Ava Collete is a food writer from Boston, looking to get away for the summer to finish her new book of historical New England recipes. It might be more fitting to say she is running away from a terrible tragedy in her life. She finds a cheap rental in a small port town that happens to be a historical seaside mansion once owned by the famous Captain Brodie, a sea captain from the late 19th century who died at sea many years ago. Ava is unsettled by the old house at first, but soon she senses the house has welcomed her and her companion, a cat named Hannibal.
One night after drinking too much wine, as Ava is wont to do many nights these days, she sees his ghost in her room! Is she sure she is seeing the captain’s ghost, or is she losing her mind from guilt of what happened back home? Ava spends her time cooking and writing, drinking and getting to know the people in the small town. As she spends more time in the house, it is clear that there is a ghost or a spirit trying to communicate with her–intimately. Ava is drawn to this ghost, and begins to hope that he will visit her each night.
She eventually calls on a ghost hunting specialist to help determine if she is in danger. Through her research, Ava finds that other women have died in this house that she now lives in. Could the ghost of Captain Brodie be stalking her the same way? Or is there a much more real killer on the loose? Is Ava in danger or is she hallucinating? The small town doesn’t seem as friendly as it did before she started asking questions.
This quick, compelling novel will have you guessing until the end. Tess Gerritsen tells a great suspense story. Highly enjoyable read for the down-to-earth characters, fleshed out easily by this author’s experience hand. The quaint seaside town’s charm and mystery glows in this story, while Ava’s delicious, historical, local food recipes complement the novel in a cozy way. While this novel is a venture from her usual repertoire, I think she will find new fans in this sexy, ghosty thriller.
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