The Curse of Ravenscourt is a Historical Character Mystery that is part of Samantha's books.
Characters[]
From the Central Series[]
- Samantha Parkington
- Nellie O'Malley
- Gardner Edwards
- Cornelia Edwards
- Bridget O'Malley
- Jenny O'Malley
- Gertrude
- Mrs. Pitt
Present[]
Chapter By Chapter Summary[]
Chapter One: Fear at First Sight[]
Chapter Two: Above the Trees[]
Chapter Three: Cursed[]
Chapter Four: A Warning[]
Chapter Five: Sudden Departure[]
Chapter Six: A Dangerous Journey[]
Chapter Seven: Clues From the Past[]
Chapter Eight: A Familiar Face[]
Chapter Nine: Crash[]
Chapter Ten: A Midnight Visit[]
Chapter Eleven: Footsteps[]
Chapter Twelve: The Raven Flies[]
Chapter Thirteen: Detective Work[]
Chapter Fourteen: A Surprise Announcement[]
Looking Back[]
Discusses people's views on spiritualism and fears of technological advances in the turn of the century. Topics include:
- Fascination with mysteries and the supernatural
- Popular mysteries people might have read, such as the Sherlock Holmes novels
- How dishonest people took advantage of people's beliefs with the supernatural
- Kate and Maggie Fox, who played an important role in the spiritualism movement and popularized seances
- How ghost shows were performed, using a combination of actors and trick lighting -- these were usually performed by actors who wanted to show the audience how they were being taken advantage by fraudsters preying on their fears or beliefs
- How elevators were seen as a public anxiety and used only for freight, even with the invention of the safety elevator by Samantha's time
- The development of taller buildings and skyscrapers, with the advent of the safety elevator -- in newer buildings with elevators, upper story apartments commanded a high premium due to the dramatic views of the city and distance from ground-level street noise
- How property owners dealt with the number 13 in taller buildings -- some owners played around with the numbering system such as labeling the first floor "Ground" and the second floor "First", other owners simply omitted the number 13 altogether