Customer Reviews

The Secret of Laurel Oaks

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Since mom is giving a presentation at the Biophysical Anthropology Conference on the LSU campus in Baton Rouge, her entire family decided to attend. Besides mom, dad, and their two children (fourteen year old Gabe and thirteen year old Lila) leave their home in Albuquerque to stay for a few nights at creepy allegedly haunted (that is what the Smithsonian web site claims) Laurel Oaks B&B.

The ghost is Daphne an antebellum young slave accused of murdering her Master Judge Nethercott's wife and two daughters Molly and Alice in 1840 at Laurel Oaks Plantation; Daphne died in the nearby Mississippi. She has never moved on because she is obsessed to know what truly happened on that horrific day when four females died. She believes that Lila is the person she has waited for to help her investigate the murders.

The supernatural aspects of the tale has been done a zillion ties, but is somewhat refreshed with non-graphic implications of the uglier realism like molestation and rape on a slave plantation. The story line rotates perspective between the two teen female stars with Daphne's occurring in 1840 and the more fascinating of the two "tales". Young adult fans will enjoy Lila's cold case murder investigation.

Harriet Klausner

Ssspoookeeey. And soooo good.

Lila's family decides to stay at a certified haunted Laurel Oaks Plantation-turned B&B in Louisiana. They all think it's interesting and fun, except for Lila whose recent experience (which possibly involves and highly suggestive of ghosts talking to her) has made her jumpy about spirits and haunted B&B and such.

Soon enough Lila encounters MANY spirits and ghosts in many shapes and forms and also has reasons to doubt whether certain people (and non-people) she sees are actually what they seem to be (people and other things) or NOT. She manages to convince her brother Gabe who firstly and appropriately thinks she's crazy but then sees and hears those spooky things himself.

It's Cold Case plus Ghost Whisperer but WAY CLASSIER. There was a murder mystery, you see, and Lila is to find the secret that solves the mystery.
You get slavery, romance (sweet, nonsteamy kind), love, history, all bundled into a complex murder mystery.

Oh by the way, the author's note at the end says it's based on a true story. There is actually this haunted place and you can go stay there and that murder happened and all.

I am doubly-spooked.