Stars: 3 / 5
Recommendation: The story is very predictable, but it gave an ending that suited all readers. The Other Side we see in this tale is more of a con. But, it leaves a pleasant story for the readers.
The Dancing Ghost is the third in The Other Side Anthology in November of 2010 by Patricia Gaffney. Nora published her novella with four of her recurring authors – Mary Blayney, Patricia Gaffney, Ruth Ryan Langan and Mary Kay McComas.
In the anthology book The Lost, we see that Robb’s regular anthology author Mary Kay McComas is clearly absent and missing for the book. No writeup was given why she is missing in the book. But she came back in this book, which means J.D. Robb had to make the anthology series a five author one, since she introduced Patricia Gaffney in the previous book.
The story takes us to Regency era again where Angiolina “Angie” Darlington calls upon Henry Cleland, a ghost expert, to find out about a ghost that holds place in her family home. In the process they find the mystery of love between them that need to be debunked.
I liked the story till the fact when both of them were acting their part. Angie created a ghost so she doesn’t sell her family home; while Henry invented himself as a “Ghost Expert” to escape his past and at the same time con the people.
What pulled me into the story was the way Henry pulls himself out of where he was going, all because he found love with Angie. At the same time Angie ditched her con as she was close to buy her family home.
Angie’s grandfather was a kind of inventor himself, but often forgot to patent them. Some of the things he invented were – A Travelling Pocket Ashtray; Compass to attach to the brim of your hat; Bottle Opener that fits on the heel of a shoe; The Gramophone Disk (even though in reality it is credited to Emile Berliner as the inventor); A Moving Tray that goes from room to room like a waiter or maid; Elizavator similar to an elevator inside a home; A Bicycle Pedal that has a recessed cleat, dual sided, spring accentuated and clipless.
Her grandmother has invented something called The Comfy something similar to Snuggie. She got the bug from her grandfather and invented a few of her own – Fly bat more like a fly swatter; Oscillating fan like a Ceiling Fan; Portable Electric Hand Torch (that she sells it to a company that eventually becomes Eveready and calls this as Flashlight); A flashlight attached to a hat that miners and readers could use. Out heroine muses that someone invent a “Kickstand” to make her bicycle stand by itself instead of leaning it against something.
Other inventions that the author included were – Margaret Knight who invented the flat-bottom paper bag making machine. Our heroine called her cat in honor of the inventor.
The house which Angie wants investigated – Willow House – came with a story of its own including hidden staircases and secret panels much like The Underground Railroad used by slaves then. There is a sub-plot though, even with all their cons, there is one mystery that they don’t solve – the writings on the wall emulating different famous authors and poets. I wonder if Patricia has a sequel for this to solve that mystery.
The author leaves an afterword at the end of the book that makes our hero heroine millionaires and at the same time she tells the reader who actually invented various things.
The story is very predictable, but it gave an ending that suited all readers. The Other Side we see in this tale is more of a con. But, it leaves a pleasant story for the readers.
Galavant Reflections 