The Lady in Residence

The Lady in Residence by Allison Pittman is a mystery and ghost story based on a real-life crime. Sallie White was murdered by her husband in front of the Menger Hotel in San Antonio Texas in the early 1900’s and is said to haunt the Menger; the hotel is rumored to be haunted to this day. Hedda Kraus is a widow who looking to start a new life and is a fictional part of the story. Dini Blackstone is an illusionist and leads ghost tours has also studied Hedda’s life for some time. Some say she is obsessed with Hedda’s story. I enjoyed this book and got so engrossed I tended to forget that some of the characters were fictional. The story mainly revolves around Hedda writing her story which Dini has read and practically memorized. It goes back and forth between Hedda’s story and Dini’s life in the modern-day San Antonio. The transition between the two is done very simply without drawing away from the overall story. I loved this story and could hardly put it down until the end. I highly recommend it. It will appeal to the history buff, the mystery buff and the romantic in all of the readers.

I love time slip stories because it gives me a glance into the past as I watch it connect to the present. I read the author’s notes at the end and appreciate how much research she did. I have been to San Antonio many times but have not heard of the Menger Hotel. I am going to make sure on my next visit that I will make sure I visit the place that was front and center in the story. I also was surprised to find out that one of the characters was about a real person. I’m not giving away who that is, but oh what a tragic life they had. I love how the author weaved a beautiful story from a tragic event. Her imagination gives readers a ghost that seemed so real. I loved both time periods but I have to say I enjoyed the past so much more. Hedda was my favorite character in the book. She lived a life that was lonely and had very few friends. I understand the title so much more after reading the book. Hedda came upon hard times and became a reclusive woman who never ventured out of the hotel. Her encounter with a ghost made others think she was crazy. As we go to the present we meet Dini and Quin. Their connection was intriguing and I liked how they methodically unraveled the mystery. The more time they spent together, the more their attraction grew. I really didn’t like Dini’s job as a magician. I couldn’t quite get why she chose that job except for the fact it was something that generations before her had done as well. She seemed a bit scattered at times and I never was able to connect with her. Quin was a good character and with his connection to Hedda via a relative, it sparked interest between him and Dini. The author does a good job of giving clues to where the story was going and I loved how it all came together. Although it did wrap up nicely, I wanted a little more. I wanted more of Hedda and her struggles. I wanted to stay in the past because for me that was where the meat of the story was. The story does make me think of how important each person is. As we find out how a life was taken in a horrific way, I thought of how that tragedy changed many lives. Each of us is here for a reason and in the story Hedda comes to understand that her purpose was to finally forgive those who had treated her unkindly and to finally grasp thst she is important. I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion