Quick and disposable genre fiction (in this case, it's "supernatural suspense") but Michaels is able to design a lean and efficient plot that runs like sleek clockwork. There are zero literary pretensions, but she's a great deal of fun: her dialogue tartly convincing and her plot twists are both surprising and chilling. Her characters are also jolly: I especially adored the cynical, skeptical, helplessly love-struck Bruce, who displays unexpected depths beneath his facade of antagonistic intellectualism. ( )

Widowed Ruth Bennett (in her forties) lives in an old, historical home in Georgetown, Washington D.C. with her twenty-year-old niece, Sara. During a dinner party held in her home, a séance is held and a ghost temporarily takes possession of Sara. Eventually Ruth, Sara’s boyfriend Bruce, and an anthropology Professor Pat MacDougal try to find out what is haunting Ruth’s home and why.

I enjoyed this book even though it was slow and talky at times. The story took place in the late 1960’s and the era was described quite well. I liked the eerie feelings in the house, the cold in certain parts of the rooms, the apparitions. I was curious to see how everything would turn out in the end.

Another good read by Barbara Michaels. ( )

See book 3, Stitches in Time

See book 3, Stitches in Time

Ammie Come Home by Barbara Michaels is a 2005 Harper publication. (originally published in 1968)
I pulled this book from my personal paperback collection, looking for a ‘Halloween’ read.

I’ve been reading through my ‘Barbara Michaels’ books for several years now, but usually, due to the nature of her books, it’s normally around Halloween when I pluck one down from my shelf.

This is one of Michaels’ earlier efforts and is the first installment in the ‘Georgetown’ series.

The cast consists of four people:

Ruth- the favorite aunt
Sara- her niece
Bruce- Sara’s boyfriend/fiancé
Pat- a professor and a possible love interest for Ruth

After a ‘parlor game’ type séance, Sara shows the telltale signs of possession. This sets the foursome off on an intense investigation to discover who is behind the possession, who is haunting Ruth’s house, and why. Their research uncovers a sordid historical mystery… But how will they quiet the spirits?

This novel was originally published in 1968- and as such, it does show its age. However, despite the mild datedness and the use of many standard horror novel staples, this story is still quite effective. The story has all the great elements that create a good spooky tale of suspense. The mystery and amateur sleuthing are interesting, and the passages that describe the powerful entity haunting the characters and the house is atmospheric, and at times a little intense.

I read some of Michael’s novels back when I was a teenager- although by that time the Gothic horror/mystery/romance novel was no longer a hot trend- but since horror novels were my thing back then, I was fan- and Barbara Mertz did continue to write under this pseudonym well into the nineties.

For those who are not familiar- Barbara Mertz also wrote under the name ‘Elizabeth Peters’ – the author of the popular ‘Amelia Peabody’ mystery series.

Her work as ‘Barbara Michaels’ is often classified as ‘Gothic’, which was super popular in the sixties and seventies. In my opinion, some of her books could fall into the horror genre- such as this one and ‘Witch’- while others are milder and might even be labeled as romantic suspense. However, in my opinion, Michaels’ work was edgier and a bit more sinister than other popular authors who fell under the ‘Gothic’ label at the time, and her style was quite unique by comparison.

I must admit that the Michaels’ books I read over the past several years have been a mixed bag, though, with one or two of her last releases being barely recognizable. This one, however, was a good one and brought back memories of the books I devoured in my early teens and turned out to be my favorite ‘Halloween’ read this year.

4 stars ( )