Author: Carolyn Korsmeyer

Publisher: Regal House Publishing

ISBN-10:1646035402 ISBN-13:978-1646035403

Carolyn Korsmeyer's Riddle of Spirit and Bone is a gothic mystery that connects two timelines. The story contrasts the careful work of modern archaeology with the mysterious world of 19th-century spiritualism. Set in Western New York, it connects a dark discovery in Buffalo in 2015 with a dangerous trip through the "Burned-Over District" in 1851. Korsmeyer encourages readers to consider how the physical world can hide pieces of history, waiting to be revealed.

The story begins in present-day Buffalo, where a normal day takes a turn after a surprising discovery. While working on a gas main, construction worker Dan finds the skeleton of a young woman. Her remains are snared in the roots of a dead tree, quietly holding secrets concealed under the city.

After the area is closed off, a group of archaeology graduate students led by Karen comes to investigate. As they dig, scientific tests show troubling details: a brass button stuck between the victim's teeth, a broken locket, and signs that the pregnant woman died from suffocation in the mid-1800s. Each clue brings the past and present closer together, making the story more urgent.

As the forensic mystery unfolds, the story shifts back to 1851. Orphaned cousins Jane Woodfield and Lydia Strong are left with little after their uncle's will leaves their aunt Madeleine almost broke. Hoping to change their luck, Madeleine seeks help from the mysterious spiritualist Alexander Dodge Lewis, believing he can speak to the dead and find a hidden part of the will. Their journey west along the Erie Canal is dangerous, with Lewis holding séances in dark parlors from Little Falls to Utica. Lydia, who has a gift for contacting spirits, is drawn in, while Jane, a careful artist, starts to suspect that Lewis is hiding something sinister.

The gothic story is grounded in reality, turning the past into a crime scene to be solved rather than just haunting the present. Jane uses a obscura camera to find the truth, unlike Lewis's tricks with light and death masks. This creates tension between what is real and what is fake. The story reaches its peak when Jane exposes Lewis's trick—he uses a plaster death mask to make a fake ghost—but she is pushed aside, and Lydia is sadly killed by Lewis near Bigwell House.

Skillfully, Korsmeyer connects past and present using meaningful objects. A brass button found in a jawbone becomes the key link between two centuries. The modern team finds that Lewis wore this button when he killed Lydia. Using scientific methods and careful thinking, the novel solves its main mystery, reveals the victim's identity, and uncovers the killer's story.

Drawing on her background in philosophy and aesthetics, Korsmeyer  deepens the narrative by investigating themes such as women's independence and the subtle boundary between spiritual longing and exploitation. The gothic mood is strong, with crumbling mansions and candlelit séance rooms brimming with tension. The relationship between Jane and the traveling muralist Jed Porter feels true to the time, while the modern romance between Dan and Karen is less developed.

In the end, Riddle of Spirit and Bone is regarded as a memorable mystery that lingers with you. By telling the story of an unknown skeleton, the book explores themes of memory, justice, and the ways forgotten people can finally be heard.

Follow Here To Read Norm's Interview With Carolyn Korsmeyer