Claire came to the English village to find her best friend, Melinda, who'd vanished after performing in a play which re-creates a seventeenth century witchcraft trial. What she found was a murder mystery—and a man. A man who, like her, is trapped between memory and desire. The play takes place at the manor house where the protagonists lived and died, a house where the past is still a haunting presence. Did Melinda ask too many questions about the village's tragic history? To find her, Claire, too, must ask questions. What she learns is that everyone in the village is playing a role—not just in the melodrama, but in real life. Claire must walk a fine line between repeating the past and surviving the present. For if she puts one foot wrong she won't be seeing the future at all, let alone spending it with the man she's not only come to trust but to love. This is a stand alone mystery of the old school—mystery, romance, setting are skillfully mixed. This is a very intelligent novel, packed with information and clever twists. The set-up, which could have lent itself to a gothic feel, instead is built upon with a wry, crisp style that had me smiling at times and always interested. The unbelievable was told in such a way as to make me accept it as a natural part of her setting. Ms. Carl's background is in Science Fiction, and she brings the best of that genre to her mystery—imaginative descriptions and the ability to suspend the reader's disbelief. I found her plot twists and elements very fresh. It's a cozy with weight. Patricia Wynn, DorothyL Mystery Readers e-Group Carl's story is solidly written, deftly balancing intense emotion with satisfying intrigue. Her ear for dialog is sharp and her love of all things British shines through. Memory and Desire is a truly memorable read. Fran Baker, Fiction Forest/Screaming Media A good story...about believable and engaging characters, with a dash of romance and a bit of the supernatural. I enjoyed this book tremendously; it has something of the flavor of a classic novel by Mary Stewart or Barbara Michaels, because it fits well within the tradition of the classic romantic suspense novel. It also has a pretty dandy murder mystery as well. Dean James, Murder by the Book and DorothyL Mystery Readers e-Group A delightful romantic mystery. The heroine is smart, funny and knows full well she's in over her head from the start...I admire that common sense in a heroine. Ghosts add a touch of fantasy to the book, but not so much as to turn off more traditional mystery lovers. Memory and Desire keeps the reader's interest by balancing all the elements easily. I recommend curling up with your cat and some tea for this one, on a rainy day. I bet the day passes pretty quickly as you forget to put the book down. Kelly Muzyczka is BellaOnline's MYSTERY AND CRIME Host It's definitely a mystery. And a love story. And a ghost story. And a story of witchcraft and man's tendency to destroy that which he does not understand. There is definitely a "woo-woo" factor in this book, enough to put off a reader who can't be open to the beliefs of earlier religions. Not enough to put off someone who simply enjoys the mysterious. A fascinating book, it's called "a novel of mystery and romance" which is an excellent description. Well worth reading. Peggy Itzen, Cozies, Capers, and Crimes Hauntingly reminiscent of Daphne du Maurier, Ms. Carl's novel has something for fans of many genres with mystery, romance, and ghosts. Red herrings keep the reader guessing from page to page. Clair is a detective that has all the grit of a grown up Nancy Drew or young Miss Marple.