A brilliant, chilling series debut, featuring a Charleston real estate agent who loves old housesand the secret histories inside them.
<... read full description
<... read full description
reviews
Jan 17, 2011
bookczuk
rated it: 
This book was given to me by a non-reader friend, who is a friend of the author. She was very excited to recommend a book to me, yet also apologetic that it probably wasn't "the kind of thing you usually read" (Ha! She's obviously never taken a look at my eclectic shelf!)
There were things I both liked and didn't like about the book. Liked that it was set in Charleston, in an area that is within a block of where javaczuk works. And that the two main houses mentioned were More...
There were things I both liked and didn't like about the book. Liked that it was set in Charleston, in an area that is within a block of where javaczuk works. And that the two main houses mentioned were More...
Feb 27, 2009
Sara
rated it: 
4.5 stars. This book was beautifully written and had a great plot that kept me interested. Melanie is a realtor in Charleston whose specialty is selling historical houses; she, however, does not like these old houses because she has always had the unwanted ability to see ghosts, who assemble in greater numbers around historical places. When a client dies and surprises Melanie by leaving her his entire estate, Melanie is forced to live in the old house and work on restoring it while doing her
More...
0 comments
like
(5 people liked it)
Nov 05, 2008
Serena
rated it: 
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
More...
0 comments
like
(6 people liked it)
Jan 08, 2012
Molli
rated it:
This book was the first book I had ever read by Karen White and it ultimately cemented my love for her books.
The main character Melanie 'Mellie' Middleton is a real-estate agent in downtown Charleston, South Carolina. The only catch is that she hates showing the houses in the older district of town because of the invisible 'guests' that come with them. She sees ghosts as hard as she tries to deny, there's just no escaping it. Along with Jack Trenholm, a handsome writer of historical mys More...
The main character Melanie 'Mellie' Middleton is a real-estate agent in downtown Charleston, South Carolina. The only catch is that she hates showing the houses in the older district of town because of the invisible 'guests' that come with them. She sees ghosts as hard as she tries to deny, there's just no escaping it. Along with Jack Trenholm, a handsome writer of historical mys More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Mar 28, 2009
Kathleen
rated it: 
Given that I purchased this book at a Friends of the Library booksale for a dollar (Don't you just love their book sales?), I would say that this book was well worth the investment. That being said, I don't think I'll be running out to pay full price for the next installment of the Melanie-series that is apparently scheduled to be released later this year. Perhaps I will check it out of the library.
After finishing the book, I did a little research on other books that she had previous More...
After finishing the book, I did a little research on other books that she had previous More...
Nov 09, 2011
Alice
rated it:
I was surprised to find that I enjoyed a ghost story. Why I was surprised, I don't know, since I like watching all the nice ghost shows like Ghost Whisperer, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, The Sixth Sense, etc. It just seems like something a tween would like more than an adult.
It had just enough scare without giving me too much paranoia and it was enjoyable enough to keep my interest; however, I don't feel moved to read any more of White's related books unless I happen to do so because th More...
It had just enough scare without giving me too much paranoia and it was enjoyable enough to keep my interest; however, I don't feel moved to read any more of White's related books unless I happen to do so because th More...
Jan 18, 2011
Elisa
rated it:
Karen White’s novel, The House on Tradd Street, is a ghost story, a mystery, with a dash of romance-- all rolled up in one! Melanie’s own past is connected to an old house both by ancestral ties as well as the similarities in situations between her and Nevin, the gentleman she inherits the house from. They were both seemingly abandoned by their mothers at a young age and as Melanie searches out the truth of one man's past, she in turn has to deal with her own.
Melanie is one of those w More...
Melanie is one of those w More...
Jul 21, 2010
Snap
rated it:
"Practical minded Realtor Melanie Middleton hates to admit - even to herself- that she can see ghosts. But she's going to have to accept it, because an old man she met just days ago has died, leaving Melanie his historic Tradd Street home, complete with a housekeeper, a dog and a family of ghosts anxious to tell her something. Enter Jack Trenholm, a gorgeous writer obsessed with unsolved mysteries. He has reason to believe that some diamonds that went missing from the Confederate treasury a
More...
Apr 11, 2010
Paige
rated it:
This book is rife with so many issues and themes that it could have easily become a tangled, unreadable mess. The fact that Karen White was able to deftly handle each and every plot is a testament to her talent as a writer. She was able to tackle everything from ghosts (both of the benevolent and evil varieties) to treasure, betrayals, love, abandonment, and even how one goes about restoring an old house to its former splendor.
Through all of that, White managed to create characters More...
Through all of that, White managed to create characters More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Nov 19, 2009
Melody
rated it:
Some people have that special 'gift' to be able to see dead people, and Melanie Middleton fits in that category although she does not really appreciate this psychic capability or the fact that she could also communicate with them, not that she could help it in any way. She is also a well known realtor in Charleston and she deals in historical properties though she hates to admit to anyone that she dislike them.
Nevertheless, she came upon an old property on Tradd Street owned by a Ne More...
Nevertheless, she came upon an old property on Tradd Street owned by a Ne More...
Dec 22, 2008
Diane
rated it:
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 th More...
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 th More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Feb 08, 2012
Shay
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Nov 26, 2009
skein
rated it:
Barely readable. But that might just be me. I know - to my horror and disgust - that there is a market for pseudo-ghost-story-romance-Southern-literature.
Mellie is a Modern Woman with daddy issues (alcoholic ne'er-do-well) AND mommy issues (abandonment).
Also, she happens to see/communicate with ghosts, in a consistent and improbable way (conversations).
Also, she sells old houses, even though old houses make her want to retch from the layers of ghost droppings, and she cannot More...
Mellie is a Modern Woman with daddy issues (alcoholic ne'er-do-well) AND mommy issues (abandonment).
Also, she happens to see/communicate with ghosts, in a consistent and improbable way (conversations).
Also, she sells old houses, even though old houses make her want to retch from the layers of ghost droppings, and she cannot More...
2 comments
like
(4 people liked it)
Nov 14, 2011
The story itself I might have enjoyed, but the main characters and their character arc are one which I really don't enjoy. The uptight woman in denial who eventually learns to loosen up thanks to a somewhat rogueish, relaxed, boundary-pushing guy who may not be entirely honest is not generally a trope I enjoy, but I particularly disliked the two characters involved here. An intrusive writer (obviously with his own extra agenda) who insisted on calling the main character "Mellie" when
More...
Feb 07, 2011
Suzanne
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Mar 05, 2010
Meaghan (phillipnmeaghan)
rated it:
So this was my second attempt at a Karen White book. I gave up when I tried to read The Lost Hours. This one was much better. I figured out what I don't like about her books though: Her female main characters. They are nerdy, uptight, sexually immature, middle-age women. Not saying I'm super cool or something but I seriously cannot relate to them on any level. Thankfully the other characters make up for it. One other problem, she needs a better editor! I found a few errors and I kinda skim read
More...
2 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Dec 22, 2009
Laurel-Rain
rated it:
When realtor Melanie Middleton visits an elderly man to list his house on the market, she learns some strangely disconcerting news. First, her grandfather and the old man were close friends; and secondly, the old man's mother left him at a very young age, just as Melanie's own mother had done. Then when her client, Nevin Vanderhorst, dies within days of her visit, she is further surprised that he has left his property to her. The house on Tradd Street becomes hers—all she has to do is live in it
More...
Sep 16, 2009
Suzanne
rated it:
I read this book because my mother loved it and thought I would too. Well, as the saying goes, Momma knows best. This book had a lot to offer. It was a mystery and a ghost story with a bit of romance thrown in. The story was interesting and kept moving. The conversations between some of the characters was fun. There were times a character would drive me to the point of wanting to scream at them for how blind they were being, but I have friends that do that to me too! I'll be anxiously
More...
Aug 27, 2010
Elisabeth
rated it:
I'm originally from Charleston. I moved away more than a decade ago, but miss it very much. So I'm a sucker for Low Country writers. I'll take anything that allows me to travel back even in my mind. I enjoyed the premise, and I found the 3 main characters (Melanie, Jack and Sophie) developed well. Melanie's father was under developed and by contrast the Secretary in the Real Estate office was over developed. But I could even look past those flaws and still enjoy the book.
My biggest More...
My biggest More...
Jul 12, 2011
Judy
rated it:
I LOVED this book! It could have gone the way of silly, simpering southern tale of the girl who inherits a historic mansion in Charleston, but not with the skills of Karen white.
She could be a textbook example for writers conferences and how to books of the perfect way to develop a protag and have her change over teh course of the story. And she made her ability to see the ghosts in the house not spooky or silly or teenage vampirish, but just the way she IS...
karen White ha More...
She could be a textbook example for writers conferences and how to books of the perfect way to develop a protag and have her change over teh course of the story. And she made her ability to see the ghosts in the house not spooky or silly or teenage vampirish, but just the way she IS...
karen White ha More...
Apr 29, 2011
Liisa
rated it:
I am always cautious to give a bad review heeding the words, “if you can’t say anything nice...” but it is with great regret that I can’t give this book more than 2 stars and truth be told, only finished the novel thanks to a case of insomnia and no alternative reading material.
”The House on Tradd Street” held great promise and with the carefully worded blurb on the back plus the allure of a Charleston setting, I set about reading this with great abandon.
Almost immediatel More...
”The House on Tradd Street” held great promise and with the carefully worded blurb on the back plus the allure of a Charleston setting, I set about reading this with great abandon.
Almost immediatel More...
Nov 17, 2011
Ti
rated it:
The Short of It:
Full of Southern charm but sadly, the story never grabbed me.
The Rest of It:
Melanie Middleton sells houses. Old houses. But she doesn’t really like them and can’t understand why anyone would ever want to restore one. This becomes a bit of a problem when an old man leaves his home to her with a slew of conditions that must be met. She has to live in the house for year, restore it and only then can she sell it.
Well, you know where this going, More...
Full of Southern charm but sadly, the story never grabbed me.
The Rest of It:
Melanie Middleton sells houses. Old houses. But she doesn’t really like them and can’t understand why anyone would ever want to restore one. This becomes a bit of a problem when an old man leaves his home to her with a slew of conditions that must be met. She has to live in the house for year, restore it and only then can she sell it.
Well, you know where this going, More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Sep 21, 2010
Margaret
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Feb 08, 2011
Arielle
rated it:
Karen White's The House on Tradd Street is a great novel for those who love history. Her novel could be described as a modern twist on the classic haunted house story. The heroine of the novel is Melanie Middleton, a realtor who specializes in historical houses. She also has the secret, unwanted gift of being able to communicate with ghosts. When an old man dies and leaves his historical home to Melanie, she is not exactly thrilled about it. According to the will, she has to live in her "ne
More...
Mar 14, 2010
Karin
rated it:
This was a good premise, but I had a lot of issues with it.
1. Melanie's career as a Realtor just disappeared. I'm not really sure what she was doing with all her time because she didn't seem to be working her job or on the house.
2. The story was very slow to get moving. There was a lot of time spent on Chad and General Lee, who didn't really add anything to the story.
3. I really didn't get what Melanie saw in Marc, especially after all she was learning about More...
1. Melanie's career as a Realtor just disappeared. I'm not really sure what she was doing with all her time because she didn't seem to be working her job or on the house.
2. The story was very slow to get moving. There was a lot of time spent on Chad and General Lee, who didn't really add anything to the story.
3. I really didn't get what Melanie saw in Marc, especially after all she was learning about More...
Mar 06, 2011
Liz
rated it:
I like this author's writing style. It was both richly descriptive yet easy to read, with natural dialogue and good pacing. I also liked the mysteries woven into this story, the old house setting and paranormal element. My main qualm with this book was the protagonist, Melanie Middleton. She really wasn't very likable, and I found it difficult to root for her throughout this book. She was as sterile as her white-walled condo, and seemed socially and sexually naive for a woman in her late 30s. I
More...
Jan 05, 2011
Melee
rated it:
I didn't care much for this book. When I read it, it kept me interested but after I finished it I realized I didn't even want to read the sequel. The characters did very little for me. They felt like stale stereotypes that I had read about before except with different names.
The main character: A repressed, uptight workaholic.
Main character's best friend: A carefree hippie who tries to loosen main character up.
Possible love interest: Charming, handsome rogue fond of making innue More...
The main character: A repressed, uptight workaholic.
Main character's best friend: A carefree hippie who tries to loosen main character up.
Possible love interest: Charming, handsome rogue fond of making innue More...
Jul 18, 2011
Susan
rated it:
When I first started this I couldn't get into the rhythm of it and felt the descriptions were too much. I almost gave up within the first 20 pages. Glad I stuck with it, though, as this has been a really, really good read for me.
I enjoyed the Southern old mansion setting, the history of the story, the characters, mostly. The lead character, Melanie, was anal about everything which got on my nerves at times, as did her golf-obsessed assistant, but the other lead, Jack, was delightful, e More...
I enjoyed the Southern old mansion setting, the history of the story, the characters, mostly. The lead character, Melanie, was anal about everything which got on my nerves at times, as did her golf-obsessed assistant, but the other lead, Jack, was delightful, e More...
2 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Oct 02, 2010
Grace
rated it:
The mystery of this book was wonderfully plotted. The inclusion of cyphers, ghosts, a hidden treasure, and other mysteries kept me reading long into the night. But the actual writing of the book was awful enough to make me knock a couple of stars off my final vote.
For one thing, the protagonist was one of those "fresh off the boat, I'm 39 but I act like I've never lived a day of life before today" ignorant types. That sort of protagonist just drives me crazy. And if I More...
For one thing, the protagonist was one of those "fresh off the boat, I'm 39 but I act like I've never lived a day of life before today" ignorant types. That sort of protagonist just drives me crazy. And if I More...
Jan 26, 2011
Kris
rated it:
If you can get past the first four chapters or so, this book takes off and is surprisingly excellent. I've only read one other Karen White novel and I thought it was lame, but she greatly improved with The House on Tradd Street.
I will admit to it being just a teensy slow-paced at points, and I was quite frustrated because at times it becomes painfully obvious what is about to happen but the characters just don't get it, duh! I do wish that there had been more background into the ghost More...
I will admit to it being just a teensy slow-paced at points, and I was quite frustrated because at times it becomes painfully obvious what is about to happen but the characters just don't get it, duh! I do wish that there had been more background into the ghost More...
