I See You So Close
The Last Ghost Series, Book Two
M Dressler
- 264 Pages
- March 17, 2020
- ISBN: 9781948924894
- Trim Size: 5.5in x 8.25in x 0in
Description
The dead and their secrets refuse to stay buried in this thrilling sequel to M. Dressler’s award-winning The Last to See Me, for fans of Lauren Oliver and Kazuo Ishiguro
Emma Rose Finnis has never made peace with her death . . . or with her ghostly afterlife. Finally free from the mansion she haunted for more than a hundred years, she takes on a new, daring form, one that allows her to pass for living among the citizens of the remote Sierra Nevada town of White Bar. But the town is hiding its own deadly truth, buried in its Gold Rush past. As the sleepy town’s secrets come to life, they inevitably bring Emma Rose’s past back to haunt her.
In this second book in M Dressler's Last Ghost Series, Emma Rose must unlock the secrets of the living, the dead, and even of time itself, if she hopes to be more than an endless fugitive and outlast the ghost hunter who relentlessly stalks her.
Emma Rose Finnis has never made peace with her death . . . or with her ghostly afterlife. Finally free from the mansion she haunted for more than a hundred years, she takes on a new, daring form, one that allows her to pass for living among the citizens of the remote Sierra Nevada town of White Bar. But the town is hiding its own deadly truth, buried in its Gold Rush past. As the sleepy town’s secrets come to life, they inevitably bring Emma Rose’s past back to haunt her.
In this second book in M Dressler's Last Ghost Series, Emma Rose must unlock the secrets of the living, the dead, and even of time itself, if she hopes to be more than an endless fugitive and outlast the ghost hunter who relentlessly stalks her.
Authors
M Dressler is the author of six novels, including The Last to See Me, book one in her Last Ghost Series, grand prize winner of the Book Pipeline Award and winner of Audiofile Magazine's Earphone Award for Fiction. M Dressler's work has been praised by the New York Times as "splendid" and by Library Journal as the writing of a "natural-born storyteller." She is the critically acclaimed author of novels, novellas, and essays, and her stories and nonfiction have appeared in the Kenyon Review, Creative Nonfiction, and Lit Hub, among others. Her honors include the North Carolina Artists Fellowship and the Paisano Fellowship in Literature, as well as writing residencies at Hedgebrook and the Carson McCullers Center. She is a professor and current writer-in-residence at Guilford College. She lives in Greensboro, North Carolina, and in Moab, Utah.
Reviews
“Tense, lyrical . . . [Dressler] masterfully creates a sense of claustrophobia. Emma Rose’s self-assurance, fury, and mounting suspicion make her a fierce protagonist. Series fans will savor this taut, lushly told tale of secrets and revenge.”—Publishers Weekly
"Dressler’s latest is a captivating page-turner about what defines and divides a community, both in life and in death."—Booklist
“A haunting story filled with longing and loss, I See You So Close is a magical spell woven with icy thread and the fabric of lives torn apart. Dressler is a powerful voice—hypnotic at times, speaking eternal truths while conjuring darkness, with a dash of hope tossed in for good measure.”—Richard Thomas, Bram Stoker, Shirley Jackson, and Thriller Award nominee
"A powerful tale of the supernatural, full of suspense and long-hidden secrets. I loved it.”—W C Ryan, award-winning author of A House of Ghosts
"The dark mystery of a gold rush town, its restless ghosts, and its secret-keeping citizens will keep you turning pages. But it’s Dressler’s profound insights into loneliness and desire that will truly haunt you."—Dawn Raffel, author of The Strange Case of Dr. Couney
"[A] spiritual homage to the Victorian-era Christmas ghost story tradition . . . perfect for the winter doldrums, due to both the timing of the narrative and Dressler’s ongoing ability to weave emotionally compelling stories . . . [Her] aptitude for writing at the intersection of conflict and compassion continue to shine. . . . [A] series that will continue to haunt the reader for many long years."—Sublime Horror
Praise for The Last to See Me
Book Pipeline 2017 Grand Prize Winner
Winner of the Audiofile Magazine 2018 Earphones Award for Fiction
“In this highly atmospheric and beautifully crafted novel, the movements of the ghost Emma Rose are both palpable and fascinating. This latest from Dressler is spellbinding from page one.”—Library Journal, starred review
“Evocative . . . astonishing . . . at once lyrical, and ruthlessly human.”—Horror Reviews
“A gorgeous mystery of love that twists into curses.”—Kirkus
“Dressler’s chilly new story is one woman's unforgettable fight for visibility.”—Booklist
“Dressler . . . possesses a sublime talent for supernatural fiction—The Last to See Me being her first foray into the genre. Like Alice Lambry’s sea-glass, glimmering and reflecting the light of the golden sun, Dressler’s attention to detail helps capture the ethereal in a flash.”—Sublime Horror
“Moving, chilly . . . perfect.”—Book Page
“In this enjoyably claustrophobic novel set almost completely within Lambry House, Dressler reaches beyond the grave to consider the lengths that people go to in order to leave their mark behind.”——Publishers Weekly
“Hauntingly original, provocative, and dashed with wit—this literary ghost story changed the way I see the world.”—Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Pictures of You and Cruel Beautiful World
“A book that will leave you breathless.”—Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
“For those who need a good scare.”—Telegraph Herald
“Dressler knows how to make worms and flowers seem positively, dreadfully frightening, a talent readers will come to adore.”—Bluffton Today
“Dressler does weave what could be her own version of how love can undo you. How it can become this thing that blinds, that quite literally becomes your ruin, the ghost is ultimately the haunted until set free. The imperfect metaphor for love’s much darker side.”—Chippewa Herald
“This poem of a novel, exquisitely written, introduced me to the inner life of a ghost and held me spellbound throughout. . . . I heard whisperings from the attic, from under the bed. M Dressler has written an extraordinary book, poignant and tragic.”—Luanne Rice, New York Times bestselling author of The Beautiful Lost
“M Dressler has created an original world between time and place, but the longings of her characters are very real. She paints exquisite images with her words, each paragraph a revelation. Don’t miss this unusual and wonderful novel.”—Carolyn Haines, USA Today bestselling author of the Sarah Booth Delaney mystery series
“Marvelously written . . . A book about how the present and past live in constant tension, how past tragedies still influence our lives today.”—Jeff Abbott, New York Times bestselling author of Blame
“The Last to See Me is a riveting supernatural duel that reveals itself one measured and lyrical gut punch at a time. A compelling and beautifully written page-turner.”—Scott Hawkins, author of The Library at Mount Char
“Readers will be ensnared and entranced by this story.”—Wendy Webb, bestselling author of The Fate of Mercy Alban
“A new way to think about place, alienation, and the yearnings that make ghosts of us all. This is a writer working at the height of her powers.”—W. Scott Poole, Bram Stoker Award nominee and author of In the Mountains of Madness: The Life and Extraordinary Afterlife of H. P. Lovecraft
“Dressler weaves a suspenseful ghost story that explores love in many dimensions—both spiritual and of the human heart.”—April Smith, author of Home Sweet Home
“Completely captivating, The Last to See Me is the most original take on the ghost story since The Others.”—Lauren A. Forry, author of Abigale Hall
“The Last to See Me is the most original ghost story I've read in years. It's both a thrilling tale and a bold condemnation of moral tyranny—a tyranny that fires the spirit of a brave, vulnerable young woman even after death. I couldn't stop reading until I turned the last shocking page. Exquisite and terrifying.”—Laura Benedict, Edgar-nominated author of the Bliss House novels
“Love, longing, fear, hope—the common threads of mortal experience weave themselves through Dressler's exquisite story of an ordinary life that reaches extraordinary proportions. The Last to See Me is a ghost story that's deeply human, rich with wonder at all that makes even the most invisible life profound.”—Margo Catts, author of Among the Lesser Gods
Praise for M Dressler's writing:
"A natural-born storyteller." —Library Journal
"Splendid." —The New York Times
"Elegantly imagined, original, finely tuned work." —The Miami Herald
"Captures both heartbreak and hope, wrapped in careful language that is crystalline in its clarity." —The Denver Post
"Dressler signals that she sets out to write, not just to tell, a story." —The Houston Chronicle
"Dressler’s latest is a captivating page-turner about what defines and divides a community, both in life and in death."—Booklist
“A haunting story filled with longing and loss, I See You So Close is a magical spell woven with icy thread and the fabric of lives torn apart. Dressler is a powerful voice—hypnotic at times, speaking eternal truths while conjuring darkness, with a dash of hope tossed in for good measure.”—Richard Thomas, Bram Stoker, Shirley Jackson, and Thriller Award nominee
"A powerful tale of the supernatural, full of suspense and long-hidden secrets. I loved it.”—W C Ryan, award-winning author of A House of Ghosts
"The dark mystery of a gold rush town, its restless ghosts, and its secret-keeping citizens will keep you turning pages. But it’s Dressler’s profound insights into loneliness and desire that will truly haunt you."—Dawn Raffel, author of The Strange Case of Dr. Couney
"[A] spiritual homage to the Victorian-era Christmas ghost story tradition . . . perfect for the winter doldrums, due to both the timing of the narrative and Dressler’s ongoing ability to weave emotionally compelling stories . . . [Her] aptitude for writing at the intersection of conflict and compassion continue to shine. . . . [A] series that will continue to haunt the reader for many long years."—Sublime Horror
Praise for The Last to See Me
Book Pipeline 2017 Grand Prize Winner
Winner of the Audiofile Magazine 2018 Earphones Award for Fiction
“In this highly atmospheric and beautifully crafted novel, the movements of the ghost Emma Rose are both palpable and fascinating. This latest from Dressler is spellbinding from page one.”—Library Journal, starred review
“Evocative . . . astonishing . . . at once lyrical, and ruthlessly human.”—Horror Reviews
“A gorgeous mystery of love that twists into curses.”—Kirkus
“Dressler’s chilly new story is one woman's unforgettable fight for visibility.”—Booklist
“Dressler . . . possesses a sublime talent for supernatural fiction—The Last to See Me being her first foray into the genre. Like Alice Lambry’s sea-glass, glimmering and reflecting the light of the golden sun, Dressler’s attention to detail helps capture the ethereal in a flash.”—Sublime Horror
“Moving, chilly . . . perfect.”—Book Page
“In this enjoyably claustrophobic novel set almost completely within Lambry House, Dressler reaches beyond the grave to consider the lengths that people go to in order to leave their mark behind.”——Publishers Weekly
“Hauntingly original, provocative, and dashed with wit—this literary ghost story changed the way I see the world.”—Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Pictures of You and Cruel Beautiful World
“A book that will leave you breathless.”—Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
“For those who need a good scare.”—Telegraph Herald
“Dressler knows how to make worms and flowers seem positively, dreadfully frightening, a talent readers will come to adore.”—Bluffton Today
“Dressler does weave what could be her own version of how love can undo you. How it can become this thing that blinds, that quite literally becomes your ruin, the ghost is ultimately the haunted until set free. The imperfect metaphor for love’s much darker side.”—Chippewa Herald
“This poem of a novel, exquisitely written, introduced me to the inner life of a ghost and held me spellbound throughout. . . . I heard whisperings from the attic, from under the bed. M Dressler has written an extraordinary book, poignant and tragic.”—Luanne Rice, New York Times bestselling author of The Beautiful Lost
“M Dressler has created an original world between time and place, but the longings of her characters are very real. She paints exquisite images with her words, each paragraph a revelation. Don’t miss this unusual and wonderful novel.”—Carolyn Haines, USA Today bestselling author of the Sarah Booth Delaney mystery series
“Marvelously written . . . A book about how the present and past live in constant tension, how past tragedies still influence our lives today.”—Jeff Abbott, New York Times bestselling author of Blame
“The Last to See Me is a riveting supernatural duel that reveals itself one measured and lyrical gut punch at a time. A compelling and beautifully written page-turner.”—Scott Hawkins, author of The Library at Mount Char
“Readers will be ensnared and entranced by this story.”—Wendy Webb, bestselling author of The Fate of Mercy Alban
“A new way to think about place, alienation, and the yearnings that make ghosts of us all. This is a writer working at the height of her powers.”—W. Scott Poole, Bram Stoker Award nominee and author of In the Mountains of Madness: The Life and Extraordinary Afterlife of H. P. Lovecraft
“Dressler weaves a suspenseful ghost story that explores love in many dimensions—both spiritual and of the human heart.”—April Smith, author of Home Sweet Home
“Completely captivating, The Last to See Me is the most original take on the ghost story since The Others.”—Lauren A. Forry, author of Abigale Hall
“The Last to See Me is the most original ghost story I've read in years. It's both a thrilling tale and a bold condemnation of moral tyranny—a tyranny that fires the spirit of a brave, vulnerable young woman even after death. I couldn't stop reading until I turned the last shocking page. Exquisite and terrifying.”—Laura Benedict, Edgar-nominated author of the Bliss House novels
“Love, longing, fear, hope—the common threads of mortal experience weave themselves through Dressler's exquisite story of an ordinary life that reaches extraordinary proportions. The Last to See Me is a ghost story that's deeply human, rich with wonder at all that makes even the most invisible life profound.”—Margo Catts, author of Among the Lesser Gods
Praise for M Dressler's writing:
"A natural-born storyteller." —Library Journal
"Splendid." —The New York Times
"Elegantly imagined, original, finely tuned work." —The Miami Herald
"Captures both heartbreak and hope, wrapped in careful language that is crystalline in its clarity." —The Denver Post
"Dressler signals that she sets out to write, not just to tell, a story." —The Houston Chronicle
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