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Reviewed by Liz Konkel for Readers' Favorite
The Spirit of Vanderlaan by Susan Harris Howell is part of the Samantha Hayes series. Samantha is a professor who is well-liked by her students for her easy-going nature. She soon learns that four of those students live in her old dorm which puts them directly in the middle of a mystery from the past. Samantha fears that an incident from many years ago means she might be responsible for a student’s death. These old feelings come to the surface as her students believe a ghost is lurking and plan to enact a seance to connect with it. But digging into the paranormal isn’t that simple as she could lose her job if her boss catches wind of what she’s been up to. To keep from losing her job, Samantha’s only option is to confront her past and discover what happened.
Susan Harris Howell doesn’t hesitate to lean into the mystery and place Samantha in the middle of it. The mystery is rooted in Samantha’s past which adds a character-driven element to it that feels genuine and allows you to explore who she is as a person. She’s smart and clever with an easygoing nature that makes her likable and helps to maintain a light tone. It’s easy to see why her students look to her for advice and guidance, even about mundane things or trying to do a seance. Her relationship with Rob is grounded in the love and support between them. The spirit ‘hunting’ is a fun aspect of the story with the potential ghost, the past, and the seance making for tense moments. This creates an organic obstacle for her as it creates a realistic fear of losing her job and facing an uncertain future. The students are fascinated by the idea of a ghost, and this curiosity helps to drive the mystery forward. Howell creates an assortment of personalities that make it easy to distinguish who is who and the dynamics between them add a nice layer of humor to the story. The Spirit of Vanderlaan is a delightful mystery with pleasant surprises, enjoyable characters, and plenty of charm.
