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The Possession Chronicles #4
Scarred Memories
Can a haunted past make amends with the present?
Lucy is her own worst enemy. She loves her husband, Frederick, and longs to be a good mother to their daughter, Phoebe, but her heart aches for her true love who died years before. In the books she writes of love and loss, she envisions herself back in Alexander Melling's arms, reveling in the second chance she thought fate too cruel to allow them.
As Lucy flounders, the family hires a young aid for her to lean on. Darla Beauchamp is eager to please her new employers, and quickly takes to juggling Phoebe's care with that of a very pregnant Lucy. But when she discovers her younger cousin has become the object of desire for a traveling violinist, a fire ignites within her to protect what little family she has left.
Both women find their lives part of an intricately interlaced tapestry, one that will unravel all that they have worked for with the smallest snag. This character-driven saga is a haunting look into the tumultuous secrets families bury deep.
Find "Safe Embrace", a Fortitude/Possession Chronicles short story, included as a bonus to the 2022 edition.
Lucy is her own worst enemy. She loves her husband, Frederick, and longs to be a good mother to their daughter, Phoebe, but her heart aches for her true love who died years before. In the books she writes of love and loss, she envisions herself back in Alexander Melling's arms, reveling in the second chance she thought fate too cruel to allow them.
As Lucy flounders, the family hires a young aid for her to lean on. Darla Beauchamp is eager to please her new employers, and quickly takes to juggling Phoebe's care with that of a very pregnant Lucy. But when she discovers her younger cousin has become the object of desire for a traveling violinist, a fire ignites within her to protect what little family she has left.
Both women find their lives part of an intricately interlaced tapestry, one that will unravel all that they have worked for with the smallest snag. This character-driven saga is a haunting look into the tumultuous secrets families bury deep.
Find "Safe Embrace", a Fortitude/Possession Chronicles short story, included as a bonus to the 2022 edition.
- GenresGothic
412 pages, Paperback
First published April 14, 2020
About the author
Carrie Dalby
30 books103 followersCarrie Dalby has lived in Mobile, Alabama, since 1996, but called locations in both San Diego and Santa Cruz counties home while growing up in California. Serving two terms as president of Mobile Writers’ Guild, five years as the Mobile area Local Liaison for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and helping coordinate the Mobile Literary Festival are just a few of the writing-related volunteer positions she’s held. When Carrie isn’t reading, writing, researching, or browsing bookstores, libraries, estate sales, thrift stores, museums, or archives, she can often be found volunteering with the Mobile Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association or attending concerts.
Carrie writes for both teens and adults.
As of 2025, The Possession Chronicles, The Malevolent Trilogy, and Washington Square Secrets are her Southern Gothic series for adults. She has also published several shorts that can be found in different anthologies as well as her short story collection MASKED FLAWS AND OTHER STORIES.
FORTITUDE is listed as a “Best Historical Book for Kids” by Grateful American Foundation for its historical accuracy and reader engagement for those in grades fifth through tenth.
For more information, social media links, newsletter sign-up, and more, visit her website: carriedalby dot com
Carrie writes for both teens and adults.
As of 2025, The Possession Chronicles, The Malevolent Trilogy, and Washington Square Secrets are her Southern Gothic series for adults. She has also published several shorts that can be found in different anthologies as well as her short story collection MASKED FLAWS AND OTHER STORIES.
FORTITUDE is listed as a “Best Historical Book for Kids” by Grateful American Foundation for its historical accuracy and reader engagement for those in grades fifth through tenth.
For more information, social media links, newsletter sign-up, and more, visit her website: carriedalby dot com
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 14, 2020
Rating: 2.5/5.0
Buckle up; this book is one emotional rollercoaster! This book can be read as a standalone, but there is a lot of background information that would be useful to know going in, so readers may want to dive into the previous books first.
Read full review in the 2020 Summer issue of InD'tale Magazine.
Buckle up; this book is one emotional rollercoaster! This book can be read as a standalone, but there is a lot of background information that would be useful to know going in, so readers may want to dive into the previous books first.
Read full review in the 2020 Summer issue of InD'tale Magazine.
October 7, 2020
3.5 stars rounded up to 4 for the great Gothic vibe that fits my fall challenge in Retro Chapter Chicks.
This could be a stand alone but probably best read in order as this is book 4 in a family saga. I still have a hate/hate (not love/hate) relationship with the main character, Lucy. I like not one thing about her. She’s whiny, manipulative, selfish, and cruel. I like quite a lot a secondary character, Darla. I like her spunk, integrity, and goodness. This is my favorite book so far of the series. Definitely, the cat 🐱, Doff, is by far my favorite character. This is his first appearance in the series. And crazy baby sister, Opal...I think we hear more from her in books to come. Hah! 🙀 She’s a freak. She will be fun to watch! I hope they let her out if the asylum in the next 📚 👀
The 5th book has just come out. Called Hostile Charms, I’m wondering where the characters are headed. My sympathies lie with Freddie Davenport, but he really needs to grow a pair or that won’t last. I hope he falls in love with a woman who cherishes him as much as he does her and doesn’t use him the way Lucy did. I am not really in his corner at this point. He’s on the cover of Hostile Charms and it doesn’t look good for this father of two.
But, I’m rooting for ya Freddy it spite of it all...Don’t let me down!
This could be a stand alone but probably best read in order as this is book 4 in a family saga. I still have a hate/hate (not love/hate) relationship with the main character, Lucy. I like not one thing about her. She’s whiny, manipulative, selfish, and cruel. I like quite a lot a secondary character, Darla. I like her spunk, integrity, and goodness. This is my favorite book so far of the series. Definitely, the cat 🐱, Doff, is by far my favorite character. This is his first appearance in the series. And crazy baby sister, Opal...I think we hear more from her in books to come. Hah! 🙀 She’s a freak. She will be fun to watch! I hope they let her out if the asylum in the next 📚 👀
The 5th book has just come out. Called Hostile Charms, I’m wondering where the characters are headed. My sympathies lie with Freddie Davenport, but he really needs to grow a pair or that won’t last. I hope he falls in love with a woman who cherishes him as much as he does her and doesn’t use him the way Lucy did. I am not really in his corner at this point. He’s on the cover of Hostile Charms and it doesn’t look good for this father of two.
But, I’m rooting for ya Freddy it spite of it all...Don’t let me down!
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July 9, 2020"Buckle up; this book is one emotional rollercoaster!"
Check out my full review at:
http://magazine.indtale.com/magazine/...
Check out my full review at:
http://magazine.indtale.com/magazine/...
April 26, 2020
I'm really not sure I can write a full review without dropping major spoilers, so I'll say a few general things:
1. We get to revisit some familiar characters while being introduced to new, delightful ones that I hope we see more of.
2. There are a few twists that will probably make you shout out loud.
3. We see a more subtle Southern gothic aesthetic in this novel that I quite like, and that sets up future subplots. And mayhem.
4. It's proven once again that you can both love and utterly hate a character at the same time. This is the mark of excellent writing.
1. We get to revisit some familiar characters while being introduced to new, delightful ones that I hope we see more of.
2. There are a few twists that will probably make you shout out loud.
3. We see a more subtle Southern gothic aesthetic in this novel that I quite like, and that sets up future subplots. And mayhem.
4. It's proven once again that you can both love and utterly hate a character at the same time. This is the mark of excellent writing.
May 1, 2020
An excellent books as usual! Can't wait for the next one
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews