Karen White’s The House on Tradd Street takes place in the historic district of Charleston, South Carolina, as workaholic realtor Melanie unexpectedly inherits a crumbling mansion with a troubled history – and ghosts.

Besides being the local expert on old houses, Melanie can communicate with ghosts, albeit reluctantly.  She soon discovers that she’s been bequeathed much more than a major fixer-upper and has to delve into the house’s past to solve a mystery dating back to the Civil War. Helping her in her quest is Jack Trenholm, an author who clearly has ulterior motives. The two form an uneasy, but flirtatious, relationship – think David and Maddie from Moonlighting, for those of you old enough to remember the 1980s TV show.

As I began reading, I wasn’t quite sure I was going to like the book. Jack’s character was particularly irksome but like Melanie, I found myself succumbing to his charms. The book is light on scares and focuses more on a playful romance along with developing Melanie’s personal history and making her, for all her bristly ways, a very likable and endearing character.

The ending is somewhat unsatisfying, or rather, it’s a bit of a tease, since it leaves several things unresolved for the next book (for which an introductory chapter is included) which hasn’t been published yet. I started out the book not sure if I wanted to continue, and finished by wishing I had more to read. It will definitely be one I’ll be recommending to my patrons as a perfect summer read.