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The Tale of Halcyon Crane

by Wendy Webb (Goodreads Author)

3.6 of 5 stars 3.60 · rating details · 1,494 ratings · 380 reviews

A young woman travels alone to a remote island to uncover a past she never knew was hers in this thrilling modern ghost story

When a mysterious letter lands in Hallie James’s mailbox, her life is upended. Hallie was raised by her loving father, having been told her mother died in a fire decades earlier. But it turns out that her mother, Madlyn, was alive until very recently...more

Paperback, 326 pages

Published March 30th 2010 by St. Martin's Griffin

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Jun 28, 2011 karen rated it 2 of 5 stars

i think this is the kind of book v.s. naipaul is railing against whenever he talks shit about female novelists. and it's not that this is a terrible book, it is just not...accomplished. it is clumsy in its exposition, it is not particularly scary, for a ghost story, and the characters are pretty poorly realized. it's a fine escapist book for people who don't really want to be challenged while they half-read on their lawn chairs, sipping afternoon chardonnay while they make sure their kids don't...more

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May 02, 2010 Irene rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: have-a-copy, arc

With an intriguing title and a captivating cover, The Tale of Halcyon Crane by Wendy Webb immediately caught my eye. The theme of “magical realism” and “gothic mystery” scurried through my whetted brain, and off I went on a satisfying adventure from land to sea to Grand Manitou, an imaginary island in Lake Michigan, rather reminiscent of Mackinac Island.

Imagine receiving a mysteriously large envelope, which not only contains a letter from an attorney that you have never heard of, but worse, a ha...more

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Mar 28, 2010 Tara rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: librarything-reviews, 2010-favorites, favorites

This was an utterly memorizing story. I was completely drawn into the story of Hallie/Halcyon and the past history of her family. Imagine getting a letter that not only tells you that your mother was alive for the last 30 years (when you have been told that she died) and then in the same letter that she had just past away. After another family tragedy, she leaves to go to the island where she was born and where she can find out more about the family that she was taken from and hopefully she will...more

6 likes · like · see review

Jun 27, 2010 Jake rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: wished-i-hadn-t

When I was navigating the rift between nonfiction and fiction writing during my undergraduate career I found that I don't have a knack for nonfiction. I am sure it would take practice, diligence, all that sorta stuff, yada, yada, yada, for me to become as adept with nonfiction as I am with fiction. I love fiction-writing. That is truly where my heart is. I was in a class strictly for public relations writing and my teacher told me he could tell I was a fiction writer because my sentences were to...more

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Apr 26, 2011 Trudi rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime-mystery, secrets, 2011-reads, in-her-own-words, gothic, i-see-dead-people, grief-and-loss

This was an okay enjoyable read with plenty of atmosphere and gothic elements to recommend it, but for me, it was almost “textbook” gothic… what do you call it – a pastiche? Right down to calling the sprawling Victorian mansion Hill House. There are some genuine eerie moments and I don’t regret spending an afternoon curled up with this one, but unfortunately it’s one of those books that you know you’re going to forget in a day.

As my friends know I don’t read many mysteries, but when I do they g...more

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Feb 04, 2013 Christine rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010-reads

Haille James discovers a letter in her mailbox that turns everything she has know to be true in her life upside-down. Her mother, thought dead for thirty years has, in fact, only just recently died. Haille travels to the somewhat remote island her mother called home, only to discover a large inheritance that comes with a few ghosts attached.

Overall, this was not a bad ghost story, filled with all the things one expects: victorian mansion, graveyards, unfriendly townsfolk, the omnipresent elderly...more

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Mar 15, 2013 Christina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: amazing, chilling-haunting-psycho-thriller, fantasy

“The Tale Of Halcyon Crane” by Wendy Webb is a magical story for grownups who love fairytales. It has the perfect combination of suspense, surprises, witches, ghosts, psychological mind benders, romance, family secrets, and a great book you want to curl up to with a hot cup of tea.
First, just look at the title. With the main character named Halcyon Crane, you know this is one story that will be different in style and wants you to open up the book to learn more about her. Ironically that is the...more

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Feb 26, 2013 Lighthearted rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-fiction, gothic, mystery, suspense, supernatural-fiction

Hallie James grew up believing that her mother died in a fire. She never doubted her father when he said that no photographs or mementos survived the fire; she never doubted him when he said that they had no living relatives. Now in her thirties, Hallie’s world comes crashing down around her when she receives a letter from a woman who says that she’s her mother.

Determined to discover the truth about herself and her parents, Hallie travels to Grand Manitou Island, a remote island in the Great Lak...more

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Oct 25, 2011 Bodie P rated it 4 of 5 stars

I recently finished The Tale of Halcyon Crane, by Wendy Webb. When I finished it I knew I wanted to do a review. Why? That’s a bit less straightforward. Essentially the story is a tale of mistaken identity–Halcyon grows up the child of a widowed father, or so she believes. The book begins with a letter informing her that her mother has recently died and left her a bequest. She need only return to Great Manitou Island in Lake Superior to get it. (There will be more about Great Manitou Island late...more I recently finished The Tale of Halcyon Crane, by Wendy Webb. When I finished it I knew I wanted to do a review. Why? That’s a bit less straightforward. Essentially the story is a tale of mistaken identity–Halcyon grows up the child of a widowed father, or so she believes. The book begins with a letter informing her that her mother has recently died and left her a bequest. She need only return to Great Manitou Island in Lake Superior to get it. (There will be more about Great Manitou Island later–it’s another case of mistaken identity.)

She returns to the island to discover that her father initially fled with her to escape murder charges–and indeed, he has been suspected of having killed her; Hallie is as much a surprise to the islanders as her mother is to her. I won’t spoil the story for you, except to say that in the end I was a bit disappointed; it seemed a bit contrived, and there were too many unanswered questions for my taste.

But–and here’s why I wanted to review this book–one thing that does not disappoint is Webb’s creation of Great Manitou Island, where the story is set. As I indicated above, this is another case of mistaken identity–one that Webb hits slyly at in referring to Mackinac Island as a sister island. There is, in fact, a Manitou Island in Lake Superior, but it’s remote and as far as I could discover, essentially uninhabited. Manitou Island as Webb creates it is actually Mackinac Island, from the ferry to the horse-drawn carriages to the main street to the bed and breakfasts to the quaint restaurants to the seasonal shutdown, when the island is essentially cut off from the mainland for months at a time.

Though the story is a bit flat–Webb doesn’t seem to really make the most of her characters or supernatural elements–the sense of place she evokes is remarkable. Having been to Mackinac Island myself, I can attest to the fact that she has managed to capture the magic of the place wonderfully.

Another thing she does well is capture the characters of Halcyon’s parents. As the story develops, we come to understand how it is that Halcyon’s father could both be suspected of murder, and still be the wonderful, loving parent Halcyon knows–and how it might be that her mother could love her deeply and yet still put her at risk. Another thing she does well is create the small, close society of island life in a place that is isolated for much of the year.

All in all, this is a book worth reading–and do consider a visit to Mackinac Island! The Tale of Halcyon Crane is available from Amazon in both Kindle and paperback versions. Mackinac Island is, of course, available in Lake Superior, any time the ferry runs. If you plan to stay, it’s wise to schedule your visit well in advance–say, a year.(less)

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Sep 19, 2011 Linda added it

Loved this MN Book Award winner - which btw beat out a great field of contenders, such as Julie Kramer, David Housewright and William Kent Krueger in genre fiction. This is Wendy Webb's first novel, and she nails it.
A woman finds out after her father dies that her mother, whom she had thought was dead, was actually still alive until very recently. A very strange and mysterious trip follows, back to her childhood home on Lake Michigan. It's a wild, old place, and she finds ghosts there of all typ...more

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Jul 17, 2010 Andrea Allison rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This tale begins with a young woman named Hallie James living in Puget Sound. On one foggy morning, she soon learns her whole existence was lived in deception thanks to two letters. One from the mother she believed to have died long ago. The second from a lawyer reporting her death. The only person who can clear up a lifetime full of lies is her Alzheimer's father. He didn't remember his own daughter on a good day. However, it only took one lucid answer to reveal the startling truth: “Madyln wro...more This tale begins with a young woman named Hallie James living in Puget Sound. On one foggy morning, she soon learns her whole existence was lived in deception thanks to two letters. One from the mother she believed to have died long ago. The second from a lawyer reporting her death. The only person who can clear up a lifetime full of lies is her Alzheimer's father. He didn't remember his own daughter on a good day. However, it only took one lucid answer to reveal the startling truth: “Madyln wrote to you?” Hallie had only known her mother as Annie. The next day, she was left facing the death of a mother that came years after she had been told and also the death of her father.

On a whim she calls the lawyer, packs a bag, and leaves for Grand Manitou Island not knowing what she will find but wanting to know about the life that was taken from her. With the aid of her mother's attorney, Will, and a Mrs. Danvers-like housekeeper name Iris, she slowly learns the haunting details of her family's history as well as her own past.

The Tale of Halcyon Crane is the debut novel from author Wendy Webb. However, Webb is no stranger to writing. She built a twenty year career as journalist before making the switch to fiction. I found myself not wanting to put this book down. It's a rarity for me. I think Hallie gets pulled in to the stories and living on the island and the ghosts a little two easy. She comes off a little too over-resilient for all that she's been through. It's fast paced. Although, the backstory portion is a bit more predominant than the ghosts and eerie happenings on the island and in her family home. It doesn't take away from the overall plot. The reader is always left wondering what will happen next.

I do think the ending is a bit rushed. I would have loved the confrontation scene between her and the three ghost triplets to be drawn out more. Its like the novel was building the reader up to this moment and when it happened, you're left with a ho hum feeling. Webb discussed in a mini-interview, located in the back of the book, the switch from nonfiction to fiction concerning the different styles of writing. In various parts, it reads more telling than showing. However, I don't believe this takes away from the story. The Tale of Halcyon Crane rewards the reader with a ghostly tale along with a sense of family appreciation without an ounce of disappointment.(less)

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Jun 09, 2010 Jlaurenmc rated it 4 of 5 stars

Hallie James lost both her father and her mother in just a few short days. Her father, she had counted on losing since his downward spiral into dementia forced her to seek help from a local assisted living home. Her mother, she thought she had lost long ago. In a letter from a far away law firm, Hallie learns of her mother's very recent death. Having been told her entire life that her mother perished in a house fire when she was five years old, Hallie is understandably shaken. With little left i...more Hallie James lost both her father and her mother in just a few short days. Her father, she had counted on losing since his downward spiral into dementia forced her to seek help from a local assisted living home. Her mother, she thought she had lost long ago. In a letter from a far away law firm, Hallie learns of her mother's very recent death. Having been told her entire life that her mother perished in a house fire when she was five years old, Hallie is understandably shaken. With little left in her coastal Washington state town, Hallie makes a trek to Lake Superior and the remote island of Grand Manitou. She finds out upon her arrival that there are more than simple family secrets to discover. When strange and frightening things begin to happen in her family's homestead, Hallie begins to wonder if ghosts exist after all.

The Tale of Halcyon Crane author Wendy Webb has been a journalist for more than twenty years, and journalism's straight-forward style of writing is evident in the novel. While a spine-chilling tale of ghosts and ancestors and secrets long buried emerges, Webb does so on a lower reading level than most literary mysteries. The book, even with its adult characters and situations, reads almost like a young adult novel. Even as I say that, I must admit that I highly enjoyed the late, scary nights that I was reading Halcyon Crane. Word choice leaned more towards young adult, as did some of Webb's plot development. Hallie falls immediately in love with her mother's lawyer and her own childhood friend, within days of meeting him. I found the supposed love story a bit thin and immature as a result of its haste. Also, the plot varies between present-day action and tales of Hallie's family relayed to her by a woman who claims to be the household maid. Many indicators tell readers that there is more to this woman than meets the eye, a fact which ends up to be true in the end and of which Hallie seems perpetually ignorant.

Despite some of the less developed or literary traits of Webb's writing and of the novel in general, The Tale of Halcyon Crane remains a fun and entertaining read. Some of the flashback and ghost scenes are spectacularly spooky. I tossed and turned whenever I could finally get to sleep for the duration of my reading the book. And perhaps most effective is Webb's development of the island itself as a character in the novel. Based on Lake Michigan's Mackinac Island rather than the similarly-named North and South Manitou islands, Webb's fictional Grand Manitou is a picturesque version of an old-school resort community in the Great Lakes. Like Mackinac, Grand Manitou has no motorized vehicles, residents instead traveling by horse and carriage, bicycle, or foot. The minimal modern conveniences lend both a quaint homeyness and a forboding sense of gloom to the Victorian-style island.

Overall, Halcyon Crane was neither the best nor the worst book I've read this year. I will look forward to Webb's next novel and to following her development as a new fiction writer from her long-time career as a journalist. Many book bloggers and reviewers had only glowing things to say about this gothic novel. Read an excerpt to decide whether or not you'll visit the creepy island yourself. (less)

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May 24, 2010 John rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, library_books

A good first effort at fiction, from a writer with a non-fiction background. Webb excels at setting scenes, as though literally painting the story with a watercolor brush ... and I'm not a particularly visual reader. Unfortunately, she let the plot get away from her.

The first half of the book was fairly good, with lots of opportunity for island description, introduction of characters, and setting up of plot lines. At that point, the book gradually, but persistently, proceeds deeper into Cliche L...more A good first effort at fiction, from a writer with a non-fiction background. Webb excels at setting scenes, as though literally painting the story with a watercolor brush ... and I'm not a particularly visual reader. Unfortunately, she let the plot get away from her.

The first half of the book was fairly good, with lots of opportunity for island description, introduction of characters, and setting up of plot lines. At that point, the book gradually, but persistently, proceeds deeper into Cliche Land, especially the romance angle between Hallie and Will, the attorney handling her mother's estate. I was left with the idea that he must be (roughly) the same age as she, though he could've been as much as 10 years older. He has fond memories of playing with her as children, though she was only 5 when she left. So, statements such as "We played tree forts together!" rang a bit hollow: this is something 3 or 4 year old girls do (with 5 - 10 y/o boys)? He seemed a good-looking "prop" for a romance angle, showing little passion or enthusiasm.

Much of the second part consists of Sherherazade-like stories from Iris, her mother's (family's) housekeeper, who appears several times a week, doing a full day's work, including walking to and from the house (two miles from town), and must be over 100 as she freely admits she was the (albeit young) "nanny" to Hallie's grandfather, born around World War I. (Hallie doesn't really question this much, except a "Gosh - she must be old!" moment.) All I'll say of the rather too-neat ending is that at one point Hallie gives the reader a "had I but known what was to follow ....", after which, no one dies, or is seriously injured.

Finally, there's Hallie's ex-husband, appearing un-announced at Hallie's home in Washington state near the beginning of the book. Her good-looking, British, and gay ex-husband. They are still oh-so-close, despite her lack of ... requisite plumbing (he has an offstage partner for that). He disappears until the middle of the book, when after rejecting Will's initial advances, Hallie calls him in London, admitting that she hasn't been with a guy since the divorce, with a "How can I trust a man again, after what happened!" cry of angst. He gives her a Churchill-like pep talk to go on, take a chance at having her heart broken, yadda, yadda, yadda ... and then exits the story for good. These two are oh-so-close and yet haven't resolved their breakup? Were I the editor, I would've insisted Webb either drop him, or have him appear more often (as a hero figure).

I'd read another of Wendy Webb's books, but here's hoping she gets more honest feedback next time!(less)

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Apr 02, 2010 christa rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is what reading is supposed to be like: A story that comes across so well, so seamlessly that it is like a brain movie, that reminds you of the first books that kidnapped your attention. The kind where the bookmark is still warm when you reopen it.

When Wendy Webb's debut novel "The Tale of Halcyon Crane" starts, Hallie James is learning that the circumstances of her life have been a lie. Her mother didn't die in a fire; her name wasn't even Hallie James. She receives a packet with two lett...more This is what reading is supposed to be like: A story that comes across so well, so seamlessly that it is like a brain movie, that reminds you of the first books that kidnapped your attention. The kind where the bookmark is still warm when you reopen it.

When Wendy Webb's debut novel "The Tale of Halcyon Crane" starts, Hallie James is learning that the circumstances of her life have been a lie. Her mother didn't die in a fire; her name wasn't even Hallie James. She receives a packet with two letters: One from a famous photographer named Madlyn Crane claiming to be her long lost mother; one from a lawyer telling her that Madlyn Crane has recently died. She has barely enough time to get to her father's death bed to fact check, and in a rare lucid reprieve from Alzheimers, he says enough to confirm that there is more to the story than what he has told her. He dies and Hallie takes off for Manitou Island to meet with her mother's lawyer.

Manitou Island is one of those zero bars on the cell phone destinations without cars. It's a place with big houses that thrives with tourists in the summer. Hallie gets there at the end of the season, when half of the town shuts down and the locals greet her with stink eye when she wanders into the coffee shop. Hallie combs her brain for memories of living on this island, and instead comes up with sing songy kid voices in her head, and a vision of a full body apparition: a young girl with braids.

The lawyer Will turns out to be her childhood friend; Madlyn's big old house on the hill and her two malamutes are bequeathed to Hallie. And with this comes a creepy old lady named Iris, who makes stew, does windows and and then parses out bite size pieces of the Crane history to Hallie -- stories that date back to the early 1900s that Hallie can visualize so clearly, it is if she was there. Think: ghosts, naughty triplets, witch brews, suicide and murder.

The island's newest resident gets the cold shoulder from the folks who remember the circumstances of Hallie and her father leaving the island: the death of a young girl blamed on her father, which he followed up with by faking his and Hallie's death and whisking her away to the west coast.

Meanwhile, Hallie and Will start getting frisky.

Webb has crazy chops as a storyteller, and plays this one exactly right. Often, at the end of a chapter, I'd close the book, chuckle and think "nicely played." The ghosts in the story are introduced in a subtle way, more like they are actual characters -- albeit spooky characters -- than something Dan Akroyd needs to Hoover. The relationship between Hallie and Will is adorable. And every time I stopped to say something like "Hey, wait a tick, how old does that make Iris?" Hallie had exactly the same thought. And there are scenes that are so, so, visual that it is like someone is reading the book to you while you lay there with your eyes closed.

This is one of my favorites this year.
(less)

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Jan 11, 2010 Robin rated it 4 of 5 stars

If you like a gothic story with ghosts, a wee bit of witchcraft, creepy graves, and an interesting setting, think about reading this when it is published (April 2010).

Having lived with her father in the Seattle area for all of her life, Hallie receives a letter from a lawyer saying her mother had just died and asks her to travel to Grand Manitou Island in Lake Superior (based on Mackinaw Island) to claim her legacy. Her father had told Hallie that her mother died in a fire but turns out he fake...more

3 likes · like · see review

Nov 22, 2011 Jody rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: audiobook

The Tale of Halcyon Crane wants to be Gothic and haunting, but it only achieves a chick-lit lite version, unfortunately. The most horrifying part was lines such as "His kiss tasted of wine and rain and possibility." (Go ahead, vomit. I'll be here when you get back.)

Also, Hallie is not the sharpest knife in the drawer. Several chapters or sections ended with big revelations, the kind that in movies would have the actress sit straight up in bed, a hand clasped over her mouth, as the camera tighte...more

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Dec 10, 2010 Angie rated it 1 of 5 stars

I have to say Nanc, this is the first time I’ve been disappointed in one of your recommendations. Oh were to begin. Fist off I will admit I tend to read young adult books though a mother’s eyes. With that clarified, there are multiple very adult situations not appropriate for young readers, in my opinion. For example, consuming wine to chase troubles away on at least a dozen occasions, seriously these folks downed bottles of wine as if they were cans of pop. Others include husbands leaving wives...more

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Jun 07, 2011 Cheyenne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Hallie, a recently divorced young woman caring for her ailing father, gets a mysterious letter in the mail one day from a woman claiming to be her mother. Soon thereafter, Hallie decides to travel to the remote island on which her mother lived to uncover the truth about her family's past and where she really came from. When she arrives on the strange island, curious things begin to happen and Hallie begins to wonder if she made a good decision by coming. But as she delves deeper and deeper into...more

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Dec 26, 2010 Linda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, mystery-crime

Hallie James is living and working near Seattle, where she was raised by her single father, now in a nursing home. During the course of one fateful week, everything she thought she knew about her life turns out to be a fabrication. Hallie travels to the Lake Superior Island of Manitou, where she was born, and is greeted by the local attorney, and, very, very gradually, she learns the history of the family she never knew she had. There seems to be only one person on this quaint island, where no m...more

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May 01, 2010 Lauren rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: own

Every once in a blue moon, I am reminded of one of the many reasons why I love to blog/read blogs/the Internet overall. What's the reason, per say? Well, it's the fact that if not for blogging, I would have never ever heard of some of the books that ended up being among my absolute favorites. The Tale of Halcyon Crane was one of those books, and had I not heard about it, well, it would have been a very, very tragic thing, because this book was drop-dead amazing; not only of the best adult novels...more Every once in a blue moon, I am reminded of one of the many reasons why I love to blog/read blogs/the Internet overall. What's the reason, per say? Well, it's the fact that if not for blogging, I would have never ever heard of some of the books that ended up being among my absolute favorites. The Tale of Halcyon Crane was one of those books, and had I not heard about it, well, it would have been a very, very tragic thing, because this book was drop-dead amazing; not only of the best adult novels I've ever read, but one of the best books I've ever read!

The Tale of Halcyon Crane ended up surprising me in many ways.

One was the setting, which was Grand Manitour. The way Webb described it made me feel like I was right there taking part in the story the whole time. I loved the fact that in most ways it was very much a time-warped island, one that had no cell service (Oh, the horror of all horrors!) nor cars among other aspects.

The characters were another part of this story that I adored! They were well-developed, even the dead ones, and it was absolutely fascinating to learn about each and every one's back-story. My favorite out of all them would have to be Hallie James, the main character. Since while she was sweet, kind, and loving, she was also flawed, like any adult or teen. It was interesting to see her truly find herself on the island and let go of her past mistakes and hardships, so that instead she could move on to a place were she completely felt at home.

The plot and writing of this were both well done and, as mentioned before, truly brought this book to life. There was almost never a dull moment, much the opposite in the fact, since I was always clinging on to each word, dying to find out what would happen next. Plus there were parts in The Tale of Halcyon Crane I barley saw coming, an aspect I love in any story. And I loved the incorporation of ghosts in the novel. It gave it a unique spin that made it live up and well past it's full potential.

The only problem I had with this book would be the fact that the dialogue sometimes felt a wee bit awkward. But other than that, The Tale of Halcyon Crane is A+ material!

In all The Tale of Halcyon Crane is a fabulous mix of ghosts, romance, and one girl finding herself to be more than she ever expected! I am highly look forward to reading Webb's next work. Since I'm sure it'll prove to be the same!

Grade: A+(less)

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Apr 18, 2010 Angela rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: given-away

The Tale of Halcyon Crane by Wendy Webb is a modern ghost story filled with family secrets. Hallie James receives a mysterious letter which turns her life upside down as it reveals that her mother, who she believed died when she was a child, was actually alive and only recently passed away. Hallie discovers that her mother had believed that she and her father had died years before. Now with the loss of her father, Hallie travels to Grand Manitou Island to learn about her childhood and family his...more The Tale of Halcyon Crane by Wendy Webb is a modern ghost story filled with family secrets. Hallie James receives a mysterious letter which turns her life upside down as it reveals that her mother, who she believed died when she was a child, was actually alive and only recently passed away. Hallie discovers that her mother had believed that she and her father had died years before. Now with the loss of her father, Hallie travels to Grand Manitou Island to learn about her childhood and family history. The isolated islanders are not happy to see her and Hallie soon learns about a tragedy that occurred just before she and her father disappeared. Strange things also begin happening in the house left to her by her mother. With the help of Iris, the housekeeper, Hallie begins to lean about her family history and the strange secrets it contains.

Wendy Webb immediately captured my attention with her amazingly descriptive language. I could envision exactly what Hallie was seeing, experiencing, and even feeling. The description of the fog and the affect it had on Hallie was simply chilling and set the tone for the whole story to come. I found myself paying attention to the specific words that Webb used while at the same time being completely caught up in the story. It is a rare book that can impact me like that - generally if I'm entranced in the story I am not paying attention to the language or if I am noticing the language it means I am not fully engaged with the story.

The family history that Iris tells Hallie is certainly an unusual tale but it seems to fit the setting and time period. One decision made in a time of desperation impacts all the generations to come. It made me wonder how the story might continue if Hallie has children in the future or if her actions break the cycle for good. I loved how the modern actions of the islanders and the family history are woven together even without people understanding how the past has changed their present.

I would love to give this book a five star rating but there were a couple of odd things that didn't quite fit to me. The first even Hallie recognizes - Why are the islanders so hostile toward her? She was very young when her father faked their deaths and, although the event that her reappearance brings back into the collective mind of the residents is horrible, she should not be blamed for that event. While Hallie actually wonders about this at one point in the book I don't think the question is ever really resolved. One particular character seems to me to almost be an afterthought or just kind of extra. Although Jonah's story is explained, I think that side story was unnecessary and he probably could have been left out entirely. There was also one section of the book which gave a big buildup and then I felt the actual event didn't warrant that much drama beforehand.

In spite of these small inconsistencies, I enjoyed The Tale of Halcyon Crane tremendously. It was very different from the other books I have been reading lately. I think it only took me about two days to read and most of the books I've read lately have taken a full week or more. I really didn't want to put this one down because I wanted to know what was going on at Hallie's island house but then I was sad when the story ended because it had captured all of my attention.(less)

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May 29, 2010 Sandi rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: library-books-read, ghost-stories, 2010

When I was a kid, I ran across the word "halcyon" in the dictionary and fell in love with it. It means calm, peaceful and happy. Because of my love of a word, I had to take a look at The Tale of Halcyon Crane when I saw it at the library. It sounded intriguing enough for me to check out.

Now, I don't think there's really anything new or groundbreaking in this story. It's pretty ordinary and I could see where it was going most of the way. But, I was hooked from the first chapter and stayed up unti...more

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May 04, 2010 Anne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: creepy, fiction, michigan, mysteries

"The Tale of Halcyon Crane" is a fast-paced, eerie ghost story in the spirit of Stephen King's "The Shining." Hallie James is shocked when she receives a letter in the mail - from the mother she never knew was still alive. When her newly-discovered mother and her father die within days of each other, she is devastated and decides to travel to the Great Lakes resort community of Grand Manitou Island to find out what happened to estrange her father and mother.

Hallie soon learns she has inherited...more

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Jun 14, 2010 Amy rated it 2 of 5 stars

“Was this nothing but a shadow of what never was, a memory deliberately implanted by years of storytelling? That’s how powerful stories are. They can actually create the past if told often enough.”

So it is with Hallie James, a young woman in Seattle, mourning the loss of her mother who died when she was just a child. Memories of her mother are vague, but she grasps upon any connection with her. Her father raises her alone, and shortly before his death she receives a shocking letter. Her mother n...more “Was this nothing but a shadow of what never was, a memory deliberately implanted by years of storytelling? That’s how powerful stories are. They can actually create the past if told often enough.”

So it is with Hallie James, a young woman in Seattle, mourning the loss of her mother who died when she was just a child. Memories of her mother are vague, but she grasps upon any connection with her. Her father raises her alone, and shortly before his death she receives a shocking letter. Her mother never died at all, and up until very recently, had been alive. It soon becomes apparent to Hallie that her father had kidnapped her as a child, taking her away from her mother and their home near the Great Lakes. The memories she had were all fairy-tales.

Why would he do this? As Hallie returns to her birthplace, mourning the loss of both her father and the mother she never knew, she has to unravel the mystery of why he stole her away. Solving the mystery means making new connections with people from her childhood and discovering that in abducting her, he had staged their own deaths. The townspeople are convinced her father was evading a murder conviction, and now she has to evaluate the father she loved and the evidence she finds. She can’t harmonize her own memories with the accounts of him by others, and the mysterious activities on Grand Manitou Island that occur after she arrives.

This is an old-fashioned gothic story mixing past and present, with an easy pace of action that makes it very readable. The voice of Hallie, whose real name turns out to be Halcyon Crane, is witty, self-deprecating, and warm. She appears to be an intelligent woman trying to solve an especially personal mystery.

That said, I found the story a bit too predictable, and as it unfolds the mysteries are solved a bit too easily to be believable. Hallie, despite her intelligence, appears to trust everyone on sight, despite the curious events that go on around her. The characters on the island are stereotypical: the charming barista, the shrewish innkeeper, the creepy housekeeper, and the wonderfully dependable male lead all fill their expected roles. As a young adult novel, this could work. For an adult, it came off childish. Its attempts to be scary and suspenseful ended up being downright silly. I could actually see this being a pretty interesting teen movie if there was a way to amp up the suspense and create a bit more realistic complexities.

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Aug 16, 2012 Shruti rated it 1 of 5 stars

This book seems to aspire to the Gothic genre. It falls short.

Oh what to say about this book? The writing is mediocre. The "mystery" is obvious pretty close to the beginning of the book.

The narrator, Hallie, failed to elicit any feelings of compassion in me, and I really didn't identify with her at all. The book is full of stereotypical characters that I suspect are meant to be quirky or mysterious or something. Maybe they would have been if Webb ever developed them, but alas she didn't so the...more

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Aug 15, 2011 Blair rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was hands down one of my more favorite reads of this year. The pacing, story and characters were excellent. The setting of a virtually-deserted tourist island in the Great Lakes was very chilling and eerie; it was reminiscent of the abandoned hotel in "The Shining". The dark and sinister visions and ghostly encounters were described with such detail that it made the hair on the back of my neck raise.

The tone of the book pulls you in right away and never lets up. I tore through this book be

...more

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Sep 12, 2012 Emily rated it 1 of 5 stars

Ok so I didn't hate this, but I also only got to about page 133 and decided I just don't have enough time to waste on a book that constantly makes me roll my eyes and forces me to think about all the other books I would rather be reading. Yeah. That about sums this story up.

Let's talk for a second about predictability and how this usually happens in books about 'the mysterious beyond.' And the mysterious beyond is really just my fancy-pants way of saying this book is about ghosts. Yawn. What it...more Ok so I didn't hate this, but I also only got to about page 133 and decided I just don't have enough time to waste on a book that constantly makes me roll my eyes and forces me to think about all the other books I would rather be reading. Yeah. That about sums this story up.

Let's talk for a second about predictability and how this usually happens in books about 'the mysterious beyond.' And the mysterious beyond is really just my fancy-pants way of saying this book is about ghosts. Yawn. What it's SUPPOSED to be about (and what the jacket cover promised) is a mystery about a girl who was taken from her home when she was five and presumed dead by all, including her clueless mother, until one day she returns to the island to discover her past. Hallie (or Halcyon, which was her original name and by the way--why does no one ever explain what kind of name THAT is?) finds her mother has left her a beautiful victorian home (which is described in the most bland, young adult-style description ever), a creepy maid (who wears sensible shoes, apparently) and a whole lot of weird business involving angry towns-folk and of course, ghosts.

The story in and of itself is predictable beyond measure. I can already see exactly how this is going to play out which is why I stopped reading it and will be donating it to my local library for some other poor soul to pick up and then put down in mild annoyance again. I am now predicting the fate of this book. SPOOKY.

The writing style is--well...blah. As you read through you sort of get the idea that this author has taken a lot of writing and composition courses that teach you how to form basic, decently structured sentences that convey the point so well that they slam you over the head with it repeatedly. Remember that whole 'Say it, don't show it' thing they always teach in writing 101? Well. She might have missed that day.

Here's a lovely little sentence that sums up how the entire novel is written. In reference to her feelings for one of equally ridiculous romantic interests she writes, "I couldn't quite figure him out, but I knew one thing: There was no chemistry between us. Not anything like what I felt when I was with Will. No, Jonah and I were destined to be friends and nothing more."

Seriously? It's just such a juvenile way of TELLING the point, which I already got a few sentences earlier from her reaction to the guy trying to invite her home. Which alright, she just got on this island and literally the second she meets these two people who are described as "handsome" with "sandy blond hair" and "electric blue eyes" with "an athletes build" (which what does that even mean? What kind of athlete? A slim one? A body builder? Bane from Batman?) they all immediately fall in love with her and she has to waste a whole page trying to figure out who she's more interested in. You know, never mind the ghosts and the whole dead mother thing. Also I have zero idea what the main character herself looks like except that brown hair seems to be involved and that, predictably, she's the 'spitting image of her mother' which would help except the mother is ALSO never described.

At this point I could really give a crap about the "mystery" involving Hallie being taken away from her mother when she was five. I'm assuming it has to do with ghosts in the house and her mother being able to see them. Something else about a little girl dying which I'm also going to predict did not involve Hallie's father after all but was the result of a ghostly encounter. What would be actually surprising is if her mother was a total psychopath after all and she did it but I doubt it. Because that would involve creative thinking which is clearly not happening in this book.

Between the lacking and annoyingly predictable plot, the character development that clearly isn't going to happen ever, and the irritating descriptions of rooms that just feels way too much like how you're taught to describe something in elementary school, I give up. Example: "We walked through enormous double doors and into a hallway lined with dark wood paneling. A candle chandelier, similar to the one at Madlyn's house, blazed in the foyer, bathing the room in soft flickering light. A bar stood to the left, where several men were enjoying what I assumed were predinner cocktailes."

You assumed they were predinner cocktails? Why would your character even bother to try to figure that out? Men. In a bar. Drinking. OH IT MUST BE PREDINNER SINCE CLEARLY NO ONE HAS EATEN YET. What. The author throws these sort of stupid, unnecessary observations in every few sentences which just make me want to strangle someone.

So, I give up on this one but I'm considering it read since you can figure out the entire plot by about page 20. Moving on. (less)

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Dec 23, 2012 Kelly rated it 3 of 5 stars

At first, this book totally creeped me out (and I kinda liked it), but then it began to get more transparent and I ended up being slightly disappointed. It left me with several questions...or maybe my imagination went in a different direction than the author and that's why I think I had questions, but really I just liked my explanations better! How rude of me! I wish the romance had been a bit more romantic and not just all like "we fell in love". And, I wish the author had taken a bit more time...more

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Mar 13, 2010 Mary rated it 4 of 5 stars

Hallie James is not who she thinks she is! A letter arrives in the mail one day and changes her whole world. Hallie's father has told her that her mother perished in a fire when Hallie was 5. However, the letter, written by her mother, the famous photographer Madyln Crane before her recent death, explains that Hallie's father abducted her 30 years previously and staged their deaths. Travleing to a remote island in the Great Lakes, Hallie seeks out her family history and discovers that she is not...more

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Mar 18, 2010 A. Somers rated it 3 of 5 stars

Halcyon Crane's mysterious family history is just spooky enough to weave its way into your dreams, and to make you jump at the smallest noise. The ghosts of Hallie's ancestors wheedled their way into my subconscious. I was fascinated by the idea that each generation of the Crane family had their own special power and their own unique form of protection against the devilish antics of the three P's, Persphone, Patience and Penelope.This is one of those books that you read and you can actually visu...more

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About Wendy Webb

WENDY WEBB's novels are mysteries about long-buried family secrets, set in big, old haunted houses on the Great Lakes.

Her upcoming novel, THE FATE OF MERCY ALBAN (2013, Hyperion) is the story of Grace Alban, who returns home after 20 years when her mother dies under questionable circumstances on the very day she (the mother) planned to reveal the truth about a tragedy that occurred during a party...more

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“Before I lost my father, I never understood the rituals surrounding funerals: the wake, the service itself, the reception afterward,the dinners prepared by well-meaning friends and delivered in plastic containers, even the popular habit of making poster boards filled with photos of the dear departed. But now I know why we do those things. It's busywork, all of it. I had so much to take care of, so many arrangements to make, so many people to inform, I didn't have a moment to be engulfed by the ocean of grief that was lapping at my heels. Instead, I waded through the shallows, performing task after task, grateful to have duties to propel me forward.” — 5 people liked it

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