Caroline Farr

Paula Forbury travels to the Hawaiian island of Maui when she receives an inheritance from her late uncle that she never even knew. Strange things begin happening to Paula starting on the plane ride to Hawaii with the bothersome odd man seated next to her. When she finally reaches her late uncle's estate, Matangi, far up in the isolated hills, she finds that it is no more than a rundown and decaying mansion. Although despondent, Paula decides to make a go of living at the house. She starts to question her decision when unexplained occurrences start taking place. Her only bright spot seems to be handsome attorney, Stephen Bradford, the only person Paula feels she can trust since she arrived on Maui.

This was such an enjoyable story. I thought that Hawaii was a unique setting for a gothic, and it really seemed to work with the Hawaiian culture and their superstitions and beliefs. The story was very rich in atmosphere with a sense of foreboding throughout. The descriptions were vivid, from the dreary mansion and its surrounding land with the tangled underbrush, the winding vines, the twisted trees, and then on to the pleasant towns and beaches. The romance was slight and felt rushed, but the rest was so good it more than made up for it.… (meer)

The Major Players:

Samantha Crawford, a promising young writer for Secrets magazine.
Peter Castellano, a famous stage actor and heartthrob who disappeared from the public eye after his second wife's death.
Cheryl Castellano, Peter's 18-year old daughter by his second wife.
Richard Mansfield, a hunky photographer who works for the same publisher as Samantha.

The Time and Place:

1966; Coast of Maine; Witch's Hammer Estate, outside the village of Durness Kyle.

The Set Up:

Samantha Crawford gets her first big break as a writer when she's assigned to do a serial for Secrets on the love life of actor Peter Castellano. During his time on the stage, Peter had the adulation of millions of women, but all that ended when his wife died under tragic and mysterious circumstances. Since then, he's been in hiding at Witch's Hammer, his family's estate on the coast of Maine.

Peter invites Samantha to stay with him and his daughter at Witch's Hammer while she conducts interviews. Their home, er, castle, is a replica of the one the family left behind in Imperial Russia, complete with a staff from the old country (and their descendants). Does that one man look like Rasputin? And what's up with his piercing dark eyes?

Samantha was specifically told not to inquire about Peter's wife's death or the 10 years he's spent in seclusion. But, darn it, she just can't help herself. Everything about Witch's Hammer and the people living there seems...off. And then there's that beautiful yet creepy painting of Peter's late mother hanging in Samantha's room... Did her expression just change? *shudders*

The Wrap Up:

Liked it. Quick and easy read. WITCH'S HAMMER had plenty of suspense and a couple of spooky moments. I enjoyed the outcome of the mystery, though there were too many questions left unanswered for me to rate this higher than 3-stars.… (meer)