Spotlight: Trouble the Water by Jacqueline Friedland

Trouble the Water

by Jacqueline Friedland

SparkPress

Publication date: May 8, 2018

Trade paperback ISBN 978-1-94300-654-0

338 pages

E-book ISBN: 978-1-943006-55-7

In TROUBLE THE WATER, Jacqueline Friedland’s gripping debut novel, seventeen-year-old Abigail Milton arrives in Charleston, South Carolina from England with only one small bag, but a lot to carry. Her family has fallen destitute and sent her away to ease their burden, and she carries this loss—and a dark secret—across the ocean with her. But Abby—fiery, strong-minded, and haunted—is determined to carve a humble life from her new opportunity in America.

Douglas Elling takes Abby in as a favor to her father, a dear family friend. Douglas has almost completely withdrawn from society, due to the untimely loss of his wife and only child two years earlier. Before the tragedy, whispers arose about him being an Abolitionist. He sought to fit in, if only to protect his underground activism. Now he remains a source of suspicion and an outsider by choice. Slowly—pulled from his isolation by the need to be polite to his charge, if nothing else—Douglas’s attempts to guide Abby rekindle his deeply buried hopes of improving people’s lives—and something in him awakens.

Set twenty years before the Civil War and filled with authentic detail about The Underground Railroad and the Abolitionist movement, TROUBLE THE WATER is a memorable and moving debut novel about painful histories, new hopes, social change, and second chances. 

Praise for Trouble the Water:

SILVER MEDAL, INDEPENDENT PUBLISHER BOOK AWARDS

Best Regional Fiction – South

“… will seize readers from the first page and not let go.”—KIRKUS REVIEWS

“Fans of Paulette Jiles and Julia Quinn will adore this triumphant novel of intrigue, secrecy, and redemption.”—BOOKLIST

“With compelling characters, a charming peek into Charleston society, a heart-racing romance, rich historical detail, and an epilogue that will have you holding your breath, Friedland has written a well-crafted novel that will stay with you long after you turn the final page.”—Susie Orman Schnall, award-winning author of The Subway Girls, The Balance Project, and On Grace

“The complicated history of the antebellum South comes alive in Friedland's debut novel and offers readers an exciting and fast-paced literary journey that explores complicated relationships, the importance of friendship, and the necessary power of love.”—Kris Radish, best-selling author of A Dangerous Woman From Nowhere

“Friedland is a modern Bronte sister remixed with Kathleen Grissom or Leila Meacham. Trouble the Water is the riveting story of Abby, who travels across the sea, fleeing Liverpool, poverty, and an unsavory uncle, for Charleston, where a wealthy friend of her father, Douglas, lives. Douglas has pledged himself to the fight to end slavery, and for that, he has made the ultimate sacrifice. Abby fights inner demons and tries to find her place in Charleston high society while her brooding guardian reconciles the past and returns to his beloved cause. Lovers of Civil War-era historical fiction will rejoice at Friedland’s triumphant novel of love, friendship, and the most important issues of the day.”—Bethany Ball, author of What to do About the Solomons

“With a plucky heroine, a dashing hero, and the backdrop of the clandestine abolition movement in the antebellum South, Jacqueline Friedland masterfully weaves a tale full of passion and honor, duty and survival, evil and the beauty of basic human decency. Trouble the Water will make your heart pound and swell, and keep you reading well into the night. Highly recommended!”—Loretta Nyhan, author of I'll Be Seeing You, All the Good Parts, and Digging In

“In a narrative tapestry woven of brilliant threads of history and Drama, Jacqueline Friedland introduces her readers to seventeen-year-old British born Abigail Milton, her generous but reluctant benefactor, Douglas Elling and the complex world of antebellum Charleston. The evil of slavery, the nascent abolitionist movement, the courage of an operative of the underground railroad are explored against the background of the vanished world of debutante cotillions, social intrigue and the slow maturity and melding of skillfully drawn protagonists. Friedland’s research is impeccable, her writing fluid. Trouble the Water is that rare pedagogic novel that engages as it teaches.”—Gloria Goldreich, author of The Bridal Chair

Review: The Sinner by Amanda Stevens

From the Back Cover:

I am a living ghost, a wanderer in search of my purpose and place…

I'm a cemetery restorer by trade, but my calling has evolved from that of ghost seer to death walker to detective of lost souls. I solve the riddles of the dead so the dead will leave me alone.

I've come to Seven Gates Cemetery nursing a broken heart, but peace is hard to come by…for the ghosts here and for me. When the body of a young woman is discovered in a caged grave, I know that I've been summoned for a reason. Only I can unmask her killer. I want to trust the detective assigned to the case for he is a ghost seer like me. But how can I put my faith in anyone when supernatural forces are manipulating my every thought? When reality is ever-changing? And when the one person I thought I could trust above all others has turned into a diabolical stranger?

My Thoughts:

She's baaack!

If you read my review of the previous book in this series, you know I was a little disappointed in it, especially after such a long hiatus between books. It was with trepidation that I went into this one, hoping for a return to the level of excellence set by the first three books. I am so happy to say that Amanda Stevens is back on top of her game! It's hard to review a mystery, let alone the fifth book in a series, without giving things away for those who have yet to discover the deliciousness that is the Graveyard Queen series, so my review will be brief and limited to my overall thoughts rather than a detailed plot recap.

While restoring another South Carolina cemetery, this one in a small, off-the-beaten path location, Amelia discovers a ring of caged graves outside hallowed ground, and there's a fresh body in one of them. When the ghost of the murdered young woman begins to haunt her, Amelia has no choice but to figure out who killed her and why if she ever wants any peace. And this brings a new man into Amelia's life, the sexy and mysterious investigator Lucien Kendrick, who seems to have a mystical connection to Amelia. Is he hiding the same secret she is, the ability to commune with spirits? Add to that the gruesome history of the house she's renting for the summer, mistrustful locals, and a horrifying darkness worse than any spirit Amelia has ever encountered before, not to mention that she's starting to have difficulty determining what's all in her head and what's real, who is manipulating her and who can she trust, and Amelia is in for one hell of a summer.

Plus Amelia is still missing John Devlin, whom she hasn't been with in over a year . . . or has she? She gets an emotional punch in the gut where he is concerned that I felt right along with Amelia. There are a lot of little clues dropped about Devlin here that I did not see coming, and if my suspicions are proved correct in the next book, I am going to be one happy camper, giving mad props to Amanda Stevens. But if they are not, I'm going to be one sad camper. Amelia deserves some happiness.

I could not put this down for the last quarter of the book. I don't know where Amanda Stevens finds all of this stuff, but it is fascinating. Caged graves, witch doctors, a cult devoted to resurrection, a secret society devoted to stamping out the supernatural, and all of it taking place amid the old world charm and haunting, Gothic beauty of the Low Country. I don't do horror, but Amanda Stevens manages to craft spine-tingling, macabre thrillers without the gore, and I just can't get enough of them. But alas, the next book is the final book in the series. And it is with a heavy yet hopeful heart that I am about to embark on the last chapter in Amelia Gray's story.

My Rating:  4.5 Stars out of 5

*Please Note: This review references an advance digital copy received from the publisher via NetGalley, and therefore the final published copy may differ. Though I received this book from the publisher, my review is voluntary and these are my honest and unbiased thoughts. I was not compensated in any other way for reviewing this book.

Review: The Visitor by Amanda Stevens

From the Back Cover:

My name is Amelia Gray. I'm the Graveyard Queen.

Restoring lost and abandoned cemeteries is my profession, but I'm starting to believe that my true calling is deciphering the riddles of the dead. Legend has it that Kroll Cemetery is a puzzle no one has ever been able to solve. For over half a century, the answer has remained hidden within the strange headstone inscriptions and intricate engravings. Because uncovering the mystery of that tiny, remote graveyard may come at a terrible price.

Years after their mass death, Ezra Kroll's disciples lie unquiet, their tormented souls trapped within the walls of Kroll Cemetery, waiting to be released by someone strong and clever enough to solve the puzzle. For whatever reason, I'm being summoned to that graveyard by both the living and the dead. Every lead I follow, every clue I unravel brings me closer to an unlikely killer and to a destiny that will threaten my sanity and a future with my love, John Devlin.

My Thoughts:

I am such a fan of the first three book in this series for several reasons: I love Charleston. It's my favorite city in the US. I love old cemeteries, and whenever I visit Charleston or any other old town on the East Coast, you bet I'm going to spend some time exploring their cemeteries. And finally, I love me some Southern Gothic. Add a smart heroine, a brooding hero, some sexy times, some history, and lots of spooky chills, and it all adds up to reading perfection for me. It's hard to review books in a series without revealing spoilers from earlier books, and it's doubly hard to review a mystery without accidentally revealing a little nugget a reader would have rather found on their own, so I'm going to skip the plot recap and just tell you how I felt about this book: I waited three long years for this fourth installment, and while I wish I could say it was well worth the wait, I did not find it as satisfying as earlier books.

While I have loved the undeniable chemistry between Amelia and John Devlin in previous books, I thought this one focused too much on Amelia's insecurities where Devlin is concerned. Now that they are finally a couple, I began to notice little things that bothered me, not the least of which is Devlin's refusal to acknowledge Amelia's true nature in spite of everything that's happened (FYI: she sees dead people), and they don't seem to have much in common outside of the bedroom. All of this leads up to what happens at the end of the book (and if you haven't read this book yet, don't read the blurb for book five, which includes a spoiler), so it definitely serves a purpose, but I found her inner worries to be repetitive, and they also made her look a little weaker in my eyes.

Another thing that contributed to my lower rating of this installment is that Amelia doesn't even get to a cemetery until halfway through the book. The pace was incredibly slow. Who would have thought it would take me two weeks to finish this book when I devoured the others in two days. And lastly, this book should have been published sooner. Three years is really too long to go between books in a series with an ongoing plot. I'm very glad that it reminded me of so much I'd forgotten, but I'd imagine those reading it right on the heels of The Prophet might be annoyed at the backstory info dumps. However, book five is already out, and book six releases next month, so we don't have to wait any longer to see where this thing is going.

Time Travelers: St. Michael's Church, Charleston

In my Time Travelers Series, I share some of my favorite historical sites from my travels with my fellow history adventurer, my husband Erin. 

Destination: St. Michael's Church, Charleston, South Carolina

If you've ever had the pleasure of visiting Charleston, you know that virtually no matter where you are in the city you can hear church bells ringing the hours. I was instantly captivated by Charleston and spent hours just walking the streets of the historic district admiring the architecture. St. Michael's Episcopal Church is particularly worth noting both for its beauty and its history.

On the eve of the American Revolution, Charleston was the wealthiest city in the American colonies, home to nine of the ten richest men in America. South Carolina was also the most tolerant of the colonies and Charleston was home to numerous churches of many denominations, even a Jewish synagogue.

St. Michael's is the oldest church building in Charleston. Commissioned by the Assembly and patronized by some of the city's wealthiest citizens, St. Michael's is a gem that has survived both the American Revolution and the Civil War. When it was completed in 1761 it stood at the heart of Charleston, the bustling intersection of Meeting and Broad Streets. It's design was based on those of Sir Christopher Wren, taking cues from the Book of Common Prayer, with an altar close to the congregation and a gallery on three sides to bring the people closer to the center of worship, where all were invited to hear and participate in the sermon.

The church has seen its share of adventures, too. In 1757 the First Royal Highland Battalion used the unfinished church as temporary barracks while preparing to defend South Carolina from the Cherokee waging war on the frontier. During the Siege of Charleston in 1780 the steeple was painted black in an effort to camofluage and protect it from British naval guns. The church bells were taken to England as a prize of war but were later returned. They were removed again during the Civil War and sent to Columbia where they were damaged in a fire and subsequently had to be sent to England for recasting. The church survived the 1886 earthquake which caused considerable damage to Charleston, but the portico did not and the one we see today is a replica of the original.

To learn more about the architecture and history

of St. Michael's Church, click here.