The past has always felt near in the historic house of Jonathon Lydell III, who proudly advertises his family connection to the Virginia Lees. But now, history is repeating itself in a truly bizarre and spooky way. One hundred and fifty years ago, a guest staying in the Lydell family house was murdered in the “stranger room,” a guest room that is unconnected to the main house. The windowless room’s single door was closed and locked from the inside. The murder, never solved, fell into the background of the Civil War. But the town is shocked and mystified when, a century and a half later, another guest is murdered in the same stranger room, with the door again locked from the inside. Sheriff Ike Schwartz and FBI agent Karl Hedrick are dispatched to resolve the mystery of the strangely identical murders, but they meet with obstacles and resistance at every turn.
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"This was a great locked room mystery with quite the side trip. The characters are believable and in some cases quite detestable. If you like mysteries give this one a shot!" — Teresa (5 out of 5 stars)
"This was a great locked room mystery with quite the side trip. The characters are believable and in some cases quite detestable. If you like mysteries give this one a shot!"
“Ramsay skillfully weaves historical fact into his story, all the while blending brisk action with excellent characterization. Schwartz has matured throughout the series, and readers will eagerly await his next adventure.”
“Great characters, snippets of Southern culture and history, and snappy dialog...This is too good to miss.”
“Just when you think you have seen it all in mystery topics, one comes along that has a totally new twist…Once I picked up the book to read, I had a hard time putting it down…[it] kept me on my toes right to the end.”
“The unraveling of the mystery is done at a leisurely pace, allowing time for romances among the characters…All in all, this is an engaging…small town mystery with plenty of local ambience.”
" I wasn't sure about this book (audio version) when I picked it up at the library, but I enjoyed it very much. The reader does a good job with the characters. An enjoyable little mystery. Plus, I learned about what a stranger room is! "
" A surpisingly good historical American mystery. I am much more the British mystery fan...but this one really delivered on the locked room concept. Three and a half stars. "
" Not beyond awful, but the writing was so poor, and the characters so bland, I just couldn't read anymore - and that was after I forced myself to get halfway through. "
Frederick Ramsay was born in Baltimore and received a doctorate from the University of Illinois. After a stint in the army, he joined the faculty of the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He is also an ordained Episcopal priest and an accomplished public speaker. In addition to the Ike Schwartz mysteries, the Botswana mysteries, and the Jerusalem mysteries, Ramsay is the author of scientific and general articles, tracts, and theses and coauthor of the Baltimore Declaration. He lives in Surprise, Arizona, with his wife and partner, Susan.
Lloyd James (a.k.a. Sean Pratt) has been narrating since 1996 and has recorded over six hundred audiobooks. He is a seven-time winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award and has twice been a finalist for the prestigious Audie Award. His critically acclaimed performances include Elvis in the Morning by William F. Buckley Jr. and Searching for Bobby Fischer by Fred Waitzkin, among others.
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