Forgotten Sisters by Cynthia Pelayo

Forgotten Sisters (2024) by Cynthia Pelayo is an eerie, otherworldly ghost story that takes place in present-day Chicago. Sisters Jennie and Anna live in a historic bungalow in the Ravenswood neighborhood, with the north branch of the Chicago River right in their backyard. The house is both a curse and a blessing, as it is their inheritance after their parents tragically died when their car crashed into the river after a police chase gone wrong. The house is full of strange noises and visions, and with enough money left for them to live on, neither sister leaves the house much. To stave off loneliness, Anna begins a podcast about tragic tales from Chicago’s history and soon connects with a male listener, opening her to new possibilities, which Jennie and the house are definitely not happy about. Soon, two detectives come knocking after a male body is found in the river near their house, alluding to the real-life fear that there is currently a serial killer going after young men in the city. This is a well-researched book with plenty of Chicago history and lore, as well as parallels to Hans Christian Andersen’s deeply melancholic fairy tale The Little Mermaid. If you know your Chicago history, you’ll probably figure out midway through which tragic event connects past and future for the sisters and former residents of the house on the river. You’ll never look at any river the same way after finishing this book! 

I highly recommend Chicago Haunts: Ghostlore of the Windy City by Ursula Bielski for further reading.