In 1912, as the new wife of the local mortician, Beatrice is settling in at the funeral parlor, but soon after, the death of a young boy sweeps a cold chill into the warmth of her new home as well as her marriage. In 2022, fledgling author Maddy Barton isn't surprised to discover someone was murdered in her 1912 era home. The old mansion has been giving her bad vibes ever since she moved in. But after learning who the victim was, she is determined to figure out what happened so she can put the unsettled spirit at ease. Maddy's husband isn't terribly supportive of her efforts, and many of the people in the small town of Pine Grove, Minnesota have ideas-and secrets-of their own, but she's determined to solve the gothic crime the only way she knows how-to write about it.

The honeymoon of Ada, a shy and innocent young girl and Horace, a dashingly handsome, charismatic, mortician, gets off to a rough start. The marriage goes down hill from there. Although the marriage continues to be unconsummated, Ada holds out hope that one day the love she has for her husband will destroy the emotional wall that continues to separate them. Unfortunately, before this happens, her father, a celebrated physician and owner of the local hospital, faces ruin, both financially and legally. It is then that Ada realizes the only reason Horace married her was because of her family's high standing within the local community. That is when all hope of sharing love with her husband vanishes, as he begins abusing her. Having no one to turn to, Ada quietly accepts her husband's abuse, until, after years of living in fear, Horace does the unthinkable. When he takes away her only reason for living, she shes him for what he as become--a monster of the highest order. When she learns the depth of his depravities, she comes to the realization that it is up to her to keep not only herself safe from him, but also any others who might come within his distorted vision. What she decides she must do will surprise most readers, and abhor others. She feels it is her duty to humanity to protect them from the man she once loved. Unfortunately, what she cannot possibly know is, that although she may have saved others from the living man, she has released an even more dangerous evil, his everlasting angered soul.

In 1912, as the new wife of the local mortician, Beatrice is settling in at the funeral parlor, but soon after, the death of a young boy sweeps a cold chill into the warmth of her new home as well as her marriage. In 2022, fledgling author Maddy Barton isn’t surprised to discover someone was murdered in her 1912 era home. The old mansion has been giving her bad vibes ever since she moved in. But after learning who the victim was, she is determined to figure out what happened so she can put the unsettled spirit at ease. Maddy’s husband isn’t terribly supportive of her efforts, and many of the people in the small town of Pine Grove, Minnesota have ideas—and secrets—of their own, but she’s determined to solve the gothic crime the only way she knows how—to write about it.

Publisher: Solstice PublishingPrinter: CreatespaceEmily's special "gift" told her two things that Halloween night, so long ago. The first was that the story she heard about Ada, the old lady who lived above the old mortuary, being a witch was definitely not true. The second was that the scary story about the mortuary being haunted definitely was true. The old lady was actually quite nice. The ghost, on the other hand, was not nice at all.Now, Emily returns after many years away from her childhood home. She's a registered nurse and is unexpectedly hired as Ada's carer. Ada is a complete recluse and at first resists Emily's gentle intrusion into her life. Yet, gradually, their old friendship, forged so many years before, helps break down Ada's reticence. Finally, Ada tells Emily the story of her life. It's a sad story, filled with pain and horrible secrets and, as it unfolds, Emily is forced to make a terrible decision...

Five miles from the new age Mt. Shasta City, the sleepy Northern California town of Dunsmuir plays host to a nightmarish house – the Old Mortuary – where the mortician's wife spent four decades alone, and some say insane, sleeping in an alcove off one bedroom where she believed the evil spirits of the house could not get to her, harboring terrible secrets.With the steady flow of dead bodies through the basement and the murderous events upstairs, this is the story of how the Old Mortuary of Dunsmuir became one of the most haunted houses in America as a result of the personality and misdeeds of one man, Horace Carpenter, whose eternal soul most certainly does not rest in peace, as many will attest, and probably never will.The sequel, 'The Mortician Returns', will be released in 2013.“I have spent the night in supposedly some of the most haunted buildings in America. I have met people who could fairly be described as evil incarnate. I have been to the Old Mortuary in Dunsmuir. It is gorgeous but I wouldn't spend a single night there.” Kathleen McKenna, author of horror novels 'The Wedding Gift' and 'Family Matters'.NOW WITH FIVE ADDITIONAL CHAPTERS FROM THE SEQUEL, 'THE MORTICIAN'S REVENGE,' TO COMPLETE THE STORY.

Ada Carpenter went to her grave knowing that, although she had killed her husband, his malicious spirit still lingered in the old mortuary in Dunsmuir, California. As she left her earthly body behind she went with the prayer on her lips that her dearest friend, Emily, would find a way to protect others from his wicked intentions. Horace had other ideas. The longer his spirit remained trapped in the mortuary, the angrier he became. His hatred began with his wife, the woman who had taken his life in the most gruesome way possible. But it grew to include everyone who thought they could make his home their own. As the years passed, he found ways to vent his anger by attaching himself to others, using their bodies and their minds to do his bidding. The moment the leader of the Sisters of the Zodiac entered his home he knew he had finally found the perfect tool with which to fulfill his most monstrous dreams.

"An embalmed dog appears on the Tampa Mayor's stoop along with her Sunday morning Tribune. After minmal examination, the incident is dismissed as the act of an marginally sane activist. However, when the bodies of embalmed senior citizens begin showing up around town, the view of the perpetrator changes substantially. Calling himself The Mortician in notes left with his victims, the killer depicts himself as a mercy killer, driven by overwhelming compassion for his victims. Homicide Detective Rock Paxton and his tough and sassy partner Nan Delcorte are assigned to bring down this killer. Their investigation leads them from a funeral home to stops at a college of mortuary science, a cemetery, and a crematory along the way"--Back cover