"Well-crafted, suspenseful ghost story with Gothic overtones"

The surprise inheritance of a half interest Cottonwood Hill, an old house in rural Ohio, seems like a godsend to horror writer Kelly Masters: a nice safe haven for her and her six-year-old daughter Jenna. New York City holds too many memories, including the murder of her husband by teenagers who were never caught. When she and her child pull up to a convenience store, she finds friendly neighbors and a handsome deputy named Glenn Westfall who make her pulse race and her temper rise with his teasing comments of city girls not understanding country ways. When she finally arrives at the house, she finds it is a massive three-story mansion, completely furnished in period antiques, and she and Jenna choose rooms on the second floor.

But things start to get strange when she overhears Jenna talking to an imaginary friend, a five-year-old boy named Joseph, although at first she brushes it off as just the imaginings of a bored child. When her sisters, the other co- owners of the house, arrive, they begin to unpack — and Kelly sees a man standing behind her when she looks into a mirror, but when she turns around, there's no one there. When she checks in on Jenna, she finds her playing tea party with her noncorporeal friend, but as soon as Kelly speaks, the teacup Jenna has been "filling" skitters across the room and the open closet door slams shut. Kelly puts this firmly out of her mind while they explore the attic, where she discovers an old photo album, where a photograph reveals that Cottonwood Hill was once a an orphanage. She also learns that her second sister Nikki has also seen a man in the mirror — and they call the sheriff. Naturally, it is Glen who shows up. He's concerned when they tell him about seeing a prowler, and he tells her Cottonwood Hill has a history — but not what that history entails.

Who is the man in the mirror? Why does Joseph's ghost haunt the house? And will Kelly ever get past her exasperation and give Glen a chance?

If you like your suspense with Gothic overtones, you'll enjoy this well-crafted ghost story with a satisfying ending and a neat plot twist. Kelly, the lively heroine who gradually concludes that the house is haunted, is likable and spirited. Her daughter Jenna is equal parts irritating and adorable, the way real six-year-olds are, instead of being the typical cutesy kid too many books feature. Glen, the deputy with a wicked sense of humor and eyes so blue Kelly can't resist them, makes for an appealing hero, and he's a good contrast for Kelly with his "just the facts, ma'am" approach to solving the mystery of Cottonwood Hill. The supporting cast are well-drawn and interesting, not the usual cardboard cutouts one sees too often. Despite finding a few editing errors, I had a good time with this book — Dark Shadows meets the rural Midwest. Too bad Sheriff Davenport, the sheriff of Collinsport, ME, wasn't as appealing as Glen!

Sensuality Rating: Straight monogamous sex; lots of sexual tension but not much sex

Reviewed by Gillian Fitzgerald
Courtesy Sensual Romance Reviews
Posted January 11, 2005

Summary

Kelly Masters, horror writer, is moving to Oak Grove, Ohio. Nine months ago, her husband Brian was murdered outside the door of their New York apartment. When Kelly received a phone call informing her that she and her two sisters had inherited the Cottonwood Hill Estate from a great aunt that they knew nothing about, Kelly thought it was a God-send. This was the perfect chance for her to get her six-year-old daughter Jenna away from the tragic memories surrounding their apartment.

Little does Kelly know that Cottonwood Hill holds its own mystery. When she arrives in Oak Grove with Jenna, she meets the handsome Deputy Sheriff Glen Westfall. Sparks fly as they joust with words while Kelly struggles to control her conflicting emotions concerning her attraction to Glen and her aversion to police uniforms that she acquired while dealing with Brian's murder.

When Kelly's sisters, Sera and Nikki, arrive at the estate to help her settle in, the mystery of Cottonwood Hill rears its head. Ghostly visions, bats in the attic and bones buried in the backyard are just a hint of what is to come. Local legend has it that Cottonwood Hill is haunted by a little boy who disappeared there years ago and the ghost of his father who is still searching for him.

Kelly takes it upon herself to solve the mystery of the lost boy and his ghostly father so that their spirits can be put to rest. She can't raise Jenna in a haunted house and she refuses to uproot her daughter again. Kelly and Glen are thrust together as strange things happen that require the assistance of the local Deputy. Working together, Kelly and Glen dig up the long buried secrets of Cottonwood Hill as their attraction to each other builds, starting as a tiny spark that soon bursts into a raging fire.