Book Review: The Guests on South Battery by

Melanie, Jack, and their family and friends are back in the fifth installment of Karen White's Tradd Street series, The Guests on South Battery.

Realtor Melanie Trenholm reluctantly returns to work after her maternity leave  ends. She is thrilled, however, when a new client wishes to sell a home she recently inherited on South Battery Street.

Melanie's mother is familiar with the house, which belonged to a long-time friend of hers. The new owner, Jayne Smith, has no family of her own, so she is surprised she inherited the place. From the very first meeting at the house, Melanie knows spirits call the house on South Battery home...and not all of them want their secrets revealed.

Wow! I just finished this book and can't wait to read the next one. White proves she can weave a superb story filled with twists and turns, family secrets, and paranormal elements to keep the reader turning page after page until the very end.

In this story, Melanie's relationships are tested in numerous ways. It's great to see her evolving as a wife and mother, but so many of the things she has struggled with remain. Jack is having issues of his own, and both of them continue to keep an eye out for what Marc Longo is up to. Readers will see more of Melanie's mom, Ginette, in this story, and it is their connection that makes coping with the spirits in the house on South Battery possible. The ending of The Guests on South Battery also sets up the next book nicely. Though this is a stand-alone novel, I highly recommend starting at the beginning.

Readers of southern fiction, paranormal mysteries, and stories involving family secrets will want to pick up this one.

Series: Tradd Street (Book 5)
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Berkley; Reprint edition (August 28, 2018)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0399584706
ISBN-13: 978-0399584701

I bought this book. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Discover the Tradd Street Series by Karen White

Karen White invites you to explore the brick-walked streets of Charleston in her fifth Tradd Street novel, where historic mansions house the memories of years gone by, and restless spirits refuse to fade away…

With her extended maternity leave at its end, Melanie Trenholm is less than thrilled to leave her new husband and beautiful twins to return to work, especially when she’s awoken by a phone call with no voice on the other end—and the uneasy feeling that the ghostly apparitions that have stayed silent for more than a year are about to invade her life once more.

But her return to the realty office goes better than she could have hoped, with a new client eager to sell the home she recently inherited on South Battery. Most would treasure living in one of the grandest old homes in the famous historic district of Charleston, but Jayne Smith would rather sell hers as soon as possible, guaranteeing Melanie a quick commission.

Despite her stroke of luck, Melanie can’t deny that spirits—both malevolent and benign—have started to show themselves to her again. One is shrouded from sight, but appears whenever Jayne is near. Another arrives when an old cistern is discovered in Melanie’s backyard on Tradd Street.

Melanie knows nothing good can come from unearthing the past. But some secrets refuse to stay buried….

And the book that started it all....

Visit Karen White online at www.karen-white.com

First Chapter Review: Lady Blues: forget-me-not by Aaron Paul Lazar

Lady Blues: forget-me-not is the latest Gus LeGarde mystery from Aaron Paul Lazar.

BLURB: Past and present collide when an Alzheimer’s patient’s fragile memory holds the key to solving mysteries dating back to World War II—including a long lost secret love affair.

Music professor Gus LeGarde is just doing a favor for a friend when he agrees to play piano for church services at a local nursing home. He doesn’t expect to be drawn into a new friendship with an elderly Alzheimer’s patient dubbed “the music man” or to stumble across a decades-old mystery locked inside the man’s mind.

Octogenarian Kip Sterling doesn’t know his own name—but he speaks Gus’s language, spouting jazz terms like “cadence” and “interlude” and “riff.” He’s also obsessed with “his Bella,” but nobody knows who she is.

When Kip is given a new drug called Memorphyl, he starts to remember bits and pieces of his life. Gus learns Bella was Kip’s first and only love, but their relationship was shrouded in scandal. Intrigued, Gus agrees to help search for her. Could she still be alive?

Horrified when the miracle drug suddenly stops working and patients begin to backslide, Gus panics. Can he help Kip find his beloved Bella before all the memories disappear?

COVER: What a neat cover. As you probably remember, I like people on covers, so I'm drawn to this feather-clad jazz singer. The airplane in the top corner speaks to the plot of an unsolved mystery. I also like the blue color and font used for the title.

FIRST CHAPTER: Siegfried and Gus are walking along a New York street when Siegfried's sixth sense kicks into high gear. He takes off at a fast clip with Gus following confusedly behind. They come to a building, the top apartment of which has black smoke streaming from it.

KEEP READING: Absolutely. Like everything else I've read by Lazar, this story captures you quickly and fully. A leisurely walk turns into a race to save lives. Within a few short pages, Lazar's masterful storytelling draws you in to the point you must discover what happens to the people you've only just met. I look forward to reading the rest of this latest Gus LeGarde mystery.

File Size: 443 KB
Print Length: 261 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Aaron Paul Lazar; 1 edition (March 3, 2014)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00IS6EXG0

I received a free copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

This post first appeared at The Book Connection.

First Chapter Review: The Strangers on Montagu Street by Karen White

I purchased the third book in Karen White's Tradd Street series over a year ago with some gift cards I received. The first two books in this series captivated me, so I was eager to read this one; but I was so far behind in reviews when the book came out, I declined taking it on when the publicist offered it to me for review. This is one of the books I want to read soon, especially since the fourth book in the series, Return to Tradd Street, came recently.

BLURB:  Psychic realtor Melanie Middleton is still restoring her Charleston house and doesn't expect to have a new houseguest, a teen girl named Nola. But the girl didn't come alone, and the spirits that accompanied Nola don't seem willing to leave...

COVER: Like all of the books in this series, a house graced with Southern charm and elegance is featured on the cover. And if you know anything about this series, that charm and elegance belies the evil spirits hidden inside. This cover is a bit darker than the others, so it adds to the ominous feel.

FIRST CHAPTER: Melanie is awoken early one morning to find writer Jack Trenholm on the doorstep of her Tradd Street home--the one still being restored and costing her tons of money. He has not come alone, however. His estranged daughter, Nola, is with him. Still working through the challenges of becoming an instant father, he begs Melanie to allow Nola to stay with her over the summer.

KEEP READING: Yes, yes, yes! Why haven't I made room to read this book before now? All the things I love about this series are present from the very first words of The Strangers on Montagu Street. Immediately hooked, the mystery, conflict, and hint of the spirits that will arrive later are all here. White has the uncanny ability to draw you in immediately and not let you go. I'm sure this will be the case again if the story continues along the same vein.

If you love paranormal stories and are captivated by Southern living, you won't want to miss this one.


Series: Tradd Street (Book 3)
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: NAL Trade; 1 edition (November 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0451235266
ISBN-13: 978-0451235268


I purchased this book from Amazon. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

This post first appeared at The Book Connection.

First Chapter Review: For the Birds by Aaron Paul Lazar

When I first posted this First Chapter Review at The Book Connection, I toyed around with the format a bit. 

Aaron graciously sent me this book months ago, despite the fact that I hadn't reviewed the other book he had sent me before--FireSong. This man has the patience of Job, so he is to be commended. We  know each other online from the MurderBy4 blog, which I visit from time to time. Wish I had more time to visit blogs like that one, since I would love to write a mystery one day.

TITLE/AUTHOR:  For the Birds/Aaron Paul Lazar

BLURB:  What happens when a parakeet named Ruby gets an unexpected mind-meld with Marcella Hollister's quarrelsome mother, Thelma? After Thelma is kidnapped from her hospital bed, Marcella must find her -- somewhere in the tall pines of the six-million-acre Adirondack Park. With the help of her Native American husband Quinn and bizarre "tips" from Ruby, Marcella butts heads with quirky bird psychic Earl Tiramisu, much to the chagrin of the FBI, who wants her to stay out of the investigation.

Why is Tiramisu asking questions about Thelma's past and the money she's been spending? The FBI agents hint that it may be related to an unsolved fifty-year-old bank heist, but Marcella can't believe her annoying, but honest-to-a-fault mother could be involved.

Across the rugged Adirondack park landscape, a brutal scenario evolves, where the good guys aren't what they seem, and only Ruby's newly acquired talents provide slim hope for survival.

COVER: This is a neat cover. Based upon what I know from the first chapter, the rustic landscape is perfect. The orange bird ties into the title, and according to the blurb I know it has something to do with the plot. Except for suffering from looking way too computer generated, I like it.

FIRST CHAPTER:  Driving down a remote Adirondack dirt road, Marcella and her husband, Quinn, are looking for a hotel. They're lost, they're sweaty, and Marcella thinks her hubby is a bit of a control freak. Snoring in the back, oblivious to all the bumps in the road is Thelma, Marcella's mother. This doesn't look like a good way to start their adventure.

KEEP READING:  Definitely. Lazar manages to give the reader a lot of information in this first chapter without making her feel overwhelmed. Within a few pages, we learn Marcella is a bit of a cheapskate and a control freak. Her husband calls her babe, a lot. He's the calm and patient pitter to her hyper and impatient patter. There's even a hint that the relationship with her mother might not be perfect.

The author does a fine job of describing the setting and painting a picture for his reader, so that she feels like she is riding in the van alongside Marcella and Quinn, having her own teeth rattled going over each pothole.

My tiny nitpick, and it's really more a pet peeve, is that the main character's name isn't made known to the reader in the first chapter. You know it's Marcella from the back cover blurb, but Quinn only refers to her as babe, so you don't know her name until the second page of chapter two, when her mother talks to her. Here I am supposed to connect with this character on some level, and I don't even know her first name. Why does it bother me? I guess it's because I like to remember people's names and for them to remember mine. Silly? Yes.


Paperback: 242 pages
Publisher: Paladin Timeless Books (November 15, 2011)
ISBN-10: 1606191667
ISBN-13: 978-1606191668
SRP: $16.95

I received a free digital copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion. I received no monetary compensation of any kind for this first chapter review.

This post first appeared at The Book Connection.

Book Review: The Girl on Legare Street

Those who enjoyed Melanie Middleton and Jack Trenholm in The House on Tradd Street will definitely want to pick up the next book in this series, The Girl on Legare Street.

Melanie Middleton's mother abandoned her when she was just a child, leaving her with a father she was forced to take care of through his bouts of excessive drinking. Now Ginnette Prioleau Middleton has returned to Charleston and moved into their ancestral home on Legare Street. She seeks Melanie's help to restore the historical home, but the more time Melanie and her mother spend together, the more Melanie is reminded of how Ginnette deserted her and how the only thing they have in common is their ability to communicate with ghosts.

Ginnette's return has awakened a dark spirit whose strength continues to grow and who is out for revenge. Determined to protect her daughter, with Jack's help, Melanie and Ginnette must work together to fight the malevolent presence and save their family.

What a superb addition to the Tradd Street series from Karen White! Beautifully written, and with all the charm and mystery of the South, The Girl on Legare Street is certain to please readers.

In this new book, released by New American Library, several of the characters from the original book return: realtor Melanie Middleton and writer Jack Trenholm, Melanie's friends Sophie and Chad, Melanie's father, Jack's parents and a few others. White has done an excellent job of developing these characters further, while adding new mysteries and new characters into the mix.

Bringing Melanie's long lost mother home and forcing Melanie to deal with all the feelings she has toward the woman who deserted her over thirty years ago allows for a great deal of conflict. Add that to the uncertain relationship between Jack and Melanie, which seems to hover somewhere between friendship and romance, and the dark presence which Ginnette's return has awakened, and you've got a paranormal romantic suspense novel with Southern flair that grips you from the very first page.

Again, I am impressed with the beauty of the cover art, and the history lover in me likes to read of the past of the ghosts--nice and not so nice--that inhabit these homes while Melanie is forced to deal with her own past.

A story that is spooky, yet tugs at your heartstrings, is what you will find in The Girl on Legare Street.


Title: The Girl on Legare Street
Author: Karen White
Publisher: New American Library
ISBN: 978-0451227997
SRP: $15.00

This review first appeared at The Book Connection.

Book Review: The House on Tradd Street by Karen White

Brilliant and engrossing, The House on Tradd Street by Karen White brings the reader through Charleston's deep-rooted history and Confederate legends to uncover a story of passion, heartbreak, and murder.

Real estate agent Melanie Middleton visits with the elderly Nevin Vanderhorst just days before his unexpected death. Melanie isn't much into historic homes--even though she sells them for a living. She much prefers new construction, free of the ghosts that she's seen since childhood. When she inherits Vanderhorst's historic Tradd Street home she is less than thrilled, but their meeting and Nevin's letter about the mother he is sure would never have abandoned him encourage her to restore the house at 55 Tradd Street and try to unravel the mystery surrounding Louisa Vanderhorst's sudden disappearance.

In walks stunningly gorgeous Jack Trenholm, a true-crime writer obsessed with unsolved mysteries. He believes that the diamonds from the missing Confederate Treasury are stashed inside the house. Using Louisa's story Jack is able to convince Melanie to let him help with the restoration of the house in exchange for allowing him to perform research for his next book.

Neither of them quite knows what they are getting into. An evil ghost also resides in the house on Tradd Street and it doesn't want Melanie or Jack telling Louisa's story. How far will this spirit go to keep a secret?

This book captured me from the very first sentence. Steeped in Charleston's history and Civil War legends, The House on Tradd Street is a rare gem among paranormal mysteries. Exquisitely told, rich in descriptions, and filled with multi-faceted characters whose past lives are eloquently woven into each others, I was sad to read the last word of this moving novel.

White gets right to the heart of things by blending family secrets, love, legends, and the charm of the South, creating an emotional tale that will leave you begging for more. The cover art is strikingly handsome and truly completes one of the best novels I've read in my lifetime.

Lovers of southern fiction, paranormal mysteries, and moving stories that tug at the heartstrings will want to read The House on Tradd Street by Karen White.

Title: The House on Tradd Street
Author: Karen White
Publisher: New American Library
ISBN: 978-0-451-22509-2
U.S. Price: $14.00

This review first appeared at The Book Connection.