Crossing Into the Mystic (The Crossings Trilogy Book 1) by D.L. Koontz

by D.L. Koontz
review from e-reader

An emotional and historical book. Surprising, fascinating, sad yet sometimes fun, too. Following the sudden loss of her family, mother, stepfather and sister, 16 year old Grace comes into a very large inheritance which includes an estate in the Blue Ridge Mountains. She must live there for three months before it will officially be hers. The house belonged to her stepfather Jack. The only person who seems to be on Grace' side at this point is her cousin Michael, more protective of Grace in this strange family than anyone else. However, he is about to leave for Chile.

His mother is her appointed guardian, and a real piece of work. Aunt Tish has already used Grace's education fund, what will she take next? She is completely overbearing, and obviously a money-grabber, and only allowing Grace to take a trip to her inherited house because she wants it sold immediately if not sooner, and the money in Grace's accounts to which Aunt Tish has the access. It made me want to shake her! Fortunately, her Uncle Phil steps in and approves the trip and she is soon on her way along with her dog Tramp and cat Chubbs, leaving Boston for Williamsport, West Virginia.

Why does everyone seem shocked that she is going to stay in "Crossings", the name of the house? Why didn't the real estate agent or anyone from her company even go inside? Arriving at dusk, her first view of the house is a little off-putting; immense, very old, and in need of a little care, but Jack had built an extension onto the side which was much like a well-fitted apartment, ready and waiting. Jack's oasis. Her memories.

Seriously, I feel this book has it all. "Creepy" house, friendly town, loss, friendship, history, belief in the afterlife, but this is not your usual ghost story, actually pretty far from it, and yet Grace will be more at home there than anyone could have expected. She has the ability, unknown until now, to "see" ghosts. Now she must learn to not let them know she can see them. Her "subtle" vision could cause problems among the spirits of the world. How does one go about this complication? The ghost of the house is an ancestor, and therefore protective. This is a loving and beautiful story that takes the reader from the Civil War to the present. An exciting and very different way at looking at history. There is so much to be discovered in this book, I happily recommend it, with its insights, how the background stories weave throughout the past, but also how the loss of her grandmother brings out the future happiness of Grace even as she still grieves for her family. I absolutely loved this book, and learned from it.

Mirage by Nancy Gettleman

Published by Nightengale Press

Nancy Gettelman writes with an authenticity and realism I find comforting. It often feels as though she is personally telling me about something she has been doing. Of course, in the case of a murder mystery, that is not what she has been involved in other than trying to figure out "whodunit". The best way to describe this feeling is that parts of every story give me the feeling of familiarity. Exceptional physical descriptions of Milwaukee bring pictures to my mind. An awesome experience and very good writing to involve the reader to such an extent. If Gretchen Meier is typical of the people of Milwaukee, then I would put Milwaukee on my list of cities to visit.

Gretchen is a widow of several years with two grown sons working at a large beer distributorship. She has a very close relationship with her sons, and also with her mother-in-law. Immediately as the reader begins the story, Warren Reuter, the owner of the distributorship, is found dead in bed at his home. Assumed as an insulin overdose accidentally taken by the diabetic Warren himself, it takes a while for the coroner to discover this is not only a murder case, but the weapon and usage is very unusual. Gretchen is not your usual in-your-face nor butting-in-with-the-police type of protagonist, and most of her investigation is done in her thoughts. She thinks everything through thoroughly, she is very human and concerned about the people she suspects. She is also concerned about the fate of her sons, both as suspects and for their future in the business.

Who would have the knowledge and the motive to kill him? He was engaged to a young widow from California who sold her house at his request and moved to Milwaukee; she has a son who works in another town but visits her occasionally. He had recently offered to sell his share of the Green Bay distributorship to Gretchen's two sons, over the objection of his partner. Warren has two estranged sons. Who of these people and others would have a motive to kill him? Someone expecting to benefit from an inheritance? Who would have the special knowledge on how to kill him? Why does Marla, his fiancé, act so strangely? Life is, really, just a mirage. What we see is not necessarily real.

These are the questions that keep Gretchen awake at night and her mind will not leave her alone, especially once her sons become suspect. Enjoying her visits to talk with Warren's lawyer, Stephen Boswell, whom she has known socially for some time, they discover a mutual feeling of romantic interest. When his sister visits, she and Gretchen become fast friends, and Patricia encourages them. As a therapist, Patricia goes with Gretchen to visit Marla, and soon finds that she has a psychological personality disorder that has a bearing on Marla's isolation from the death, and which coincidentally also applies to Warren. She feels that both show signs of being sociopaths.

These are the bare bones of this latest book by Nancy Gettelman, enjoyable, suspenseful, and with psychological intrigue. There is enough in this book to make it part of a series, if the author wishes to. I think the combination of Gretchen, Stephen, and Patricia would make an excellent team for private or amateur investigation. Another intriguing novel for Nancy Gettelman, every one very different, and every one interesting.