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Thirty-seven-year-old
painter Cassandra Mitchell lives in the Queen Anne home built
by her great-grandparents, Percy and Celeste Mitchell, that
rests on the majestic Bluffs of Cape Cod. Cassandra’s
home has a brooding atmosphere, the result of an age-old curse:
a fire that took the life of Celeste and resulted in Percy
jumping off the bluffs with Celeste’s burnt body in
his arms. Perhaps that’s why people believe the place
is haunted. Cassandra knows it is, for it’s her great-grandparents
who send her messages through scents that permeate the house.
When Cassandra becomes in financial danger of losing the house,
she takes in a young couple, Vince and Ashley, who help her
fix up the place so she can eventually turn part of it into
a B&B. But when Vince and Ashley disappear, Cassandra
is certain foul play is involved, and eventually the local
police and FBI become involved. Even when the FBI stops its
investigation due to lack of clues, Cassandra doesn’t
give up hope of finding them. Eventually, Cassandra’s
artwork – eerily similar to her dead mother’s
– finally brings in money to save the house, but now
danger lurks around every corner.
Loretta Marion’s outstanding first novel beautifully
melds the past with the present, creating a richly textured
mystery that surpasses the cozy category. House of Ashes held
me entranced as Cassandra tried to figure out why the young
couple mysteriously disappeared. Were they running away from
danger? Filled with a wonderful setting, eerie atmosphere
and outstanding characters, this highly entertaining and haunting
mystery will linger long after the last page is read.
Reviewer’s
Notes: Loretta’s writing bridges the genres of
mystery and suspense and women’s fiction, always with
hints of romance and humor, sometimes delving into the psychological
and paranormal. She creates strong but flawed and struggling
characters as appealing as the rich atmospheric settings in
which the stories take place. |