The Last Spirits of Manhattan A Novel

“Pure storytelling magic.” —Diane C. McPhail, USA TODAY bestselling author

Mad Men meets The Gilded Age in this witty and enchanting novel about a young woman in 1950s Manhattan who resists the conventional future planned for her, spurred on by a group of ghostly relatives who are the unexpected guests at a star-studded party thrown by Alfred Hitchcock in the family townhouse.

After fleeing her safe, predictable life in the Midwest, Carolyn Banks finds herself in her recently deceased great-aunts’ once grand mansion on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Inside its crumbling façade, suspense director Alfred Hitchcock is throwing a party, gleefully informing his celebrity guests that the venue is supposedly haunted. It all seems like a fun gag, but Carolyn knows that the line between reality and the supernatural is dangerously blurred here.

Soon, the paranormal entities are mingling with guests like Charles Addams and Henry Fonda. As Carolyn grapples with romantic entanglements and ghostly encounters, she discovers long-buried family secrets, challenging her understanding of love, loyalty, and legacy. A striking mix of the haunting and the heartwarming, The Last Spirits of Manhattan is an “emotionally rich and uplifting story” (Charlie Lovett, New York Times bestselling author) about a family reunion unlike any other, set against the bewitching backdrop of 1950s New York City.

John A. McDermott was born and raised in Madison, Wisconsin. He teaches creative writing at Stephen F. Austin State University and served on the board of directors for the Writers’ League of Texas. Prior to teaching, he worked as an actor, bartender, house painter, and advertising copywriter. He lives in Nacogdoches with his wife and teenage daughter. This is his first novel.