Leah Devereaux Shaw gazed at the headstones in the Mefford, South Carolina cemetery. She was stunned to see her own name, and that of her grandmother who actually just died a month ago. Leah’s death was supposed to have happened when she was two-years-old. Her parents supposedly died in a storm off the coast of Texas in the Gulf of Mexico, but this cemetery showed they drowned in the Atlantic Ocean off the South Carolina shore.

Shocked at the new information about her family, Leah decided to further investigate to see if there were any living relatives that could help her understand what she had learned. She went to the Devereaux Plantation where she found several relatives living on the property, including her maternal grandmother Carrie Devereaux. They were obviously divided about whether she had a right to be there or not. Joining them was the Whispering Lady, a ghost who had not been seen in recent years, but often appeared when someone was going to die.

As Leah attempted to get to know her new found relatives and learn the truth about her past, she also became the target of someone who wanted her out of their lives.

The Devereaux Legacy was written by multi-award winning writer Carolyn Hart. The book was originally published in 1986 and reprinted in 2013. The entertaining story provided several intriguing layers including romance, mystery, and a bit of ghostly in the apparitions that appear at unexpected moments.

The cast of characters are well-rounded and each one interesting in their own way. It’s often difficult to know who is on Leah’s side and who is out to get rid of her. Someone mentioned this book could also be described as a cold case, and that is true.

Every time readers think they have the romantic suspense tale figured out, another plot twist will remind them there is more than meets the eye to this well-written murder mystery.

It was enjoyable to read a story written before cell phones and other modern conveniences could get in the way of a good tale, and where the heroine had to work a little harder to stay alive long enough to figure out who the bad guys really were.

A special thank you goes to Seventh Street Books for providing a copy of Carolyn Hart’s book, The Devereaux Legacy, for our review. If you are interested in any of books written by this author, they are available through Amazon.com.