The House on Tradd Street (Book One) by Karen White

White, Karen. 2008. The House on Tradd Street. New York, NY: Berkley, a division of Penguin Random House.

I've had a little trouble finishing books lately for several reasons, primarily because of all the activity surrounding sending my last kiddo off to college in August (sob)! I have a 30 minute, twice daily, commute and some days that is all the "reading' I am able to do.

I had been meaning to read this series over the years, and requested this first one through Inter Library Loan (ILL) since we did not own it on audio at my library. I also downloaded the book to read along with the audio, and just finished it this weekend. Yay, for finishing a book! I enjoyed it and am eagerly looking forward to the next one in the series, as well, called The Girl on Legare Street. The author mentioned it was originally supposed to be a two-book series, but is now 5 books long, with the 6th coming out in October. It's a testament to the author that she can continue a series for so long, and have so many happy fans continuing to read it.

Set in Charleston, South Carolina, this novel introduces Melanie Middleton, a type-A realtor who has an annoying little ability to see...ghosts; and Jack Trenholm, a disgraced author who is a little bit too interested in a house on Tradd Street that Melanie has unwillingly inherited from an almost-stranger. Other quirky, and some menacing, characters populate this enjoyable story, and epistolary sections break up the narrative to give background to some of the history explored in the book.

There are a lot of secrets to be revealed in this novel, as there usually are in Karen White's novels, and she does an excellent job of revealing them in a way that keeps the suspense at a high level and the reader turning the pages. Oh, and there's a DOG, named General Lee, which is always a plus in my book, so to speak. 😊 I will look forward to spending more time with these characters in the rest of the series - once I get The Teen launched out into the world (or at least off to college)!

I would recommend The House on Tradd Street to fans of Southern Fiction, Women's Fiction, and those who enjoy a little Gothic paranormal in their reads.

Happy Reading!