Inescapable: A Ghost Story

by D.K. Stone

Trying to come to terms with the passing of her husband, a famous and controversial artist in Calgary, Aimee Westerberg is spiralling into depression instead. Her identity as Georges Westerberg’s younger second wife leads to a fight with his family over his estate. Aimee attempts to hide from it all in her work as an art-restorer at the Glenbow museum, only to find herself pursued by journalist, Bear Cardinal, who is writing an exposé on her late husband. As Aimee tries to piece together the true character of her late husband, her fragmented memories come into contrast with a phantom version of him which materializes, and seems intent on preventing her from getting on with her life. Unable to mourn while tormented by a poltergeist, Aimee needs to figure out how to un-tether herself from the past, and escape forces from beyond.

265 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 1, 2023

Reviews

[J. Warren · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the suspense built throughout this book, I was reminded of the importance of simmering to bring all the flavors together. The same goes for Inescapable: A Ghost Story by J.K. Stone. Stone weaves the suspenseful tale of art restorer Aimee Westerberg—by deftly raising and lowering the heat and suspense—into a supernatural frenzy. Aimee is recovering from the death of her husband. The depths of her grief, compounded by jealousy and spite from the living, while being confronted and menaced from the afterlife by a phantom version of her late husband, threaten to destroy her sanity.

J.K. Stone's insightful dive into Aimee's soul as an artist is the seredepitous reward for reading this book. As Aimee contemplates a career painstakingly spent in the shadows of others, (meticulously researching and restoring famous artists' brushstrokes and canvases) she learns that her voice, her work, and her art deserve to shine brightly.

[DL · Rating 5 out of 5]

An engaging story beautifully written. The characters (living and dead - it is a ghost story) are exquisitely brought to life through their thoughts, words and actions. This is a sweeping metaphor or connecting and letting go.