The Secret of Lighthouse Pointe by Patty G. Henderson

Publisher:       Black Car Publishing

Constance Beechum is in an unenviable position.  She is single and penniless in a time when a woman without any prospects has little hope of respectability.  A letter arrives from her uncle offering her a position as a nurse/companion to Lady Elizabeth Gerard and Constance has no choice but to accept even though she has no experience at doing either.  The trip to Castine, Maine, is dark and spooky, but not nearly as spooky as Edward and Roger Gerard and Edward's wife Catherine.  Constance devotes herself to making Lady Gerard's last days as comfortable as possible, something which doesn't appear to interest her family, but does appeal to the mysterious George Kane.  Constance uncovers a mystery about "Mr." Kane and together they try to battle the evil which seems to be about to engulf them.

Patty G. Henderson has reached into the style of the Gothic novel to tell her story.  She captures many of the most common traits – a brooding old house with secret rooms, a damsel in distress from a tyrannical male, an upstanding hero, supernatural or mysterious events and a heightened sense of emotionalism.  People who read this book have to approach it with an understanding that Gothic is a very particular style requiring characters and the scenery to behave in certain patterns.  What might appear to be stilted or overblown to the modern reader is part of the format that has to be followed.  The characters are somewhat flat, but that could be because they are written according to a template.

Classifying this book for a modern reader is difficult.  Though the main character is lesbian, there isn't a typical "romance" that many require.  The atmosphere is bleak and looming, but the "mystery" never is very mysterious since the answer is apparent almost from the beginning.  Most of the book is predictable from the early chapters.  Followers of Gothic literature will probably find it more satisfying than most typical readers.   However, if the reader is looking for something different and an entertaining story, The Secret of Lighthouse Pointe will do fine.

So Dead My Love by Patty G. Henderson

Publisher:            Black Car Publishing


(This was originally published under the title Blood Scent.)

The Karnov legend is that the "chosen one" will come to free Lara Karnov from a curse imposed by her vampire family and then she will rise to lead vampires into a new age. Lara has lain waiting for centuries and the time may have finally come.

Samantha Barnes has always known that she was different from other people. That is one reason why she chooses to live on an island off of the coast of Maine and be a semi-reclusive artist. When she is commissioned to do a mural for the local bank and begins to investigate the history of the island, she finds herself drawn to the creepy old Karnov Mansion. Samantha also finds herself drawn into an existence she never imagined and a love affair with a woman who wants her soul. But there is still a contact who holds her rooted in the "normal" world.

Carmen Montaya loves Samantha and would give anything to be her partner. She knows something is wrong with the strange visitor who has shown up at Samantha's and she's not going to give up Sam without a fight. Samantha is going to have to make some choices. Does she accept eternal life with Lara, bought at a terrible expense, or turn to the dedication and love that Carmen offers her? Is Samantha in fact the "chosen one?" The fact that she's not sure herself adds some suspense to the book.
 
Vampires exist by drinking blood; nothing changes that in So Dead, My Love. When Lara awakens, she has to feed and the island provides ample opportunities for that. The back blurb says that "even among vampires…there is good and there is evil." Where that line falls is not very clear in this story. Lara Karnov performs acts that are decidedly evil and leads Samantha into activities that should have her conscience in a turmoil forever, although there is a twist at the end that might be considered redeeming. This is the first book in a trilogy, so the role of the Karnovs might become more clear as the series progresses. There were a number of editing errors that should have been caught, especially in a book that is a second edition, but they don't detract from the story much. If you're a fan of vampire novels, you might want to give this one a try.

Ximora by Patty G. Henderson

Publisher:                Black Car Publishing

Ximora is the fourth volume in the Brenda Strange mystery series.  Like all of the others it combines genres to mix mystery, suspense and horror with the supernatural.

This book follows The Missing Page two years later when Brenda is finally coming out of her shell of grief caused by the death of her partner.  Her friend Cubby is relieved when Brenda shows an interest in the world by agreeing to help with a series of gruesome murders that are puzzling Tampa police detective Lisa Chambliss.  Chambliss is extremely attractive and the feelings that Brenda begins to have for her are the proof that she's ready to move on with her life.  Simultaneously, Brenda is enmeshed in a family secret when her grandmother dies and wills enhanced psychic powers and leadership of the family to Brenda.  Those powers will come in handy as Brenda finds herself chasing evil from the past through myth and reality.  The ending is desperate as Brenda races to save the life of the most innocent victim.

Ximora is not the strongest story in the Strange series, but it does reintroduce the character after a hiatus.  It also sets up the possibility of another book with new powers to be explored and a possible relationship for Brenda.  Ximora is one of the least developed characters in the book and seems almost a device to convey the rest of the story and provide a framework to tie everything together.  There are also references to previous books that may not be clear to any reader who has not followed the series.  However there is drama in the story and a particularly harrowing scene at the end does give the book some punch.  The relationship between Brenda and Lisa also is interesting because Lisa comes to Brenda for help, but doesn't or won't believe in her abilities despite the evidence that is in front of her.  Seeing how or if they work this out could be interesting for later books.

Patty G. Henderson is an experienced author and knows how to tell a story.  This is a book for fans of horror and supernatural stories.