Women in Horror Month: One for the books with these memorable authors

3. Tananarive Due – Joplin’s Ghost

Women in Horror Month – Tananarive Due – Joplin’s Ghost – Courtesy of Getty Images

Ms. Due is a producer on the hit Shudder documentary, Horror Noire. She is a skilled wordsmith who like Du Maurier knows how to craft a suspenseful tale.

Now, I must admit I am a closet romantic. So, it is no surprise that I would have gravitated toward her novel, Joplin’s Ghost. This work resonates on different levels for me.

First of all, I am a musician and a music lover. Scott Joplin was the composer of one of the most beloved Ragtime tunes, The Entertainer which was featured in the classic 70’s movie, The Sting.  Ragtime was a precursor to jazz.

Another reason why this book is worthy of mention is because of Due’s approach to the time-honored love story. What if a ghost became enamored with a living person?

Her protagonist, Phoenix Smalls was almost killed by a piano when she was a young child. Segue to her life as an adult and she is trying to make it in the music business as a singer. While it would appear that she is on the way to the top being mentored by a powerful Rap god named, G-Ronn something isn’t quite right.

Then after she visits St. Louis it seems like she is haunted by the ghost of Scott Joplin. What evolves is an eerie yet melancholy off the beaten path tale of the heart. This is a definite must-read.