House of Ashes

A Haunted Bluffs Mystery

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Pub Date 13 Nov 2018 | Archive Date 30 Oct 2018

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Description

A family patriarch’s dying proclamation, an enigmatic disappearance, and a century-old curse converge in the shadows of a majestic home on Cape Cod’s craggy coast.

Thirty-seven-year-old painter Cassandra Mitchell is fourth-generation to live in the majestic Battersea Bluffs, a brooding Queen Anne home originally built by her great-grandparents, Percy and Celeste Mitchell, and still standing despite tragedies that have swept the generations. Local lore has it that there was a curse placed on the family and the house is haunted, though opinions are divided on whether it's by malicious or benevolent spirits. Cassie believes the latter—but now she stands to lose her beloved home to mounting debt and the machinations of her dream-weaving ex-husband.

Salvation seems to arrive when a nomadic young couple wanders onto the property with the promise of companionship and much-needed help—until they vanish without a trace, leaving behind no clue to their identities. Cassie is devastated, but determined to discover what's happened to the young couple...even as digging into their disappearance starts to uncover family secrets of her own.


Despite warnings from her childhood friend, now the local Chief of Police—as well as an FBI agent who pushes the boundaries of professionalism—Cassie can't help following the trail of clues (and eerie signals from the old house itself) to unravel the mystery. But can she do so before her family's dark curse destroys everything in its path?

A family patriarch’s dying proclamation, an enigmatic disappearance, and a century-old curse converge in the shadows of a majestic home on Cape Cod’s craggy coast.

Thirty-seven-year-old painter...


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781683318439
PRICE $26.99 (USD)

Average rating from 66 members


Featured Reviews

The locals say that Battersea Bluffs, an old estate on Cape Cod is haunted. Painter Cassie Mitchell, whose great grandparents built the house isn’t sure herself, all she knows is that she’s in danger of losing her family home because of her scheming ex husband and a mountain load of debt. When a young couple appears as if from nowhere and offer to help Cassie with repairs, she’s quick to take them up on it, but they disappear as suddenly as they appeared, leaving no trace of who they were or where they went. Determined to discover who the couple was, Cassie starts looking into her family’s past, even though local, and even federal law enforcement officials warn her against it. I loved this book, the brooding atmosphere, the old house, ghostly murmurings and the Cape Cod setting held me spellbound

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I loved this book and really couldn't put it down. I rarely start a book unless I am on vacation or in a position where I have large spaces of time, because if I get involved, I don't want to stop reading! I will admit, I shirked some other duties to read this book. I became very emotionally involved with the characters and I really had to keep my wits about me at times to keep the clues straight. In the end, I wanted the book to go on to see what happened next, and then it ended. That is probably the sign of a good book, but I wanted to know what happened next! A sequel maybe?

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This was an excellent read that I enjoyed from the very first page. Although I am not much of a sleuth, I found myself analyzing the characters trying to decide who was trustworthy. Did I like the FBI or the local police better? In the same vein, the author provided numerous clues from which I tried to sort the pertinent from the red herrings. The ghosts or paranormal happenings were intertwined successfully with missing young lovers and a potential romance for the protagonist. Oftentimes when I read a romantic mystery novel, I prepare myself for a mawkishly sentimental ending. However, the ending was surprising and very satisfying. It was definitely not obvious or strained. The book had me enthralled from beginning to end and I highly recommend it. I just loved it!

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