Katherine Harbour's Blog - Posts Tagged "mystery"

In the Shadow of Blackbirds
In the year 1918, World War I and an influenza epidemic are raging. Mary Shelley arrives in San Diego, California to live with her Aunt Eva because her father has been arrested for his anti-war opinions. Influenza is a horror, a cross between pneumonia and the Black Plague. Add to that Mary Shelley's loss of Stephen, the boy she loved, in the war, and you've got a damaged heroine, my favorite kind. Then Mary Shelly encounters Julius, Stephen's drug-addicted older brother, who fakes spirit photography. She realizes not all of spirituality is false, however, when Stephen contacts her from beyond the grave. Mary Shelley's courage in the face of the plague and learning how Stephen actually died is fantastic. The mystery of his death is what kept me speeding through the pages. A great historical/supernatural story.

Strands of Bronze and Gold
Based on the Bluebeard fairy tale, this story is set in a decadent mansion in Mississippi, in 1855. The very Bronte-esque heroine arrives at her godfather's estate, where the servants seem sinister and slavery continues. Friendless, leaving her family behind, Sophia is at first enchanted by the life offered her by the handsome monsieur Bernard de Cressac. Then she learns about his former wives. Three have died and one has run away, leaving him heartbroken. Sophia at first has a crush on M. de Cressac, until he begins to show more than a guardian's affection. Sophia is a passive character in the beginning, but she soon suspects de Cressac's three dead wives are haunting the mansion. When Sophia learns the horrifying truth, it's not a surprise, but it does ramp up the tension. None of the characters are stereotypes and Sophia's human allies aren't as reliable as her spirit ones. This fairy tale of the Gothic south is beautifully told.

Supervision
Esme lives in New York City with her domineering older sister. After a weird encounter in a subway tunnel, Esme is sent to live with her grandmother in the town of Wellstone. She's ignored by everyone, including her grandmother, until she meets an attractive boy named Tom and his sister Clara--they are ghosts, and Esme, after an accident in the subway tunnel--is caught between life and death. Esme is soon struggling to learn what happened to her and the tragedy that ended Tom's and Clara's lives as a sinister figure called the Stationmaster--a spirit who may be a serial killer--lurks around her grandmother's house. It's an eerie coming-of-age tale, about a girl who finds herself a family of ghosts. As for Esme and Tom's budding romance, it's bittersweet. An almost classical ghost story that reminded me of the ones I read as a teen.

Night Film
A complex, riveting thriller, strewn throughout with 'archived photographs' and news stories concerning a mysterious director of cult horror films, Stanislas Cordova, who is a cross between Francis Ford Coppola and Dario Argento. Investigative journalist Scott McGrath becomes a little obsessed by the suicide of a young woman who turns out to be Cordova's daughter. Narrated in the first person, Scott's story becomes a labyrinthine quest for a truth that may be as illusory as a film set. He's soon assisted by a mysterious young man and a quirky young woman with Nancy Drew determination. The narrative is rich with details, hints about Cordova's terrifying films, and the tragic life of his daughter. From unreliable tales and rumors told by people who claim to have known Cordova, to tales of witchcraft and curses, the story enveloped me in its spell.

The Shadow of the Wind
An intricately wrought Gothic story set in 1945 Barcelona. The protagonist is Daniel, a book dealer's son whose journey begins at The Cemetery of Forgotten Books, after he finds a novel that enchants him and becomes fascinated by the history of its mysterious author. But this isn't just Daniel's story--each eccentric character involved has a tale to tell; stories of revenge, intrigue, romance, angels and devils. There's the young blind woman Daniel falls in love with when he's only a boy. And a tragic and funny character who was once a former policeman and becomes Daniel's confidante. And there's the beautiful young woman Daniel comes to love above all, and her story. There's a haunted, abandoned mansion that might hold the answers to a past injustice. At the heart of this labyrinth is a young man and his ruined life, the author of the book that Daniel learns is being sought by a man who might be a devil. This is a rich, vivid narrative fueled by surprises and complex characters, a ghost story told with literary flair.

Compulsion
Barrie is a girl who has lost everything. She's sent to South Carolina and her aunt and ancestral home wearing a diamond necklace and a gold watch. Her Aunt Pru is the sister of Barrie's recently deceased mother Lula. And Lula's transgender friend, Mark, is dying, so Pru is all Barrie has.
Barrie is fascinated by the old plantation house and the family history of tragedy and magic. She meets Eight, a handsome rich boy, and her wild, contrary cousin Cassie. She also encounters sinister, fairy-like creatures living in the garden, and a haunting that might be connected to a long-ago tragedy.
Compulsion is a Southern Gothic mystery with fantasy elements, perfect for the summer. Barrie is a resourceful and determined heroine and it's her determined voice that rules this mystery that reminded me of Nancy Drew.

Meddling Kids
A horror mystery with elements of Scooby Doo, Lovecraft, and Cabin in the Woods.
The Blyton Summer Detective Club Agency were a group of kids who solved mysteries, but one mystery haunts them as damaged young adults. Andrea is a drifter with anger issues. Kerri is a star student who has failed at life and works in a bar. Nate is now in a mental hospital. Peter committed suicide and haunts Nate. And, of course, there's Kerri's intelligent (non-verbal) dog, Tim.
Something happened in the old Deboen house, something more than the crook in a monster costume they became famous for catching as kids. When they return to Blyton to delve into the past, they open a door into the supernatural. There's an unexpected twist, gruesome creatures, a classic villain, and an atmosphere of horror and Buffy-like intrigue that made this a fun and suspenseful read.

Limetown: The Prequel to the #1 Podcast
Lia is young woman whose parents' complex relationship (and secret history) have left her craving an answer when her mother disappears. This leads to a mystery concerning her Uncle Emile, whom she doesn't remember, and the mysterious town nearby, where an entire community vanished.
The story shifts back in time to teenage Emile and what eventually leads him to the experimental research center disguised as a hotel.
Lia and Emile share a disconnectedness to society that makes them reckless and vulnerable. It wasn't so much the mystery of Limetown that kept me turning pages, as it was the journeys of Lia and Emile.
A strange and sinister story reminiscent of Stephen King.

Glory O'Brien's History of the Future
Glory and her best friend Ellie find a bat that seems dead but not decayed, frozen in time. So they drink its blood, as you do, and it gives them the ability to see peoples' pasts and futures. Glory lives with her depressed dad--her mom died when Glory was small. Her friend Ellie lives on a commune across the street. It's a friendship that's falling apart. While Glory seeks more out of life after graduation, Ellie is content with boys.
Because of the weird bat, Glory sees a dystopian future where a small minority of ignorant men attempt to start a New America which sends Equal Rights back to the Dark Ages--and Glory's descendants may be the warriors who fight this civil war.
As Glory tries to figure out if her mother's fate might be her own, Glory realizes her own history is built on the choices she makes.
This is a weird--in a good way--story, about growing up and friendship and the uncertainty of the future.

Mr. Splitfoot
In Troy, New York, Nat and Ruth are orphans in foster care with a religious fanatic. All of the other kids are damaged in some fashion. Ruth and Nat, a boy, consider themselves sisters. Nat claims he can channel the dead.
Then a young con man calling himself Mr. Bell arrives and charms the two into running a racket and earning money as spiritualists. Things take a creepy turn when a cult leader shows up, wanting Ruth and a box of stolen money.
Every other chapter is set in the future and concerns Cora, Ruth's niece, who is pregnant and traveling with her Aunt Ruth, who seems to have taken a vow of silence.
This is a poignant mystery touched with dread and strange twists. It is, in a sense, a ghost story.