Nobody’s Home

Powers builds on his 1983 novel The Anubis Gates with this novella of Victorian ghosts and vengeance. Harriet is beset by her dead husband’s ghost, which is trying to kill her. She’s rescued by Jacky, a woman disguised as a man, but this turn as a good Samaritan creates problems for Jacky when the her former fiancé’s ghost, which had previously been benevolent, becomes aggressive. Jacky and Harriet’s attempts to rid themselves of the dangerous spirits leads to a Stygian boat ride down the Thames. The writing evokes the style and feel of Victorian England, eschewing cliché while capturing the culture. The two women are strong leads who handle their peculiar situation with strength and intelligence, but this brief, diverting story only hints at the power of its predecessor. (Jan.)