The Unquiet Grave
Lakin, West Virginia, 1930. Attorney James P. D. Gardner, confined to an asylum after an unsuccessful suicide attempt, tries the “talking cure” under the care of young Dr. James Boozer. During the treatment, Gardner recounts one of his most unusual cases, the story of how he, a black attorney, helped defend a white man on trial for the murder of his lovely young wife. The prosecution’s initial inquiry into the case was based on the testimony of a ghost—the spirit of the dead woman herself, Zona Heaster.
The story of what led up to the trial, and the trial itself, is told primarily from the point of view of Zona’s mother, Mary Jane Heaster. She describes the courtship and marriage of her daughter to the handsome Erasmus Trout Shue, the unexpected death of Zona, and the ghostly visitation that led to the exhumation of Zona’s body and Shue’s trial for murder. Gardner’s voice punctuates the tale, as he recounts the story, and tells his own story, to his psychiatrist.
This retelling of a true incident brings West Virginia of the late 19th and early 20th centuries to life. Sharyn McCrumb understands the South, and her understanding and storytelling ability are evident in every page of this well-crafted novel. The Unquiet Grave will delight McCrumb’s many fans, but all lovers of the South, mysteries, and unusual crime stories will be in for a treat as well. Recommended.
