THE LAST HEIR TO BLACKWOOD LIBRARY BY HESTER FOX - 3.5 stars

You'll feel like you've been transported to the wet moors of 1920s Yorkshire when reading this moody, paranormal novel.

Ivy Radcliffe is an orphan living in London who learns that she's the only heir of a peerage in Yorkshire. Quickly, she's renamed Lady Hawthorne and living in a drafty, eerie house where things literally do go bump in the night. The evasive staff (including brooding chauffeur Ralph) and Ivy's increased forgetfulness keep things on edge, yet Ivy's discomfort is soothed by the house's big, gorgeous library. Yet all is not what it seems as paranormal forces from the past and evil in the present make Ivy their new target.

I loved all the talk of books and Ivy's goal of sharing her love of books with her new neighbors. Her romance with Ralph was intriguing, but since most of their courtship was not described on the pages (I don't want to spoil why this happens), it was hard to become invested in them. The novel started off strong with a rags-to-riches heroine, evocative prose, and a compelling mystery. Yet, in the last half of the book, things seem to drag a bit until it reached a too-pat-for-me ending. Still, if you love books about bibliophiles with a paranormal bent, this is a strong choice.