And these relics aren’t the only precious artifacts for which people are searching. A past adversary is convinced there is a long-lost Revolutionary War treasure buried somewhere on the property Melanie inherited—untold riches rumored to have been brought over from France by the Marquis de Lafayette himself and intended to help the Colonial war effort. It’s a treasure literally fit for a king, and there have been whispers throughout history that many have already killed—and died—for it. And now someone will stop at nothing to possess it—even if it means destroying everything Melanie and Jack hold dear.
Comment: This is the sixth installment in the Tradd Street series which I have enjoyed for the past months. The series follows protagonist Melanie, a real estate agent in Charleston who also happens to see ghosts. Although this has always been something Melanie tried to ignore, her life took quite a turn and she is slowly accepting this part of herself...
In this book, set during the Christmas holidays, not everything is festive for the Trenholms and their friends, considering the actions of nemesis Marc Long and his maneuvers to force them to accept the use of their house for a movie based on Marc's bestseller, an idea he stole from Jack. This and Melanie's need to protect Jack and the others adds up to some tension and stress, which makes everything more complicated. Besides that, there's the new ghosts following them, which are likely related to the discoveries on the cistern which is in the house's backyard. Will Melanie be able to trust others to help her or will she keep ignoring things she dislikes as she has been doing, even at the possible expense of her family life?
Although this book has a proper structure, it is wise to say I feel this should not be read out of order. There are way too many references and small situations which only mean something if one has had read the previous books. In terms of plot I think any reader would like this novel (if one likes the style and genre to begin with) but it is true some scenes and allusions might feel too confusing or too sudden.
Once again, I had a great time reading about these characters, even bearing in mind their flaws. Melanie is still a slightly insecure and somewhat too focused on her own vision of things, and this can certainly make her feel a bit unlikable here and there. To me, however, she is realistic and I confess I see myself in some of her thought processes, namely how she still sees herself as someone others might stop loving and as someone so complicated that she tries her best to make it avoidable for others to see her weaknesses, obviously making them even more glaring at the same time.
I too, sometimes, think someone else would not really want to endure spending time with me so I can understand some of her choices, but it can seem something quite different to other readers. She is also a little obsessed with symmetry and certain rules, as well as doughnuts and this can make her seem a bit immature but she is the complete opposite of it. I liked it that as the stories moved along, she started to see things she took for granted a certain way, for what they were when others explained their own version, namely her parents situation. I think Melanie has grew up but yes, she can be tricky to sympathize with sometimes.
In this story of course Melanie sees herself in a middle of more complications, some she could have avoided and I can't see why the author went with certain plot choices unless she really planned more books beforehand. I said it felt the 4th book had it all to be the last and even the loose points weren't that significant then, but now it does seem as if the final 7th installment will be the last and I'm curious to see how a certain subject, developed in the past books and yet to be fully solved in this one, will have its conclusion in the last book too.
No comments:
Post a Comment