Melanie and Jack Trenholm will have a full house for the holidays, and their twin toddlers aren't the ones causing the most commotion. Still fending off Marc Longo and his underhanded methods for personal gain, the Trenholms are having financial difficulties, working with ghostly beings seeking help, and facing relationship challenges. While this is the sixth in White's "Tradd Street" series, it can be read on its own, but make time after the holidays to binge-read the previous five for more adventures with these characters. VERDICT The Charleston setting provides connections to the Civil War lore that informs the mystery. A cliff-hanger ending and promise of another book will please avid fans.

Melanie Trenholm is Charleston's only real estate agent who can communicate with ghosts, a talent that is useful when selling historic homes. This time, the ghosts are in Melanie's Tradd Street home, disturbed by the excavation of an eighteenth-century cistern in her backyard. As she delves deeper into the ghosts' stories, she realizes that they are connected to a Revolutionary War-era spy ring that operated out of the plantation owned by her greedy and unpleasant rival, Marc Longo. On top of that, Melanie is hosting a stop at a progressive dinner with strict rules for decor, someone is sabotaging her husband's career, and she's sorting out her feelings about her newfound sister, who is also her nanny. Fortunately, Melanie has a sprawling cast of supportive friends (and the occasional frenemy) to help her survive the holidays. White draws from a variety of genres, including paranormal fiction, women's fiction, romance, and mystery. Series fans will enjoy spending the holidays with Melanie Trenholm. The plot threads move pieces of this long-running saga forward, and the ending suggests that there's more to come.--Nanette Donohue Copyright 2010 Booklist