Penny Goetjen takes us to Charleston, SC for a paranormal muder mystery!
Boston native Katheryn Moore is grieving the loss of her Uncle Gray, only to find out he's unexpectedly left her his house in Charleston, SC. She travels to Charleston intending to put the house on the market when she finds herself charmed by the historic city. Then, she discovers that her uncle's death may not have been an accident at all.
I love the city of Charleston, and this book is very much a love letter to that beautiful city. Several iconic landmarks, regional cuisine, and local traditions are also mentioned. Even the house that Katheryn inherits is classic Charleston and easy to visualize. The setting plays into the growth of the FMC as she experiences many firsts, including freedom from her overbearing mother. (The author was also kind enough to include some Charleston cinnamon pecans with the book, and they were delicious!)
The story also has some fun paranormal elements. Katheryn has visions, and there may or may not be a ghost hanging around. Since Charleston has several ghost legends and tours, so this also felt like another lovely nod to the city.
Katheryn has some complex family dynamics, and this book is also a journey of her coming into her own. She has felt like an outsider in her own family and is not treated well by them, which comes into play as she investigates her uncle's suspicious death.
The mystery takes some twists and turns, and I was really surprised by a few of them. The question of what happened to Gray and who may have been involved, and there were plenty of suspects, kept me guessing. This comes out just in time for spooky season, and is a fun combination of mystery, family drama and paranormal.
Thank you so much to the author for the beautiful #gifted ARC and goodies!
Deadly Ripples by Penny Goetjen -- Visit her website here
Pub Date: September 17, 2024
302 pages
My steep was Countess Grey from my favorite Charleston tea company, Oliver Pluff Tea Co A black tea with bright bergamot. I drink this both hot and iced!
PUBLISHER'S SYNOPSIS:
Where murder mystery and family saga collide—with deceptively charming Charleston as a backdrop.
As a middle child, Boston native Kathryn Moore has always struggled to fit into her nouveau riche family and would rather do anything than carry on with the family business. Her aspirations lie in more artistic pursuits: to become a writer like her uncle, which strains her already turbulent relationship with her mother.
After Kathryn’s uncle, her mentor and confidante, dies tragically in a car accident, she learns he has bequeathed his Charleston home to her, and life changes in ways she never could have predicted. But was his untimely death an accident or is the truth more sinister than that?
As she grapples with his death and delves deeper into the circumstances surrounding it, Kathryn struggles with visions she has little control over. She can’t help but wonder if the act of logging them into her notebook along with her story ideas etches the visions into reality. Could she be responsible for all the misery left in her wake—including her uncle’s death?
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