BookView Review

Stone returns to The Haunted Women series with a gripping third and final installment of his supernatural trilogy. New York, 1974. College life should be opening up for Fran Tarantino, but the past is becoming harder to escape. With cousin Mary Jane at her side, Fran follows a trail of old journals, family papers, and unsettling visions that place her inside the experiences of women who came before her. Each discovery offers another clue to Daedrian—and brings Fran closer to dangerous answers.

Stone approaches the final volume as both a mystery and a supernatural thriller. Fran and Mary Jane assemble disconnected pieces of information, test assumptions, and revise their theories as new evidence emerges. Mary Jane is particularly effective as the analytical half of the partnership; her skepticism provides a smart counterbalance to Fran’s firsthand supernatural experiences. 

The investigation also carries real stakes. Fran’s increasingly demanding visions make obtaining information dangerous, giving each new discovery an element of risk. Meanwhile, the movement between college life and episodes from the distant past adds depth without losing sight of the central mystery. Patiently constructed and packed with revelations, the novel turns family history into a compelling puzzle and brings Stone’s supernatural trilogy to an absorbing close. 

A wickedly clever supernatural mystery where every clue comes with a price.

***