Trace Their Shadows

Rating:
Summary: An entertaining mystery and ghost story
Review: Ann Turner Cook was one of the celebrated Gerber babies at the beginning of her life. She is presently a retired English teacher, living in Central Florida, where she researches for her mystery writing with her husband. She acted as an emissary for the Gerber Company and has made several guest appearances on national talk and news shows, including The Today Show; Good Morning, America; Entertainment Tonight; Sally Jesse Raphael; and the Rosie O'Donnell Show. She is just as cute now as she was as a Gerber baby.

Brandy O'Bannon is trying to save her job with the Tavares Beacon by writing an interesting feature article for her editor, Mr. Tyler. It concerns an old mansion that is decaying and about to be sold to a developer. Brookfield Able bequeathed the old mansion to his sister Sylvania, with the understanding that she could sell it if she so desired. There are rumors that the mansion is haunted, and the tale of a bizarre drowning forty-five years ago adds to the mystery. Brandy enlists the aid of Sylvania's grand-nephew, architect John Able, to gain access to Sylvania and the mansion's sad and eerie history. John and Brandy connect after sharing life-threatening experiences as they "look around" the mansion for artifacts and find human remains:

"At the same instant, the moccasin's fangs sank into John's hand. She gave a sob, sprang out of the boat, and rushed toward John as the moccasin drew back and slid over the edge of the pier into the water. John had dropped to his knees, supporting his wounded arm with the other hand."

Ann Turner Cook's twenty-six years of teaching high school literature shines through in her writing. The plot is first-rate; characters are people who are easy to relate to and care about; the action is nonstop; and the denouement is excellent. Ms. Cook intertwines a sad but wonderful ghost story into her plot, which keeps the reader guessing from page one until the delightful finale. I got totally caught up in her tale and couldn't put the book down! I personally wish I could have experienced Ann T. Cook's teaching, because I'll bet she was a superb teacher. Trace Their Shadows is an entertaining mystery and ghost story that can't help but please.

Shelley Glodowski
Reviewer

Rating:
Summary: Mount Dora - Crime Center of the South.....
Review: Mount Dora is a sleepy lakeside community outside bustling Orlando, far away from the big mouse and screaming rides, and is known more for antiques than crime. My most personal memory of Mount Dora is a wonderful, sleepy day of drinking far too many Dos Equis at the Mexican restaurant while celebrating Cinco de Mayo, years ago.

In contrast, author Cook takes you along with Brandy O'Bannon, an enthusiastic if inexperienced journalist, to the Mount Dora where cottonmouths strike out of the dark and old murderers flit across the mists. A classic mystery novel, Trace Their Shadows has more than a fair share of crime, clues and villains.

Cook brings an old south knowledge of the people and place alive, reviving memories of the Florida, good and bad, that is rapidly disappearing, replaced by developments and theme parks. O'Bannon reminds me of what I imagine Nancy Drew would be if she were plopped into the twenty-first century, a little more worldly-wise, but still inquisitive and forever into things she shouldn't.

Trace their Shadows is well crafted, an entertaining trip across the new Florida to the old.