It is almost time for Halloween and I have read three books recently that were definitely spooky.Beware the Woman by Megan Abbott was our October book for the Mystery Book Club.
About: "Honey, I just want you to have everything you ever wanted. That’s what Jacy’s mom always told her.
And Jacy felt like she finally did. Newly married and with a baby on the way, Jacy and her new husband Jed embark on their first road trip together to visit his father, Doctor Ash, in Michigan’s far-flung Upper Peninsula. The moment they arrive in the cozy cottage in the lush woods, Jacy feels bathed in love by the warm and hospitable Doctor Ash, if less so by his house manager, the enigmatic Mrs. Brandt.
But their Edenic first days take a turn when Jacy has a health scare. Swiftly, vacation activities are scrapped, and all eyes are on Jacy’s condition. At the same time, whispers about Jed’s long-dead mother and complicated family history seem eerily to be impeding upon the present. As the days pass, Jacy begins to feel trapped in the cottage, her every move surveilled, her body under the looking glass. But are her fears founded or is it paranoia, or cabin fever, or—as is suggested to her—a stubborn refusal to take necessary precautions? The dense woods surrounding the cottage are full of dangers, but are the greater ones inside?"
This was a good spooky read. Jacy and Jed, newlyweds with a baby on the way, go to visit Jed's dad in a remote area of the Upper Peninsula in Michigan. It is late fall and the weather can change in an instant. Jed's father, was a physician but quit practicing after Jed's mother died when Jed was a baby. He lives alone and has a housekeeper, Mrs. Brandt, that lives in the cottage nearby. As above Jacy has a complication with her pregnancy and wants to head home. But Dr. Ash warns against the trip. Jacy gets sicker and sicker, Mrs. Brandt is always hanging around. There's whispering about Jacy. Even the local doctor says it's better if Jacy stays, as she seems to be worse and worse. The house is creepy, the people are creepy, there is something unknown going on.
I liked it and felt it was a good page turner. Something of the medical stuff seemed far fetched, but it is a fiction book. I did want a different ending. The ending left us with some questions but it was an eding you would "see" in a movie.
https://www.meganabbott.com/
The Ghost of Kali Oka Road by M.L. Bullock
About: " On the Gulf Coast, Things Don’t Just Go Bump in the Night They Terrorize You and Sometimes You Disappear! The paranormal investigators at Gulf Coast Paranormal thought they knew what they were doing. Midas, Sierra, Sara, Josh and Peter had over twenty combined years of experience investigating supernatural activity on the Gulf Coast. But when they meet Cassidy, a young artist with a strange gift, they realize there’s more to learn. And time is running out for Cassidy.
When Gulf Coast Paranormal begins investigating the ghosts of Kali Oka Road, they find an entity far scarier than a few ghosts. Add in the deserted Oak Grove Plantation, and you have a recipe for a night of terror."
I won a free copy of the audio version of this book. I would describe it as urban legend meets current day ghost hunters. The book starts with a version of a story we all heard as kids. Teenagers parking in a remote area. One leaves the car for some reason or other and meets a violent death. Other versions are teenagers alone in a house and one goes outside and something happens. Jump to current time. Cassidy is a young adult, whose sister disappeared several years ago. Cassidy recently has been having dreams and urges to paint what she dreams. She doesn't know if these are clues or messages about her sister. She finds out there is a local ghost hunter/investigators in town and is invited to their next meeting. They are looking for new cases to investigate and Cassidy seems to be having some dreams related to what will be their next case.
This is book one of a series. It is a short book so good for getting in the spirit of Halloween. Spooky for sure. I enjoyed it and am intrigued to listen to the next book. I am wondering about Cassidy and her sister.
https://www.mlbullock.com/
The Death of Clara Willenheim by Charlotte Lesemann
About: "Surrounded by family secrets, suspicious deaths, and her own repressed memories, fifteen year-old Clara Willenheim lives as a prisoner in her ancestral estate in 1860s Bavaria. Her only chance of escape is to journey through the castle’s secret passages, unraveling her family’s dark history and its place at the center of a vast web of crime. Driven by the capricious and vengeful ghost of her long-dead aunt, Clara opens doors that threaten powerful enemies, a place where she’s forced to choose between righting past wrongs or losing her own life."
A historical Gothic mystery brimming with suspense and plot twists, The Death of Clara Willenheim is layered in rich, period detail. The novel explores the cost of selflessness and the struggle to choose between justice and vengeance. But at its heart, it’s a story about how, when one part of ourselves dies, something greater can rise in its place."
This book is a debut novel for Charlotte Lesemann and comes out October 29, 2024, just in time for Halloween.
Set in the 1800's, Bavaria, (where all good gothic classic novels take place), a huge creepy old house, full of tunnels, locked rooms, catacombs, ghosts, rain and something evil in the midst. Clara's father has just died from a possible suicide. She lives in this old, old mansion with her mother and grandmother and sinister servants. She is not allowed outside during the day, or outside of her room at night. A ghost of a 15 year old distant cousin, Cora, appears to her and confirms, there is something really wrong going on in this house. Together they try to find out what it is and put a stop to it. There is a lot of atmospheric tension and urgency as Clara explores the tunnels and rooms underneath the house. The descriptions are definitely scary and creepy. There are some disturbing things but you won't be able to put the book down before finding out how it all ends...
https://charlottelesemann.com/
(I received an ARC and voluntarily provided this review.}
There you go. Three spooky stories to get you in the Halloween mood.
