I'll Be Waiting

I'll Be Waiting by Kelley Armstrong, 324 pages

As someone who has been dealing with cystic fibrosis her whole life, Nicola never expected to outlive her husband, Anton. But after a car accident, that's just what happened, and Nicola is left reliving Anton's final moments on the side of the road, whispering "I'll be waiting for you." Several months later, Nic is still haunted with grief, and has turned to spirit mediums to try to reconnect with her late husband. In an attempt to cut her off from the unhealthy relationship with fakes and cons, her friends and family convince Nic to try one last time, with a very scientific seance before calling it quits. That's how she ends up at Anton's grandmother's lake home with an American scientist, her brother-in-law, and a new friend from a grief counseling group. However, there's something from Nic's past that keeps popping up and potentially interfering with their attempts to reach Anton...

It's rare to find a horror novel featuring a character with a terminal illness that doesn't immediately become the center of the story, and it's lovely to see Nic portrayed as much more than her illness (it's more of a character trait than a definition). I loved the way Nic and her friends and family approached the seances (with a bit of dry humor and skepticism, even as they took part in the rituals), as well as the mix of easily explained and unexplained phenomena in the book. It does go a bit off the rails toward the end of the book, though that's the case in a lot of horror novels. All in all, this one was pretty decent. (However, reader beware if you don't like bugs. Bleh!)

My Darling Dreadful Thing

My Darling Dreadful Thing by Johanna Van Veen, 375 pages

For most of her young life, Roos has been the star of Mama's séances, using her spirit companion Ruth to pretend to commune the passed-on loved ones of paying séance guests. On top of feeling bad about ripping off these grieving people, Mama is actively abusive to Roos in any manner of ways, making her days even more miserable. So when widow Agnes attends a séance and offers up money to Mama to whisk Roos away to her stately home, Roos jumps at the chance, despite Agnes' creepy sister-in-law, the falling-apart house, and Roos' sneaking suspicion that her purpose at the estate is to help bring Agnes' late husband back as a spirit.

Told in alternating chapters between Roos' experiences and the transcript from visits with a psychologist, this gothic tale spins out in a way that's full of creeping dread and unease about what's real and what's not. A wonderfully creepy story, and perfect for spooky season. Recommended for fans of Shirley Jackson.

Murder on a Midsummer Night

Murder on a Midsummer Night by Kerry Greenwood (©2008, US edition 2009) 257 pages

Smart, sexy, fashionable Phryne Fisher juggles two different mysteries along with a very sweltering Australian summer in 1929, prior to air conditioning. First, a possible murder of Augustine, a junk shop owner whom everybody calls "good" and "honest." His death is currently listed as suicide, greatly upsetting his mother, who made the case that he would never do such a thing. Second, Phryne fields a request to look discreetly for a child who may have been born to a teenager in 1865, prior to a later marriage that produced four children. The woman has recently died, and her family and attorney find that they need this information in order to disperse her estate. Add theft, blackmail, greed, drug use, and excess alcohol into the mix and sprinkle with information about antiquities and some relevant history. Thus the scene is set. Phryne isn't always her cool, collected self in the impossible heat, but along with her usual crew of helpers and a couple retired actors, the knots eventually become untangled. 17th in the series, this book was a great read on a winter day!