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An avid reader of mysteries and historical fiction, Pat Camalliere recently utilized her skills—developed writing historical papers and programs, newsletters, and website content—to create her debut novel, The Mystery at Sag Bridge. She is a member of Sisters in Crime and the Chicago Writers Association. She lives with her husband in Lemont, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Visit her website at patcamallierebooks.com.
Reviewed by J. Aislynn d'Merricksson for Readers' Favorite
The Mystery at Sag Bridge by Pat Camalliere is a wonderful gem of a read. While a 'ghost story', this book is more mystery and suspense, as the title would suggest. If you happen to be looking for horror, keep truckin'. The story takes place in a historic setting, though both Cora's and Mavourneen's tales are fictional. In-depth history research went into this writing, and it clearly shows. Cora and Mavourneen's characters were full of depth and personality. I felt myself drawn into their stories, sharing emotions with their ups and downs. Other characters were handled with equal care. One place that really sticks in mind is the response of a young boy who proclaimed that a flowering cactus must not have liked another character because it never bloomed till after said person's death. Typical brutal yet amusing candor from young ones.
I am an anthropologist/archaeologist by training, and I loved the attention to historic detail. My favourite part, hands down, is the middle section, Mavourneen's section, dealing with the end of the 1890s. The only thing I really did not like was an episode of severe eye trauma. Having lost an eye myself, I tend to be very sensitive to (read easily freaked out by) eye trauma of even the mild sort. The story puts me in mind of Henry James' The Turn of the Screw, and the movie The Others, only happier. If you liked either of those, or things similar, give Camalliere's The Mystery at Sag Bridge a try. I'm quite sure you'll enjoy it!
