Customer Reviews

The House on Tradd Street

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(30)
3 star:		(19)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Karen White's The House on Tradd Street is part romance, part ghost story, part mystery. The narration of this novel grips the reader with its beautiful descriptions of South Carolina and the historic neighborhoods of Charleston. Melanie Middleton specializes in historic home sales, though she hates historic homes and believes those who buy historic homes are saps willing to waste thousands of dollars on renovations. Fate brings her into the home of Mr. Vanderhorst, who asks Melanie if she saw a woman in the garden. He suddenly dies and leaves her his home.

Melanie is given a historic home and the money to renovate and repair it from the Vanderhorst estate. There are a great cast of characters in this book from Mr. Vanderhorst to his mother's ghost and Melanie, her father, and Jack Trenholm. Melanie is a barracuda in the real estate world, but her inability to relate to her family or male companions hampers her ability to widen her horizons. Meanwhile, Jack uses his good looks and fame to woo women to his side and charm them out of information so he can uncover historical mysteries and publish novels. His charm and good looks, on the other hand, are just a cover.

The restoration at Tradd Street begins, and Melanie is overwhelmed by her responsibilities and the two attractive men that have fallen into her life--Marc Longo and Jack Trenholm. In spite of the restoration, Melanie gets wrapped up in the mystery surrounding Mr. Vanderhorst's mother's disappearance and the ghosts that haunt her new home.

White easily draws the reader into the beauty of Charleston and her ghost mystery. The intricate relationships between these characters are complex, and in spite of the convenient connections between Melanie's family, the Vanderhorsts, and the Trenholms in a big city like Charleston, I was enveloped in the storyline.

The mystery doesn't get heavy with humor sprinkled in. The interactions between Melanie and Jack is contagious and will make readers smile.

I recommend this book to those who love a good mystery and a good ghost story.

This book has everything - an intriguing story line involving missing diamonds from the Civil War, ghosts (good AND bad), location (historic Charleston), a hero with a secret, a bad guy with his own secret, Melanie Middleton who has a long way to go for the peaceful well-ordered life she wants and the house on Tradd Street which brings them all together.

A great mystery, a love story and a ghost story make for an enjoyable read.

The 2nd book in this series will be out in November, 2009.

If you like ghost stories and the paranormal, if you like antiques and treasure hunts,if you like historic houses and Charleston, SC, if you like lots of humor and a little bit of romance, then read this book! I really, really enjoyed this page-turner and stayed up all night one night to try and make it to the end to see what happens. Melanie Middleton inherits the house on Tradd Street in Charleston built in 1840 from an old southern gentleman who has a sad and haunting story to tell. From the moment she meets Nevin Vanderhorst, who leaves her his historic and haunted house, Melanie is caught up in the story that the house has to tell. The action never stops and the story telling is wonderful. Don't miss the House on Tradd Street; there is something for everyone here. And there is another book coming in this series so hopefully we will see if Melanie and Jack ever get together!

As you can probably tell by the rating, I enjoyed The House on Tradd Street immensely. First of all, the setting was wonderful. I was in Charleston, SC last year, and White really has a way of making the setting come alive. Her descriptions are vivid, and she manages to convey a sense of grandeur and history, coupled with the haunting quality that comes with these old houses. I thought she did a magnificent job with the setting.

The characters are definitely well-written. The reader can really understand Melanie's need to control everything around her and her feelings towards her parents. However, she is not intransigent or annoyingly stubborn; it is wonderful to watch her relationship with her father heal throughout the book. Indeed, she evolves quite a bit as a character, and it is a satisfying journey to watch. Jack is a great character as well; he is obviously damaged, but manages to hide it incredibly well with his charm and good looks. It is obvious from the beginning of the book that these two are made for each other, but it's not annoyingly predictable.

And finally, the mystery. This had me on the edge of my seat, reading frantically in an effort to finish the book before class (I knew that if I didn't, I would end up skipping class to discover what happens to Melanie, Jack, and the house on Tradd Street). It really is that captivating. It unfolds very slowly; the reader is at the middle of the book by the time the real mystery is actually uncovered. Sometimes, this might be frustrating, but in The House on Tradd Street, that is not the case. Instead, it serves as a reminder that the mystery of Louisa's disappearance is the underlying story to the novel and is one of the reasons that Melanie agreed to take the house. The fact that Melanie can see ghosts is also an interesting addition to the story. It can be disturbing and downright scary at times, but it is handled incredibly well, without any cheesiness.

The only disappointment in this book is that it ended. However, this was tempered by the fact that, upon turning the last page, I read the surprising and heartwarming words that read, "Melanie Middleton and Jack Trenholm will be back for a new adventure - turn the page for an exciting preview of their book, coming from New American Library in November 2009." Just one more year. I can't wait!

Charleston is my home so I am more than aware of the ghost stories that surround the homes in the city. We (Charleston natives) happen to believe most of them! This book was so intriguing, I had to make myself put it down! The places such as restaurants and shops are authentically correct. Buy the book, you will keep it on your shelf and re-read on a stormy, chilly, windy day! I can't wait to buy the sequel. FYI, Ms. White keeps her novels on the clean side of romance.

Christy
Charleston, SC

The House on Tradd Street , is the first in a new series by Karen White. The story is set in Charleston, South Carolina and has some great elements: part mystery, part Gothic ghost story and part romance.

Real Estate agent Melanie Middleton inherits an old Tradd Street mansion from a virtual stranger she met a few days earlier --the stranger senses Melanie can help unravel some long hidden secrets. There is one hitch, the elderly man who left her the house states in his last wishes that Melanie is to live in for at least one year, and she must also restore the old house. Melanie prefers new homes--free from history or ghosts. Few people know this but Melanie has seen ghosts since her childhood, and at the Tradd Street property more ghosts are strutting their stuff.

Jack Trenholm, is a good looking, true crime writer who believes that there are diamonds from the Civil War hidden on the property Melanie has just inherited. He convinces her to let him help her restore the property, and before long an attraction is formed.

The author did a great job of giving the reader a real feel for historic Charleston. The ghosts added a fun element to the story in helping to unravel the mystery. The book was not perfect, but still a fun read.

i am surprised that so many readers raved about this book. i had it downloaded to my kindle recently and have slogged through about one-third of it. i will not be reading any more of this story. i was expecting a smart mystery. instead i discovered a lightweight romance novel filled with unlikeable characters and predictable storyline. i would not recommend this to anyone who enjoys grown-up literature.

Loved this book and can not wait for the next in the series due out late next year.
I hope the series goes past more than just 2 books!
Really great read! I could hardly put it down.
It has everything! I have been looking for a book like this for a long time.
It has mystery, ghosts, romance, history,...
I wish I could find more like it!

I really liked the idea of the story of a woman falling into owning a haunted historical house in the heart of charleston full of treasures.The problem was I started out liking the book but I didn't like Melanie and began really despising her. She was such a diva. Also the book kept on and on for three hundred plus pages. It could have been alot shorter there just wasn't that much to say. Mainly Melanie Telling Jack "dont' call Mellie" and how she didn't like her Mom and Dad. There also was alot unanswered and I agree with some of the other reviews that everything came too easy. This book could have really been good if there had been more about the ghost and the mystery and less about Melanie's bad attitude.

I loved this book. The reviewer who said this book has everything was right on the money. I enjoyed everything: the setting, the characters and the plot. I am an avid mystery reader and am happy to add this new series to my list. I've already made a note to be watching for the next installment due out in November, 2009.