There Was an Old Woman; Hallie Ephron

Title: There Was an Old Woman
Author: Hallie Ephron
Publication Year: 2013
Publisher: William Morrow
Edition: eGalley
Source: Edelweiss
Date Completed: March - 2013
Rating: 4/5 
Recommend: yes

There Was an Old Woman by Hallie Ephron was a somewhat creepy, psychological mystery,  that hooked me early on.

The story begins when an older woman by the name of Sandra is taken from her home by ambulance.  She's an alcoholic and for her,  it's not her first time being hospitalized, but this time she seems worst than ever.  Across the street from Sandra, lives Mina, an independent, spry lady of 91. Mina is the neighbor that contacts one of Sandra's daughters to let her know that her mother has been taken to the hospital.

When Evie, one of Sandra's daughters, arrives at her mother's house after not having visited the home in a while, she is shocked by what she finds.  The house is packed with clutter, trash and even cat food cans (think TV show Hoarders).  However, mounted on the wall is a big flat screen television, and she also finds lots of envelopes filled with hundred dollar bills that can't be explained.  Upon further checking into her mother's affairs, she notices that a hefty credit card bill has been paid off, yet no money is missing from her mother's bank accounts. On top of this strange things are happening in the neighborhood, and she learns through hospital staff that it may have not been just too much alcohol that caused her very very ill mother to be hospitalized.

As Evie spend more time cleaning up her mother's house, she gets reacquainted with Mina, her former neighbor.  In the process, she learns more strange but interesting information.  What is going on in this Bronx neighborhood, and are the elderly being targeted?

The story is told by both Evie and Mina, and although it's slightly creepy at times,  it's also well written.  Mina was one of those characters I thought about even after I was done --she still lingers.  The story is written in a way that makes you want to finish this one in one sitting if time allows. I thought it was an enjoyable read.