Review: Another great story from Ballance!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 5, 2014
Again, I have to say that this is yet another fabulous read from Sarah Ballance. She has such a way with stories and the dialogue, and even getting into the minds of her characters that just a nudge has you suspending your belief just for her story. She writes so fluidly and uses great descriptions to pull you into the story. Ruby Hill is another one of those stories that pulls you in.The two main characters are ones that I'm sure that every other review has talked about, Ashley and Corbin. They're opposites from one another, always a great meeting, in that she believes in ghosts and he does not. They're investigating a series of murders that have occurred at the old abandoned asylum, Ruby Hill. Of course, there is also the connection of Corbin's brother, Cash, as he died there as well.The other character that stands out, is that of the Asylum. You can't dismiss it as not being a character, because of the presence that it has in the novel. I have to say that Ballance is very good at turning old buildings and locales into an essential part of the story. She did the same in her short story “Hawthorne” and she does the same in this novel. As you read, the descriptions make it seem all the more real, as the characters move around and about the old building. To me, having the ability to do that and transport the reader TO the location, is a skill that a great writer has.Overall, this is is a suspenseful romance, a quick ghost story, but I won't spill too much. It's a short story that will have you flipping the pages quickly to find out what happens next. You will have to read to find out the connection between Corbin and Ashley and the haunted Asylum, “Ruby Hill”.