House of Whispers

by Margaret Lucke

Claire Scanlan is launching a new career in real estate and has a chance to sell a spectacular oceanview home designed by a world-renowned architect. But the home has a problem that frightens off buyers -- it was the site of a vicious mass murder. As Ben Grant, the handsome, successful brother of one of the murder victims, shows Claire and a real estate rival the empty house, Claire experiences strange sensations. The unexplainable experiences continue and the idea that the place might be haunted both fascinates and repels her. Claire is also fascinated, and not at all repelled, by Ben Grant. Claire realizes the psychic experiences are real and must solve the mystery of the bloody tragedy -- even though Ben seems to be a suspect.

Genres: Mystery, Paranormal, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Romance

240 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published March 1, 2007

About the author

Margaret Lucke flings words around in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is fascinated by the power of stories and the magic of creativity. She writes tales of love, ghosts, and murder, sometimes all three in one book. Her novels include the Claire Scanlan Haunted House Mysteries and two mysteries featuring artist and private eye Jess Randolph: Snow Angel and A Relative Stranger (nominated for an Anthony Award). A former president of the Northern California chapter of Mystery Writers of America, Margaret teaches fiction writing classes, writes about the craft of writing, and has published more than 60 short stories, feature articles, and scripts for mystery weekends.

Reviews

[Betsy Cornwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started to give this only 3 stars but then I realized that I finished the entire book in just four days. If I didn't like it so much, why couldn't I put it down? This book is definitely in the easy recreational reading category. It goes down so smoothly! Rookie real estate agent, Claire Scanlon's, first listing is the spectacular home of a famous architect. The home's only downside is the four gruesome murders that happened there recently. Potential buyers are either repelled by the home's appalling history or they just don't feel comfortable inside the home for unexplained reasons. To negotiate a successful sale, Claire has to deal with competitive colleagues, an amorous seller (could he possibly be as marvelous as he seems?), a nosy reporter, the ghosts who inhabit the house, and, just possibly, a killer. What's not to love?
Just a note of warning: Grammar geeks beware. This book is so full of typos, I wonder if an editor ever even looked at it.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

I deemed this book Relevant to My Interests when I saw a blurb of it invoking the name of Barbara Michaels. And for the most part, that's a not unreasonable name to invoke here. There's a certain old-school feel to this book in both sides of its plot, the haunted house story and the heavy side helping of romance. By "old school", I mean a return to what (at least in the books I've read lately) has been a vanishing art: encouraging the reader's imagination as much by what's not on the page as what's on it. I miss this, both in things that are supposed to creep me out and romances I'm supposed to be cheering on.

On the other hand, speaking as an ardent fan of Michaels' older books, I didn't find this one quite up to par with those--although to be fair, I have no substantive reason for this. Mostly, it's a question of the overall flavor of the writing, which I found more akin to the later Elizabeth Peters works (the last few Amelia Peabodies and the final Vicky Bliss). If you liked the style that Michaels/Peters took with those books, you will probably like the style of this one all right.

And all this said, the plot is rather fun. Our heroine, Claire, is the new kid in a real estate office, and she's given the daunting task of finding a buyer for a local mansion where a gruesome quadruple murder took place. When she gets there, she discovers to her shock that she can actually hear the ghost of a young girl who was murdered there--and who can point her at the true identity of her killer, who is still at large. Meanwhile, Claire has a rivalry going on with Avery, the office sexpot, a character who takes a little while to get her feet under her. And both women aim for Ben Grant, the owner of the house Claire's trying to sell.

Overall, a bit on the fluffy side but not bad. Three stars.

[Ladiibbug · Rating 4 out of 5]

#1 Supernatural Properties series

Refreshing twist on PNR. Newly licensed realtor Claire Scanlan has a chance to sell a spectacular San Francisco home -- but a family was murdered in the house.

Claire experiences strange sensations and feelings in the house, which seem to be someone trying to tell her something. Or is it her imagination?

This book is part murder mystery, part supernatural, part romance. Very enjoyable - I'll be looking for #2 Mansion of Desire.

Author: www.margaretlucke.com

[Julie (jjmachshev) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pulled into this book and continued to read because I wanted to solve the mystery. I will be interested to see this author's next offering and hope that she (or her editor) cleans up some of the jarring transitions. It was difficult to peg a genre description. Heavy on mystery, medium on paranormal, light on romance.

[Jane Stewart · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just couldn’t get into this. It seemed kind of shallow, soap-opera-ish. Characters too simply drawn.

STORY BRIEF:
Claire is recently divorced, moved, and got a job with a real estate firm. A family was murdered in their home which is now on the market. The owner Ben gave the listing to Claire. Avery works with Claire and is jealous that Claire got the listing. Both Avery and Claire hope to find buyers for the house. They both are romantically attracted to Ben.

Two ghosts remain in the house. One of them communicates with Claire whenever she is alone in the house.

REVIEWER’S OPINION:
I’m not a fan of using vague dreams, incomplete psychic visions, and partial answers from ghosts to create mystery, which is what happens here. Each time Claire hears or sees something from these sources, she gets clues not answers, and she’s confused. Her two friends dismiss her ideas, saying something like that’s ridiculous, that can’t be. They give reasons why she shouldn’t believe what she dreamt or heard. Finally at the end of the book, the ghost communicates a little more clearly and other things happen to solve the mystery. The plot was not well developed, for example, there was a witness who didn’t say anything until the end of the book. Also Claire should have called the police from her home, but she waited until she was driving, and then she couldn’t call because there was no cell reception - something she should have known because she had driven that road frequently. I’d prefer more depth to things moving the plot. This felt too thrown together. Some of the past events with the bad guy were told in a wrapping-up-way rather than being shown and developed. It would have been better to be in the bad guy’s head a little.

I didn’t feel anything for the characters. They were too one-dimensional. Avery is the scheming, conniving, back-stabbing, jealous, shallow, bimbo. She offers sex to get what she wants. She does bad things. Bad things happen to her. Then she does more bad things. Claire is the down-to-earth, trying-to-do-a-good-job, good girl. A romance happens, but it’s far too quick. We don’t see any relationship develop. We don’t know why Ben likes Claire or why she likes him, other than his good looks.

DATA:
Story length: 295 pages. Swearing language: moderate. Sexual language: none. Number of sex scenes: 2. Total number of sex scene pages: 2. Setting: current day San Francisco Bay Area, California. Copyright: 2008. Genre: contemporary romance.

[Marsha · Rating 3 out of 5]

"House of Whispers" is a delightful story about a newly divorced woman who decides to start her life over by selling high profile real estate. Claire Stanlon is new to the firm of Golden Gate Properties. As the newest member she lucks out and gets a chance at being the listing agent on a multi million dollar estate. The only problem is that a gruesome murder took place at the house and a jealous colleague wants the listing for herself. Claire's boss decides to allow the client, Ben Grant to decide which of the two women will list the property.

Upon arriving at the property, Claire has an unusual feeling of dread which leaves her screaming. While her colleague is pleased at Claire's less than professional behavior, Ben is intrigue and feels that Claire's unusual reaction may be the same one that has kept prospective buyers at bay. He decides that Claire would be perfect to list the house. During the course of the listing Claire becomes personally involved with Ben as well as his neice that he now has custody of. This may prove dangerous for all involved as events are set into play that reveal who the killer is.

The story line was entertaining and fast paced but it was not amazing by any standard. I enjoyed the characters and mysterious ghost personality that the author teased us with. My problem is that everything was a little mediocre. The plot, intrigue and the sex. It is too bad really because this book had the potential to be really good. With that being said, I would definitely recommend others to read the book;but, check it out at the library instead of buying it.

[Bitten_by_Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Claire Scanlan gets the listing of a lifetime on the first day of her new career in real estate. The LeGrande house is an architectural masterpiece built by the famed architect Stefan LeGrande. A year and a half prior, LeGrande, his wife and two of their three children were brutally murdered in the house. The youngest child, Eden, survived only because she was having a sleepover at a friend’s house. It was believed that the teenage son Trevor killed his family before committing suicide, and no evidence had been found to point in other directions...

For the entire review please go to the Best Paranormal & Urban Fantasy Review site on the web, Bitten By Books for the review of House of Whispers: Book one of The Supernatural Properties Series in it's entirety. You won't be sorry.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book took a while to get into, but picked up about halfway through. If you like ghost stories/murder mysteries, this isn't a bad one to pass the time.

However, there are continuity errors, spelling mistakes, and odd punctuation. If this drives you absolutely batty, don't bother with this.

[Mary (Biblophile) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good little read. Supernatural and murder mystery with a little romance thrown in. Good characters, well written.

[Karen Desmond · Rating 4 out of 5]

4

[JoAnn Ainsworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed it. Strong characters. A plot that keeps you turning pages.

[Andre Isidore · Rating 3 out of 5]

House of Whispers by Magaret Lucke

⭐⭐⭐

I was honestly surprised by this book. Before diving in I saw some depressing reviews floating around but dove in nevertheless because it's on my "clear from the bookshelf" list 😅.

Starting off the flow didn't seem too bad actually, they set up the scene where most of the action played put nicely enough and the characters were easily relatable. It gave off a LMN feel which was actually enjoyable. You know how to can just find yourself sitting in front the TV watching movie after movie on LMN without much effort because the stories themselves aren't difficult to follow so your brain sorta goes on autopilot? Yea like that 😂.

That's actually a compliment, this book is a great read if you've just come off of reading series back to back and just want something leisurely to occupy yourself. There was a delicious bit of mystery in it as well and a quality plot twist that had me doing a double take when i realized just how the story ended up where it did.

As far as key ingredients go, this mystery-thriller checked the majority of  boxes:
• Unassuming protagonist
• Easily unlikable rival
• Steamy, square-jawed love interest with mystery
• Tragic, seemingly solved case with a twist
• Unexpected antagonist well disguised till the opportune moment
• Climatic end (emphasis on end 😂)

All in all I really enjoyed this read, screw all the naysayers. What I'd say detracted from the books rating was the obvious lack of through editing. Too many instances of double-typed words or missing words all together 🤕 (you were warned)

Now on to the next book that's been sitting on my shelf for about 2 years 😅

~Matta Ne~

[Laurie Stevens · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a decent ghost story. What I really liked about the book was the dynamics between the real estate agents -- that was fun. I would have liked to get to know the main character a little more. I seemed to know more about background and character traits of her work nemesis, Avery, instead. The love storyline was well done and believable. Again, the ghost part -- okay. I almost think this book would have shined more spectacularly if the author had deleted the ghost element altogether. Certainly, the love story, the crime/mystery, and the day-to-day dramas in the real estate world would have carried the book.
But it is Book One of the Supernatural Properties -- not a bad theme at all, so we have to have a bit of paranormal in there.
Four stars for a good read.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a GREAT first installment of what will hopefully be a long new paranormal mystery series! Part thriller/suspense, part mystery, part haunted house/ghost story with just a little romance thrown in, this was a really enjoyable read that offers a little of everything!!

Claire Scanlan is starting over. About to be divorced from her cheating husband, Claire has moved from Boston to San Francisco to begin a career selling real estate. And the career at least is looking promising, when Claire is given a fabulous house to sell. Designed and built by famous architect Stefan LeGrande for his own family, the house is a spectacular showplace that anyone would want to own - except for one little thing. The entire family died in a bloody murder-suicide in the house, so prospective buyers are squeamish, and the house isn't selling.

Determined to sell the house, Claire spends time inside it to get to know all the selling features. And while she's there, she starts hearing voices, and experiencing odd sensations. Before long Claire realizes - very much against her will - that the spirits of at least some members of the murdered family are haunting the house, and trying to convince someone that the murderer was NOT the son as everyone believes. Since Claire is the only one who can sense them, she's won the job.

Just to add to complications, the current owner of the house, and Claire's client, Ben Grant, is not only the brother of the dead architect, but also the guardian of the only surviving member of the family, young Eden. And, Claire and Ben are very attracted to one another which would be great news, if Claire didn't fear that Ben could have been the murderer of his brother's family.

The story has a number of interesting, clever aspects. For one, the spirits haunting the house actually tell their own story in first person chapters interspersed with the rest of the book, which gives a spooky, surreal flavour to the "real world" plot. You really become connected to the spirits and find yourself really rooting for Claire to solve the mystery and let them go "to the light".

I thought I had the killer all figured out, and was feeling pretty smug as I got close to the end, but I was totally wrong, so good for the author in spinning a clever story that wasn't so easy to figure out. I really liked the characters and the story. I'm already looking forward to the next installment in the "Supernatural Properties" series!!

[C. (Don't blank click my reviews, comment please! · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed this novel with more ease than others that received a low grade. I cannot allot three stars, where my average reviews reflect one spectrum of delight or the other, because factors hampering the story added up. A ten-star scale would provide room to acknowledge its good points and uniqueness. Margaret Lucke's dual narrative approach with an immature, needlessly combative rival -a needless character- irritably detracted from paranormal suspense. It did seize our interest when focus returned where it belonged.

General segue scenes like breakfast with a roommate, or Claire's real estate office, were short but noticeably pointless. They were driven so much by minutia: pouring orange juice, coffee, rebuking a sleazy colleague; that I sensed a novice labouring through a first novel's construction. I do empathize. That it planned to open a series and there is none, indicates others felt this mystery lacking too. Many parts were exciting and surprising. The best description is that "House Of Whispers", 2008, consists of tantalizing ingredients, inexpertly stirred. The murderer's identity is a plausible twist but the reasoning and psychology, to me, are off kilter.

Perhaps we received a pointless character's personal story because of the plan to mould a series but I would not bear additional pages of her shallow thoughts; ridiculous in an adult. Conversing with a spirit and fleeing danger were exhilarating but this book's construct did not carry that nucleus. How contrived that a ghost could utter a lot but run out of time when it came to identifying their killer. I was dismayed especially that a child witness had ample opportunities in past and present to speak up. I do not believe she would talk herself out of giving that information... magically opening up for the protagonist when the novel is set to close of course.

[Amy · Rating 1 out of 5]

This sounded like an interesting mystery book with some paranormal elements. However, almost all of the characters bland and I couldn't really figure out the pacing. The similes used were either too cliched or just didn't fit and there were also numerous typos in I the book (which is, of course, the publisher's fault and not the author's). The author's attempt to slowly reveal information about her main character wasn't that great. I wished she had gone into more detail and examples of the main character's abilities.

On the upside, the narrative passages with the ghost were neat and I liked that the haunted house was a modern mansion and not a rundown Victorian home. The main character was likeable, but the story was just too "blah." I only finished it to find out who the killer was, and I will admit that I was surprised by the final revelation and just about hit myself on the head with that "I should have known!" moment.

I *might* pick up the next book when it comes out just to see if there is any changes with the problems I mentioned, but I won't hold my breath.

[Jeanne Adamek · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really hate to give only two stars especially knowing that I could never write a book. I found the writing style choppy, the characters not really likeable and the style of writing not sure if it wanted to be a YA book or a adult mystery.

[Karysa Faire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book a lot.