Whispers of Goodbye

by Karen White

Karen White, who made her debut with her paranormal time-travel romance In the Shadow of the Moon,, creates a darkly dramatic gothic romance for Candleglow. Tragedy has shadowed Catherine deClaire Reed's life. The War Between the States ruined her home and left her penniless -- and she has lost both her
husband and her young son. When she receives a letter from her beloved sister Elizabeth, whom she hasn't seen since Elizabeth's marriage to a Yankee before the war, she's eager to open it,
hoping it will remind her of happier times. She's chilled by the desperate plea within that longed for letter: a message begging Catherine to come to the Louisiana plantation Whispering Oaks, because Elizabeth is desperately afraid. By the time Catherine arrives, however, Elizabeth has disappeared, and it soon becomes clear that deadly secrets linger at her sister's southern home. As Catherine struggles to discover her sister's fate, and protect Elizabeth's child, she must decide who to trust among the strangers who surround her -- with only her heart as her guide.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Romance, Mystery, Historical, Civil War, Southern, Gothic

361 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2001

About the author

With more than 2 million books in print in fifteen different languages, Karen White is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of 34 novels, including the popular Charleston-set Tradd Street mystery series.

Raised in a house full of brothers, Karen’s love of books and strong female characters first began in the third grade when the local librarian issued her a library card and placed The Secret of the Old Clock, a Nancy Drew Mystery, in her hands.

Karen’s roots run deep in the South where many of her novels are set. Her intricate plot lines and compelling characters charm and captivate readers with just the right mix of family drama, mystery, intrigue and romance.

Not entirely convinced she wanted to be a writer, Karen first pursued a career in business and graduated cum laude with a BS in Management from Tulane University. Ten years later, in a weak moment, she wrote her first book. In the Shadow of the Moon was published in August, 2000. Her books—referred to as “grit lit” (Southern Women’s Fiction)—have since been nominated for numerous national contests including the SIBA (Southeastern Booksellers Alliance) Fiction Book of the Year.

Karen’s next book, THAT LAST CAROLINA SUMMER, will be published by Park Row Books in July, 2025.

When not writing, Karen spends her time reading, scrapbooking, playing piano, and avoiding cooking. Karen and her husband have two grown children and currently live near Atlanta, Georgia with two spoiled Havanese dogs.
- See more at: http://www.karen-white.com/bio.cfm#st...

Reviews

[Darlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first saw the cover of this paperback I thought it must be a typical paperback romance the kind that I don't care for. But since Karen White wrote it I should have know better. It's more mystery with some romance thrown in to make it interesting and it was wonderful!!!!
This is the story of 2 sisters that have always lived in each others shadows. One beautiful but demanding and one just as beautiful but content with what she's left with. It takes place in post Civil War South, in St Simons, Ga and Louisiana. When one sister sends a message to the other that she is afraid and needs her, the other sister goes to her aid. I won't go any farther but if you are lucky enough to find this book, you won't be sorry!!!!!

[Kathy Cooley · Rating 3 out of 5]

The characters in this book frustrated me to no end! They were so changeable, like thunderstorms on a summer day. "I trust you...wait, no I don't, oops, yep, I do..." Yada, yada, yada. AAARRRGH! It was similar to watching a tennis match with all the back and forth. The story was fairly well plotted and hit all the right Gothic notes. I could definitely see the influence of Jane Eyre and Du Marier's Rebecca. I must say, I'm glad the author's characterizations improved in subsequent books (I've loved almost everything I've read by her) and that her cover illustrator changed (because had this book not been part of a Spinning the Moon, I would have never picked it up).

[Kari · Rating 2 out of 5]

These books are definitely binge-read worthy, but this one I didn't love. I saw the big mystery plot twists early on (which may have been part of it) but I didn't care for the romance in this one either. It didn't ring at all true leaving me feeling flat at the end of the book. I do intend to read more of Whites books as this is the first that really disappointed me. Skip this one in my opinion.

[Monica Aplin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book was like being on a roller coaster from the very beginning. Karen White is the master of "grit lit". I am a sucker for a southern tale with relative themes and characters, and she has never disappointed. This book was so dynamic with its entanglement of mystery, romance, drama, suspense, family bonds, and shock...the perfect Southern story!

[Sue · Rating 1 out of 5]

I listened to this on Audible. The narrator made the “read“ almost unbearable - tedious, annoying voice and at times laughable character voices. This is also not one of Karen White’s best books, but I realize it’s one of her first - and I’ve read almost all of her others - so I’ll give it a pass. But I do recommend skipping the audiobook and reading the book instead.

[Kmt1944 · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the author's first novels. Reprinted in Spinning The Moon along with In The Shadow of the Moon. Both excellent stories and characters, but the covers of the original books should be ignored!!!!

[Cherie Bush · Rating 1 out of 5]

It was okay. I'm personally not into this genre.

[Kelly]

Love newer Karen White so read this as it was one of her first books. Thank god she has left this genre behind...annoying characters, slow storyline, and stupid conclusions.

[Mary23nm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good creepy gothic romance, but left me with a lot of questions:

Husband sees her and falls for heroine when she's just fourteen years old, so he marries her sister?
How come the heroine had so much love for her sister, when she recollects everything her sister did was either selfish or nasty?
Why did the sister write to her and beg her to come before she was murdered?
What other dirt did Marguerite(who was a bad servant with an attitude) have on John- because what she knew wasn't enough reason to keep her on over his wife's concerns.
What happened to Marguerite wandering in the swamp in the end?

[Elaine C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This gothic novel reminded me of my high school days when I'd devour stories like this. This one was set in St. Francisville, Louisiana, during Reconstruction, so the areas were familiar. As with every good gothic novel, it was set in a dark, secretive house with a brooding hero and the vulnerable heroine ... and in this one, a little voodoo thrown in for good measure. The story's pace was a little slow and somewhat predictable, but overall, I still enjoyed it! I like her Tradd Street series a little better than this one, but I'd give a try to another of her stand alone books.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not really my kind of novel; this is a historical fiction books set just after the Civil War in the South. The protagonist is a bit too confusing for my taste, one day being sure of something, the next having multiple doubts. One almost sees her coming apart at the seams except for her extraordinary strength (yeah, some sarcasm there). I would liken it to a more modern (yet Civil War!) Gothic romance. Not a big fan of same, as I feel I've read the story too many times.

[Claudia Cheyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was Karen White's second novel. It contains all the elements which have made her one of my favorite authors - a strong female character who overcomes hardships, a spooky old house with servants who dish up magic potions, people who are not really who they seem to be, along with a setting in the deep South. Catherine deClaire Reed answers her sister's plea for help. But by the time she has made the trip to Elizabeth's home in Reconstruction Louisiana shortly following the Civil War, Elizabeth is missing. Cat gets mixed messages regarding her sister's disappearance. Who can she trust or believe? She remembers incidents from their years of growing up together when Elizabeth played cruel tricks on her. Perhaps she was really the unhappy, unkind person people are describing her as. Will Cat be able to get to the truth before she is murdered?

[Christen Jeschke · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier mixed with the ghost of a fragrance of Scarlett O'Hara and quite literally almost word for word fragments of Rhett Butler's characterization of his love for his child Bonnie written in as the character John's love for his daughter who interestingly shares the same name as the famed aforementioned Du Maurier book. That being said, well written and modeled after literary masters, White's second book and second part of Spinning the Moon is spellbinding. I correctly predicted the outcome from the beginning and yet was still entranced and kept guessing at what twists and turns it would ultimately take to reach it's destination.

[Bobbie]

As with "In the Shadow of the Moon" I am glad to have the updated book cover, because I would not have ever chosen to read it with the old one. This was dark and interesting, with hints of paranormal activity, as I have come to expect with Karen White. It definitely held my interest, so I'm glad I read it--and I'm glad for the reissued cover!

[Bonnie Odin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite Karen White novel but I still like her writing style and the setting (in the south, this one specifically mentions St. Simons, GA where I’ve spent some time). It’s an earlier work that leans more towards romance than the paranormal which I find less enjoyable. It could probably use some editing for length but I still finished it without abandoning it so that says something.

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

While i am a big fan of Karen white, I did not care for this earlier work of hers. “Whispers of Goodbye” was like an episode of Scooby Doo mixed with a romance novel: a big reveal in the end with lots of “ I can’t control myself when he’s near” talk and damsel in distress situations. The story line was fairly interesting but just don’t care for the way it all played out.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this in the compilation, Spinning the Moon. It is probably my least favorite by Karen White. It was well written, as are all her books, but I just never got "sucked in" like with so many of her others. At times it seemed to drag on and felt very repetitive to me.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Don't bother with this one, especially the audio version. The reader pauses in the middle of sentences in places where there shouldn't be a pause, making the writing seem even more pretentious than it is. It is all a bit overblown and totally unrealistic.

[Cindy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not this author's best so if you read it, don't shy away from her other books.

[Kristi · Rating 1 out of 5]

The hook for this book describes it as

"Alone and with nothing left to fear, the widow Catherine deClaire Reed answers her sister’s desperate plea and travels to the cold comfort of her home in Reconstruction Louisiana. But Elizabeth is nowhere to be found. No one—including her husband—has seen her for days. Now, Catherine must search for her sister in a place where secrets wait behind every closed door...."

I need to be honest. I wish I had not read this book. I have loved everything written by Karen White, including the book in the first half of the 2 book combo. This book had the intrigue and mystery that White is known for. It had hints of locational and historical fiction. It attempted to have a strong female lead character. These are all things her books are known for. This book was slow, dragged, Catherine was up, down and all over the place. Skip this Karen White book and read her later stuff.

Some of the reasons this book was so off-putting to me include the use of sexual manipulation. Catherine is manipulated by her sister's husband. Apparently, she is the sister he has actually wanted all these years. When her sister's body is found in a very mysterious way, he preys on her. The descriptions are difficult and too graphic for my tastes. The author steers away from her typical style and goes into harder romance as Catherine loses her credibility as she succumbs to "heart-throbbing encounters" over and over again. The entire book you are worried about Catherine and this relationship with her sister's husband. Neighbors are warning her, servants are secretive, the house itself and its ghosts are trying to tell her something about what happened to her sister. Even her sister's daughter sings a haunting song and talks about secrets.

In the end, good people turn out to be bad people and vice versa without enough character support throughout the book to be believable. The book left me exhausted and quite frankly haunted. I almost quit after the honeymoon of Catherine with her sister's husband. I wish I had. Thoroughly disappointed. The ending really did me in when we find out that Elizabeth's daughter is actually from an affair with Catherine's now deceased husband. And yes, everyone else knew this and didn't tell Catherine. Instead this supposed good guy husband has burned all of Elizabeth's letters "to protect her [Catherine]." And she seeks comfort upon discovering this knowledge in this guys arms???

Content: Sexual scenes, drinking, lying, curses (voodoo like), infidelity

[Lesley · Rating 1 out of 5]

It is painful for me to write about this book because Karen White is one of my favorite authors. I’d read her entire catalog before, except for her first two books, which were released together in Spinning the Moon. Both stories, In the Shadow of the Moon and this one, Whispers of Goodbye, fail to even come close in quality to her later works, but this one was the most disappointing. The hero (?) is one-dimensional, mostly confined to staring at the heroine (?) through slitted eyes, angrily admonishing her for not bowing to his every command, or rendering her senseless with his seductions. The heroine (?) can’t make up her mind if she is a strong, independent woman who has withstood pain, heartbreak and hardship, or a helpless, spineless, practically fainting damsel in distress around the hero (?). Had the number of scenes involving the hero (?) suddenly appearing around some corner with a suspicious demeanor and/or the heroine(?) being shocked by some show of supposed suspicion by the hero (?) or selected supporting characters been eliminated, the book would be half the size it is. By the time we mercifully get to the climax, we are not at all surprised by the twist of events. I only finished this one to confirm what I had long assumed to be the plot twist. Thankfully this author went on to write much more masterful books than this one and will not suffer any less than good reviews of this one.

[Marcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Karen's 2nd novel. It is beautifully written. Passionate and ever evolving. Life after the civil war was extremely difficult. How was one to get thru that? Catherine lost her son and her husband. She receives a letter from her sister to come immediately as she is in danger. She would send a carriage to her island in SC to bring her to the plantation in Louisiana.
When she arrives, her sister is missing, later to be found dead. You think your secrets die with you but they dont. While unraveling her sister's disappearance and all that comes with it she is drawn into the secrets of the voodoo and evils of it and people in general. Her niece reminds her too much of her lost son, can she get through that pain and learn to love this sweet child?
Is the house haunted? what is making the child and her see and hear things? There is mystery, murders, love, voodoo and finding oneself.
I wont say more as not to spoil for the readers. This book too, went out of print so Karen put it into another book SPINNING THE MOON. Get that book and you'll be rewarded with her first 2 novels she ever wrote.

[Rusty · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a gothic mystery with a flair of romance and a bit of voodoo situated in the South after the Civil War. Location; St. Francisville, Louisiana. Key characters are two sisters, beautiful, but of different temperaments. One happy with what she has and the other wants more. Catherine "Cat" deClaire Reed has lost her son who drowned and a husband who committed suicide. Yet when her younger sister, Elizabeth, asks for help she doesn't hesitate.

"I need you, I am so afraid." The words ringing in her ears, Cat heads for Louisiana where her sister, husband and five-year-old daughter live in a dreary house circled with moss draped woods. Elizabeth married John McMahon seven years ago. When she arrives, Elizabeth is gone, leaving her husband and daughter, Rebecca, behind. Elizabeth is found dead and blame centers on John. Someone seeks to harm Cat, too, and little Rebecca, but is it John? They mystery moves on with Cat falling in love with John but the answers to what happened to Elizabeth long remain hidden.

[Evio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Guilty pleasure read of Karen White’s earlier days as an author of historical fiction/ romance/ gothic, voodoo, etc.
I’ve enjoyed her books set in NOLA. I found myself speed reading this book . Reading the first sentence of each paragraph is all you need to understand the plot progression. The bulk of the writing is way overdrawn with relentless repetition of the same words, phrases & imagery throughout this book. The characters are frustrating & it’s hard to believe people in that era never seemed to be able to communicate their true feelings & beliefs. What futile expenditures of energy & time! Surely, it wasn’t that bad! The bad actors were easy to figure out towards 3/4’s of the book. What I can say is Ms. White likes to write her female protagonists in a certain mold. They’re tenacious, always physically beautiful, smart, independent to a fault, easily angered, presumptive without evidence, petulant & rather provincial. Think Scarlet O’Hara …… her lead male character behaves similar to Rhett! That’s all you need to know to get the gist of her stories.

[Amy Cummings · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this! It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of Karen White, but knowing this was one of her first novels, I lowered my expectations going in. I needn't have worried. While some aspects of the mystery were obvious to me early in the story, the pace and atmospheric quality of the story kept me glued to my kindle for most of the day today. It rather reminded me of Jane Eyre or Rebecca crossed with Gone With the Wind. Gothic, suspenseful, romantic, an element of the supernatural... I could see that White's Tradd Street series wouldn't be much of a stretch from this starting point. A great book to curl up with for a day or so. Inclement weather outside your window would only enhance the mood further.

[Lorna · Rating 3 out of 5]

The cover of this book nearly put me off starting it just proving the adage about not judging books by their covers. Refreshing to read a 'different' story, built cleverly around interesting and descriptive characters. Superstition abounds in this novel which made me think about how we all have culturally instilled habits, actions and approaches to life that most of us accept without question. I enjoyed this book and would have given it another 'star' rating had I not felt ambivalent about the way in which the author created the female protagonist - really for how long can a supposedly clever woman get it wrong?

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Karen White's second book, again reworked and republished much later than 2001 and again with a better cover like her first book written in 2000, is a story of post Civil War era. A sister writes to her younger sister to come because she is afraid. When she arrives, the sister is missing. Secrets abound and she doesn't know who to trust and thus trusts some wrong people. When her sister is found dead on her own plantation, more secrets are whispered along with voo-doo and supposed lies.

This book was not my favorite but I read it to simply learn how it ended because I like White's later works. I am not a fan of voo-doo or people being pursued or stalked.

[Kristin Stover · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book cover does not do this book justice! It was much more of a mystery and coming of age story than anything. It had the perfect amount of Voodoo and southern setting to make the book flow and highlight the time after the Civil War in Louisiana. If you like historical fiction with a plot that could be straight out of our century, this is a good choice!

[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes on those rare occasions you come across a book that is so perfect, so magical, so heartbreaking, so mesmerizing, that there are no words to describe how it made you feel. That describes this book perfectly. If you don't read anything else this year, please read these. You won't be disappointed. This my friends, is my promise to you.

[Karla Martinsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just as Karen White mentioned in her Author's Note at the beginning of "Spinning the Moon" these first two stories of hers' are very much like reading the early Victoria Holt books, especially the second, "Whispers of Goodbye". I enjoyed both and am glad I could read those early 2000 and 2001 books that put her on the path of writing full time. She is indeed my favorite author.