C. area again.  I had a chance years ago to visit Washington, D.C. for a weekend and have never forgotten how much I enjoyed it.  Someday, I'll go back.  

Prince Street features Rae McDonald and Lisa Smyth, two women connected by the death years before of Rae's older sister Jennifer.  Lisa and Jennifer were best friends and Lisa survived the car accident that killed Jennifer.  Lisa is a recovering alcoholic who travels the country as a photographer, while Rae still lives in her family home in Alexandria and has a successful practice as a therapist.  Both women are a bit of a mess.  Rae is emotionally withdrawn, and Lisa has regular conversations in her head with Jennifer.  Neither has seen each other in years.  Lisa is forced to return to Alexandria to take care of her ailing Aunt Amelia, who has Alzheimer's disease and suddenly confesses she was adopted as a child--and has proof, but no explanation of why her mother never came back for her. 

Enter in Margaret and Addie from the Shire Architectural Salvage Company, who arrive at Rae's house to look over the boxes of letter and documents passed down through Rae's family.  Over 300 years of family history, and a mystery to be solved.  Three witch bottles, three families, and a dark secret that stretches back to the early days of Alexandria.  How are the families connected, and do the witch bottles carry curses that have doomed each descendant of the original settlers?   Can Rae and Lisa find a way to break out of their self-imposed prisons and move on with their lives?  And how do all the dots connect together?  

There is a lot going on in this novel.  Luckily, the author has family trees set up at the beginning of the book.  I found myself looking at them over and over, trying to keep everyone straight.  It is a tangled mix of history that is fascinating and makes for a good story.  Can't wait to see what Mary Ellen Taylor has in store for her next novel.  

Rating:  7/10 for a continuation of family and city history that keeps revealing secrets made hundreds of years ago.  Strong female characters faced with emotional issues that will make or break them.  I love how all the novels by Mary Ellen Taylor fit together, but are distinctly different.  

Available in paperback and  e-book.  

Share: facebook - twitter - pinterest

The View from Prince Street by Mary Ellen Taylor

At the Corner of King Street by Mary Ellen Taylor

I love Mary Ellen Taylor's books.  She's previously written a series (right now it's at 3 and I hope it's not done!) that featured the Union Street Bakery.  Now she's started another series, centered on the Shire Salvage Company, just a short scoot away from the Union Street Bakery set in Alexandria, Virginia.  At the Corner of King Street is another winner, combining local history, family drama, and a bit of romance mixed in with just a touch of paranormal.  

Addie Morgan had left her troubled sister behind years ago to begin a new life as the marketing director at a vineyard.  In love with the owner, happily planning the launch of a new wine, Addie does not want to be reminded of her past, her sad childhood, and the mental illness that has claimed her mother and sister.  It made her life hell as the one who had to take care of everything and make it all right.  A phone call from her Aunt Grace lands like a bomb in Addie's life.  Janet, her sister, has just given birth to a daughter, and Addie needs to come home.  Janet has been roaming the country, not taking her medicine, and is in serious trouble.  Addie reluctantly comes back to Alexandria for what she hopes is a very short trip to arrange for her nieces' placement in a foster home.  Addie has no intention of staying, nor of raising Carrie.  

But life is funny, and Addie's reluctance to face the past, and deal with Janet, comes to a head.  Also adding to the mix is her Aunt Grace's decline in health, which has led to the potential closing of the family business, Shire Salvage.  In between Addie's drama, we also get the back story of the roots of what Addie has always called the family curse:  the mental illness that plagues at least one sister in each generation of the Shire family.  How does an accused witch banished to Virginia in the 1740's and a doctor's wife living in Colonial Alexandria at the same time haunt the Shire women today?  

This is a book that has many levels:  the frustration and destruction mental illness puts on a family, the needs of an infant that can't be raised by her mother, a woman's desire to have a "normal" life, and for a bit of lightness, the fascinating history of a city that has many secrets to keep.  Characters from the Union Street Bakery novels are part of this one, too.  Mary Ellen Taylor has the potential to create a series of novels that bring to mind the world building of Debbie Macomber and her Rose Harbor and Blossom Street series of novels.  

Definitely for fans of Karen White!  If you loved the Union Street Bakery novels, you'll be thrilled to have another treat.  The next novel in the Shire Salvage  series comes out in January:

 Rating:  7/10 for a tale of a family curse, a woman's search for happiness, and compelling characters.  Makes you want to pack your bags for Alexandria.  

Available in paperback and ebook.

Share: facebook - twitter - pinterest

At the Corner of King Street by Mary Ellen Taylor