In the Manor of the Ghost by Tina Pinson

Few books have had this effect on me: I finished in three days, and most of the time, I was reading past midnight to find out what would happen next. The story questions were beyond compelling; they were insistent. Who is the ghost? What are the mysteries lurking in the secret passageways of the manor, and why so much grief and guilt in the eyes of those who live In the Manor of the Ghost?

When Devlin Clayborne arranges to have Kaitlyn Dupree marry him, he has no intention of personal interaction with his beautiful, loving bride. Instead, he writes a business arrangement wherein she serves as "mother" to his child, and in turn, she becomes lady of the manor. Her reputation for kindness and her love for his son precedes her, and when she comes to stay, he does not account for the way her compassion and tenderness affect him. But will it be enough to dispell the shroud of gloom from the home, or from his soul?

Kaitlyn comes to the Manor with reluctance. The master of Clayborne Manor gives her the creeps. She has heard the ugly rumors about him, and she wants no part of him until her brother-in-law talks her into accepting the contract. She loves his son, but she also feels responsible for the womens shelter from which he threatens to withhold funding if she does not agree to wed. But she has something that Clayborne needs more than all of his wealth and land and titles. God's grace. Will it prove enough to go around?

Clever writing, a twisting plot, and many slowly unraveling mysteries await in this gothic-feeling romance. Secrets, rumors, and a sparking romance pulled me onward to see if a happily ever after ending would win out as two stubborn souls with painful pasts find solace in one anothers' arms. For a debut novel, Ms. Pinson has proven herself with a riveting tale and characters that will keep you guessing.