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donnaj71's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this story but felt it was a bit slow moving. I loved the idea of the story more than anything. I love stories that involve something that happened in the past. I love when they go back to look at what happened in the past to dig out secrets by look into genealogy or long forgotten items that have been stored away. This book wasn't very long but it sure seemed to take longer to get to the next stage of the story. I kept putting it down but I've read bigger books in shorter times; the story just kept losing my interest. I enjoyed the ending as it wasn't what I expected and not something I've read before in another book.
michellereadatrix's review against another edition
5.0
I read this for the first time when I was maybe 10-years-old or so. My mother and grandmother were fans of the author and it was easy for me to fall in love with her writing as well.
Aspects of the story are dated, certainly the musical references that are there to make the heroine seem young and hip, but it's still an enjoyable read.
The writer is more famous for the Elizabeth Peters books, but I'm a Barbara Michaels fan through and through and think any of the books issued under that name are worth a read.
Aspects of the story are dated, certainly the musical references that are there to make the heroine seem young and hip, but it's still an enjoyable read.
The writer is more famous for the Elizabeth Peters books, but I'm a Barbara Michaels fan through and through and think any of the books issued under that name are worth a read.
sistermagpie's review against another edition
3.0
Another fun Barbara Michaels ghost story, this one set in a creepy house in Maine full of towers that look out on the sea. Somewhere a baby's crying, calling Mary, who recently had a miscarriage, out to care for it. Her husband, Ran (talk about a romance hero name!) calls her sister, Jo, back to help her and the family sets out to solve the mystery along with the oh-so-New England couple who helps out at the house, Ran's best friend Will and a pantsuit-wearing glamorpuss psychiatrist.
As with the other Barbara Michaels I read, the book's almost more notable for the late 60s/early 70s amosphere than the spooky one. Jo is young and hip, arguing with her older sister about listening to the Beatles (who her sister insists on calling "The Insects"). Will has to get over his sexism to get together with Jo, though frankly he never seems to get over it as far as I can see. Early on he diagnoses Mary as suffering simply from being spoiled and petulant, having never had to deal with stress, despite the fact that Mary was orphaned young, raised a younger sister and has had several miscarriages. I was a little disappointed at the way none of the characters ever brought Mary into the mystery solving. As sexist as Will's dismissals are, I couldn't see why everyone else agreed that Mary ought to be treated like an invalid just because she was most vulnerable to the ghosts.
Jo herself has to get over her crush on older sister's handsome, sexy husband that she's been coveting since puberty--which I suspect was pretty daring at the time the book was written! In fact, the roles of women are obviously a central subject for the author, as one of the ghosts that haunt the house was also the victim of a misogynist society.
As with the other Barbara Michaels I read, the book's almost more notable for the late 60s/early 70s amosphere than the spooky one. Jo is young and hip, arguing with her older sister about listening to the Beatles (who her sister insists on calling "The Insects"). Will has to get over his sexism to get together with Jo, though frankly he never seems to get over it as far as I can see. Early on he diagnoses Mary as suffering simply from being spoiled and petulant, having never had to deal with stress, despite the fact that Mary was orphaned young, raised a younger sister and has had several miscarriages. I was a little disappointed at the way none of the characters ever brought Mary into the mystery solving. As sexist as Will's dismissals are, I couldn't see why everyone else agreed that Mary ought to be treated like an invalid just because she was most vulnerable to the ghosts.
Jo herself has to get over her crush on older sister's handsome, sexy husband that she's been coveting since puberty--which I suspect was pretty daring at the time the book was written! In fact, the roles of women are obviously a central subject for the author, as one of the ghosts that haunt the house was also the victim of a misogynist society.
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