Interior designer Meg Barrett
is working at Franklin Hollingsworth’s Bibliophile Bed
& Breakfast, designing guest rooms centering on classic
American authors. Each room includes costly original works
by the authors, along with period pieces Meg finds at her
friend Elle’s Sag Harbor antique store. Franklin, a
rare book collector, owns an unpublished manuscript written
by F. Scott Fitzgerald that he plans to unveil at the upcoming
1st Sag Harbor Book and Ephemera Fair. In preparation of the
event he has invited a few upper-echelon bibliophiles to stay
at his B&B as guests until it officially opens.
After a hurricane hits and one of the guests goes missing,
Detective Arthur Shoner is called to investigate his disappearance.
The man is later found – dead. As Meg searches through
the attic for other period items she can use in the various
rooms, she discovers an old diary, indicating a few surprises
about Sarah Hollingsworth, a previous owner of the home who
supposedly haunts it now. Meg also discovers that rare books
are missing from the rooms. Did an employee or guest take
them? The questions keep mounting when yet another guest is
found dead. But deaths and surprises are just the beginning
of a story that blends history, an enchanting environment,
antique books and mystery.
Ghostal Living possesses wonderful descriptions of the B&B,
Sag Harbor and the environs. Having visited there in the past,
I felt like I was once walking down the streets and visiting
the shops. I probably would have enjoyed the book more if
I had read the previous two releases, but I caught on to the
characters and their relationships quickly. I especially enjoyed
Meg’s conundrum over which beau to choose: Byron Hughes
or Cole Spenser. The book was entertaining and a good summer
read, even though the mystery isn’t as strong as it
could be.
Reviews
of other titles in this series
Hearse
and Gardens #2
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