Publisher's Synopsis
WHISPERS IN THE MAGNOLIA
(Shadow of the South - Book 1)
After a brutal assault leaves New York's premier wedding planner Samantha Rutherford shattered, she flees to her Southern roots and purchases Magnolia Grove-a decrepit plantation with a haunted history. As she works to restore the grand estate into a wedding venue, Samantha discovers she's not alone in her new home. The spirit of Eliza Whitley Beauregard, who died in childbirth a century and a half ago, seems determined to communicate with her.
When Samantha hires local contractor Sawyer Tidwell-a man from her past with demons of his own-to handle the renovations, they uncover hidden letters, secret passages, and human remains that hint at a forbidden love affair between Eliza and Sebastian, an educated slave who mysteriously disappeared. With each discovery, Samantha's connection to Eliza deepens, their traumas mysteriously intertwining across time.
But as Samantha inches closer to both the truth and to Sawyer, a more immediate threat emerges. The man who attacked her in New York, known as The Collector, has tracked her to Louisiana. Now Samantha must race to uncover Magnolia Grove's long-buried secrets while evading a predator who won't rest until he finishes what he started-all while navigating her growing feelings for Sawyer and the undeniable parallels between her life and Eliza's tragic past.
In a house where whispers of the past blend with dangers of the present, Samantha will discover that survival-both Eliza's and her own-depends on finally bringing the truth to light.
A gripping blend of Southern Gothic, psychological suspense, and paranormal mystery, Whispers in the Magnolia will keep you breathless until the final, chilling revelation.
