The past has always felt near in the historic house of Jonathon Lydell III, who proudly advertises his family connection to the Virginia Lees. But now, history is repeating itself in a truly bizarre and spooky way. One hundred and fifty years ago, a guest staying in the Lydell family house was murdered in the “stranger room,” a guest room that is unconnected to the main house. The windowless room’s single door was closed and locked from the inside. The murder, never solved, fell into the background of the Civil War. But the town is shocked and mystified when, a century and a half later, another guest is murdered in the same stranger room, with the door again locked from the inside. Sheriff Ike Schwartz and FBI agent Karl Hedrick are dispatched to resolve the mystery of the strangely identical murders, but they meet with obstacles and resistance at every turn.
Frederick Ramsay was born in Baltimore and received a doctorate from the University of Illinois. After a stint in the army, he joined the faculty of the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He is also an ordained Episcopal priest and an accomplished public speaker. In addition to the Ike Schwartz mysteries, the Botswana mysteries, and the Jerusalem mysteries, Ramsay is the author of scientific and general articles, tracts, and theses and coauthor of the Baltimore Declaration. He lives in Surprise, Arizona, with his wife and partner, Susan.
Since beginning his narrating career in 1996, Lloyd James (also known as Sean Pratt) has been credited with more than 600 audiobooks. He has earned several awards, including six Audiofile Earphones Awards and two nominations for the Audie Award. His performances include Once There Was a War by John Steinbeck, Encounters with Jesus and Every Good Endeavor by Timothy Keller, and Elvis in the Morning by William F. Buckley Jr. He lives in Maryland with his wife and their children.