Into the Fire

The Haunting of Hallows House (The Casebook of Atticus Priest 3) by Mark Dawson

Mark Dawson was born to write the Atticus Priest novels, including the recent novellas narrated by his assistant/partner private investigator "Jez." Atticus Priest is one of the most fascinating characters – not entirely unusual with all of his idiosyncrasies because many characters have them. It's just that his social skills are also unique, and he really has no time to mess around. Where there's a mystery needing to be solved, he wants to get about his business. Atticus is one of my all-time favorite characters. And his partner "Jez" is the perfect sidekick, filling in the necessary blanks that Atticus usually omits. 

Hallows House has been purchased by a wealthy couple unaware of the magnitude of the folklore surrounding this ancient, one-family-owned mansion/estate. The last of the local family was forced to sell it because of his rising debt. With the residual money that remained, he purchased a local pub in this small English town and did his share of ranting about having to sell it and to whom. 

The wealthy couple hoped to make it into a fabulous hotel/resort for an elite clientele and really didn't take into account how the townspeople might react to their presence and intentions. When things began to crash and go boom all over the house in the middle of the night, the crazy stories of Black Nell whose bones reside in a coffin in the basement are starting to make sense. So much sense that they enlist the services of Atticus Priest to determine what is really going on because they fear the spirit of Black Nell will be their undoing.  

Arrangements are made for Atticus and Jez to stay at the house to discover the mystery. Jez is nervous, not thoroughly convinced there isn't a ghost doing dirt at Hallows House, but Atticus relishes the challenge. 

It's a fun mystery, and Atticus invests his clever mind and semi-secretive ways to uncover what is truly happening in the haunting of Hallows House. 

I highly recommend all of the Atticus Priest novels and these novellas. 

Again, Lord, please supply all that Mark needs to do what you've called him to do. Bless him and his family and may they know from whom their talents are given. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.