The stone carnation,

by Naomi A. Hintze

A 20th-tentury housewife brings an 18th-century gravestone into her home, and the nightmare begins...

From that moment on, Caroline Cole finds herself locked in a terrifying struggle between the spirit of a long-dead girl, trying to achieve4ebirth, and the old women who killed her.

Genres: Gothic, Horror, Fiction, Mystery

246 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1971

About the author

An American writer of mystery, supernatural and gothic suspense novels for adults.

Hintze was born in Camden, Illinois, the daughter of Jesse Estes Agans and Estella Rang. She studied at Maryville College from 1927 to 1929, and at Ball State Teachers College from 1929 to 1930. On April 19, 1930, she married Harold Sanborn Hintze, with whom she had three children. Naomi was fascinated with psychic phenomena, a recurring theme in her books. She and her husband settled in Charlottesville, Virginia, where the nearby University of Virginia was the only American university with a Division of Parapsychology. Naomi was a member of the American Society of Psychical Research. She died on November 16, 1997.

In 1970, she was nominated for the Best First Novel Edgar Award for You'll Like My Mother published by Putnam in 1969. The book was adapted into the 1972 film of the same name, directed by Lamont Johnson and starring Patty Duke, Rosemary Murphy and Richard Thomas (The book was published in the United Kingdom in 1970 under the title The House With the Watching Eyes). Her third novel, Aloha Means Goodbye published by Random House in 1972, was made into a TV movie in 1974. (It was published in the United Kingdom as Hawaii for Danger.)

Reviews

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow...I had almost forgotten about this book. I must have read it at least 25 years ago. I absolutely loved it at the time. A few years later, I tried to get it from the library, but it was out of circulation, as were all of Naomi Hintze's books, most of which I had also read and loved. I confess I don't remember much about it except that the title refers to a carnation carved in a tombstone, and that there is a supernatural/ghost element. Stumbling on this here on GoodReads has renewed my interest in reading it again, especially after so many years have passed. I'll have to track down a copy.

[Mary Kendall · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel put a pin on what became a life-long fascination with gothic fiction for me. I first read it over forty years ago and it is hands-down the most memorable novel ever from my early reading diet.
Why is it so memorable? It hits all the high notes necessary for gripping suspense/mystery/romance in this genre and is laden with all the gothicky feels. It includes a bit of the supernatural, mystery of an old gravestone, mood setting in the Virginia hills, and a heroine in a dangerous pickle. Originally published in 1971, it is out of print now but find a copy if you can. You won’t regret it.

[Sidney · Rating 4 out of 5]

An ultimately suspenseful read with a tense conclusion. This is perhaps more of a domestic drama with hints of the supernatural than it is a ghost story or a tale of the paranormal, but it's an interesting tale that builds steadily, reflecting the pace of its era. Sort of as a bonus, there's a taste of attitudes in a marriage and married lifestyle of the era.

[Lynn Rainsford · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book seemed more like domestic drama with a very lightweight supernatural touch. I would like to have read more about the ghostly aspect, as intimated on the cover. It had a suspenseful ending, which kind of restored my interest in the book, but not that much. I guess I was just expecting more.

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

I put it under horror but it's quite tame in that way. It's a gothic, with elements of romance in it. But it's kind of eerie and certainly held my attention.

[Jane Irish Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably 3.5 stars. This is a very strange book, but also very haunting. It all begins when Caroline finds an old gravestone in the woods near the old house she recently bought and is fixing up, in an attempt to keep her husband away from the temptations of Washington society. With the help of Hervey, and old friend of her mother-in-law, she researches the old stone, to find out more about who Luisa was and what happened to her. Ellen, Caroline's mother-in-law, suggests placing the stone on the coffee table, and keeping flowers on it. But it seems like thoughts or Luisa begin haunting Caroline, as she sometimes smells carnations and hears strange noises. Are they real? Or is she hallucinating? Then the story takes a very surprising turn — but you have to read it to find out what!

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the mountain setting and the details of the characters and their pasts. The whole story was quite absorbing and you really don't anticipate where it's going to go. However, the supernatural element was a little lightweight and I would have preferred more. And from a 2021 perspective, this story written in 1971 was definitely a little dated in the way women are treated. Was happy that the lead character was able to rise above that. The ending, although complete with surprises, was rather abrupt; a bit more explanation would have been better.

[Alex Watz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was definitely less scary than the back blurb suggested, however, I loved it. You follow this girl through her journey of self discovery after finding a young girl's gravestone. She definitely gets into some scary situations and I didn't see the twist of Hervey being the bad guy coming but I did love the explanation of all the unexplained things happening. One thing I wanted was a bit more of an explanation as to how Mattie was involved in everything.

[Mermarie]