The Cranberry family is rich with characters spanning over 200 years and eight generations, taking us from the early 1800s to today.

Book 2 Cranberry, CT Present Day

(Mentioned throughout the book and the series, Chester H. Cranberry is dead, murdered in 1832 by person or persons unknown.)

• Elcira Engels Cranberry is the ghost/spirit who surfaces when a key is found that could prove Elcira killed her husband, Chester, and should not be able to inherit his land.

• Deborah Townsend is the daughter of Colonel Townsend’s slave, Grace, and she worked for the Cranberry family as a nanny for the children.

• Mildred Cranberry Smith is the present-day matriarch of the family and owner of the Cranberry property. She prefers to use her maiden name, wanting to hold onto the family heritage.

• Maggie Payton is Mildred’s granddaughter. She is a Doctor in the children’s cancer unit of the local hospital. She will inherit the Cranberry property on her wedding day.

• Sylvie Rose is Mildred’s Aunt Sylvie. She lives in the carriage house on the estate, the parcel of land that has changed hands over the years.

• Jacqueline Hudson is the Old Cranberry town busybody and gossip. She has money and influence in the community. She has a longstanding gripe with Mildred.

• Tilly Parker is the only member of the garden club who professes to be able to see and talk to spirits.

• David Parker is Tilly’s son. He is a lawyer who knew Maggie in high school.

• Kendal Lightfoot is a one-time noted journalist and owner of the local newspaper.

• Sam Castleby is Maggie’s fiancé. He lives at home and works for his father at a property development company.

• James Castleby is Sam’s father, and the owner of Castleby Development Company, which is sorely in need of funding

• Harriet Castleby is Sam’s mom. She volunteers at the hospital where Maggie works.

• Effie (Ephedra) Devine is the adopted daughter of Tilly who prefers to call Tilly her aunt, a label she used when Tilly was her foster mom, and her own mom was still alive. She feels she has the right to claim the Cranberry property for herself.

The Ghosts in Book #1

• Elcira Engels Cranberry is the ghost/spirit who surfaces when a key is found that could prove Elcira killed her husband, Chester, and should not be able to inherit his land.

• Deborah Townsend is the daughter of Colonel Townsend’s slave, Grace, and she worked for the Cranberry family as a nanny for the children.

• Dana & Lila Engels are Elcira’s twin sisters who show up to help their older sister get the upper .

A little Cranberry Family History may be helpful here.

• Chester married Jessica Hammond, who died in childbirth, leaving a son, Garfield Cranberry.

• Chester remarried. He and Elcira had seven children. They are Felix, Susie, Sally, Marty, Tubby, Wally, and Tootsie.

• Felix married Lorraine Peters, and they had three children: August “Auggie”, C.J., and Julie.

• Garfield Cranberry married Penelope Townsend, and they had a daughter, Mildred “Millie.”

• Auggie married Millie, and their firstborn son was Daniel.

• Daniel married Mamie Simmons, and their firstborn son was Joseph.

• Joseph married Daniella Hochstedt, and their only child was a daughter, Mildred Cranberry.

• Mildred married Alfred Smith and their only child was Audrey Smith.

• Audrey Smith married Thomas Payton and their only child was Maggie.

  So, here the story begins, or does it?

  The Cranberry family saga continues with The Widow Murderess, book #2 in the series. In it, we go back in time to Elcira’s day and see how she and Deborah managed to keep the farm alive.