“Using the historical and cultural locales of Monterey, Blackwell gives us the story of a non-believing woman faced with proof of the supernatural.”
After losing a bet, Professor Harper Grae finds herself on a tour of “haunted” locations in Monterey. A lifelong non-beliver in all things occult, Harper’s academic career is nonetheless devoted to the societal and historical significance of ghosts and witchcraft. Her skepticism is put to the test when the tour literally stumbles on the body of a local artist, Delilah Mason—found murdered on the grounds of the two-hundred-year-old infamous Perles mansion.
That’s when Harper witnesses something she can’t shake, something impossible to rationally explain away. She learns Delilah was the second woman found murdered beneath the cypress trees at the Perles estate. After Harper’s best friend is questioned by the police, she fears the investigators will never uncover the real killer.
While Harper digs deeper into all the supernatural rumors about the murders—two women killed under similar circumstances, two centuries apart—she cannot ignore the evidence the mansion is haunted by the ghost of Isabel Perles. What will it cost Harper to rethink everything she’s always believed to admit that the veil between the living and the dead might actually be crossed?
Why we’re excited about this book:
Juliet Blackwell aims to make a believer out of all the supernatural skeptics. The author of such mainstream novels such as the Vineyards of Champagne, Letters from Paris, and The Lost Carousel of Provence, Blackwell’s genre titles include Asylum Hotel, as well as the Art Lovers series written with her pen-name, Hailey Lind. Using the historical and cultural locales of Monterey, Blackwell gives us the story of a non-believing woman faced with proof of the supernatural. Booklist says: “Blackwell excels at creating atmosphere. She weaves Monterey itself into the story, using the city’s history to set the tone of the mystery, and writes the supernatural element in such a way that it slowly builds throughout … This enjoyable read, suspenseful and eerie without slipping into horror, will please Blackwell’s fans.”, and Laura Griffin (Last Seen Alone) says: “Blackwell returns to the windswept California coast for her latest mystery, seamlessly blending murder, mayhem and ghostly secrets. A shivery story with an colorful cast of characters!”
Releasing from Berkley 28 July 2026, The Séance Garden by Juliet Blackwell is available for pre-order now.
BOB PASTORELLA
