This is
another author that was recently recommended to me. I decided to pick up this
book to start things off since it was the first in a trilogy that was supposed
to be one of Wright’s best. Plus, I was in the mood for a good ghost story and
I think I got one.
Our main
character is Abner Cray, a photographer hired to do a picture book about NYC.
His friend Art is going out of town and offers his apartment to Abner to save
him some money. But when he arrives at the place he finds a beautiful woman who
claims to be Art’s girlfriend staying there as well. That seems odd to everyone
including Art because his girlfriend Phyllis is dead! Yeah Abner’s new roommate
is a ghost, but that doesn’t stop him from falling in love with her. But it
isn’t just her that Abner is seeing, but all of the dead that haven’t moved on
yet start to interact with him. Things get a little crazy after that.
I think
that I really liked this book. The story is interesting and different. I was
expecting a traditional ghost story but that isn’t at all what I got. Here
Wright creates a world where ghosts are here in our world until they “fall
apart” and move on. Some of them seem to attach themselves to people, like
Phyllis does to Abner so they have something to hold onto. She basically uses
him as an anchor to our world so that she doesn’t have to go. When she does
start to fade Abner, who is now in love with her, goes looking. Along the way
he meets even more of the dead and more that can see them. He learns some
things about how this new world works, but also ends up more confused by the
answers he gets. Eventually he finds Phyllis but as someone who he met earlier
warned him he may not like what he finds.
It is never
explained why some of the ghosts are so determined to stay while others aren’t.
There is something hinted at that they might have unfinished business. In the
case of Phyllis, we find out that she was killed by Art, who eventually is made
to pay for his crimes. So that might be why she is sticking around. But then
again, she has nothing to do with his punishment so maybe not. It is also
possible that she is somehow leeching off of Abner, who goes thru some mental
and emotional exhaustion looking for her and more so after they are back
together. I get the distinct impression that he is getting ready to leave her
at the end of the book. But the ending is sort of vague which I liked. Wright
clearly doesn’t feel the need to give you a neatly wrapped up ending and that
is a good fit for the tone of the rest of the book.
I think I
might be a fan of T.M. Wright and will be looking for the next entry into this
series. If you get the chance to pick up a copy of A Manhattan Ghost Story I’d
recommend that you do. It is an excellent read.
© Copyright 2019 John Shatzer
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