Devil-May-Care, by Elizabeth Peters

Devil-May-Care is an Elizabeth Peters release that reads like one of the author's Barbara Michaels titles. A B+.

Ellie is young, rich, engaged and in love. These are the carefree days before marriage and new responsibility, and anything goes --including house-sitting at eccentric Aunt Kate's palatial estate in Burton, Virginia.

Ellie feels right at home here with the nearly invisible housekeepers and the plethora of pets, but she soon realizes that there are disturbing secrets about the local aristocracy buried in a dusty old book she has carried into the mansion. And her sudden interest in the past is attracting a slew of unwelcome guests -- some of them living and some, perhaps not. And the terrible vegeance that Ellie and her friends seem to have aroused -- now aimed at them -- surely cannot be...satanic.

This particular title is a paranormal, as I said, similar to the best of Barbara Michaels.

The best thing about this book were the characters. Aunt Kate was my favourite... I'd love to be like her when I grow up, so uncaring of public opinion. "Monotheism has caused more trouble than it's worth" indeed! And Henry, Ellie's priggish fiancé was incredible! The first scenes, narrated from his POV, were hilarious, in their idiotic patronizing condescension.

The paranormal plot was light, but interesting. I usually hate plots with many agents doing each a different part of the suspicious acts, but this one felt right.