September 2013

I have been a fan of Cassandra King’s for a while now, so seeing she had a new book made me smile. MOONRISE is set in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, where my sister has a vacation home, so I know the area well. The title of the book is drawn from the name of the house that was originally occupied by Emmet and his first wife, Rosalyn. I love big old houses like this that in themselves are stories. Rosalyn cultivated a beautiful moon garden, created of flowers that bloom in the evenings and look wonderful in moonlight, like moonflowers, night jasmine and white butterfly bushes. The garden has gone to ruin after she died under mysterious circumstances the prior fall. Emmet hastily re-wed a younger woman named Helen, and this will be their first summer up at Moonrise. Old friends are not welcoming to Helen, and the mystery surrounding Rosalyn’s death swirls around them.

The story is set from Helen’s point of view and unfolds so well. It’s a homage to REBECCA, but it had enough of its own style that I found myself not comparing the two too much. The parallels when reflected upon are pitch perfect. And the oh la la at the end were the pages about how to create and cultivate a moon garden. I loved reading that and now want to plan one for my own garden!