When college student Lee Donne agrees to housesit for her grandfather in his hundred-year-old Oregon farmhouse, she has no idea why it's protected with such an up-to-date security system. She discovers the reason after an attempt to scare her out of the house backfires: buried in an abandoned root cellar is the proof of a hideous crime that occurred long before she was born, one whose revelation could destroy the political ambitions of a very powerful man and put Lee, her best friend, and even her grandfather in jeopardy. Wilhelm elevates a ho-hum plot into a suspenseful narrative that sheds light on a dark chapter in history and illuminates its effect on three generations of an American family. This is an unusual coming-of-age story about a young woman who finds her destiny in a place she never expected to discover it, written with Wilhelm's usual skill and verve. --Jane Adams

From Publishers Weekly
Marilee Donne is the academic loser of an overachieving family who is accidentally responsible for a young stalker's death while house-sitting for her grandfather in Eugene, Ore. The novel follows her attempt-with the help of her best friend, Casey, and a smalltown reporter, Bruno-to unravel the stalker's motivation, as we discover that he was not after Marilee but evidence of a Klan lynching tucked away in her grandfather's house. When they learn that the lynching involved an up-and-coming presidential candidate, their trip takes them to New Orleans in search of the evidence they need to seal the case against him. Wilhelm tackles difficult material in her latest novel, not altogether successfully. Her dated hyper-consciousness of race is jarring: Casey, Marilee's brainy African-American friend, is described as a sort of unlikely prodigy, and Marilee constantly worries that their friendship will be misinterpreted-"I could imagine what his report had been: lesbian lovers, a violent black woman beating up on her little blond partner." Wilhelm equates the Crescent City with the racist Deep South of yore, and the dire warnings strangers give Casey not to be seen eating with Marilee (or "someone might decide to run a truck into that old heap of yours") are-in a modern town that's more than half African-American-ludicrous. Likewise, statements such as "although desegregation was the law of the land, segregation ruled" take powerful liberty with the actual city. The mystery at the heart of the novel is well crafted, but the gee-whiz narration and implausible context sink this well-intentioned whodunit.Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From AudioFile
College dropout Lee Donne agrees to house-sit for hergrandfather in Oregon. Late night noises morph into murder asdecades-old family secrets involving the Ku Klux Klan threaten toruin a popular politician. With the help of her African-Americanfriend, Casey, and a former professor turned newspaper reporter, Leetries to unmask the pol and his right-wing group without dragging herkin into the mess. C.M. Hérbert gives an earnest reading that holdsone's interest but doesn't really get one involved. Also, her voicesounds too mature for an early 20-something; she does better as Lee'sdistant mother. Southern accents enhance the New Orleans scenes.J.G.B. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

FROM THE PUBLISHER

"Lee Donne's family is gifted. Her mother has three doctorates, her father is an economics genius, and her grandfather is a world-renowned Shakespearean scholar. Lee's own gift, if you could call it that, is an eidetic memory that seems to maintain a visual representation of everything she's ever seen. For the most part, this gift is useless; it certainly hasn't helped Lee in college, where she's just spent four years drifting from major to major, with no degree in sight." "Without a job or prospects, Lee is relieved to be house-sitting her grandfather's isolated Oregon home. But her stay soon becomes a nightmare when she is tormented by strange and menacing noises at night. Emboldened by a visit from her friend Casey, Lee finds that the source of these haunting sounds is an all-too-human force - a young and well-respected man." "He knew that Lee's grandfather would be away, but what could he have been looking for? The search for answers takes Lee from the Pacific Northwest to the streets of New Orleans." Using her strange gift as she probes into her family's past, Lee uncovers secrets more far-reaching and sinister than she ever could imagine.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Marilee Donne is the academic loser of an overachieving family who is accidentally responsible for a young stalker's death while house-sitting for her grandfather in Eugene, Ore. The novel follows her attempt-with the help of her best friend, Casey, and a smalltown reporter, Bruno-to unravel the stalker's motivation, as we discover that he was not after Marilee but evidence of a Klan lynching tucked away in her grandfather's house. When they learn that the lynching involved an up-and-coming presidential candidate, their trip takes them to New Orleans in search of the evidence they need to seal the case against him. Wilhelm tackles difficult material in her latest novel, not altogether successfully. Her dated hyper-consciousness of race is jarring: Casey, Marilee's brainy African-American friend, is described as a sort of unlikely prodigy, and Marilee constantly worries that their friendship will be misinterpreted-"I could imagine what his report had been: lesbian lovers, a violent black woman beating up on her little blond partner." Wilhelm equates the Crescent City with the racist Deep South of yore, and the dire warnings strangers give Casey not to be seen eating with Marilee (or "someone might decide to run a truck into that old heap of yours") are-in a modern town that's more than half African-American-ludicrous. Likewise, statements such as "although desegregation was the law of the land, segregation ruled" take powerful liberty with the actual city. The mystery at the heart of the novel is well crafted, but the gee-whiz narration and implausible context sink this well-intentioned whodunit. (Aug. 12) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

AudioFile

College dropout Lee Donne agrees to house-sit for her grandfather in Oregon. Late night noises morph into murder as decades-old family secrets involving the Ku Klux Klan threaten to ruin a popular politician. With the help of her African-American friend, Casey, and a former professor turned newspaper reporter, Lee tries to unmask the pol and his right-wing group without dragging her kin into the mess. C.M. Hérbert gives an earnest reading that holds one's interest but doesn't really get one involved. Also, her voice sounds too mature for an early 20-something; she does better as Lee's distant mother. Southern accents enhance the New Orleans scenes. J.G.B. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine

Kirkus Reviews