Long and Short Reviews

The Lincoln Room by Valerie Patterson
Asylett Press
Contemporary Romance, Suspense/Mystery
Full length, Sweet
Review by Rose

Alexaundra Jerdan has returned to Highlands. Born and raised here in the local orphanage, she left after her high school to pursue a college degree that led to a career as a stockbroker. But the hectic pace of New York and dog-eat-dog way of business were not for her, so she's returned to her hometown to find peace and quiet, and begin a new career... in writing.

The need for research leads her to the town library where she finds solitude in The Lincoln Room. Most of the townspeople avoid this room... it's reputed to be haunted by a host of women who have died here by means of a secret rite.

But Alexaundra isn't afraid of ghosts so the empty room suits her perfectly. She's able to dive into her research without interruption. Then a librarian assistant brings her a book found in the stacks. A diary that belonged to one of the women who died in that room.

Seth Kizer is Highland's handsome sheriff. He's dedicated to his job. He's proud to be a Kizer, and he's relentless in one thing--warning Alex to stay away from the Lincoln Room. Will his warnings--as well as his family's secret--prevent him from getting close to Alex once she learns the truth about her hometown's history?

At first intrigued, Alexaundra is soon horrified at what she finds written in the diary, and tosses it aside, determined not to read further...that is, until the ghosts of the women who have died there begin to appear to her. All of them have the same plea – they want her to read the diary. They want her to understand what happened to them. They want her to know that the ritual has not stopped, and she is the only person who can help the next woman to be sacrificed...the one who got away..

♥ ♥ ♥

The Lincoln Room has everything a ghost-loving reader should love. A town history of disease and death. A curse that hangs over the town and, especially, one family. And a woman the ghosts choose to set right what has been wrong all these years.

Alex has returned to the hometown she grew up in only to discover her soul torn in a battle between spirits...good and evil. The Lincoln Room is the struggle of those spirits and a blooming romance between Alex and Seth, the town sheriff and one of the family who holds the secret about to be revealed. I personally did not find the book as scary as some of the other reviewers did. However, it was still a good read.

There are many secrets hidden throughout the book and the diary reveals them slowly. There are enough surprises and twists to keep the most dedicated mystery reader happy.

The characters of Seth and Alex are especially well-done. I found myself rooting for them and their relationship, even though there were times I wanted to give Seth a kick in the rear. He did redeem himself at the end, though. :-)

I would be interested in reading more of Ms. Patterson’s works.