Editorial Content for The Grays of Truth
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Jane Gray Wharton spends her days in fear of her husband Ned’s moods. Love is not a word that would be used to describe their marriage. Jane truly loved Ned’s brother, Hank, but now she is forced to see him regularly as her brother-in-law. While she is cordial with Hank, her relationship with her sister-in-law, Ellen, is full of strife. But Jane does her best to do what everyone expects of her --- to be the dutiful wife.
"Virts does a fine job creating a setting for this story to play out. I love when historical fiction is the backdrop to a ghostly and sometimes ghastly mystery."
When Ned visits Hank in Baltimore on what he claims is routine family business, he ends up dead. Jane, who served as a nurse in the Civil War, believes that he may have been poisoned, but her history of mental health struggles leaves her family to wonder if she is the one who needs help. Fighting off her concerns and needing to maintain good relationships with her relatives for financial reasons, Jane and her daughter, Mary Louisa, visit the home where Ned died. While there, they both become ill. Mary Louisa, who already is struggling with her health, ultimately succumbs. Jane recovers but promises to continue the fight to find out how her husband and daughter died.
What Jane never expects to find again is love. A widow in her 50s, she plans for a life alone. But when she starts to develop feelings for General Scott Ketchum, who is appointed to be her guardian, life takes on a new meaning for her. However, after several more mysterious deaths and illnesses take place at that same house in Baltimore, Jane is more determined than ever to find out what happened to her family and who is poisoning those she loves.
Set during the Reconstruction period, THE GRAYS OF TRUTH makes you feel like you’ve been transported to 1867. I love how Sharon Virts describes not only Baltimore but also Washington, DC. With cobblestone streets and old townhomes looming over these areas, she treats the setting as a character, bringing the Civil War-era cities alive alongside the people themselves.
What I really love about this book is the mystery. Are Jane’s suspicions unfounded, or is something dire actually happening at the Wharton family home? As a nurse, she knows what poisoning looks like, and she didn’t imagine her strange illness. But can she accuse powerful family members of murder? Jane is a compelling character with a history of delusion that leaves not only her family but also readers to wonder if she is the best judge of reality.
Virts does a fine job creating a setting for this story to play out. I love when historical fiction is the backdrop to a ghostly and sometimes ghastly mystery. THE GRAYS OF TRUTH is a truly wonderful read for the fall and winter seasons.
Teaser
In Reconstruction-era Baltimore, members of the city’s elite keep turning up dead. When Jane Gray Wharton’s husband, Ned, dies unexpectedly while overnighting at his brother’s home, Jane has no reason to question the circumstances of his death. But on a visit to the same house a few weeks later, both Jane and her daughter fall gravely ill, and Jane begins to suspect foul play. Though a trained chemist and former nurse, Jane is haunted by a history of delusion, loss and institutionalization. As the unexpected and devastating deaths begin to multiply, Jane’s grip on reality starts to slip. When a respected army officer falls terribly ill after visiting the Whartons’ Baltimore home, Jane’s greatest fears become all too real. The time has come to act. But who will believe her? And can she even trust her own mind?
Promo
In Reconstruction-era Baltimore, members of the city’s elite keep turning up dead. When Jane Gray Wharton’s husband, Ned, dies unexpectedly while overnighting at his brother’s home, Jane has no reason to question the circumstances of his death. But on a visit to the same house a few weeks later, both Jane and her daughter fall gravely ill, and Jane begins to suspect foul play. Though a trained chemist and former nurse, Jane is haunted by a history of delusion, loss and institutionalization. As the unexpected and devastating deaths begin to multiply, Jane’s grip on reality starts to slip. When a respected army officer falls terribly ill after visiting the Whartons’ Baltimore home, Jane’s greatest fears become all too real. The time has come to act. But who will believe her? And can she even trust her own mind?
About the Book
From bestselling historical true-crime author Sharon Virts comes a gripping tale of murder and deceit.
In Reconstruction-era Baltimore, members of the city’s elite keep turning up dead. Below the polished surface of high society, there are illicit affairs, jilted lovers, financial hardships and countless motives for murder. When Jane Gray Wharton’s husband, Ned, dies unexpectedly while overnighting at his brother’s home, Jane has no reason to question the circumstances of his death. But on a visit to the same house a few weeks later, both Jane and her daughter fall gravely ill, and Jane begins to suspect foul play.
Though a trained chemist and former nurse, Jane is haunted by a history of delusion, loss and institutionalization. As the unexpected and devastating deaths begin to multiply, Jane’s grip on reality starts to slip. When a respected army officer falls terribly ill after visiting the Whartons’ Baltimore home, Jane’s greatest fears become all too real. The time has come to act. But who will believe her? And can she even trust her own mind?
Inspired by true events involving one of Baltimore’s most powerful families, THE GRAYS OF TRUTH is the story of one woman’s quest for answers in her fight for redemption --- and to save the man she loves.
