A ghost haunts the woods outside Lemont, Illinois, in this third installment of a mystery series. Billy Nokoy, a 20-something Native American, knows he is considered a loser, but now he also thinks he must be going crazy. He seems to have the power to cause lightning bolt–style destruction. There is only one person who might be able to help him understand what happened at Mount Forest Island—Cora Tozzi. Grandmotherly Cora was there the day Billy’s mysterious force was released. Meanwhile, Valerie Pawlik, who was permanently blinded in an automobile accident two years ago, also faces a crossroads. She has mastered navigating without her eyesight, but her brother and sister-in-law want her to move out of their home. Divorced, without a job, the mother of an 11-year-old daughter living in California, and just about out of savings, Valerie is stuck in place. According to her psychological counselor, Father McGrath, she needs to make friends, never her strong suit, and to confront her unresolved emotional baggage—her mother abandoned the family when Valerie was 13 and she never saw her again. Father McGrath recommends she seek help from Cora, with whom she had a bitter fight just before her car crash. Everything is in place for Camalliere’s special sauce, a mixture of present-day drama, history, and unexplained phenomena—plus, of course, a ghost, in this case one who is a bit confused but determined to exact revenge. From the 1920s until the early ’40s, Mount Forest Island was home to a golf course and clubhouse used by Al Capone and his friends as well as a farmhouse with mob connections. The structures were torn down decades ago, but left behind, apparently, was some unfinished personal business. Billy’s and Valerie’s quests begin to converge when he becomes the reluctant mystical conduit between past and present. He alone sees the once-abandoned, now nonexistent structures, and only he interacts with the very talkative spirit. The author supplements genealogical research and supernatural meddling with satisfying, well-paced action scenes. A fun escapist read with engaging characters and intriguing historical morsels; a solid series addition.

This is a joy of a book. Great characters with rich stories and compelling, forward-moving dialogue. Filled with everything you want in a mystery—smart narrative, great research, and unlike some mysteries, highly believable. It rings with authenticity. Read this!

A taut, well-crafted mystery story that hits close to home. The Mystery at Mount Forest Island is an intricately-woven work of historical fiction that highlights Camalliere’s writing skill and ability to effectively combine the elements of time, place, setting, and character into a unique mystery story that spans generations and culminates in a satisfying conclusion. Camalliere’s writing captured me with her first sentences and kept me engaged throughout the story. I especially enjoyed learning, in great detail, about the locations depicted in the story—which are close to where I live—and the history and mysteries buried there. With the additional elements of a group investigation, family drama, organized crime, and the supernatural, her story is varied but balanced and is guaranteed to garner a diverse readership. The Mystery at Mount Forest Island is the third installment of the Cora Tozzi Historical Mystery Series, establishing Camalliere as an author committed to the form and genre, and establishing herself with a community of readers who will no doubt wait patiently with anticipation for the next installment.

An engaging mystery set against the back drop of organized crime in Chicago’s south suburbs.

This is the perfect read for a late night with a cup of tea. It combines elements of historical fiction, women’s fiction, and paranormal in a wonderfully crafted tale. Valerie, blind from an accident, is looking for the killer of a beloved relative only to be drawn into a world of ancient grudges and Chicago Mob mentalities where the ghosts you may find are the least of your fears. I loved reading about parts of Chicago I have not visited – it really adds to the storyline and I literally read it in one sitting as I couldn’t put it down.

For me, this 5-star rating is based on the wonderfully well-drawn characters, their relationships with one another and their development throughout this story. There is depth and authenticity to these people that had me rooting for them. Well-written dialogue. The clearly meticulous attention to historical detail is interesting and thorough. Nice work!