Whispers from the Grave
Chris Olson arrives at Poplar Ridge, a rambling Virginia plantation house, for a visit with her best friend, Judith Cameron. During the Civil War, the mansion had operated as a Union hospital. Chris soon discovers that a mystery and ghosts from that era still haunt the mysterious mansion and its residents. During her stay, Chris develops a strong attraction to Judith’s brother, Geoff. She also begins to experience visions of the past that include an angry woman named Margaret and a black stallion with a star on its head.
As Chris and Geoff grow increasingly fond of each other, more secrets are revealed. The ghosts of a one-eyed scout and a Confederate soldier with a strong resemblance to Geoff become more and more persistent. Chris and Geoff fall deeply in love, but Chris is faced with a dilemma: can she give up her life as a Boston attorney to move to rural Virginia? Gradually, through the ghost of Margaret, Chris unravels the dreadful mysteries and secrets of the plantation house’s dark past.
The author has skillfully woven this dangerous love triangle with elements of the paranormal and the brutality of America’s Civil War. Although the story is more contemporary than historical, it is well written and captures the reader’s attention from the very start. I highly recommend this novel to anyone who is an aficionado of the Civil War era or who enjoys a gut-gripping, heart-wrenching ghost story.
