Publication Date: September 10, 2024
After a run of misfortune, portrait artist Nilda Ricci could use a stroke of luck. She seems to get just that when she inherits a shadowy Victorian, designed by an architect whose works were said to influence the mind— supposedly, in beneficial ways. At first, Nilda’s new home delivers multiple gifts, including the unexpected appearance of a housekeeper who’ d helped maintain the home for years. Also, Nilda finds herself falling for a handsome neighbor, a chemist whose herbal tonics boost her creativity to new heights. But as Nilda seeks revenge-by-painting against a contempt-worthy portrait subject, she begins having strange experiences in the house, making her wonder whether the place is haunted or whether its architect’s intentions were less than benevolent. She also begins to suspect that her neighbor, and his gifts of tonics, aren’t what they seem. All along, the housekeeper seems to be looking out for Nilda. But in time she reveals needs of her own, which may prove more powerful than anything in the house … or beyond it.
When Nilda inherits Farleigh House, the aging Victorian mansion offers a welcome alternative to the cramped apartment she shares with her young daughter.
Yet something prevents the two from fully getting comfortable, making it feel almost like they are out of place. Author Beth Castrodale turns up the paranormal suspense in The Inhabitants.
In spite of Nilda’s own creative nature, she appears to be rooted in sensibility and is quite responsible for caring for six-year-old Sidney. With a friendly male next-door neighbor and an inherited housekeeper rounding out the cast of main characters, clues are dropped, indicating plenty of undercurrents.
How everything connects is a reflection of the author’s ability to weave the seemingly impossible into the possible. Nilda’s latest portrait project gets a creative boost, leading to a shocking revelation. There are so many questions, yet the author doles the answers out sparingly until the end.
The Inhabitants goes well beyond a typical ghost story, yet the conclusion will haunt you even after the last page is read.
Beth Castrodale is the author of the novels MARION HATLEY, which was a finalist for a Nilsen Prize for a First Novel from Southeast Missouri State University Press; IN THIS GROUND, an excerpt from which was a shortlist finalist for a William Faulkner – William Wisdom Creative Writing Award; and I MEAN YOU NO HARM. She is also the recipient of an artist grant from the Mass Cultural Council.
