Medium Normal Ingrid by William S. Tate
Reviewed By: Susan Keefe
Susan Keefe reviews and promotes poetry, fiction and non-fiction, and is also author of the Toby's Tails series of children's books.

The protagonist in this exceptional ghost story is sixteen-year-old Ingrid Van Hooten. Traumatized after witnessing the suicide of her ill and tormented mother, Ingrid is struggling with her own demons and a few bad decisions. In a desperate attempt to help her, her therapist, Dr. Spangler, and her dad decide Ingrid should spend the summer at her grandparents’ house in Warwick, the third most haunted town in America.

The first night, in her bedroom, she hears a girl’s voice crying for help. Is she hearing things, or could it be the ghost which is believed to haunt the dilapidated house?

Her friendly young neighbor Burt, an amateur ghost-hunter, believes the latter and is soon convincing her to let him help her discover the truth. Things are complicated by the attentions of Leo, notorious heartbreaker and troubled last member of the town’s founding family.

Confused and tortured by her mixed emotions over her mother’s death, Ingrid wonders if she is tainted with the same illness as her. Nevertheless, the ghost’s pleas for help become ever more insistent. Encouraged by Burt, Ingrid realizes that to find peace she must discover the truth behind the young woman Francesca’s death and the reason for her distress.

As the summer continues Ingrid discovers a deep empathy with the dead girl, and as the secrets of Warwick and its founding families are uncovered, a spine-chilling story begins to reveal itself.

Through his vividly descriptive writing and wonderful characters, the author brings the town of Warwick to life. Both Burt and Leo are strong characters, each with their own story to tell, however, it is in the portrayal of his lead character Ingrid that the author’s talent really shines. Readers are taken on a rollercoaster of emotions as Ingrid battles with her feelings of abandonment and betrayal by her mother yet finds within herself deep compassion and sympathy for the ghost Francesca. As the story unfolds we discover that Ingrid, through helping the desolate ghost reveal the truth, discovers her own peace and understanding.

In Summary: This is a truly outstanding ghost story filled with mystery, intrigue, and questions that haunt us all. – Highly Recommended. Susan Keefe – TheColumbiaReview.com

Available for pre-order on the 21st March 2020 from the author’s website: http://williamstate.com/