The Curse of Jacob Tracy
After nearly dying in battle at Antietam, our hero, Jacob Tracy, discovers that he has contracted an unsettling gift. He is now able to see and communicate with the dead. For years, Tracy tries to ignore his gift, but bad things keep happening, especially to those close to him.
As a trail guide, Tracy and his partner, a black man named Boz, take a job with a mysterious lady named Miss Fairweather. The job proves to acquaint Tracy with his psychic powers more than ever before, and they soon find out that Miss Fairweather has more to offer than just temporary employment. As the two take more and more jobs which sink them further into the dark spirit world, Tracy must decide if there is reason he has his powers and how he can use them for good. Boz, however, fears that Miss Fairweather’s motives may not be all that benign.
This is a paranormal ghost story set mainly in St. Louis during the 1880s, which gives the novel a rich historical context, but one should look elsewhere for a more intriguing look at St. Louis during this time. The character development is at its best when Messinger explores the relationship between Tracy and Boz, and that aspect was perhaps the most interesting for me. The prose is easy enough to read; however, the novel feels episodic and reads like a collection of loosely connected short stories. It’s a fun read for those who wish to see as much of the dark arts in one book as possible.
