Published in 2014, The Ghost of Marlow House is the first of the Haunting Danielle series by Bobbi Holmes. The latest installment in the series, The Ghost and the Poltergeist, will be released around April 30.
Danielle Boatman arrives in Fredericksport, a fictional small town on the Oregon coast, to take possession of a three-story, turn-of-the-century mansion, left to her by her great-aunt, which she intends to turn into a bed and breakfast. Her friend Lily has come with her to help for the summer. However, when Danielle goes into Marlow House for the first time, she discovers it already is occupied – by the ghost of Walt Marlow. Danielle has a gift that allows her to see spirits other people normally can’t. So, Danielle can see Walt, and Lily can’t. While Walt is not aware that he is dead when he first meets Danielle, she quickly helps him adjust to his “new” reality. Walt can’t remember how he died, so he asks her for help to find out. After Danielle discovers that the town believes Walt Marlow committed suicide in 1925, he begs her to help him discover the truth about his death so he can “move on.” He is adamant that he did not commit suicide. Intertwined with the mystery of Walt’s death is the mystery of the “missing Thorndike,” a priceless necklace that also vanished in the 1920”s.
The fun in this series is not just solving the mysteries but getting to know the characters and the town of Fredericksport. Danielle, Lily, and Walt are fun people to get to know and the complications Danielle encounters as the only person able to hear Walt add humor to the novel. The ingenuity, doggedness and determination Danielle uses to solve both mysteries are the mechanism giving the reader their introduction to many of the characters that populate the series.
The Ghost of Marlow House is
a fun, cozy mystery that will invite you back to the town and its residents
again and again. If you like cozies, and
are looking for a new book, and/or a new series, I recommend The Ghost of
Marlow House and its sequels.
