The House on Tradd Street (Tradd Street, #1)

Feb 27, 2009 bookczuk rated it 2 of 5 stars

Recommended to bookczuk by: Kathie DuTremble

Shelves: borrowed, met-the-author, set-in-my-stomping-grounds, set-in-the-south, charleston-sc

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 on streets I'm really fam...more

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Jan 07, 2013 Erika Gill rated it 3 of 5 stars

I am not really big on mystery novels. This is not to say I can't enjoy a good mystery in a novel. I just cannot handle it when the entire plot of a novel revolves around not knowing a bunch of very important things. I also loathe really obvious foreshadowing and poorly dealt out clues. Of course, these things can all be present in non -genre novels too. What was I saying? Oh yeah, this book had a lot of issues, but I liked it. I'm a huge sucker for the Southern small town secretsy society old b...more

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Feb 27, 2009 Sara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Sara by: Gwen

Shelves: adult-fiction, 2009, mystery, ghost-stories

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 bes...more 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 best to ignore the spirits she feels around the house. She has also been tasked by the previous owner to find out the truth behind his mother's disappearance years ago, hoping to clear her name after a smear campaign. A local mystery writer, Jack, who's as handsome as he is insistent that her house is the setting for his next book, joins Melanie's team working on the house and begins to help - and annoy - her as she searches for answers.

Like I said, the writing in this book is really strong. I felt like I was in Charleston - or at least could imagine it clearly - and everything was brought to life in a really vivid way. There were also some funny one-liners in the dialogue. The characters were likable, and the story was interesting and kept me guessing as to what had happened and what would happen.

My only two complaints:

1. The back cover of the book gives away a plot twist - not a major one, but still. I like to be surprised.

2. I hate it when everyone can see something but the main character. Her friends are telling her something is true, the reader can see they're right, and yet the main character refuses to believe it and does dumb things anyway... until (surprise, surprise) her friends are proven right. That is always quite frustrating, to not fully understand why the main character is acting so, well, stupid when it seems to obvious!

But despite my complaints, I really enjoyed this book and will be eagerly picking up the sequel when it comes out this fall. (less)

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Nov 05, 2008 Serena rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anna horner, suey

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 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. Stay tuned tomorrow for Karen White's guest post on the writing and publishing process.(less)

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Jan 08, 2012 Molli Fanchar rated it 5 of 5 stars

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 mysteries, s...more

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Jul 27, 2012 Becky Morlok rated it 4 of 5 stars

Reading this book was like being 12-years old again (with more adult themes of course) and disappearing into a Nancy Drew book. This was my second Karen White book (On Folly Beach was the first - 5*'s), both perfect summer reads. I was dreading the finish of Tradd Street as I would miss this pleasure - until I realized at the end that she included the first chapter A SEQUEL: The Girl on Legere Street. OH YES! My fingers immediately located it on amazon.com!

I signed up for White's mailing list, F...more

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Mar 28, 2009 Kathleen rated it 3 of 5 stars

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 previously written....more

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May 23, 2013 Cathy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Practical Melanie Middleton hates to admit she can see ghosts - at least to others. But when an old man she recently met dies and leaves her his historic Tradd Street home, complete with housekeeper, dog, and a family of ghosts anxious to tell her their secrets, she realizes this unique gift will help others to rest in peace. However there are darker forces at work to keep her from her quest.

Enter Jack Trenholm, a writer obsessed with unsolved mysteries. He has reason to believe that diamonds fr...more

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Aug 06, 2012 Kristen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: best-paranormal-fiction, fun-fluffy-reads, favourite-series

As I finished this book, I considered singing "My Favourite Things", because this book pretty effectively combines a large number of my fave things when it comes to books!

First, the book is set in Charleston, S.C., I've always been in love with the south - the personalities of the people, the gentility of the manners, the quirkyness of the habits - I'm kind of a southern addict.

The book also has ghosts - good ghosts and bad ghosts. Also, "ghosts" of people's pasts, some spirit-based, and some st...more As I finished this book, I considered singing "My Favourite Things", because this book pretty effectively combines a large number of my fave things when it comes to books!

First, the book is set in Charleston, S.C., I've always been in love with the south - the personalities of the people, the gentility of the manners, the quirkyness of the habits - I'm kind of a southern addict.

The book also has ghosts - good ghosts and bad ghosts. Also, "ghosts" of people's pasts, some spirit-based, and some still alive.

The book has historic houses, one main one, but others are mentioned, and the restoration of the main house is discussed in detail as part of the story, to the point where the house kind of becomes an additional character.

There is romantic chemistry. BOY! Is there romantic chemistry!! If you are old enough to remember the TV show "Moonlighting" with Bruce Willis [pre-Die Hard] and Cybill Shepherd, then you will know what I'm talking about, and it is a lot of fun!!

Finally, any author who manages to not only put a Scooby-Doo reference into a book, but actually make it seem like a perfectly natural part of the plot that totally works, well, that's my idea of book nirvana!!

Melanie Middleton - a native Charlestonian, who can't stand old houses - is a realtor who specializes in selling . . . you guessed it - old houses! When she visits elderly Nevin Vanderhorst at his very old, and falling apart, home to discuss her selling it, she sees a woman in the garden. Oh, did I forget to mention? Melanie sees dead people! She's been able to see and talk to ghosts since she was a little girl, just like her mother - from whom Melanie's been estranged since she abandoned Melanie and her father years ago.

Well, the day after Melanie's appointment with Nevin, he unfortunately passes away. But not before leaving Melanie - who he'd never met before - his house and all its contents. The stipulation is that she must live in the house, while she restores it to its former glory, using Nevin's fortune under the supervision of the trustee - Melanie's alcoholic father, from whom she's also estranged. There's also the small matter of investigating the belief that Nevin's mother abandoned HIM, and ran off with another man decades ago and was never seen again. Nevin refused to believe it, and hopes Melanie can solve the mystery and find out what happened.

If all that isn't enough to float your boat, add in Jack Trenholm, devastatingly sexy but slightly damaged writer, who's writing a book about the Vanderhorsts history and wants to "help" Melanie restore the house. They butt heads almost immediately, and there's lots of entertaining tension between them. There's also Marc Longo in the suitor department. Marc being the descendant of the man Nevin's mother is purported to have run off with.

The story is lots of fun, with plenty of mystery and tantalizing clues should you be inclined to try to figure out what happened. I thought I had it figured, but I was surprised at the end.

I wasn't familiar with Karen White prior to this, but I really enjoyed this book, and will definitely be picking up the continuations of Melanie's story "The Girl on Legare Street". This was a great read. Highly recommend it!(less)

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Jun 12, 2012 Liviania rated it 4 of 5 stars

While I haven't reviewed much literary fiction on this blog, I do enjoy it. On the other hand, I think it's something of an artificial category. The title and faux-impressionist cover speak of the setting but conceal the contents. At least the blurb is honest; otherwise people might be quite surprised to find themselves reading a ghost story with strong romance and mystery elements.

The eponymous house on Tradd Street is Melanie Middleton's unexpected inheritance. She grew up in Charleston and ap...more While I haven't reviewed much literary fiction on this blog, I do enjoy it. On the other hand, I think it's something of an artificial category. The title and faux-impressionist cover speak of the setting but conceal the contents. At least the blurb is honest; otherwise people might be quite surprised to find themselves reading a ghost story with strong romance and mystery elements.

The eponymous house on Tradd Street is Melanie Middleton's unexpected inheritance. She grew up in Charleston and appreciates the history, but she doesn't appreciate the upkeep old houses require nor that her mother sold their house when it was supposed to become Melanie's. Though Melanie has become a realtor specializing in historical homes, she lives in an ultra modern apartment. But now Nevin Vanderhorst has died and left his home to Melanie with several strings attached. To her the most bothersome is having to live in the house.

Mr. Vanderhorst's mother left the family with Joseph Longo when he was a child, a strangely out-of-character move. Melanie inherited the ability to see ghosts from her mother and now she can see both Louisa Vanderhorst and a more malevolent, unknown male presence. However, Melanie wants to keep her nose out of the mystery. On the other hand, handsome, younger author Jack Trenholm is all too interested in the mystery. Joseph's descendant Marc Longo also approaches her to purchase the house.

In addition to suddenly gaining a social life, Melanie's parents are re-entering her life. Her former alcoholic father has been given control of the finances to restore the house and her runaway mother is calling. To survive her childhood Melanie became a very anal and controlled woman. The ghosts, suitors, and reemerging family ties through her off-balance and force her to own up to parts of herself she prefers to ignore.

There's quite a bit going on in THE HOUSE ON TRADD STREET and Karen White manages well. She rotates between focusing on the family, mystery, or romantic aspect often enough that you don't forget one plot thread is happening but not so often that the story loses its flow. The characters get less equal attention. Melanie is very well-developed and Jack has interesting dimensions. Marc, the final point of the triangle, is fairly one-note. Sophie and Chad, two supporting characters who appear frequently, are entertaining but rarely escape being stereotypical modern hippies. While I liked all of the characters, in the end I felt like I only had a grasp on Melanie.
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Jun 06, 2012 Ivonne Rovira rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The House on Tradd Street is a decent enough mystery, if not a great one. The characters, other than Nevin Vanderhorst, never rise above two dimensions. Real-estate agent Melanie Middleton will strike some as a bit dense when, torn between two men, she cannot discern which one is trustworthy and which is not. Long before our protagonists, readers will determine the identity of the menacing ghost on the second floor and guess the final whereabouts of Louisa Vanderhorst and Joseph Longo; however,...more

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Apr 30, 2012 Sam rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, mystery

This is the second book by Karen White that I have read, and I expect it will be the last as my complaints of the first are the same for this novel.

First off--great mystery. She crafts a tight and creative plot. The plot kept me reading and engaged, but the characters just seemed flat...I cared about the mystery, but never the characters.

White clearly thinks the south is superior to the north, and I really just wanted to say, "hey the war is OVER." I felt this bias got in the way of the charac...more

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Apr 06, 2012 Sheila rated it 4 of 5 stars

Enjoyed this book. Melanie, a 39 year old real estate agent has been solely focused on her career for most of her working career but when she visits an elderly man at his home with the prospect of listing it, her priorities change. The house is haunted and Nevin Vanderhorst has been haunted all his life since he was abandoned by his mother at the age of 8. His mother disappeared the same time as another man known for his illegal escapades. The media at that time speculated they had run off toget...more

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Nov 09, 2011 Alice rated it 3 of 5 stars

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 the book club...more

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Jan 18, 2011 Elisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Elisa by: A friends book club

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 women that...more 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 women that we all love to hate. She is not only beautiful but she can eat anything she wants without worry about gaining a pound. She has to have complete control of her life and I actually found her to be a little OCD with regards to organizing and scheduling. She sees her ability to communicate with the dead as a huge burden and tries to hide her gift-- mostly because experience taught her as a child that people would laugh at her and think she was crazy. Because of that, she chooses to ignore the voices and spirits around her as often as she can. She assumes that the adults in her life will laugh at her ability-- but in reality they already all know what ability she has-- they are just waiting for her to accept it.

She is considered one of the experts in Historic Home Real Estate in Charleston, yet her personal life is sort of a shambles. Melanie does not let many people get close to her-- because of being abandoned not only by her mother, but by her Father as he looses himself to Alcohol. She has been disappointed too many times to take that risk again.

There were several times that I found myself smacking myself on the head as I hollered "Seriously Melanie?" She frustrated me with some of the reckless decisions she made. Everyone could see the obvious except her, and that was a tad irritating. It felt that if Jack or her Father said one thing, then she automatically did the opposite.

I felt myself actually being afraid when she would climb the stairs to her room-- would that scary man be there again? Why did he hate her so much? That is a question that I don't think ever got resolved.

Every time she was confronted with "did she see something" and she chose to deny it, or lie about her abilities infuriated me. But, I suppose that is what makes for good conflict in a book.

The ghosts that chose to show themselves to Melanie I found to be very interesting. Why Melanie? Why wouldn't they just tell her what they wanted? But, then again, Melanie never asked. (Which, after watching Sixth Sense would have been the first thing I would have done!)

I loved the setting in the book-- Charleston. I have never been there, but felt like I was while reading the book. The descriptions were excellent, and I even found myself smelling roses a time or two.

I did think it was a little too easy to figure out. If I would have had the energy I could have figured out the puzzle because as soon as they said they needed a "key word" I knew exactly what the word was. However, I didn't want to take the time to do that. Some parts of the plot were obvious, but because of that, it was a rather easy, delightful read. This book is a great book to snuggle up to on a cold, rainy day!

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Jul 21, 2010 Snap rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2010

"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 cent...more

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Apr 11, 2010 Paige rated it 5 of 5 stars

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 that are dee...more 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 that are deeply flawed, yet also realistic, and the reader winds up truly caring about them as they navigate through traumas and obstacles that not only creep up on them in present day, but also those that befell them in the past.

Even as they deal with pain and loss, their likability shines through, which leads to quite a bit of humor throughout the book. Case in point - the story's protagonist is, on the surface, all about strict organization and efficiency, and the reader quickly finds out that this is part of the defense mechanism that she's relied upon since her incredibly troubled childhood. A less talented writer would have made it pretty difficult to care about Melanie, but White imbues her with so much snark, humor, and quirks - i.e. her love of spreadsheets is second only to her utter devotion to sugar in all of its various forms - that the reader quickly becomes invested in her and her relationships as she deals with (amongst other things) a multitude of ghosts and her desire to solve the mystery of a family's tumultuous, tragic past.

Then, too, Jack is an excellent foil for Melanie. Rather than merely being an exceptionally attractive playboy writer, his charm and humor endear him to readers as he interacts with Melanie, and tries to solve a mystery or two of his own, while he's still reeling from an event that caused him a great deal of emotional pain.

This book was very good on any number of levels - it's both funny and sad at times; the multiple mysteries are all interesting and suspenseful; and the ghosts run the gamut from being heartwarming to exceedingly creepy and dangerous. It is truly a great book, and it serves to make readers eager to follow Melanie and Jack through their next adventure(s).(less)

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Nov 19, 2009 Melody rated it 4 of 5 stars

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 Nevin Vanderho...more 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 Nevin Vanderhorst and she is more intrigued with his past than the property after she has learnt that her grandfather and Nevin's father were once good friends and business associates. Nevin could not find answers in regards to the disappearance of his mother when he was a boy and he thinks Melanie might be able to find the answers for him given her special ability.

Unfortunately, Nevin died a few days later before Melanie has the chance to learn more about him or his history. And she could not understand why he left the historic estate in her name, with a condition that she has to have lived in the house for a year before she is allowed to put it on the market. Nevin had already established a trust to ensure that money is spent on the restoration of the house and Melanie is able to draw an amount for living expenses as long as she live in the house. So Melanie moved into the house, along with a housekeeper and a dog she has also came to inherit. But strange things start to happen and Melanie could sense she is not alone in the house.

Author Jack Trenholm has a passion for research and writing true history's mysteries books and he is adamant about making his next book works considering the last one was a flop. He is interested in Melanie's estate as he believes some diamonds that went missing from the Confederate treasury century ago are hidden in her property. Though Melanie does not like the idea of having a stranger walking into her property (not to mention into her life as well), everything about him intrigues her and the next thing she knew, they are working together in restoring the property as well as unravelling the secrets of the Vanderhorst family.

However, someone knew about the missing diamonds too and so it seems Melanie has to be constantly on guard against any threat not only from the supernatural but from that person as well.

Reading The House on Tradd Street was a delightful treat to me because there are supernatural, mystery and a bit of romance in this story, and they happen to be my favourite genres. Aside from this, I loved Melanie's attitude towards her work and her determination in solving the mysteries despite the danger she sometimes put herself in. While her ability to communicate with the dead fascinated me, I do not wish to have this 'gift' because it is creepy and definitely not fun seeing dead people all the time.

Nevin is an interesting character and I was most intrigued with his relationship with his mother. Apparently there are reasons why his mother abandoned him and like Melanie and Jack, I got sucked into the Vanderhorst mystery and find myself flipping through the pages quickly as I was eager to get to the end so I would know what happened and why.

And alas, I should mention Jack because he is such a witty and a charming person. I liked 'watching' how the sparks fly between him and Melanie, considering their acquaintance did not start off well in the beginning and Melanie seems to be a strong-minded and independent woman who thinks she could do well without another man in her life, after all she has some issue with her father after her mother had walked out of their life and she felt he could have done better instead of drinking most of the time. It is good to see him making the efforts to mend his ways and trying to reconcile with his daughter.

I wish I could say more about this wonderful story but my post is getting longer and plus, I would rather you read it yourself. Anyway I have the next book, The Girl on Legare Street, on my reading list and I am thrilled to see Melanie and Jack are back with another new adventure. I wonder what they have in store for us readers. I cannot wait. (less)

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Dec 22, 2008 Diane rated it 4 of 5 stars

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 i...more

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Aug 11, 2012 the_cat rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: pub_2008, contemporary-mystery, i-can-see-dead-people

I don’t usually write reviews but this time my head is spinning.

Where to start?

First: editor. Is it that difficult or expensive to find one? The book is full of inconsistencies like drinks changing from one minute to the next or they being in the car and next line somewhere else.
And she complains about losing sight, (in a word she can’t see an elephant if it steps on her toe) but refuses to wear glasses. Still, that’s not a problem to read all kind of letters, diaries and articles.
I won’t commen...more I don’t usually write reviews but this time my head is spinning.

Where to start?

First: editor. Is it that difficult or expensive to find one? The book is full of inconsistencies like drinks changing from one minute to the next or they being in the car and next line somewhere else.
And she complains about losing sight, (in a word she can’t see an elephant if it steps on her toe) but refuses to wear glasses. Still, that’s not a problem to read all kind of letters, diaries and articles.
I won’t comment on the order in which they start the restoration of the house. **cries** And where did the pigeons infestation go??

Second: Our heroine. Did the author pick a book on Psychology and dump on her half a dozen random mental problems? To make her… what? More real? Not by a long shot. Melanie is one of those people who can’t see or say anything positive. Everything is old or dirty, or cracked, or expensive to keep, or an annoyance. She is in permanent denial. She is obsessive compulsive. She can’t stay in a chair without some nervous tick. She is a compulsive liar… But hey, most of her problems go away in around 250 pages and she even descends from her cloud to buy her first pair of jeans. She is 39 by the way. You should read the part of her weeding the garden wearing heels and pearls.
And. She judges men by their taste in tailoring. (!!!)

OK I had to say all that because she kept reminding me of a series of people I’ve known and disliked in my life. I’ve met the always negative person. I’ve met and got wearied of the compulsive liar. I’ve met the person who thinks everything old is crap. I don’t want to read about any of them.

The paranormal part: Melanie sees ghosts but denies it all the time even although everybody around her knows it. I think she doesn’t deserve those friends who can ignore her lies. Of course when she is lied to she has a one week tantrum. :0 I liked how the ghosts walk around. And I loved her grandmother still phoning her after 34 years in the cemetery. Cool :)

The mystery part: Very good. It kept me wondering to the last page. It saves the book and now I’m curious about the next one. 3 stars.

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Feb 08, 2012 Shay rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ghosts

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I was drawn to this book because I love old houses and all the history of them. The people who called it home, how they lived. Add in a little mystery and I'm hooked. My main problem with this book is the main character Melanie. She is whiny, bitchy and totally oblivious. First it is obvious that Jack does care for her. As for Matt urm I mean Marc HAHA...she is really dumb. When he first met her he wanted to buy her house then as soon as he find out he can't he asks her out. Then keeps her at a...more

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Nov 26, 2009 skein rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2-star

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 even touch an old...more

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May 08, 2012 Lisa rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-book-club, ghost-story, mystery-series, charleston, southern-fiction

Say? About two years ago was there like some mass slaughtering of line editors which I missed hearing about? Lately I have been seeing more and more errors in continuity and simple facts than ever before. Let's start with i is a vowel not a consonant. Yep, this book gets that one wrong. If a character is drinking a coke on page 14, don't have him draining his beer on page 16, unless, of course he orders a beer somewhere in between. This should especially be avoided if one is going to reveal late...more

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Feb 07, 2011 Suzanne rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, paranormal, thriller, southern-mystery, favorites

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I loved "House on Tradd Street!" Karen White weaves an amazing story that kept me on the edge of my seat for nearly the entire second half of the book. I could hardly put it down, and have just moved on to "The Girl on Legare Street."

Melanie Middleton, a native of Charleston, South Carolina makes her living as a real estate agent selling high-end properties. One day, she is called to the home of Nevin Vanderhorst, presumably to talk with him about the sale of his house on Tradd Street. While she...more I loved "House on Tradd Street!" Karen White weaves an amazing story that kept me on the edge of my seat for nearly the entire second half of the book. I could hardly put it down, and have just moved on to "The Girl on Legare Street."

Melanie Middleton, a native of Charleston, South Carolina makes her living as a real estate agent selling high-end properties. One day, she is called to the home of Nevin Vanderhorst, presumably to talk with him about the sale of his house on Tradd Street. While she is there, Melanie's acute sixth sense indicates the presence of spirits who are no longer residing in the home, and Mr. Vanderhorst tells her that one spirit in particular, that of his mother Louisa, only makes herself known to "people she approves of." Melanie leave the Vanderhorst home that afternoon without a sales contract in place and feeling as if she had wasted her time. However, I couple of days later, when she is called to the office of Mr. Vanderhorst's attorney, Melanie finds out that the house on Tradd Street and its contents have been willed to her. Mr. Vanderhorst's father was a very good friend of Melanie's grandfather, Augustus Middleton, and Mr. Vanderhorst hopes that in addition to restoring the once elegant Charlston single house, that Melanie will solve the mystery surrounding the disappearance of his mother when he was just a child.

Melanie and Mr. Vanderhorst have much in common as Melanie was abandoned by her mother, a now famous opera singer, at the age of seven. As she starts to delve into the restoration, two potential suitors, Jack Tremholm and Marc Longo appear on the scene, both with ulterior motives for their interest in Melanie and her house on Tradd Street. Before long, Melanie is embroiled in a decades old Charleston mystery, and faces head-on a threatening spirit who wants the secret held by the house on Tradd Street buried forever. Melanie persists in her investigation and the restoration of the home, despite her misgivings and the threat that money will run out before it is complete. Feeling herself drawn deeper into the story of the Vanderhorsts, and discovering how closely it intersects with her own family history, pushes her to find closure for Nevin Vanderhorst and his mother Louisa.

The "House on Tradd Street" is a fascinating tale, and if you love mysteries and the paranormal, you will enjoy this book immensely!(less)

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Mar 05, 2010 Meaghan (phillipnmeaghan) moos rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: series, mystery, read-in-2010

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

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Dec 22, 2009 Laurel-Rain rated it 5 of 5 stars

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

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Oct 25, 2012 Lindsay Heller rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, gothic-nouveau, mystery

I picked up this book in the dollar bin at Half Priced Books. I have always been very impressed with the clearance shelves there because of the quality of the material that can be found there. I am not entirely sure what makes the quota for putting something in the dollar section, but whatever it is I hope they keep it up because I always come out with piles of books. This one I picked up because it sounded interesting. I had never heard of it and I'd never read anything by Karen White before, b...more I picked up this book in the dollar bin at Half Priced Books. I have always been very impressed with the clearance shelves there because of the quality of the material that can be found there. I am not entirely sure what makes the quota for putting something in the dollar section, but whatever it is I hope they keep it up because I always come out with piles of books. This one I picked up because it sounded interesting. I had never heard of it and I'd never read anything by Karen White before, but I am sure glad this caught my attention because I really liked it. Oh, it's nothing ground breaking or even all that original. I found myself figuring out mysteries before the characters did, and was thus apt to shake my head at the characters, but the ride was a fun one.

Melanie Middleton has always hated old houses. She's never seen the point in pouring money into something that will continue to need work and never appreciated the history surrounding a home. Though that might have something to do with an ability Melanie has denied since her mother abandoned her as a child; much to her chagrin, Melanie can see ghosts. Now a successful Realtor living in an ultra modern condo furnished by Pottery Barn Melanie is able to tune out the dead who haunt her native Charleston, South Carolina. But when she abruptly inherits a house she never believed to have any claim over Melanie is thrown into a new role, caretaker of history and charged with solving an eighty year old mystery, of when Louisa Vanderhorst, a loving wife and mother, abruptly disappeared with local gangster Joseph Longo in 1931. Her son, Nevin, has never believed she abandoned him and trusts Melanie to discover the truth after his death. Melanie is reluctantly propelled into a world of ghosts and secrets, entities both good and evil, and mysteries long considered closed. Along for the ride are Jack Trenholm, a disgraced local writer, Sophie, Melanie's eccentric architecture professor best friend, Colonel Middleton, Melanie's estranged father, Marc Longo, the grandson of Joseph, and Chad, a university lecturer and client.

There were a hell of a lot of cliches in this book. I saw most of the twists coming from miles away not to mention most of the characters were unreasonably annoying at times. Jack is so self assured that if I were Melanie I would have ordered him away immediately, no matter how good looking he was. Melanie, herself, was pigheaded and ridiculously opposed to learning about the past. Basically, the very opposite of me. Sophie could be cartoonish and the Colonel too typical. But. Yes, there's a but. I loved them all. I could not really even tell you why. They were all the sort of friends that you've been friends with for so long that when they do seriously annoying things everyone just laughs and goes "Oh, haha, that's John!" Reading this book is like watching an old episode of "Dawson's Creek", you know all the characters and you know they are all going to do terribly stupid things, but you want to be there when they do them.(less)

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Sep 16, 2009 Suzanne rated it 5 of 5 stars

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 waiting t...more

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Aug 27, 2010 Elisabeth rated it 2 of 5 stars

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 problem with...more 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 problem with the book is that Karen repeatedly opened false starts. One glaring example is the "weekend" with Marc Longo. She never even discusses that weekend in the moment, and later refers to it as an after thought when she is considering he might be gay. Later during the ghost walk with Sophie, she talks about how the common assumption about the ghost of Mrs. Sue Howard Hardy pining over the death of her stillborn child is wrong. "I knew differently, of course, having spoken with the grieving woman once while out walking with my mother when I was a little girl." And that's it; she never tells the reader what the grieving woman told her.

Another issue I have is the completely undeveloped relationship with Marc. It's like he's thrown in just to be the protagonist, and she has no interest in this character. We find out nothing about him, except what Jack and Melanie's father tell Melanie. He is brought in to move the story line along, and clearly the reader is supposed to believe he's a threat to Melanie, but there's never a show down. He's made out to be desperate and evil, but he never really does anything evil.

I am currently reading the Second in this series, because the first seems to leave so much unfinished, including the restoration of the house. And I am holding out hope it is better. So far however Melanie is still as unlikeable as she was in the first. Melanie really needs a crisis of conscience so that she becomes less of the friend we all avoid because their negativity just brings us down.(less)

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Mar 07, 2012 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was good....really good...a good old fashion ghost story.

Melanie Middleton is the main character, a single, workaholic, successful realtor...and she sees dead people...really!

The whole story was woven together perfectly without any holes. Melanie's mother left her at an early age, then she meets a man who's mother disappeared when he was very young (the rumor created by his dad is that she ran away with Joseph Longo, an unsavory character)The next day he dies and leaves her his historical h...more

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The House on Tradd Street (Tradd Street #1)

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