Status
Available
Series
Genres
Collection
Publication
Berkley (2014), 333 pages
Description
Fiction. Mystery. Suspense. Thriller. HTML:Hannah Smith returns in the stunning new adventure in the New York Times�??bestselling series from the author of the Doc Ford novels. The house is historic, some say haunted. It is also slated to be razed and replaced by condos, unless Hannah Smith can do something about it. She�??s been hired by a wealthy Palm Beach widow to prove that the house�??s seller didn�??t disclose everything he knew about the place when he unloaded it, including its role in a bloody Civil War skirmish (in which two of Hannah�??s own distant relations had had a part), and the suicides�??or were they murders?�??of two previous owners. Hannah sees it as a win-win opportunity: She can stop the condo project while tracking her family history. She doesn�??t believe in ghosts, anyway. But some things are more dangerous than ghosts. Among them, as she will learn, perhaps fata… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member Georgiann
Hannah has been hired by a wealthy widow to save a historic some say haunted house. The widow wants Hannah to prove the seller didn,t disclose everything about the house Hannah see's it as a win - win situation .She can track her family history while stopping the condo project. She doesn,t believe
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in ghosts. But some things are more dangerous than ghosts. which Hannah might just find out! Show Less
LibraryThing member muddyboy
Too many plot lines in this one that don't tie together. There is the possibility of a ghost haunting a house. There is the search for hidden caches of gold and silver. There is the unearthing of a little known Civil War battlefield. But the plot that most sustains to the very end is two murderous
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chimpanzees that are on the loose killing innocent people and endangering the life of the heroine in Florida, no less. I was never sure which of these plots was the most important till the very end of the book. Kind of muddled in my opinion. Show Less
LibraryThing member mikedraper
Hannah Smith is a fishing guide and part time investigator in the Sanibel Island area of Florida. She's invited to her friend, Birdy's wealthy aunt's home. There, Birdy's aunt makes a request.
When Hannah meets Aunt Bunny, Hannah is asked to check out a home called the Cadence House, named for the
Aunt Bunny is locked into a real estate investment that includes this home. Due to the owner's death in the house and other mysterious happenings, the home is said to be haunted. Thus, the home and property it's on, are difficult for Bunny to sell.
Hannah and Birdy arrive at the house and soon a nest of spiders fall on Birdy and one of them stings her. Thereafter, a string of unexplainable events occur.
There is also interest in a Civil War battle that was fought in the area. Heather finds her uncle's diary. He had been active in the area of the Cadence House during the Civil War. Hannah reads from her uncle's diary and it's as if events of the Civil War that took place in Florida are being described again.
A colorful cast of characters are introduced, from an eighty-year-old archaeologist looking for his son and civil war relics, to a number of women who claim to be witches and to a con-man who has trained two large chimpanzees to do as he commands.
The story displays Hannah's fear after dealing with one of the chimpanzees named Oliver.
There are good descriptions of the Florida swamps, lots of action and good characters.
However, the story was longer than it needed to be and there were times that the suspense lagged.
I enjoy Randy Wayne White and await his next Florida adventure story.
When Hannah meets Aunt Bunny, Hannah is asked to check out a home called the Cadence House, named for the
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first owner of the home who died there.Aunt Bunny is locked into a real estate investment that includes this home. Due to the owner's death in the house and other mysterious happenings, the home is said to be haunted. Thus, the home and property it's on, are difficult for Bunny to sell.
Hannah and Birdy arrive at the house and soon a nest of spiders fall on Birdy and one of them stings her. Thereafter, a string of unexplainable events occur.
There is also interest in a Civil War battle that was fought in the area. Heather finds her uncle's diary. He had been active in the area of the Cadence House during the Civil War. Hannah reads from her uncle's diary and it's as if events of the Civil War that took place in Florida are being described again.
A colorful cast of characters are introduced, from an eighty-year-old archaeologist looking for his son and civil war relics, to a number of women who claim to be witches and to a con-man who has trained two large chimpanzees to do as he commands.
The story displays Hannah's fear after dealing with one of the chimpanzees named Oliver.
There are good descriptions of the Florida swamps, lots of action and good characters.
However, the story was longer than it needed to be and there were times that the suspense lagged.
I enjoy Randy Wayne White and await his next Florida adventure story.
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LibraryThing member GarySeverance
Randy Wayne White continues his series with a new story about the South Florida fishing guide and part time private detective, Hannah Smith. The tough but feminine Hannah comes from a long line of Gulf Coast fishermen and adventurers and is savvy in the ways of native born residents of the area in
In this novel, readers learn about the part of American Civil War that was waged in Florida. Legacies and relics of perhaps the worst war in U. S. history, from the standpoint of its citizens, play a role in Hannah’s investigation of a large abandoned house in partial ruin with an interesting history of family wealth and tragedy. Hired by the wealthy socialite aunt of her best girlfriend Birdy (Hannah’s nickname for Liberty Grace), the two agree to spend a week in the “haunted” house to see if it is possessed by ghosts or visited by squatters/vandals. “Dame Bunny” as Birdy refers to her aunt is trying to sell the land surrounding the house as part of a larger real estate deal, but state mandated archaeological work has revealed Civil War relics and possible graveyards with human skeletons. The deal is on hold.
The story has many interesting interactions involving Hannah and Birdy (a deputy sheriff with jurisdiction in the area) with characters who are interested in the land deal and finding lost relics including stashes of money and historical artifacts from the Civil War period. The characters include: an experimental drug using archeologist, carnival people wintering in Florida including gypsies, dwarfs, and psychics, and a kindly aging historian with his apparently mentally challenged hired hand. Wild life is prolific in the area (wild and captive) with poisonous snakes, raging monkeys, huge alligators, swarming mosquitos, and masses of scorpions.
Randy Wayne White continues his now established Hannah Smith series with perhaps his most exciting story so far, Haunted. Meanwhile the writer continues his much longer series featuring marine biologist and “black ops” operative Doc Ford (21 novels in that series). Hannah and Doc Ford have a relationship, but in this novel he is in South America on a black ops mission. For readers who enjoy thriller series, Haunted delivers all the informative and exciting entertainment you are looking for.
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and around Sanibel Island. Like the first two books in the series, Gone and Deceived, Haunted describes traditions and contemporary life in an area of Florida that relies heavily on ranch and ocean activities supporting the local population. Tourists come and go, but the locals feel a deep sense of ownership and protection of the land, sea, and wildlife. White is a resident of the area he writes about, and always gives his readers interesting historical information about the Gulf Coast people and places.In this novel, readers learn about the part of American Civil War that was waged in Florida. Legacies and relics of perhaps the worst war in U. S. history, from the standpoint of its citizens, play a role in Hannah’s investigation of a large abandoned house in partial ruin with an interesting history of family wealth and tragedy. Hired by the wealthy socialite aunt of her best girlfriend Birdy (Hannah’s nickname for Liberty Grace), the two agree to spend a week in the “haunted” house to see if it is possessed by ghosts or visited by squatters/vandals. “Dame Bunny” as Birdy refers to her aunt is trying to sell the land surrounding the house as part of a larger real estate deal, but state mandated archaeological work has revealed Civil War relics and possible graveyards with human skeletons. The deal is on hold.
The story has many interesting interactions involving Hannah and Birdy (a deputy sheriff with jurisdiction in the area) with characters who are interested in the land deal and finding lost relics including stashes of money and historical artifacts from the Civil War period. The characters include: an experimental drug using archeologist, carnival people wintering in Florida including gypsies, dwarfs, and psychics, and a kindly aging historian with his apparently mentally challenged hired hand. Wild life is prolific in the area (wild and captive) with poisonous snakes, raging monkeys, huge alligators, swarming mosquitos, and masses of scorpions.
Randy Wayne White continues his now established Hannah Smith series with perhaps his most exciting story so far, Haunted. Meanwhile the writer continues his much longer series featuring marine biologist and “black ops” operative Doc Ford (21 novels in that series). Hannah and Doc Ford have a relationship, but in this novel he is in South America on a black ops mission. For readers who enjoy thriller series, Haunted delivers all the informative and exciting entertainment you are looking for.
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LibraryThing member bjmitch
Some Randy Wayne White fans haven't been impressed by his Hannah Smith series but personally I love it. Hannah comes from a historic Florida family. She's a fishing guide and a private investigator too, having inherited her uncle's boat and business after he taught her everything he knew. Hannah is
As usual in a Randy Wayne White novel there are funny and strange characters but also some very real danger. Think venomous snakes and murderous chimps, alligators and vicious humans. You may just cancel that planned trip to Florida.
Hannah's friend Birdie, a deputy sheriff, introduces her to Birdie's wealthy aunt who hires Hannah to investigate a supposedly haunted house that sits on land the aunt has invested in. When Hannah and Birdie try to spend the night there, they discover the place is full of scorpions and that someone is watching them. They meet a strange archeologist who is conducting a dig on the property. He introduces them to people in a campground nearby and they turn out to be carnival people. There is also a rumor of attacks by chimp-like animals from a snake venom business at the edge of the campground.
I liked this different location and plot for the series. Also, Hannah is researching her family's history and one great-great-great-uncle seems to be involved in Civil War crimes in this area. This is my favorite book of the series so far; I look forward to the further adventures of Hannah Smith.
Highly recommended
Source: Amazon Vine
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at ease out of doors but she's also feminine and even a sometime lover of White's Doc Ford character.As usual in a Randy Wayne White novel there are funny and strange characters but also some very real danger. Think venomous snakes and murderous chimps, alligators and vicious humans. You may just cancel that planned trip to Florida.
Hannah's friend Birdie, a deputy sheriff, introduces her to Birdie's wealthy aunt who hires Hannah to investigate a supposedly haunted house that sits on land the aunt has invested in. When Hannah and Birdie try to spend the night there, they discover the place is full of scorpions and that someone is watching them. They meet a strange archeologist who is conducting a dig on the property. He introduces them to people in a campground nearby and they turn out to be carnival people. There is also a rumor of attacks by chimp-like animals from a snake venom business at the edge of the campground.
I liked this different location and plot for the series. Also, Hannah is researching her family's history and one great-great-great-uncle seems to be involved in Civil War crimes in this area. This is my favorite book of the series so far; I look forward to the further adventures of Hannah Smith.
Highly recommended
Source: Amazon Vine
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LibraryThing member JalenV
Haunted is my introduction to the Hannah Smith series. I like Hannah and her strong feelings of right and wrong, as well as her honesty about her own failings. Learning about the American Civil War battles in Florida, which I do not recall encountering before, was interesting. So was learning about
Aside from the heroine's lack of romance, Haunted reminds me of old stand-alone Elizabeth Peters mysteries. Some of the paranormal incidents are faked and some aren't. I'll leave you to find out which.
The chimpanzee incident to which Birdy refers in chapter seven happened in 2009. Birdy mentions the face transplant, but not that the woman also lost her hands and her sight. It does give the reader reason to worry about the apes on a property not that far from the reputedly haunted house Hannah and Birdy are investigating for Birdy's rich aunt, 'Bunny' Tupplemeyer. The synopsis on the back cover is wrong about the house being slated to be razed. It's already protected. On the other hand, Hannah really is looking for evidence to know that the property's seller didn't disclose everything that should have been disclosed.
Hannah trying to read the journal of her Great-great-[great?] uncle Ben Summerlin, the Civil War blockade runner, was every bit as interesting as the actual history. Not everything she learns is to her liking, but isn't that the way it is with ancestors, even collateral [non-direct] ancestors?
The action starts getting heavy by chapter 16 and gets worthy of a horror movie before the end. I wish we could have found out how that unhelpful police dispatcher felt when the truth came out, but the book has no epilogue.
Now I want to find out if my library has the two earlier Hannah Smith books.
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the South American mimosa tree. Hannah's friend, Deputy Sheriff Liberty 'Bertie' Tupplemeyer, whom Hannah calls 'Birdy,' is a good supporting character. Aside from the heroine's lack of romance, Haunted reminds me of old stand-alone Elizabeth Peters mysteries. Some of the paranormal incidents are faked and some aren't. I'll leave you to find out which.
The chimpanzee incident to which Birdy refers in chapter seven happened in 2009. Birdy mentions the face transplant, but not that the woman also lost her hands and her sight. It does give the reader reason to worry about the apes on a property not that far from the reputedly haunted house Hannah and Birdy are investigating for Birdy's rich aunt, 'Bunny' Tupplemeyer. The synopsis on the back cover is wrong about the house being slated to be razed. It's already protected. On the other hand, Hannah really is looking for evidence to know that the property's seller didn't disclose everything that should have been disclosed.
Hannah trying to read the journal of her Great-great-[great?] uncle Ben Summerlin, the Civil War blockade runner, was every bit as interesting as the actual history. Not everything she learns is to her liking, but isn't that the way it is with ancestors, even collateral [non-direct] ancestors?
The action starts getting heavy by chapter 16 and gets worthy of a horror movie before the end. I wish we could have found out how that unhelpful police dispatcher felt when the truth came out, but the book has no epilogue.
Now I want to find out if my library has the two earlier Hannah Smith books.
Show Less
LibraryThing member EmpressReece
Just finished audio book and I was very dissapointed. The 1st and 2nd Hannah Smith books were alot better. The first half of this book was terrible. There were so many subplots and snatches of this & that conversation it was just hard to follow and didn't make a whole lot of sense. I was like wtf??
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After I got to about disc 4, the story seemed to come together a little so I could actually follow it at least. It almost seemed like one writer wrote the first half & someone else wrote the second half that's how disjointed the whole thing was. Also, there were alot of questions that were asked throughout the book that were never answered at the end. If I new I was never going to the questions answered I probably never would have finished the book. Another negative, I seemed to like Hannah ' s character in her first two books. I felt like she was portrayed as a smart, tough, independent, totally upfront woman. In this book, she came across as a ditzy and dumb and instead of her usual honest-say whats on your mind type she was evasive or she would just lie or tell you what you want to hear throughout the whole thing and it really greated on my nerves. Alot of the incidents could have been totally avoided if she would have just said something instead of hiding and lying. After this book, I don't even like her character anymore. It was just terrible writing and I'm really surprised White wrote this. His last couple books have been a disaster and he is definitely off his game right now. I hope he gets it together before he writes anymore. I just started listening to Cuba Straits. If it's as bad as the last two books I'm going to stop reading him for a while Show Less
LibraryThing member Carol420
The Hanna Smith character is interesting but I found that I had mixed feelings about her. Somehow she doesn't really come across as one of Randy Wayne White's characters. I can't seriously believe she is that flaky. The story line is good but there is a lot of unnecessary dialog with a lot of
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characters doing a lot of different things. However about a third of the way through the book that all becomes tempered with a lot of historical background. That is actually what earned the book 3 stars. This is the first book I have read featuring this character and I will have to think long and hard if I will try another. Show Less
Awards
Florida Book Award (Gold Medal — Popular Fiction — 2014)