The Victorian Locket

Galveston Historical Mystery, #1

by

Elefair King

An intriguing ghostly mystery infused with the history of the coastal city and the devastating 1900 hurricane.

The Victorian Locket is the first novel in author Elefair King’s intriguing Galveston Historical Mystery series and tells the story of the South Texas coastal town’s devastating 1900 hurricane and its reputation as one of the most haunted places in America. Recent widow Sarah Anne Law, a long-time visitor and new resident to the island, discovers an old locket hidden in a well-concealed hidey hole in a bedroom fireplace. While her old Victorian house appears to be home to at least two benign ghostly inhabitants, the locket seems to bring with it a more aggressive spirit. Intrigued and concerned, Sarah is compelled to look into the history of her home and the locket, convinced murder is part of its past. 

Sarah, known to her friends as Sam, is an intrepid researcher determined to uncover the stories of the past. Still grieving the death of her spouse, she has relocated to the city of her childhood memories and adult retirement dreams, purchasing a 120-year-old Victorian home and escaping the everyday places she shared with her lost love. Along with her feline companion, who proves to be a good indicator of the presence of the unseen and validates her owner’s own impressions, Sam is much more accepting of the weirdness going on in her home than I would ever be! I literally feel the cold just thinking about the spirit related to the locket. 

The plot moves between the past and present as the story of the locket comes to light and how the spooky happenings in Sam’s home are related. The story goes into great detail about the Big Storm of 1900 that destroyed the vibrant, thriving town of millionaires that was Galveston at the turn of the century. Sam’s explanation of why there are so many spirits still tied to the island was interesting and one that I’d never heard before. 

With its mesmerizing mix of historical fact, mystery, and supernatural fiction, I recommend THE VICTORIAN LOCKET to readers of historical mysteries who enjoy a bit of the woo-woo in their stories. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy through RABT Book Tours and PR.