Reviewed by Lynette Fowlston for Readers' Favorite

Haunting Miss Trentwood by Belinda Kroll is a historical paranormal novel which reminded me of the Victoria Holt type books. Mary Trentwood not only had lost her mother, now she has lost her father. At the graveyard, she faints upon seeing her father clawing his way out of the grave. She thinks she must have been seeing things; that is, until he appears again in her room. Now, as she is caught having a conversation with someone who’s not there, others begin to question her sanity. But Father is there to watch over her and steer her along the right course to a happy life. When a Mr. Hartwell appears at the manor, she thinks he the executor to read the will; instead, he is there for another kind of business, only he won’t say what. When Mary’s old flame, Mr. Steel, shows up a day later, she thinks he has returned to see her, but he is only there to read the will. Now the fun begins: someone is a blackmailer, two are after Mary’s affections, the ghost of Mary’s father just keeps popping up everywhere and Mary, at times, questions her own sanity.

This was quite an enjoyable and delightful read with characters that were so very likeable. Mary is brave; Mr. Hartwell reminds me of a sinister villain, while Mr. Steel reminds me of someone who lets his ego get the better of him. To me, the most loveable character of the whole book was Mary’s father. This is a novel that not only is humorous throughout, there is also a touch of suspense that kept me turning the pages. With the secrets of others pulling Mary into the web, danger abounds, and death could be waiting at the door. This book contained just about everything I like to read: Victorian, slightly paranormal with humor and suspense combined throughout, and cleanly written. I really enjoyed this author's work and look forward to more if they are written in this style. If you like Victoria Holt or Jane Austen, then I feel you will like Haunting Miss Trentwood.