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.