Publisher's Weekly Review
Dressler takes up the perspective of a ghost in this gothic tale with a modern twist. In the book's alternate universe, ghosts are a known entity but are so unwelcome that professional hunters work around the clock to eradicate them. Emma Rose has inhabited Lambry House ever since her death nearly a century ago. But when a hunter comes after her so that new owners can move in, Emma will have to fight to save herself and what little still exists of the personality she had while alive. Moving seamlessly between the present and Emma's past, the narrative ratchets up the tension slowly as secrets from the past are revealed and the living come to terms with their own mortality. Dressler makes great use of the tension that arises from characters fighting against the very things they will one day become. The living and dead occupying the same space sparks insightful, but never overbearing, discussions of life and death. In this enjoyably claustrophobic novel set almost completely within Lambry House, Dressler reaches beyond the grave to consider the lengths that people go to in order to leave their mark behind. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
A real estate agent is fighting tooth and nail to pawn off a pricey piece of property in a Northern California logging town. Selling the old-money mansion would be a breeze were it not for the unpredictable paranormal activity taking place every time the house is shown to a new yuppie couple. The realtor hires a reputable spirit hunter to clean the property of hauntress Emma Rose Finnis, who has no plans to leave the material world. Emma isn't in the business of scaring potential homebuyers for naught. She is working tirelessly to have her life remembered. The house she haunts once belonged to the family of her lover, a family that deemed her unfit to marry their heir. She perished in the early 1900s while fighting for her right to love and is committed to disturbing the peace until she can find some of her own. Told in alternating timelines, sliding seamlessly between Emma's time in life and in death, Dressler's chilly new story is one woman's unforgettable fight for visibility.--Eathorne, Courtney Copyright 2017 Booklist
Library Journal Review
In a picturesque village along the coast of Northern California, mysterious events are occurring, and a professional ghost hunter is called in to purge the old Lambry estate of malevolent spirits and help secure the sale of the cliffside property. But the ghost of Emma Rose Finnis, strong and relentless, has been lurking for more than 100 years and is not ready to give up her secrets. As a child, Emma was a humble servant at the estate. When she and one of the young Lambry men fell in love, the family saw to it that their relationship was crushed. Now the ghost hunter and the real estate agent must work together to expose Emma Rose, but as they do, their own life stories begin to unravel. VERDICT In this highly atmospheric and beautifully crafted novel, the movements of the ghost of Emma Rose are both palpable and fascinating. This latest from Dressler (The Deadwood Beetle) is spellbinding from page one.-Susanne Wells, Indianapolis P.L. © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
