Celia: A Haunting Mystery [Paperback]

S. L. Cullars (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 2002

One rainy day, while on a trip to the North Carolina home of her recently deceased grandmother, Cheryl Thompson looks in her car mirror and sees the face of her Aunt Celia staring back at her. Horrified, Cheryl thinks she is hallucinating, especially since Celia died in an accident when Cheryl was just a child. But when Cheryl begins to see Celia everywhere, and to continually smell a mysterious scent of lilacs, she starts to wonder about the accident that killed Celia.

Cheryl tries to question her other aunt, Gladys, about Celia’s death, but Gladys is unwilling, even afraid, to talk about it. As Cheryl delves deeper, though, facts begin to emerge indicating that maybe Celia was actually murdered. And Cheryl finds that more than a few people have something to hide, including the white man Gladys once had an affair with - and who is now running for governor.

Cheryl's only ally is Arthur Blevins, the handsome, young attorney who handled her grandmother's estate. Their relationship grows as both try to solve the mystery of Celia's death. And as Cheryl uncovers old secrets, she finds that someone is willing to kill again to keep her from discovering the truth.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This is one of the best paranormal romances I have read this year and no one should miss reading it." -- Scribes World Reviews, October 5, 2002

...an emotional, edge-of-your-seat paranormal mystery that grips your imagination and your curiosity... -- The Best Reviews, July 17, 2002

Ms. Cullars does a wonderful job in developing these unforgettable characters... The plot development of the mystery is fascinating. -- MyShelf.com, November 1, 2002

This is a masterfully written story. -- Romance Reviews Today, August, 2002

About the Author

Sharon Cullars has been writing short stories and poetry for the last fifteen years, many of which have been published in literary e-zines.In addition to writing fiction, Cullars is also the editor of Elan , an e-zine she started in 1999 that focuses on topics of concern and interest to African-American women. She has had the opportunity in her position as editor to interview many interesting people, including director Neema Barnett; sex therapist and author Gail Wyatt; mystery writer Judith Levin-Smith; as well as Corey Glover, former lead singer of the now-defunct rock group Living Colour.

Product Details

• Paperback: 284 pages
• Publisher: Virtualbookworm.com Publishing (May 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1589392086
• ISBN-13: 978-1589392083
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,070,802 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Gripping Mystery!, March 16, 2003

By 

Phyllis Rhodes (Orlando, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Celia: A Haunting Mystery (Paperback)

Title:  A Gripping Mystery!

Celia: A Haunting Mystery by S. L. Cullars opens in North Carolina, where we find Cheryl, a successful New York brokerage firm owner, settling her recently deceased grandmother's estate. After meeting with the handsome, debonair attorney and executor of the will, Arthur Blevins, she unexpectedly discovers the family home is left to her instead of its current occupant, Aunt Gladys. This single act causes Aunt Gladys quite a bit of consternation as she is fearful that Cheryl will sell the house and leave her homeless. Cheryl quickly dismisses this fear and the two women quickly realize that they share similar experiences - sightings of Celia, Gladys's late sister. Celia's apparition, which begins appearing more frequently at inopportune times in heightening states of anguish, sparks Cheryl's interest into Celia's accidental death nearly 30 years before.

Cheryl's investigation takes her to the esteemed Graham estate to confront a man who belongs to a very powerful and conniving family who has members in the North Carolina Senate and Supreme Court. She eventually learns that their families share a sordid, painful, tangled history that many would rather keep buried at all cost. After several close encounters with death, Cheryl, with help from both aunts and Arthur, brings the long-buried truth to the surface and reveals forbidden romances, deep family secrets, racially inspired misgivings, hidden pregnancies, and murders by some unlikely, unexpected culprits. Cullars also sprinkles in a fateful romance between Cheryl and Arthur.

Despite a somewhat slow start, the book quickened its pace and turned into an attention-grabber! It evolves into a gripping novel filled with strong dialogue, a touch of the surreal, solid character development, and vivid descriptions. It is an engaging and suspenseful story-recommended for mystery lovers.

Reviewed by Phyllis
APOOO BookClub, Nubian Circle Book Club
March 16, 2003

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A truly great read, October 5, 2002

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Celia: A Haunting Mystery (Paperback)

Sharon Cullars is a veteran of fifteen year's worth of writing; much of which, including her poetry and short stories, has been published in literary e-zines. She is also the editor of the e-zine ELAN, which focuses on issues for African-American women.

Celia is a Southern tale, set in North Carolina. Cheryl Thompson has driven from New York, where she runs a successful investment firm, to her home town after her grandmother, M'dear, has passed away. She begins seeing her Aunt Celia's ghost, who was murdered in 1967, everywhere she looks. Celia is obvious trying to tell her something, and her other aunt, Gladys, isn't telling. Cheryl meets Arthur Blevins, the young attorney with a gorgeous smile and winning personality, and together they try to piece together a mystery that is thirty-five years old:

"He didn't know what to make of all these haunting incidents, but despite his initial doubt, he believed her about Celia's appearances. And given the facts, he suspected that some foul play had been done. And yet, knowing this, he wished that this business would just go away so that Cheryl wouldn't feel compelled to put herself at risk. The Grahams were not some local yokels. They had enough power in this state to have things taken care of quietly."

Cullars weaves a chillingly sensitive tale about how the racism of the Old South is still played out, only in more subtle and even more evil ways. She weaves circles of touching love stories, both requited and unrequited, and the horrible murder of a young woman about to break out of her cultural bonds. Celia is an extremely sensitive tale, with nuances and layers of textures. Cheryl is a New-Age woman, struggling to help her dead and living aunts find peace after their family is cruelly singled out by a prominent political family for a perceived wrong going back generations. Cullars shows the reader that being African-American, and particularly female, is still a dangerous journey. Unfortunately, race relations still have a long way to go. It is a daily battle for those who are born into it, and Cullars' tale does an excellent job of enlightening those of us who have never had to live the nightmare. She also entertains us with a fabulous whodunit with characters who are vivid and wonderful, and a plot to match. A truly great read.

Shelley Glodowski
Reviewer

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read Celia: A Haunting Mystery. You'll be glad you did., October 4, 2002

By 

Susan Ragland (Naples, FL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Celia: A Haunting Mystery (Paperback)

I liked Celia:A Haunting Mystery, immensely. I was hooked from the very first chapter, and the rest of the book didn't disappoint me.

When Cheryl, the main character, goes back to North Carolina to settle her grandmother's estate, she is reunited with her Aunt Gladys, who is her only living relative. These two African American women, one from the rural old school, and the other a successful, urban, business woman, don't quite know how to relate to each other. A third character comes forward, the ghost of Cheryl's other aunt, Celia, long dead, who appears to be wherever she goes. It seems that Celia death had been determined to be an accident, but Celia comes back to say she was murdered many years before.

Cheryl becomes obsessed with finding out who murdered this Aunt, whom she never knew. After many twists and turns, including a love affair with the handsome attorney, Arthur Blevins, Cheryl finds the true culprit. Ms. Cullars leads her readers through a history of Celia's involvement with a prominent white family, and ultimately solves the mystery. The book is not without some really "hold your breath" scenes, when Cheryl, herself, is in danger.

This book, besides exploring the difficulties of the relationship between aunt and niece, a powerful insight into generational differences, particularly in light of African American history, is a very exciting mystery and well worth spending the time to read it. It has mystery, suspense, a beautiful love affair and psychological insight.

I highly recommend it. Bravo!