The Samantha Hayes Series: Book 1
Publication Date: December 2, 2024
When beloved professor, Samantha Hayes, learns that her favorite four students live in as many of her old dorm rooms, she wonders how it happened and for what purpose. As she and her student entourage explore the possibilities, they uncover a death years ago and what appears to be the ghost of the dearly departed. All of this stirs up Samantha’s long-held fear that she was responsible for that death, challenging all she thought she knew about herself and the work she holds dear. They must figure out what happened before Samantha gets fired for “dabbling in the paranormal.”
Combining the paranormal with a cozy mystery makes for an irresistible read in Susan Harris Howell’s first book in The Samantha Hayes Series, The Spirit of Vanderlaan.
Samantha Hayes is an instructor at Vanderlaan University, the same school she once attended as a student. She has an excellent rapport with her students, and I appreciated the interactions between her and her students.
I loved the synchronicity theme in the book, and Carl Jung’s role in the concept of synchronicity and dealing with coincidences.
Samantha engages some of her favorite students in a paranormal or spiritual, yet scientific investigation, adding intrigue and many thought-provoking moments. The mystery unfolded in a well-developed and beautifully crafted manner, with humor and cleverness. The pacing was steady and kept me interested throughout. The dialogue is witty, well-written, realistic, and compelling.
The Spirit of Vanderlaan will capture your heart with compelling characters, a captivating mystery, and excellent writing.
I am a psychologist, speaker, and author of The Spirit of Vanderlaan, my debut novel released in December of 2024. This book is a fun, cozy, ghost story featuring a professor, Samantha Hayes, and her lively band of students who get caught up in solving a campus mystery. This book draws on my teaching career of over thirty years to capture the camaraderie and warmth between a professor and the assortment of personalities which inhabit her office.
I have also published extensively on equality between women and men. My first book, Buried Talents, explores the subtle ways women are discouraged from entering male-dominated occupations. Buried Talents was named a winner in InterVarsity Press’s 2022 Readers’ Choice Awards.
My husband and I have two grown children, a daughter-in-law, one adorable grandson, and an incorrigible beagle named Doc. While Doc doesn’t understand a word I say, he fully supports my speaking and writing endeavors.
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