Walking with Ghosts on Ward’s Pond by Heidi Sprouse is a fictional ‘what if’ take in an actual case. Charlie Baxter is a journalist, and a descendant of the Gilette family. He’s staying at Ward’s Pond, working on research related to Chester’s case. Charlie hopes to find evidence that might exonerate his ancestor for the horrific murder of Grace Brown, if murder it actually was. Driving his search is Chester himself, beseeching Charlie to ‘Tell Grace’. 

Katherine has come to Ward’s Pond to escape her soon to be ex-husband, and to grieve the loss of her unborn child. Her first night there terrible dreams of drowning wake her, drawing Charlie from across the hall to check on her. Friendship and more blossoms from there, as they each help and support the other. And the longer Katherine stays at Ward’s Pond, the more the spirit of Grace tugs at her. For though Katherine is not related to Grace (so far as she knows), she does share her name. Her full name is Katherine Grace Brown, and like Grace, she lost an unborn child. 

I love historical fiction, and stories with supernatural elements, so this was a double win for me. Through Charlie and Katherine, it feels like Grace and Chester get a second chance. Charlie follows the route his ancestor took, all the way to Big Moose Lake. We get a glimpse of Chester’s actual words via excerpts from his prison journal, and it was so sad. Charlie’s right. In the space of a year, Chester aged decades, leaving him far wiser than his age would suggest. And Charlie’s psuedo-flashbacks to the electrocution execution, that felt real, vivid. It made me cry, to be honest. This interpretation of the events was lovely. It was a great resolution to both Chester and Charlie’s stories. 

It did feel short, and there were things I’d love to have seen explored more, such as Katherine’s circumstances, and her connection to Grace, for it’s clear she has a strong one. Her substory with her ex-husband Mike was terrifying in it’s part, but it kinda felt added for the sake of being added. I felt it needed to either be expanded more or to just be mentioned in passing. It would also have been nice to see more of Charlie’s build-up to the point we meet him at in the story. To follow him as he begins his search, and through the escalating obsession, driven in part by the spirit of his ancestor. 

If you enjoy historical fiction, especially involving criminal cases, or enjoy tales tinged with the supernatural, be sure to check this read out!

***Many thanks to the author and publisher for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. This was reviewed as part of the R & R Blog Tour.