In his first novel, The Legacy of Emily Hargraves, Alan Rose spins an articulate haunted house story, full of unexpected twists--but not only the bump-in-the-night kind typical of the genre. Rose twists the age-old tale of a haunting into a taut and tense, if unconventional, suspense thriller, complementing the visceral thrills with a psychological and intellectual depth.
Upon the death of his great aunt Emily, James Barrett and his partner, Jerry Fielding, move into her beautiful old house overlooking Seattle. They think they've inherited their dream home, but then Jerry begins to have dreams of an unusual nocturnal intruder. Evidence quickly builds to suggest that something terrible has happened--or is happening--in the house. Even more evident is the physical and psychological toll it is taking on Jerry. He is rapidly withering away, his energies sapped by the secret the house holds. The couple struggles to unravel Emily's "legacy" and confront the ghosts that are invading their lives.
The book has all the requisite elements of a spooky ghost story: a midnight light in the attic, a nosy neighbor, a mansion with creaky floors and suspicious corners. The story is engaging, the characters memorable and atmosphere creepy. However, the best part of the book is its cerebral rather than supernatural appeal. A ghost story, it also serves as an examination of theories about the paranormal.
Amazingly, Rose balances the erudition with the really tactile, earthy stuff: sharp wit, great sex scenes, legitimate scares, and several genuine surprises. My head and heart were thrumming to the last page.