Book Review: Shadows in Summer

Summary from GoodReads:

Plagued by dreams of her dead father, Katrina Nielsen returns to her native Denmark to face the ghosts of her past. After seven years in New York, sidelined by a career-ending injury, Katrina is determined to reunite her shattered family. But when she and her American husband, Richard, purchase Sound House, an ordinary-looking home overlooking the water, a series of weird events begins: inexplicable smoke and footsteps, a ghostly face at the window. After she is “pushed” down the cellar stairs by an unseen force, her charming (if slightly creepy) neighbor, Søren, convinces her that she is being haunted by the ghost of Karl Damsgaard, the original owner of Sound House. As the terrifying disturbances escalate, the desperate couple puts their faith in Rowena, a flamboyant psychic – which leads to the book’s tragic conclusion. Inspired by actual events, Shadows in Summer is a deliciously scalp-prickling tale that will haunt readers long after the final page.

My Review: I have to admit, I haven't had the pleasure of reading too many ghost stories. I mean, sure, I've read Casper, but usually they don't grab my attention enough for me to actually pick up the book to read it. With this book, the first thing that got me was the cover. I'd have read the book just for that. It made such a statement with such a simple graphic. The next thing that spiked my curiosity was "A Novel in Six Voices." I mean, are you series? Wow.

I know some of you are thinking that there has to be mass confusion within the book to be in six different voices. It is wonderfully written and very easy to follow. I didn't have any trouble at all.

There's great descriptions of location and even some history included with this book. You can actually vision yourself there. Another great thing is that you aren't left wondering for half of the book. You get the ghost *introduction* early on. It's a subtle read that stays interesting but does not try to load you with fear.

I found this book very different from what I've read. The plot isn't a simple guess for the conclusion. There were characters to love and characters you found yourself hating, but still wanting more of them because you were loving it. There are also characters that you'll find yourself feeling sorry for. Crescent Varrone covered everything you could want with strong characters.

This is a great book and allows you to *see* things through the eyes of several characters. This is a must have for all library collections. Once you pick it up, you will not want to put it down.

RATING: ♥♥♥♥♥

Pages: 439

Softcover

Review copy of this book provided by the author/publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. In no way did the provision of the book affect the outcome of my review.