Listen to the Ghost

Beverly Stowe McClure

Review by Molly

The sound of music, a pink mist, missing jewelry, a voice singing, swirl of leaves and a voice calling ‘help me’ set the stage for a most unexpected summer. Seventeen year old Jade Dalton, her friend Elaine Morrow and Jade’s nineteen year old brother David travel from their Texas home to Charleston South Carolina to embark upon a house sitting stint for the Dalton Grandparents. David plans to work at the restaurant where he usually works while visiting his grandparents. Jade has brought art work to show during Piccolo Spoleto. The only thing that prevents Jade from thinking she has lost her mind are the confessions of Elaine and David that they too have heard the singing. Matt Logan, orphan, family acquaintance appears with his saxophone within days of their arrival. David is sure Jade is overwrought when she insists a ghost is haunting the house, a fusillade of flying burgers and trimmings convinces all four young people that something more than old house and old wiring is busy in the old Victorian mansion.

When the pink mist materializes into a girl resembling Jade the four teens are thrust into a race with time to help Phoebe, find her missing wedding rings before July 1 thus bringing her the peace she has long sought since her untimely death on her wedding day in 1923. A stalker of an ex boyfriend, Matt’s discovery that he has family he never realized, and blossoming romance all play out to a satisfying conclusion.

Author McClure has produced a real page-turner of a read in Listen to the Ghost. Reader interest is maintained from the opening lines when we meet Jade puzzling over the music she hears coming from somewhere in the house. Connection is held fast as we encounter the lighthearted ghost, and is continued past the insistence of the stalker ex boy friend who just will not take no for an answer and right down to the last paragraphs as we all attend Jade’s eighteenth birthday party.

Listen to the Ghost is not only tense or high-strung activity. Phoebe the ghost is a delight who ‘borrows’ the girls’ jewelry and clothing, paints a mustache and beard on the portrait of the ex boyfriend and lobs veggies and patties at the young people. Writer McClure creates a nicely honed work filled with spine tingling action, clever scenarios, and well fleshed characters in this deftly written narrative. Forceful motivations, precarious twists of story line, first class conversation fill the pages in this exciting read.

Sure to please the target audience Listen to the Ghost has a place in the home pleasure reading library.

You can find more about this young adult book at Twilight Times Publishing.