In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters

Mary Shelley Black moves to San Diego to live with her aunt and to escape the Spanish influenza.  She manages to escape the flu, but she gets hit by lightning!

Abrams Books sent me a copy of this story for review (thank you).  It has been published, so check with your local bookstore for a copy.

It's 1918, WW1 is ongoing, there are shortages in goods and fear is in the streets.  Mary Shelley has fallen in love with a young man who goes into the service.  She wishes he hadn't done that, but she understands his feeling of duty to protect his country.  It devastates her when his older brother tells her he's died in the war.  She loved Stephen. When he suddenly appears in her room in ghostly form, she knows he's not at peace yet.

There are seances, ghosts in photos, deadly secrets and more in this story.  Mary Shelley dies by lightning and returns to her body.  The mix of paranormal with murder and flu deaths and the trauma of war make this story an interesting read.  I never suspected one of the con men to be what he was and that surprised me.  

Why don't you give it a read and see if you can figure out just what happened sooner than I did?

Happy reading.