When Ghosts Come Home audiobook

I’m not a fan of mysteries or crime stories, but I’m a big fan of Wiley Cash. I loved his fabulous story telling in his other three novels, so I had to read this one even though not a genre I typically enjoy. I wasn’t surprised, though, that there is much more here than the murder mystery. As always in Cash’s novels, there is a clear reflection of the time and place. In Oak Island, NC in 1984 there are divisions in the community with respect to race. There’s the racism that rears it’s ugly head to black residents of the community. A sad commentary and one that is not limited to the time as we continue to see it today. The novel focuses on the challenges of a good man, Sheriff Winston Barnes . He’s facing a challenge to his job by a crooked man who would use the position for his own means. Winston is facing challenges not just to his job, but now there’s an abandoned plane, a dead black man and at the same time worry over his sick wife. To complicate matters his adult daughter leaves her husband and comes home bearing grief and challenges of her own. Some of the most poignant moments in the story are those reflecting the father-daughter relationship when Colleen was growing up. We see these moments from Colleen’s point of view as well as Winston’s. A third perspective is told from the point of view of Jay, the fourteen year old brother in law of the dead man, dealing with the reality of being a young black man face to face with racists, who fly a confederate flag when they drive by to harass his grieving sister.It’s an emotional story. The grief and loss of Winston’s daughter is palatable as is that of the dead man’s widow. The ending was a such gut punch that I was not expecting. Wiley Cash writes beautifully here as in his other novels. My only reservation about the novel was the abrupt ending. I wanted a little more of the story leading up to what we find out in the last few pages. Having said that, Winston Barnes will be one of Wiley Cash’s characters that I will remember for his honesty, his principles, a good man trying to do what’s right. Wiley Cash proves to be once again a writer I’ll follow. I received an advanced copy of this book from William Morrow/HarperCollins through Edelweiss.

Review posted on blog: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...Simple Brilliance.The night Sheriff Winston Barnes and his wife Marie are awoken by the sound of a plane flying low overhead, both he and his wife get an eerie feeling. Upon investigating the incident, and discovering that the plane crashed down in an airfield nearby, he realizes why. Sheriff Barnes notices that several things have gone awry, most notably, that there is a body of a local citizen dead next to the plane, and that he’s been murdered. As if tensions weren’t high enough, the mayhem that ensues thereafter makes things go from bad to worse, for the residents, the Sheriff, his wife, and his daughter Colleen, visiting from Texas. When Ghosts Come Home by Wiley Cash is a simple, lyrical, multilayered, character-driven novel with heart. It's Southern fiction that grabbed my attention from the get-go and held it throughout. This being my first novel by Wiley Cash, I had no idea what to expect. That said, I admit to going into this novel with very high expectations, all of which were met. Mr. Cash’s novels are now on my backlist and I can’t wait to get started. Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow and Custom House, and Wiley Cash for the arc. Published on Goodreads, Instagram, and Twitter.

When Ghosts Come Home by Wiley Cash was a gripping murder mystery with several sub plots that simultaneously presented themselves within the story. It took place in 1984 on Oak Island which was located right off the mainland of North Carolina. Oak Island was a small town where most of its inhabitants knew one another. It was the kind of town where nothing very exciting happened until it did. When Ghosts Come Home was a character driven book with a suspenseful plot. It was well paced and well written. This was the first book that I have read by Wiley Cash. I hope to read some of his prior books in the near future and look forward to reading new books of his as he continues to write them.Sheriff Winston Barnes was sound asleep next to his wife Marie when suddenly they were both awakened by a loud noise. At first the sheriff thought he had dreamt it but when he saw that his wife was sitting up next to him he knew it had been real and it was something that he could not ignore. It had sounded like a plane so Winston Barnes quickly headed for the nearby airport. Upon his arrival at the airport parking lot, Winston was surprised to see a lone two door white Datsun with North Carolina plates sitting in the otherwise empty parking lot. After receiving some help in running the plates, Winston discovered that the car belonged to Rodney Edward Bellamy, a former classmate of his daughter Colleen and son of Ed Bellamy, one of the only Black teachers in Brunswick County. Winston then saw the plane. It had been too large to have tried to land at this airport. No wonder it crash landed and now faced sideways on the runway. If that wasn’t bad enough, Winston stumbled upon a body of a Black man stretched out on the grass right beside the runway. There was blood on the man’s chest and it was soon evident that he was not only dead but had been murdered. The murdered man was Rodney Bellamy. There was no sign of a pilot, any cargo, or fingerprints in the plane. This was just what Winston Barnes needed on the eve of his campaign for re-election as sheriff. It had been an upward battle already but unless he could successfully solve this complicated mystery and murder he was doomed. What had the plane been carrying and what happened to it? Who murdered Rodney Bellamy and why was he murdered? When Ghosts Come Home by Wiley Cash was suspenseful yet heartbreaking at times. It depicted the real struggles a good man faced when he chose to do what was right despite the repercussions and pressures others inflicted upon him. Winston Barnes was a man of principles and believed in upholding and following the laws. He believed that all men, despite their race, deserved the same treatment, respect and judgement. The people in his tight knit community did not see things quite the same way. Would Winston Barnes be able to stand his ground and fairly in an unbiased way solve this murder and mystery and keep the respect his position required? The many themes of family history and drama, race, class, justice, being able to separate right from wrong, standing strong for one’s own convictions and beliefs, grief, greed and racism were all explored and played significant roles in this book. I was able to anticipate some of the outcomes in When Ghosts Come Home but I still enjoyed reading it and found the ending satisfying. I highly recommend this book.I was quite lucky to have won a printed copy of When Ghosts Come Home by Wiley Cash in a goodreads give away. Thank you to William Morrow/Harper Collins Publishers for allowing me to read this advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I have wanted to read a Wiley Cash novel for a very long time and I certainly made the right decision by choosing "When Ghosts Come Home". The roar of a low-flying plane awakens Sheriff Winston Barnes in the middle of the night. He quickly realizes something strange is happening at a nearby airfield. Rushing to the scene he discovers a large airplane has crash landed and sitting sideways on the runway. Not a soul in sight and no cargo on the plane, yet a dead body is lying on the grass near the crash site. And this is only the beginning!Winston launches a murder investigation that will not only change the course of his life but that of his community as well.I thoroughly enjoyed this suspenseful read and look forward to reading more by this author.And what a beautiful cover too!

Winston Barnes, Sheriff of a Coastal North Carolina town in the 1980s, is investigating a plane crash. The pilot, passengers, and cargo have disappeared, a young black man is dead, and everyone is a suspect. At the same time, racial tension is exploding in the town, and the Sheriff's daughter has left her husband and returned home. To top it all off, the Sheriff is in the middle of running for re-election.This is a mystery told from multiple points of view, but also the story of a town torn apart by racism and corruption. Racism is the main theme, but the issue of grief is also explored. The author gives us a look deep into the hearts of the characters, especially Jay, Ed Bellamy, Winston, and Colleen. Not many mysteries can touch the heart, but this one does by baring the souls of the characters so well. It is written with the slow, rhythmical pace of a small town, but will sometimes reach out and slap you in the face with a shock or surprise, just as life sometimes does. Fans of mysteries will enjoy this novel, but anyone who loves a well-developed story with complex characters should give this a read.I received a free copy of this book from William Morrow and Custom House via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.

Why is this the first book I have read by Wiley Cash? All of his books are based in NC which is where I live and this book especially is based EXACTLY where I live, he talks about Charlotte, Gastonia, Oak Island, Bald Head Island - everywhere I am completely familiar with. This book was AMAZING!! In the middle of the night, an airplane crashes and it wakes up Sheriff Winston and his wife. He, of course, goes to check it out and finds not only did it crash but a man near the crash appeared to have been shot. This is based back in the 80’s with a lot of racial issues going on and that is very relevant in this book throughout. This book grabbed me from the very first page and I had to devour it quickly to see how it ended. The ending had a huge twist and who doesn’t love a big twist, especially at the end? I closed the book and said “What the heck?” WOW, just wow. So beautifully written and I just loved all the characters. I must read all of his other books. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review.

Sheriff Winston Barnes has his hands full. An empty, crashed plane.... a dead man who has been shot lying next to it...a wife suffering from cancer...a daughter who has returned home months after losing her baby... and an election for his office of sheriff that he is almost certain to lose. to an avowed racist who is terrifying the local black community. Add to this mess a woman who has become a widow with a brother that has come from Atlanta to live with her after a robbery attempt. He has deputies working for him whose loyalties are more than questionable...plus an FBI pilot come to repair and demanding to take away the plane that he’s not ready to release. Add all this together and you have all the ingredients for an extremely satisfying read.