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A review by hugbandit7
House of Ashes by Loretta Marion
5.0
There are some days I want to read a suspense filled book and this one did the trick. There were so many stories to unravel, personal histories to understand, and a mystery to solve that I had a hard time putting this book down each night. I also can't discount the descriptive words of the town, Battersea Bluffs, the residents in the town, and the area in general.
The story starts off 80 years in the past with the deaths of Percy and Celeste, Cassie's Great Grandparents that came to the US from England. Throughout the book we get glimpses of the past which helps us understand the spirits in the home and Cassie's quest to find the truth about her ancestors, her sister, and her newest friends that have disappeared. The crux of the book focuses on Cassie's new friends, Ashley and Vince, who have suddenly disappeared. Is there foul play involved? Did they leave on their own accord? Are they even who they claim to be? Cassie formed a bond with Ashley and Vince, even if she really doesn't know the truth about them and their past, so when they vanish she is concerned about them and their safety especially since they left their dog behind. As a dog lover, I would have thought exactly the same as Cassie, that something has happened because they loved Whistler and wouldn't leave him behind.
The book moves at a somewhat slower pace which is good and bad. Good because it layers of the mystery are peeled back like an onion, but bad because I wanted to know what the heck happened to Ashley and Vince! There are several other minor mysteries encapsulated in this book - why Cassie's sister Zoe won't come back to Whale Rock? Who is behind an art purchase? Is the house haunted or are the spirits friendly? What is the real story of the supposed curse on the family? All of these play a minor part in the story and some even tie in to the disappearance.
There is a little bit of a romance too between Cassie and FBI agent Daniel, but she also has a past with a deadbeat ex-husband and a high school love that she has a fling with when she realizes the marriage is dying. There is also Brooks, aka Chuckles, who has a thing for Cassie but also dated her sister in high school. That kind of makes him off limits in Cassie's mind.
I will admit that Cassie does not have her life together at 37. Sometimes you just have to wonder how people like her make it this far in life, but at the same time wonder if there is an underlying psychological issue that is the root cause of her actions.
Many questions are answered in the book with some twists I didn't expect and we might not have known if Cassie didn't push for the truth from those she questioned about her family and the past, and about her missing friends.
We give this 5 paws ups for keeping us in suspense for the whole book!
The story starts off 80 years in the past with the deaths of Percy and Celeste, Cassie's Great Grandparents that came to the US from England. Throughout the book we get glimpses of the past which helps us understand the spirits in the home and Cassie's quest to find the truth about her ancestors, her sister, and her newest friends that have disappeared. The crux of the book focuses on Cassie's new friends, Ashley and Vince, who have suddenly disappeared. Is there foul play involved? Did they leave on their own accord? Are they even who they claim to be? Cassie formed a bond with Ashley and Vince, even if she really doesn't know the truth about them and their past, so when they vanish she is concerned about them and their safety especially since they left their dog behind. As a dog lover, I would have thought exactly the same as Cassie, that something has happened because they loved Whistler and wouldn't leave him behind.
The book moves at a somewhat slower pace which is good and bad. Good because it layers of the mystery are peeled back like an onion, but bad because I wanted to know what the heck happened to Ashley and Vince! There are several other minor mysteries encapsulated in this book - why Cassie's sister Zoe won't come back to Whale Rock? Who is behind an art purchase? Is the house haunted or are the spirits friendly? What is the real story of the supposed curse on the family? All of these play a minor part in the story and some even tie in to the disappearance.
There is a little bit of a romance too between Cassie and FBI agent Daniel, but she also has a past with a deadbeat ex-husband and a high school love that she has a fling with when she realizes the marriage is dying. There is also Brooks, aka Chuckles, who has a thing for Cassie but also dated her sister in high school. That kind of makes him off limits in Cassie's mind.
I will admit that Cassie does not have her life together at 37. Sometimes you just have to wonder how people like her make it this far in life, but at the same time wonder if there is an underlying psychological issue that is the root cause of her actions.
Many questions are answered in the book with some twists I didn't expect and we might not have known if Cassie didn't push for the truth from those she questioned about her family and the past, and about her missing friends.
We give this 5 paws ups for keeping us in suspense for the whole book!