Welcome to my stop on The House on Prytania book tour! Special thanks to Berkley for an arc & tour invite. Scroll below for my review, the book synopsis and a meet the author feature.
A woman is haunted--both literally and figuratively--by ghosts of the past in this second novel of the Royal Street series by New York Times bestselling author Karen White.
Author: Karen White
Series: Royal Street #2
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: May 9, 2023
Order Link: Amazon
Review:
Fans of the Tradd Street series will love the Royal Street series as fan favorite characters and their offspring often appear. The House on Prytania is the second book in the Royal Street series. Jack and and Melanie's oldest daughter Nola is featured as she returns to the city where she grew up. While Nola isn't a psychic, she gets a certain vibe when ghosts are present and it's not long before she senses the spirits inhabiting her new home, Creole Cottage. While most are friendly, Nola senses a malevolent spirit and needs to figure out what's preventing them from crossing over. When a shocking revelation throws her and Beau (the brother of Sunny who's returned home) together, sparks fly but both are resolved to the fact that nothing can happen between them. Nola throws herself into solving the mystery of the ghosts in her house, the childhood kidnapping of Sunny and what involvement, if any, her former beau Michael and his powerful family have in it all.
Karen White has a delightful way of pulling readers right into the middle of her highly atmospheric settings. You breathe in the ambiance - the sights, sounds and smells of an old city like New Orleans. I felt like I was touring NOLA in The House on Prytania - the restaurants, streets, old cemeteries, and famous landmarks. She has a gift for incorporating it all into a steady paced mystery that unfolds through well developed characters that you can't help but love. A hint of romance, a touch of paranormal and a side dose of humor are added enticement to keep turning pages. And while I can't say the big reveal was shocking to me, the story was highly readable and entertaining. While this is a spin-off series of Tradd Street, you can start here without a bump in your reading due to the great job White does of weaving in needed backstory. Having said that, I do advise reading book one, The Shop On Royal Street, only because it's a great story and introduction to the Royal Street series.
The House On Prytania is an intense, character driven story with all the elements of a great mystery. The characters, both alive and dead, are intriguing, easy to find empathy for and make up the perfect support cast for Nola as she tackles home renovations, the mystery of the ghosts surrounding her and answers to the mystery of who kidnapped Sunny. Fans of paranormal suspense will love this book and series. I highly recommend it to them plus fans of mysteries and suspense thrillers.
Synopsis:
Nola Trenholm may not be psychic herself, but she's spent enough time around people who are to know when ghosts are present, and there are definitely a few lingering spirits in her recently purchased Creole cottage in New Orleans. Something, or someone, is keeping them tethered to this world. And not all of them are benign.
But with the sudden return of Sunny Ryan, Beau Ryan's long-lost sister, Nola has plenty to distract her from her ghostly housemates. Especially when the tempting--yet firmly unavailable--Beau, wanting to mete out justice to those he blames for Sunny's kidnapping, asks Nola for a favor that threatens to derail her hard-won recovery and send her hurtling backward. He asks her to welcome Michael Hebert back into her life, even though Michael is the reason for Nola's bruised heart. Beau is convinced that Michael's powerful family was behind Sunny's disappearance and that Michael is the key to getting information the police won't be able to ignore--if Nola is willing to risk everything for which she's worked so hard.
Torn between helping Beau and protecting herself, Nola doesn't realize until it's almost too late why the ghosts are haunting her house--a startling revelation that will throw her and Beau together to fight a common enemy. Assuming Nola can get Beau to listen to what the spirits are trying to tell him, because ignoring them could prove to be a fatal mistake...
But with the sudden return of Sunny Ryan, Beau Ryan's long-lost sister, Nola has plenty to distract her from her ghostly housemates. Especially when the tempting--yet firmly unavailable--Beau, wanting to mete out justice to those he blames for Sunny's kidnapping, asks Nola for a favor that threatens to derail her hard-won recovery and send her hurtling backward. He asks her to welcome Michael Hebert back into her life, even though Michael is the reason for Nola's bruised heart. Beau is convinced that Michael's powerful family was behind Sunny's disappearance and that Michael is the key to getting information the police won't be able to ignore--if Nola is willing to risk everything for which she's worked so hard.
Torn between helping Beau and protecting herself, Nola doesn't realize until it's almost too late why the ghosts are haunting her house--a startling revelation that will throw her and Beau together to fight a common enemy. Assuming Nola can get Beau to listen to what the spirits are trying to tell him, because ignoring them could prove to be a fatal mistake...
Meet the Author:
Raised in a house full of brothers, Karen’s love of books and strong female characters first began in the third grade when the local librarian issued her a library card and placed The Secret of the Old Clock, a Nancy Drew Mystery, in her hands.
Karen’s roots run deep in the South where many of her novels are set. Her intricate plot lines and compelling characters charm and captivate readers with just the right mix of family drama, mystery, intrigue and romance.
Not entirely convinced she wanted to be a writer, Karen first pursued a career in business and graduated cum laude with a BS in Management from Tulane University. Ten years later, in a weak moment, she wrote her first book. In the Shadow of the Moon was published in August, 2000. Her books—referred to as “grit lit” (Southern Women’s Fiction)—have since been nominated for numerous national contests including the SIBA (Southeastern Booksellers Alliance) Fiction Book of the Year.
Karen’s latest novel, Dreams of Falling, was published in June, 2018 by Berkley Publishing, a division of Penguin Random House Publishing Group.
When not writing, Karen spends her time reading, scrapbooking, playing piano, and avoiding cooking. Karen and her husband have two grown children and currently live near Atlanta, Georgia with two spoiled Havanese dogs.
- See more at: http://www.karen-white.com/bio.cfm#st...
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