Shadow sister A novel

In this chilling thriller from Marcott (Mrs. Rochester's Ghost), photographer Ava Holland returns to Blackworth Mansion, the house where she grew up on California's Monterey Peninsula, 17 years after the mysterious death of her artist mother, who painted still lifes "that looked like Dutch old masters, except with creepier subject matter" and claimed to see ghosts. Ava, who believes that her mother didn't die from natural causes, embarks on a photography project to recreate her mother's studio. Meanwhile, Ava's college professor brother, Jamie, introduces her to one of his students, Sarah Ellingham , a wealthy widow older than the typical undergraduate, whom he shortly marries. When Ava makes a discovery that supports her suspicion that her mother was murdered, she begins to question whom she should trust. Is Sarah, who grew up in the same area, as genuine as she seems, and why does Thomas Rainier, Ava's new lover and childhood crush, apparently know more about Sarah than he's telling? The tension builds as Ava's search for closure puts her in the sights of a killer. Marcott keeps the reader guessing to the very end. Gothic suspense fans won't want to miss this one. Agent: Nancy Yost, NY Literary. (Oct.)