The Girl On Legare Street by Karen White335 Pages
Published November 2009 by Penguin Group
Source: the publisher and Lisa with TLC Book Tours
After receiving a deadly premonition, Melanie Middleton's mother has returned to Charleston to warn Melanie of the danger. Unfortunately, this is the same daughter she walked out on over 30 years ago and Melanie is not happy to see her mother. But, by pulling some strings, Ginntte is able to get Melanie to work as her realtor as she buys back her family's ancestral home, the very home she fled from all of those years ago. Both women know that this is much more than just moving back home. Because this house is very much haunted. And a very malevolent spirit is in the home and wants to harm them. Ginnette knows it will take both of them to conquer the spirit, along with the help of Melanie's father and her friends. In order to vanquish the spirit, there are a lot of mysteries to be solved. Fortunately there have also been plenty of clues left. Now Melanie, Ginnette and crew just need to solve the clues before it's too late.
This is the second book in a series, the first being The House On Tradd Street which introduced the reader to the majority of the characters in this book. The reader does not have to have read the first book; White fills in all of the details the reader will need to be up to speed. It sometimes felt like too much detail to me, but that may have been because I had no sooner finished The House On Tradd Street before I picked this one up. Jack, the man with whom Melanie has a love/hate relationship, returns in this book as does an old flame of his. And that's where the romance novel aspect of this book comes into play as the three characters try to figure what's what between each of them. Like most of the other reviewers, I also felt like the relationship between Jack and Melanie got annoying at times and I had a problem with Melanie being so trusting of the old flame in some instances, while at other times being to leary of her.
I did like this book better than The House On Tradd Street; for the most part the romance portions took a back burner to the mystery/ghost aspect. I felt like White did a good job with the mystery, laying out the clues and pulling the reader along as the clues unfolded. I kept thinking that if I had been taking notes, I might have been able to solve the mystery myself. This one has some great twists and keeps the reader guessing trying to figure out just who the "bad guys" are. Once again, White gives the reader wonderful history of the Charleston area; clearly it is a subject of which she is very fond.
The ending of this book clearly sets up for a third book in the series.
I guess you're right that the reader wouldn't strictly HAVE to read the first book first, but I think they would be well served to, I don't think this would stand on its own super well.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree about this being the better of the two books, though. I liked the greater focus on the mystery as opposed to Melanie's love life. I also liked that this mystery was more personal, instead of being somebody else's family mystery.
I'm interested in the 3rd book mostly to find out what Marc Longo is writing and how it interferes with Jack's career.
Thanks for this review! I enjoyed House on Tradd Street and have been interested to see how this one stacked up! Hope you are having a great holiday season!! Smiles!
ReplyDeleteI did figure out the end about halfway through the book and I hated the very end. I don't like when authors set up the next book like that.
ReplyDeleteGreat review Lisa. I liked both of these books.
ReplyDeleteI liked this one more than the first, and you're right about Melanie being annoying. Though I think Karen White does a good job of showing this as part of Melanie's character while making readers able to still care about her. I'm looking forward to the next book, what with that new can of worms opened on the last page and all.
ReplyDelete--Anna
Diary of an Eccentric
It's good to know I can enjoy this one without reading The House on Tradd Street. Great review.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you liked it! I've been tempted to take notes while reading a book, but I never end up doing it. :) Thanks for being on the tour!
ReplyDeleteI liked the mystery in this one slightly better than the first--I think it had more to do with the upping of the creepiness factor for me though. And I was definitely glad the romance wasn't so out there with this one--although the back and forth between Jack and Melanie bothered me.
ReplyDeleteI am glad you enjoyed this one, Lisa.
I'm not a note taker while reading but sometimes I do wish I'd done that. I do mark pages if I feel I might want to go back to something though!
ReplyDeleteNice review of this one as well. I kept trying to keep all the facts straight so I could solve the mystery too. lol. I liked both books although I liked the ghost aspects in this one a bit better.
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