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The Unquiet Grave
The Unquiet Grave: A Novel | Sharyn McCrumb
From New York Times bestselling author Sharyn McCrumb comes a finely wrought novel set in nineteenth-century West Virginia, based on the true story of one of the strangest murder trials in American historythe case of the Greenbrier Ghost. Lakin, West Virginia, 1930 Following a suicide attempt and consigned to a segregated insane asylum, attorney James P. D. Gardner finds himself under the care of Dr. James Boozer. Fresh out of medical school, Dr. Boozer is eager to try the new talking cure for insanity, and encourages his elderly patient to reminisce about his experiences as the first black attorney to practice law in nineteenth-century West Virginia. Gardner's most memorable case was the one in which he helped to defend a white man on trial for the murder of his young bridea case that the prosecution based on the testimony of a ghost. Greenbrier, West Virginia, 1897 Beautiful, willful Zona Heaster has always lived in the mountains of West Virginia. Despite her mothers misgivings, Zona marries Erasmus Trout Shue, the handsome blacksmith who has recently come to Greenbrier County. After weeks of silence from the newlyweds, riders come to the Heasters place to tell them that Zona has died from a fall, attributed to a recent illness. Mary Jane is determined to get justice for her daughter. A month after the funeral, she informs the county prosecutor that Zonas ghost appeared to her, saying that she had been murdered. An autopsy, ordered by the reluctant prosecutor, confirms her claim. The Greenbrier Ghost is renowned in American folklore, but Sharyn McCrumb is the first author to look beneath the legend to unearth the facts. Using a century of genealogical material and other historical documents, McCrumb reveals new information about the story and brings to life the personalities in the trial: the prosecutor, a former Confederate cavalryman; the defense attorney, a pro-Union bridgeburner, who nevertheless had owned slaves; and the mother of the murdered woman, who doggedly sticks to her ghost storyall seen through the eyes of a young black lawyer on the cusp of a new century, with his own tragedies yet to come. With its unique blend of masterful research and mesmerizing folklore, illuminating the storys fascinating and complex characters, The Unquiet Grave confirms Sharyn McCrumbs place among the finest Southern writers at work today.
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review
Andrea4
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Pickpick

Little dude was two months yesterday! And doesn't he look so happy about being put into a greasy pizza box again for another photo shoot? ?
I read this many nights at bedtime and nursing stints throughout the nights and it kept me thoroughly engaged. Based on a true case from the late 1800s where a ghost "gave testimony" at her killer's trial, McCrumb does an amazing job at bringing all these various characters into real life??

Andrea4 She clearly did a ton of research to paint the most accurate portrait of everyone and then of course took her fictional liberties to make you wonder about the veracity of the story. Not fast paced, not a typical ghost story, not even a typical murder mystery- this feels beautifully unique and just as intriguing. 1y
Eggs Sweet babe💯🥰 1y
Andrea4 @Eggs thank you, I agree 🥰🥰🥰 1y
27 likes3 comments
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Reviewsbylola
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@Mdargusch passed this one on to me after she read it a few years ago. I absolutely loved it—a fictionalized account of a murder wherein the dead bride supposedly comes to her mother after death and tells her that she was murdered by her new husband?! Yes please! This really happened (the circumstances—not the actual haunting. Unless it really did. 😆 #skeptic) Google Greenbrier Ghost. #soaringscores #didimakethemostoflovingyou

Hollie Yes! I talk about this in class and the students are always like wtf when I tell them they allowed testimony from the murder victims ghost into the courtroom 😂 5y
Reviewsbylola I‘m using this one for #personofcolorMCparanormal. Half of the book is told from the perspective of one of the attorneys that defended the ghost‘s husband, and the attorney was a POC. @cinfhen @4thhouseontheleft @BarbaraTheBibliophage 5y
emtobiasz They told this story on an episode I just watched of the show Drunk History! 📺 5y
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Cinfhen Cool!!!! I probably stacked this based on a review from @Mdargusch xx 5y
BarbaraTheBibliophage I am just starting this one! Glad you liked it! 5y
LeahBergen Oh, this sounds good! 5y
Mdargusch This was an interesting book! And I had forgotten all about it! Perfect read for October! 5y
CrowCAH Wow that‘s quite the tale! Ghosts accusing the living of murder! 5y
71 likes1 stack add8 comments
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Librarybelle
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Set in the #MistyMountains of West Virginia, this dual timeline story evokes mystery and ghosts and murder. Another boom I‘ve yet to read; this is my copy from the days of Page Habit. I like the cover of this one! #SoaringScores

Chrissyreadit I did not know this book existed. 5y
sprainedbrain I have this one from Page Habit, too! Still unread. 😬 5y
AlaMich I wasn't familiar with this book but now I think I'll be using one of my Audible credits for it. Thanks! 5y
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MallenNC I haven‘t read that one but I have read her book about Tom Dooley. I also used to subscribe to Page Habit and still wonder how that all fell apart! 5y
Librarybelle @Chrissyreadit @sprainedbrain @AlaMich It sounds really good! Hope you enjoy it! 5y
Librarybelle @MallenNC I did a few months of Page Habit then cancelled my subscription. I recently saw that the service abruptly ended not very long after I cancelled. Seemed odd to me... 5y
MallenNC @Librarybelle The last month of the service I never got my box, but they had no explanation. Then a week or so later they closed down without any warning. Definitely some kind of mess! 5y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @MallenNC @Librarybelle I have a bunch of unread PageHabit books. Glad I cancelled before they fell apart! Funny thing—I just pulled this book off my shelf to read. 👻 5y
Cinfhen Great choice and I‘m sad to hear that Page Habit went under 5y
CrowCAH I like the title! 5y
91 likes5 stack adds11 comments
review
Blaire
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I live in WV so it was fun to read this historical fiction account of the Greenbrier ghost and her untimely demise. Liked learning about the Greenbrier and lewisburg back in the 1890s - one of my favorite small towns. She ably mixed race and class into the telling of this story. A black lawyer recounts the story from his confinement in an asylum. Some bits could‘ve been more tightly edited, but overall a pick. #localread

Cinfhen Awesome mug❤️❤️and great review 7y
ChasingOm ooooOOoooo! Also, I saw your mug and thought “wait, I thought that was made by a local shop!” Then read the review and thought “I knew it!” 😂 7y
Blaire @ChasingOm it‘s an emily McDowell mug - but I know the oddbird in Charleston carries some of her stuff - she has the best cards and mugs.😀. I don‘t know if you‘ve been in the oddbird - but it‘s really fun - and I wonder if kinship goods might carry it too. 7y
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Blaire @Cinfhen thanks! The mug made me happy on a dreary Monday morning. 7y
ChasingOm Yes! I love Oddbird — it‘s near the office that I work out of sometimes. 😊 7y
Cinfhen Hi! After months of searching for the perfect hamsa I finally found something I like.... but it's a bracelet 😬email me with your address cindyh666 at iCloud dot com 😘 7y
Blaire @Cinfhen aww!!! Thank you - how wonderful. An email is on its way. 7y
45 likes3 stack adds7 comments
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Mdargusch
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This book is a fictionalization of a real ghost story that took place in the mountains of West Virginia. It might be the only time the words of a ghost helped convict a man of murder. #👻 #uncannyoctober #pagehabit

Reviewsbylola Looking forward to this. 7y
8leagueboot I am such a sucker for "based on a true story" narratives... 7y
83 likes1 stack add3 comments
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Booksnchill
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Back from the Southern festival of books with a book haul of new and used ($2. Hardbacks) books, T shirt and the coolest literary matchbooks and pins!

Laura317 Nice haul! 7y
Booksnchill @Laura317 exciting day!!! 7y
robinb Impressive! 7y
72 likes3 comments
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JoeStalksBeck
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I grew up with this story ! It happened here and is a legend! So excited to listen to this!

MinDea I got this in a free Page Habit box 7y
MinDea Look forward to your review! 7y
Booksnchill @JoeStalksBeck I am from WV as well- saw this was about the Ghost- cannot wait to read it- have read all Sharyn McCrumb and love her! 7y
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JoeStalksBeck @MinDea I‘m so jealous! I got a different book 7y
JoeStalksBeck @Booksnchill awesome! I‘m gonna have to check out her other stuff! 7y
PatriciaU One of my favorites this year! 7y
JoeStalksBeck @PatriciaU yay! I‘m hoping to meet her at the book festival! 7y
eraderneely @Booksnchill @JoeStalksBeck I'm a West Virginian too! 7y
JoeStalksBeck @eraderneely yay!! Hello!!!💙💛 7y
Booksnchill Sharyn is scheduled to be at the Southern Festival of Books this weekend 7y
JoeStalksBeck @Booksnchill I‘m gonna try and catch her at the one in Charleston but I‘ve never heard of the Southern one! I‘m gonna look it up! 7y
Booksnchill It‘s in Nashville- I moved after High School 7y
JoeStalksBeck @Booksnchill lol I saw that 😉 7y
96 likes2 stack adds13 comments
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bookish_wookish
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Hanging out in the a/c enjoying my day off! Excited to start this one!

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MrBook
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And check out the annotations for the book 😁👏🏻! Very cool. @Pagehabit

Captivatedbybooks Which box is this? 7y
MrBook @Captivatedbybooks The historical fiction one. @BookBabe got the horror one, and that is great too. 7y
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MrBook
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#Bookmail is the best mail 😁👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻!!! So many wonderful treasures in this historical fiction box that I've received from @Pagehabit ! Thank you, #PageHabit!!! Chock full of goodies! ☺️

JoeStalksBeck Omg! You got The Unquiet Grave!! I‘m so jealous! I grew up with that story! It originated here ! 7y
Lidia I've been considering subscribing to PageHabit in the historical fiction category. That box seems great! 7y
108 likes3 stack adds2 comments
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BarbaraTheBibliophage
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The box from #mypagehabit this month is a good pick for #ghastlyghosts. The historical fiction includes a ghost figuring into a murder trial. Thinking I‘ll grab this next! #hallowreads.

Tamra I just read Sharon for the first time - Ballad of Tom Dooley. I enjoyed her writing style, very accessible. (edited) 7y
Booksnchill The audiobook of this is on my library hold- I have read all of Sharyn McCrumb as she was a regular at the Southern Festival of Books- she is a great speaker and such a nice woman! Excited to listen to this new historical mystery! 7y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @Tamra @Booksnchill Thanks for the recommendations. I need a book to grab me right now. Maybe this is the one! 7y
8leagueboot Loving the title of this one 👻 7y
107 likes1 stack add4 comments
review
Mdargusch
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This is a great October read with a suicide attempt, a murder, an insane asylum, and testimony of a ghost used in a murder trial. It is based on a true story of the Greenbrier Ghost. #ripxii #pagehabit

Jenni_Capps I need this book!! 7y
Mdargusch It's a good one @Jenni_Capps 👍🏼 7y
AlaMich So...the puppy is for protection? 😉 7y
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Mdargusch haha! She thinks so @AlaMich 🐶 7y
Cinfhen #stacked ✅yay for @Pagehabit for picking a winner that wasn't on the radar 🙌🏻❤️ 7y
Mdargusch Right @Cinfhen? I was thrilled with their book choice and the annotations. 7y
emilyhaldi Glad you liked this!!! Are you referring to the one and only Greenbrier?? (edited) 7y
Mdargusch Yes @emilyhaldi, the story takes place in the same county. 7y
LiteraryinPA Which genre box was this, if you don't mind my asking? Thanks! 7y
Mdargusch This was the Historical Fiction box @LiteraryinLititz 7y
115 likes6 stack adds10 comments
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MinDea
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Thank you so much for this box @pagehabit! #TheUnquietGrave is annotated by the author. Don't forget to sign up for their #bookgiveaway by clicking this link http://bit.ly/ph365litsy !
#pagehabit #bookmail #ThankYou #mypagehabit

Mdargusch I got this box too. The bookish things are not my favorite, but I'm loving the book. 👍🏼 7y
MinDea @Mdargusch glad you like the book! Yeah, all the other items are not really my thing either, plus the cat (??) item I am not even positive what it is! Poor product choice if no one knows what it is... 🤔 7y
Mdargusch I saw where someone said it was a coaster. Put that patch?!?! @MinDea 7y
64 likes3 comments
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CrowCAH
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@Pagehabit #PageHabit #Bookbox

I received the September Historical Fiction book subscription box: lots of bookish goodies, along with a sticky note filled book, with comments from the author! Love how this box focuses on the author and the writing process! There's even a short story booklet; how cool!

Sign up for their 365 contest and you could win a whole year of free boxes!

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Mdargusch
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This #pagehabit historical fiction has an insane asylum, a suicide attempt,murder, and ghosts. It's based on a true story from the mountains of West Virginia. I'm 100 pages in and really interested to see how a murder and a suicide attempt 40 years later are connected. #macabremonday #hallowreads #mysteriousmonday #spookyoctober #ripxii

Reecaspieces I have this...I need to move it up the forever long TBR list...sigh 7y
Mdargusch I feel your pain @Reecaspieces ! This is my first page habit book and the author annotations hooked me into reading this immediately. So it moved to the top of my pile as soon as I opened the box. (edited) 7y
BarbaraTheBibliophage I'm looking forward to my @Pagehabit copy. And your review! 7y
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Mdargusch So far I'm really liking this book. Phew😅 @BarbaraTheBibliophage (edited) 7y
Reecaspieces @Mdargusch she has some really good books!! 7y
Mdargusch Good to know @Reecaspieces. I will have to check the others out. 7y
Laura317 I love her Ballad series! 7y
Reviewsbylola I'll be borrowing this. 😂 7y
Mdargusch You will like the annotations @Reviewsbylola 7y
Mdargusch Great @Laura317 - this is the first book I have read by her. 7y
Laura317 @Mdargusch I hope you like it! 7y
emilyhaldi 😄🖤😄 7y
Cinfhen Sounds good! 7y
93 likes2 stack adds13 comments
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Mdargusch
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This is my tentative #octobertbr but I'm open to suggestions and changes. Are there any books in this stack that I need to rethink? I'm hesitating about Eat Only When You're Hungry. 🤔 #spookyoctober @Jess7

jpmcwisemorgan I have that pumpkin! I bought one of each color, including the velvety ones. My friends asked what I was going to do with them. I don‘t know but I have them, that‘s all that really matters. 😀 7y
Reviewsbylola It's so good. Don't hesitate!! Read it first. 7y
Zelma Looks like a great stack! 👍 7y
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Mdargusch Thanks @Zelma. I'm hoping so. 🤞🏼 7y
Mdargusch Ha! I use them on my tables and stacks of books @jpmcwisemorgan 🎃🎃🎃 7y
Mdargusch Ok. I will try it @Reviewsbylola 😬 7y
emilyhaldi Good luck with this one 😂 7y
Mdargusch Because of your review I'm very worried. 😬 @emilyhaldi (edited) 7y
95 likes8 comments
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Readingnomad1
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My first box from @pagehabit I ordered the Historical Fiction box and I'm quite happy with the results!

#mypagehabit #pagehabit #historicalfiction #booksubscriptionbox #unboxing #read #reading #book #books #bookswag #bibliophile #theunquietgrave

Pagehabit Woohooo!! We hope you loved your box! Thank you so very much for all of the support and belief in our mission of child literacy ❤️❤️😊🎉 7y
5 likes1 comment
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Mdargusch
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I debated for weeks on whether to get #pagehabit book box. Well, it came today, and I will be unsubscribing ASAP. The so called bookish extras are very appropriate for a YA box but they are ridiculous. I do love the book with annotations, thank goodness! Plus, I think I was supposed to get a short story too which I don't see. 😤

DGRachel I did several book boxes last year and couldn't justify the continued expense because of the supposed bookish extras. A lot of it was stuff I'd have tossed in my teens, let alone now. 😕 7y
Sace I love Call Number because they give me the option of doing book only. I wish all the book services did. 7y
minkyb 🙁 7y
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Mdargusch I love BOTM which is books only. I signed up for this to get bookish things. Last month it was page markers and socks so I was expecting something like that. @RestlessFickleBookSlut (I love your name btw 😂) 7y
Mdargusch I just threw most of this away 😂 @DGRachel 7y
Sace @Mdargusch thank you! 7y
ContraryMary I was literally just on their website debating whether to sign up or not! The shipping to Canada was making me lean towards no and I think you've tipped me firmly that way! Lol I really wish Botm shipped here 😭 7y
Mdargusch I don't want to sway you @ContraryMary because so many people on IG were thrilled with the bookish things. So maybe it's just me? 7y
ContraryMary It's not! I looked at a couple other posts and I'm thinking it's just for me! I subscribe to a couple other boxes and I'm a little sick of some of the knick knacks they send, half the stuff is still in the boxes. I really wish I could get botm so I could just get books! Love the honest review! 7y
mklong I was disappointed in the bookish goods this month too! The socks and bookmarks last month were so cute that I was disappointed that it was just junk this time. For me, it‘s still worth it for the annotated book. 7y
Rlm12020 I‘ve been contemplating subscribing to one of the many book boxes. What are y‘alls recommendations for the best ones? 7y
Reviewsbylola The annotations are cool but yeah, those extras definitely seem geared towards a teenager/younger person. 7y
rmaclean4 Thank you for the review. I also have been very tempted by this subscription. Has anyone tried Moth Box? 7y
Mdargusch I appreciate that @ContraryMary and @rmaclean4. I have not tried Moth Box but I love my Book of the month @Rlm12020 . 7y
Mdargusch Maybe I shouldn't have been so hasty to unsubscribe @mklong because the annotated book is very cool. 7y
rmaclean4 @Mdargusch was it a book that was new to you? Did you feel it was a book you would not have known about with out this subscription? With TBOTM they seem to be books that are already on my radar. 7y
Mdargusch I agree with you @rmaclean4 about BOTM. The book I got with page habit was definitely not on my radar and I'm excited to read it! 7y
emilyhaldi Glad you took one for the team- now I know this is definitely NOT for me! 7y
Mdargusch I will share the book with you though @emilyhaldi 🙂 7y
Cinfhen Sorry the "goodies" weren't so good but the book sounds fascinating! 7y
Mdargusch It was worth it for the book @Cinfhen 👍🏼 7y
Rlm12020 Ok I tried PageHabit and the books look very interesting and weren‘t on my TBR list, but I have to agree about the “goodies” being a bit for the YA crowd. Ready to get into the books!! 7y
Mdargusch My second month was much better @Rlm12020 ! My third month is on the way. 🤞🏼 7y
77 likes24 comments
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tracy.anne8
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My #pagehabit box is very cute this month. I'm not quite sure what the little fox thing is but I'll figure out a good use for it. 😊 I always love the bookmark. The book looks interesting. The thing I love about this box is I receive books I may not know about or may not have bought on my own but now I have the chance to read them. #mypagehabit #historicalfiction #ghosts

BarbaraTheBibliophage I'm really excited about this one, even though my box hasn't arrived yet. I'm usually a day or two behind you. @Pagehabit is here on Litsy now too! 7y
Pagehabit It's a coaster!! 😊😊❤️ 7y
tracy.anne8 @BarbaraTheBibliophage I looks so good! I'm so excited that they are on here! How fun! 7y
tracy.anne8 @Pagehabit I thought so but the hubby told me he didn't think it was. Now I can tell him I was right 😉😁 7y
Pagehabit @tracy_anne8 hahaahahahahahaha! Go show him!! 😂😂 7y
9 likes5 comments
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MrBook
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#TBRtemptation post 5! Released soon. Set in 19th-Century West Virginia, based on the strange murder case of the Greenbrier Ghost. James Gardner, WV's 1st practicing black attorney, tells his doctor about his strangest case. In 1897, beautiful Zona marries Erasmus. Riders find Zona dead, whereupon her mother adamantly says Zona's ghost has visited her, telling her that Zona was murdered. MCCrumb's researched a lot. #blameLitsy #blameMrBook 😎

Kaye Sounds good. 7y
tpixie Interesting. Thanks for the reminder of the author. I read something of hers over 10 years ago and enjoyed it but never read any other of her books! 7y
8leagueboot My favorite genre in my favorite time period! 7y
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tammysue Can't wait to read it 😀 7y
PatriciaU Read the Arc a couple months ago. This is a good one! 7y
RealBooks4ever Any fellow Murderinos out there? MFM did an ep on this case. Really interesting! 👍 7y
Tamra Sounds great! 7y
Tamra I just read the blurb for her other book, and I'm getting both! Thanks for sharing. 7y
PirateJenny @RealBooks4ever Hey fellow Murderino! 7y
RealBooks4ever @PirateJenny Hey Murderino! Guess what?! I sent in my hometown murder earlier this year and THEY READ IT! I was thrilled to say the least! 😄 7y
PirateJenny @RealBooks4ever OMG! That is amazing! I don't really have one. I kinda do for where I went to college and I really do for where I work (NYC). I should see if they ever did the one from college. I found out about it through the book Careless People, which I loved. 7y
77 likes14 stack adds11 comments
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Liberty
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Evening reading: This is based on a true case, in which a man was brought to trial for murder based on the testimony of a ghost. 👻

BookNotes Excited to read this. She's one of my favorite authors. 🙂 7y
Laura317 Sharyn McCrumb's "Ballad" series is so good! I hope you like the book! 7y
Mc_cart_ny What?! How is that possible?! 7y
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RealBooks4ever @Mc_cart_ny Yeah, I heard about this case on the My Favorite Murder podcast! It's true! 👻 7y
laytonwoman3rd Haven't read this one yet, but I love Sharyn McCrumb! 7y
Gina I have read about this. Oooohhh can't wait to read the book! 7y
Mc_cart_ny @RealBooks4ever @Liberty OK, I might have to read this! 👻 7y
RealBooks4ever @Mc_cart_ny Me too! 👍🏼 7y
laytonwoman3rd Just realized I have the ARC of this one, thanks to a friend who works in a bookstore! 7y
147 likes23 stack adds9 comments
review
PatriciaU
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Reading an ARC is always a crapshoot. The reader has to be flexible and overlook things like excessive description, disjointed story arcs, and grammatical errors and concentrate on the story. In Sharyn McCrumb's The Unquiet Grave, scheduled for publication in June 2017, there's none of the negative and ALL of the story. See full review at
https://itsallaboutthebook.org/2017/02/19/the-unquiet-grave-by-sharyn-mccrumb/

80 likes4 stack adds
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PatriciaU
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You guys, I am too excited tonight! Not only did I open a super fabulous #CupidGoesPostal package from @bookwrm526 but I got approved for this digital ARC from one of my all-time favorite authors! What to read first?!?!

Texreader This looks amazing. 8y
Reecaspieces I have not read her In years.....will pick this one up!! Looks fabulous 8y
Laura317 Sharyn McCrumb is one of my favorite authors. I'll have to get this one! 8y
96 likes6 stack adds3 comments