The Unquiet Grave: A Novel

Written by Sharyn McCrumb

Narrated by Candace Thaxton and Roger Casey

From the New York Times bestselling author of Prayers the Devil Answers and The Ballad of Tom Dooley, a “fascinating historical fiction novel you won’t be able to put down” (Bustle) based on one of the strangest murder trials in American history—the case of the Greenbrier Ghost.

Lakin, West Virginia, 1930: Following a suicide attempt and consigned to a segregated insane asylum, attorney James P.D. Gardner finds himself under the care of Dr. James Boozer. Testing a new talking cure for insanity, Boozer encourages his elderly patient to share his experiences as the first black attorney to practice law in 19th-century West Virginia. His memorable case: defending a white man on trial for the murder of his young bride—a case that the prosecution based on the testimony of a ghost.

Greenbrier, West Virginia, 1897: Beautiful, willful Zona Heaster has always lived in the mountains. Despite her mother’s misgivings, Zona marries the handsome Erasmus Trout Shue, Greenbrier’s newest resident and blacksmith. Her mother learns of her daughter’s death weeks later. A month after the funeral, Zona’s mother makes a chilling claim to the county prosecutor: her daughter was murdered, and she was told this by none other than Zona’s ghost...

With her unique and “real knack for crafting full-bodied characters and using folklore to construct compelling plots” (Booklist), Sharyn McCrumb effortlessly demonstrates her place among the finest Southern writers at work today.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
• Release date: Sep 12, 2017
• ISBN: 9781508238942

Sharyn McCrumb

SHARYN MCCRUMB is the author of The Rosewood Casket, The New York Times bestselling The Ballad of Tom Dooley and many other acclaimed novels. Her books have been named Notable Books of the Year by The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times. She lives and writes in the Virginia Blue Ridge, less than a hundred miles from where her family settled in 1790 in the Smoky Mountains that divide North Carolina and Tennessee.

Reviews for The Unquiet Grave

[Becki Basley · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

he unquiet Grave
by Shayrn Mccrumb
(Scribd audiobook)
An interesting story based on am actual unusual murder trial in West Virginia the case of the Greenbriar Ghost.

Told in two timelines; 1897 and 1930. the first part told by the mother of Zona. A young woman killed a few months after her marriage and details the lengths her mother goes through to ensure her daughters murderer is brought to justice.

The second part is told by the African American lawyer who helped defend Zonas Husband in court but wasn’t that upset when he lost. The lawyer is sitting in an asylum after attempting suicide.

An interesting story with some surprise twists along the way. A very interesting story.

[Mary Johanna Long · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I had to pick a book to read by an Appalachian author and I settled on this one. The universe led me well! It’s a great fictionalization of a true story with great voice actors. I enjoyed hearing a story with places I knew and the story kept me engaged until the end. Great piece of storytelling!

[tricia · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent book. The characters were compelling. The story was engaging.
I wasn't sure what would happen but filled with dread several times.