Overview

The Mackey House is a century-old house that has been converted to a quaint bed and breakfast in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. When a struggling writer returns to Mackey House for a writing retreat, he learns that the husband of the owner of the B&B has gone missing. Inspired by the enigmatic statue on the front lawn, he begins researching the tragic and twisted history of Mackey House, and its predecessor the Mackey Hotel, for his next novel. He teams up with a local Sheriff's deputy investigating the husband's disappearance, and they uncover secrets that will put them, body and soul, in the gravest danger.

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9781959480136

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"""A struggling author chasing a local legend finds himself imperiled in this horror novel. Jan Sorrensen's successful debut novel was fueled by his anger resulting from his unexpected divorce. But two years later, he's tapped out when it comes to ideas for his third book. While staying at the Mackey House in the Poconos, he becomes intrigued with the history of what is now a bed-and-breakfast. A statue in the front yard is a memorial for Flora, a maid killed in a fire at the Mackey Hotel. Things have changed dramatically when Jan returns the next spring. A couple staying at the Mackey died in a murder-suicide. Flora's ghost is rumored to haunt the structure. The guests dried up, and Dan Adams, one of the owners, bolted, leaving his wife, Sandy, to run the Mackey alone. Jan doesn't accept that Dan just took off. Neither does Kathy Jensen, a local cop and Sandy's cousin, whom Jan eventually convinces to look into Dan's vanishing. Jan falls for Sandy, who begins to look like a suspect in Dan's disappearance. And there isn't one but two versions of Flora haunting the Mackey and possessing Sandy. While Kathy carefully tries to investigate the case legally, Jan is more concerned with getting a story, putting himself in danger in the process. Johnson skillfully blends a gothic ghost story with the metamorphoses of the two main characters. Jan emerges from his crisis-induced funk, allowing himself to feel again, even though it's for the besieged Sandy. As he fearlessly seeks out Flora's tale, his intellectual curiosity gets fired up. The conflicted Kathy finally comes to the fore, searching for the truth, wherever it might lead, and showing her misogynistic fellow cops what she is capable of. The author effectively moves his edgy narrative from the impossible to the truth, however improbable, as his monsters take center stage. Flora's journals help bring her terrifying journey to life, fleshing out Johnson's narrative. The riveting story that results is both horrifying and life-affirming. A gripping tale about an ambitious writer, a determined cop, and a deadly myth."" -- Kirkus Reviews"

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