Considering it's supposed to be somewhat of a ghost story, this book was a lot different than what I'd originally thought it was going to be like. I thought it'd be more folklore and superstition based rather than what is essentially a look at a particular place in a particular period of history, that all happens to connect to this original ghost story. That's not to say that I didn't like it (rather the opposite in fact), but it's less plot and character driven than setting driven, which lends itself well to a historical semi-fiction.

I hate calling this straight-out historical fiction, because McCrumb clearly did a lot of research before writing this novel. It follows the story of a family who lives in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, just post-civil war, and how their unlucky daughter was allegedly killed. The only made-up parts that I could tell were of the actual motivations of the characters and conversations, but as for plot points in general, it almost exactly follows the recorded history of what happened. The story is told through two different perspectives; at one point, it's told by a black lawyer who's been locked up in an asylum due to attempted suicide. He was on the defense of the husband of the woman who died, and he reflects to a doctor on what happened in that case. One the other side is Mary Jane Heaster, the mother of the woman who died. The two stories are beautifully interwoven to create a thorough look at the struggles of the area in that particular time period.

It took some time to get used to the style of narration, but I was okay after a couple of chapters, and the story overall is fascinating. I feel like I have more of a grasp of the importance of the Civil War, especially for West Virginia, and how that affected people living there at the time. The characters were complex and interesting enough to compel me to move forward in the story, though when a story follows real people who have lived, I always get a little sidetracked by thinking about what their real motivations might have been, and whether it seems plausible. I do, however, think that McCrumb does an excellent job in fleshing out characters that seem real and complex. The mystery itself I found underwhelming, which is why this book lost a star, but the way McCrumb delves into the setting and explores the time period makes up for the lost interest, and certainly sparked my intrigue and made me want to learn more about it. So, definitely read this if you're interested in the historical side of things, but if you're looking for a ghost story, this is not the book for you at all.

(Link will go live on 9/12/2017)

Sharyn McCrumb is a master storyteller bringing her readers some wonderful tales of families living in the Appalachian Mountains. I have read them all and have never found a single one that I didn't enjoy. The Unquiet Grave is the story of Zona Heaster a young wife who is murdered by her husband who tells everyone that she fell down stairs and died. Her mother Mary Jane suspects the murder and finally convinces the county prosecutor that Zona appeared to her one night and claimed that her husband killed her. He is arrested and is found guilty after a lengthy trial.

A second storyline runs through the book about a negro lawyer who is serving time in an insane asylum years after the murder case which he helped present.

I highly recommend this book. It is a really great read .

The Unquiet Grave by Sharyn McCrumb has plenty of twists and turns leading to a surprising ending. At first her book moves along a bit slow but picks up speed towards the middle. The ending was an unexpected surprise to me as I never saw that as a possible outcome.

The gist of her book revolves around the death of Zona Hester Shue who was killed by her husband Trout. At first everyone believes Zona died from an accidental death but her mother claimed to have seen a vision telling about what really happened to her daughter.

Eventually the legal authorities take note and decide to investigate leading to the arrest of Trout and later trial.

I won't write more as that would give away the plot. Suffice it to say this book will keep you interested and the ending is a bit of a surprise.

Recommend.

Review written after downloading a galley from Net Galley.

“The Unquiet Grave” by Sharyn McCrumb is a fictionalized account of the Greenbrier (West Virginia) Ghost legend. Although I live mere hours from the setting of this novel, I was unfamiliar with the story. I’d like to blame my ignorance on the fact that I’m a transplant to this region from another state. However, my husband is a lifelong resident of the greater Appalachian area, and he had never heard the tale either. At any rate, I was intrigued by the subject matter and locale, so I was quite excited to get my hands on an advanced copy. Unfortunately, the book left me feeling blasé.

The chapters alternated between the points of view of the mother of the murder victim, the attorney who defended the dead woman’s husband, and the psychiatrist who treated the attorney many years later. That back-and-forth technique can work quite well in the portrayal of a story, but for some reason it seemed really disjointed here. Although I was engaged while reading the chapters written from the mother’s perspective, I was really disinterested with the rest of the book, which was a substantial portion. I decided to plug away and finish it anyway, because I really wanted to find out more about the Greenbrier Ghost. I do feel I accomplished that objective, but it sure was exhausting getting to that point. I had high hopes for this book, but in the end, it was just okay. It’s not something I would add to my personal library, nor do I see myself rereading it in the future.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for a digital advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

A book about a ghost who gets a man convicted of her murder should be amazing, especially as it's supposed to be a true story. This book is boring. About as boring as it gets. The murder is boring. The ghost is boring. The exhumed grave is boring. The doctor and the lawyer talking is particularly boring. Not worth it. I'm very disappointed.

The Unquiet Grave is about the Greenbrier Ghost legend in West Virginia. The story tells about a ghost of a young woman, Zona Heaster Shue, who visits her mother and tells her how she had died. Mary Jane is determined to prove that Zona was murdered. She goes to town to tell the prosecutor that Zona ghost appear to her and knows she was murdered. Zona's body is then exhumed and everyone was shocked to find that Mary Jane was right!

The Unquiet Grave is one of the best books I have read in a long time. I have never heard of the Greenbrier Ghost before but I want to know more about it. I enjoyed how Sharyn McCrumb's vivid storytelling brings this legend to life. My heart aches for Mary Jane when her precious Zona died and was fascinated how she found the strength to go to the authorities to tell them about how Zona appeared to her. Which brought on a fascinating trial. How many trials in history that were brought on by ghost? I was completely caught off guard at the ending of the book and was especially interested by the Authors Notes. 

Great read!

100 stars. 

Even though I received this book from NetGalley, I was not required to write a review. This review is 100% my own opinion. I like this book so much, I plan to purchase a printed copy to put onto my keeper shelf.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I really enjoyed the part of the story about James Gardener and Dr. William Rucker, the lawyers representing a man accused of killing his wife. This part of the story is told from Mr. Gardener's point of view while he is in a mental hospital and he is telling his doctor the story of the events prior to and during the trial. I thought this was a unique way of telling the story. The other part of the story is told by the victim's mother. This part of the story I did not enjoy as much. Overall I did enjoy this story and recommend it for people who like historical fiction.

A Fascinating fictional account based on the Greenbrier Ghost. Set In 1897 West Virginia, the story of young headstrong and promiscuous Zona Heaster, who quickly falls for and marries handsome, sweet talking Trout Shue, a young man working for the local smithy. After a brief honeymoon Zona's mother Mary Jane realizes all is not well in the marriage and shockingly discovers that Zona has died suddenly under mysterious circumstances. More shocking is that one night Zona appears to her mother to tell her that her new husband murdered her. In another parallel storyline to Zona's tale is James Gardner, the first African American lawyer in West Virginia who represented the murderer, Tom Shue. This was a fascinating bit of history and folklore that I never heard of which propels me to further learn about this case and to also explore more of Sharyn McCrumb's books with this one being my first read by her. Worth picking up!

The Unquiet Grave by Sharyn McCrumb is historical fiction giving a remarkably researched account of the Greenbrier Ghost. I had read about the trial in which the testimony of a ghost helped convict the murderer some time back, so I was already invested in discovering more about the murder of Zona Shue back in 1897.

The case is still on record and you can read some of the newspaper accounts here.

The book is listed as historical fiction, but as a result of McCrumb's intensive research, there is little fiction other than the imagined conversations the author gives the characters. All of the characters are real, as are the important events.

Fascinating account of a historical incident.

Read in April. Blog post scheduled for Aug. 30.

NetGalley/Atria Books

Historical Fiction. Sept. 12, 2017. Print length: 368 pages.

I read 40% of this and then set it aside. It just didn't hold my attention.

When Zona decides to marry Trout, she already knows about his first two marriages. The first ended in divorce, but his second wife died after hitting her head on a rock shortly after their marriage. When Zona dies after only 3 months of marriage, her mother is sure Trout murdered her. But when Zona's ghost visits her mother, it is time to see that Trout stands trial for murder. McCrumb's novels are always meaningful, and this one is as well. I learned a great deal about the legal system during Trout's trial. This is another great novel by one of my favorites. I was selected by NetGalley to be an early reader in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Having read several of McCrumb's book before, and been engaged and thrilled with her writing., I could not wait to read her newest book.The Unquiet Grave. I loved this read. McCrumb does what she does so well, skillfully combining historical facts with a fascinating story with a paranormal visitation. Basing her tale on folklore and actual people and events, McCrumb gives readers a suspense filled mystery completely different from any of others that they have read This is a wonderful book, check it out. I know you won't be disappointed.