Ghosts, Lore & a House by the Shore
About Ghosts, Lore & a House by the Shore
A new town. A haunting legend. New beginnings or the beginning of the end?
After Cassie MacGuire’s husband dies in a plane crash along with her father, both her and her mother, Lily Bennett, are left as widows. Looking to make a new start, they move together to the quiet seaside town of Hideaway Bay. But their new home, Whispering Manor, has a reputation stretching back centuries. Legends of ghosts, paranormal disturbances and pirate treasure are all associated with the former sea captain’s mansion, starting with the death of its first mistress, Henrietta Blanchard.
When Cassie stumbles upon Henrietta’s journal and Lily uncovers a more recent tragedy in the home, they begin to wonder if the stories may be fact instead of fiction. When the strange occurrences turn dangerous, Lily and Cassie will have to investigate to save their home and possibly even their very lives!
Ghosts, Lore & a House by the Shore is the charming first installment in this small, seaside town mother-daughter cozy mystery series by Nellie H. Steele.
About Nellie H. Steele
An Indies Today finalist for Best Book of the Year 2020 with Cleopatra’s Tomb, Nellie H. Steele made the leap from science to art with her first book, The Secret of Dunhaven Castle.
An animal enthusiast, Nellie often features a version of one of her fourteen rescue animals in her stories, though the fictional pets are usually better behaved than her own fur-babies! A literary split personality, Nellie’s work ranges from cozy mystery to supernatural suspense to riveting adventure.
She lives in the South Hills of Pittsburgh. When she isn’t writing or engaging in animal care, she enjoys teaching Statistics and Data Science at a local university.
Check out all Nellie offers at www.anovelideapublishing.com/novels or at her blog, Nellie’s Book Nook, available at www.nelliesbooknook.com!
Author Links
My Thoughts
Ghosts, Lore and a House by the Shore by Nellie H. Steele is the debut of Lily & Cassie By the Sea Mysteries. I enjoyed reading this engaging cozy mystery. I like the author’s writing style (casual). I was immediately drawn into the story. We meet Lily and Cassie who are mother and daughter. They have just lost their husbands in a plane crash. They decide a fresh start is in order. They buy a beautiful Queen Anne Victorian called Whispering Manor in Hideaway Bay which they soon learn has a reputation for being haunted. It is a good thing that neither lady believes in ghosts. While cleaning the house, they find the diary of the original mistress of the home, Henrietta Blanchard. Lily begins reading the book to learn more about the original owner. Cassie learns that a tragedy occurred in Whispering Manor almost thirty years ago. She wants to know more about the tragedy and begins digging for information. Someone is not happy to learn about their inquiries and attempts to warn them off. There are also some strange events happening at the house. Cassie and Lily are determined to uncover the truth. Are there ghosts in Whispering Manor or is someone trying to run the ladies out of their new home?
I liked getting to know Lily and Cassie. They are lovely ladies who suffered a terrible tragedy. They have a close relationship which I liked. They drew strength from each other. I loved the descriptions of Whispering Manor (I want this house). I can understand why Lily and Cassie were drawn to the home and the town. Hideaway Bay is a friendly town (with one or two exceptions). People go out of their way to welcome the ladies to the town. Of course, they are all curious to see inside the house and hear about any unusual activity. The mystery was fun. I enjoyed following it. I could not wait to see how it would all turn out. I gathered clues and waited to see if my hunch was correct. I liked learning about the history of the house and the inclusion of the diary entries. I loved Willy, the one-eyed tuxedo cat that the ladies (mostly Cassie) acquired. He is a cute and clever kitty. I like the cozy moments in the story between mother and daughter. I enjoyed the humor in the story as well. I was sorry to reach the end of Ghosts, Lore and a House by the Shore. I am looking forward to Cassie and Lily’s next adventure. Ghosts, Lore and a House by the Shore is a delightful tale with a haunted house, a clever cat, a seaside souvenir shop, frightening threats, whispering winds, and a startling surprise.
Excerpt
“There’s no need to explain at all. We understand.” She took a sip
of her tea as awkward silence fell over the room. “Speaking of signs, I noticed
your Whispering Manor sign dangling sideways from the lamppost sideways. I’m
not sure if you saw it.”
“Yes,” Lily answered. “We hung it just before lunch and the chain
snapped. We’ll need to fix it later. I insisted we have some lunch before
Cassie climbed that ladder again.”
“Ah, yes. A faulty chain.” Tinsley offered a knowing glance. “I’m
glad to see you are both so level-headed and didn’t give in to the lore.”
“Lore?” Cassie inquired.
“Oh, yes,” Tinsley said with a slow nod of her head. “I’m
surprised Lucy didn’t tell you. Though, then again, she wanted to make the
deal, no doubt. And I suppose she’s not really required to disclose it. It IS
only a rumor. And technically the death wasn’t IN the house.”
“Death? Disclose what?” Cassie asked.
“Oh,” Tinsley said flicking her hand at Cassie and shaking her
head. She puckered her lips and narrowed her eyes. “Nothing, nothing. Just…”
She paused and added a dramatic shrug. “Some people would have read the
snapping sign as a harbinger of bad things to come because…”
Cassie raised her eyebrows and cocked her head.
Tinsley glanced side-to-side before leaning forward and pressing her hand to the side of her mouth. “The house is haunted,” she whispered.
Kris
The Avid Reader
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Thank you for featuring my book and the lovely review! I'm so glad you enjoyed the story!
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