Digging into THE PHANTOM OF FOREST LAWN
Explore the two intertwining love stories, resurrectionists, ciphers, and mystery, all (un)buried in this historical fiction novel.
Welcome to the pages here on All That Glitters that talk about my novels! You’re here with me for The Phantom of Forest Lawn.
The Phantom of Forest Lawn: Romance and Redemption in the City of the Dead
Love and be loved while we have the chance.
From acclaimed author Robert Brighton comes a sweeping saga of mystery, love, and intrigue in “an epic in miniature.” This "achingly beautiful story" with compelling clues and buried secrets will prove irresistible to uncover.
Smuggler King George Eberly faces a dilemma—his shipments of whiskey, opium, and French photographs are being intercepted somewhere near the sprawling Forest Lawn Cemetery. And neither he nor his most trusted henchmen can devise a solution.
Until, that is, young Mary Carkriff arrives from Canada, eager to seek her fortune in the big city. George is immediately drawn to Mary—and to her expertise with codes and ciphers—and the new arrival soon becomes his indispensable First Mate.
Meanwhile, heiress Georgia Moffatt and her devoted right-hand man Christian Schamber watch powerlessly as the land that was once the Moffatt Orchards is slowly eaten up, an acre at a time, by progress—and profit.
Before long, a much bigger problem confronts both couples, when a band of resurrectionists—men who disinter freshly buried corpses to sell to medical schools—sets up operations in Forest Lawn. And they will stop at nothing, including murder, to achieve their unholy aim.
Soon nothing is safe in Forest Lawn—not even its dead—and these four unlikely friends are set on a collision course where nothing is sacred.
The Phantom of Forest Lawn will keep you guessing until its final and unforgettable twist in this eternal story of mystery, romance, and a bit of humor that is "in a league of its own.”
Printed on a page inside of the book is a meticulously reproduced authentic topographical map of Forest Lawn Cemetery, offering readers a tangible connection to the historical setting of the story.
Readers can trace the routes of the characters, engage in key scenes, and obtain geographical context of actual street and section names.
The Setting and Its Significance
Cemeteries are generally good ‘stock’ settings for creepy doings. If anything, the words ‘neglected cemetery’ have become such a cliché (like ‘abandoned amusement park’) that just mentioning them conjures up a reliably eldritch background for countless plays, books, and short stories. And so you may imagine the challenge facing me when I determined to write my newest novel, The Phantom of Forest Lawn, which is set in and around Buffalo, New York’s, lovely Forest Lawn Cemetery.
I’ve known Forest Lawn Cemetery my entire life, but oddly not so much as a graveyard as a restorative rolling park comprising more than 250 acres of highly varied terrain.
See, the problem in using Forest Lawn as the setting for The Phantom of Forest Lawn was just this: the actual Forest Lawn, unlike many cemeteries (whether neglected or not), does not have a single creepy thing about it.
On the contrary, it’s a serene, uplifting, and beautiful landscape tended with the kind of every-leaf-and-blade TLC I bestow on my tiny quarter-acre yard. It would take a far greater writer than I to give Forest Lawn the slightest spooky air. It’s just not that kind of place. It is the kind of place in which one wouldn’t mind spending eternity.
This fact made it impossible to ‘cast’ Forest Lawn in my novel as ghoulish or grim—let alone ‘neglected’. As I can be a bit of a peculiar sort of fellow (particularly about my writing), however, I rejoiced at this dead end—mainly because to my mind living human beings are far scarier than dead ones are. And since I like writing about human beings, now I had unlimited creative liberty—because the creepiness of The Phantom of Forest Lawn emanates from the characters, the plot, and not (at all) from the cemetery.
While I don’t want to spoil the story, as you can see The Phantom of Forest Lawn is a novel both of love and grave-robbery, which normally don’t go together. But they do in this book, and in a curious way I’m proud of. It’s a good read, and I will guarantee this much: It’s not like anything else you’ve ever read.
My Phantom appears at a propitious moment, too: in the middle of the real Forest Lawn’s 175thanniversary—which makes it the country’s second-oldest ‘rural’ cemetery (one which combines natural beauty and stone art to provide an uplifting experience for the living as well a peaceful resting place for the dead). Today Forest Lawn houses some 150,000 ‘permanent residents’—from a couple of US presidents to the much greater population of regular folk—and is well worth a leisurely afternoon’s visit or a trip on one of the cemetery’s justly celebrated trolley tours.
Reviews and Reception
Here’s a sampling of industry and reader reviews for The Phantom of Forest Lawn:
"Buy, borrow, beg, or steal The Phantom of Forest Lawn, but don't miss reading Robert Brighton's twisted plot right to the unguessable explosive ending . . . every sentence is a gem." — Readers' Favorite
“Every lavish scene is cinematically described and permeated with a sense of adventure and curiosity . . .” — K.C. Finn
" . . . an epic in miniature . . ." — Los Angeles Book Review
“ . . . What I really love about Robert Brighton's books is his writing style and all the little details he includes that make me feel like I'm right there trying to solve the mystery. I had a clear mental image of the characters, the landscape, and the cemetery without being very familiar with that time period. His characters are well-developed and I especially enjoyed Mary and her romance with George. The unexpected twists in the story made this a very entertaining read.“ - Booksloveanu
"A sweeping saga of heady romance and brutal street justice. Brighton's compelling clues and buried secrets will prove irresistible to uncover." — Booklife
"Robert Brighton opens The Phantom of Forest Lawn: Romance and Redemption in the City of the Dead with a prologue set “One summer long ago.” The man and the fey woman he meets are unnamed and the only hint of a setting is an old orchard. It is a superb piece of writing that promises romance even whilst it describes [a] beautiful tragedy . . ." — Sarah Stuart
"Should you wish to disinter a corpse, read the multi-faceted The Phantom of Forest Lawn . . . Reading The Phantom of Forest Lawn cost me a night’s sleep; I couldn’t put it down!" — Literary Review
“I had the most tremendous pleasure in reading The Phantom of Forest Lawn by Robert Brighton. I cannot put into words how excellent this novel is. This book is in a league of its own. The author may have ruined all other novels for me after The Phantom of Forest Lawn!” — Antoinette
Book Club Resources for The Phantom of Forest Lawn
For your book club or as a companion to your independent reading, download the Book Club Kit, complete with discussion questions, recipes, and resources.
Pick up your copy of The Phantom of Forest Lawn, available everywhere your favorite books are sold, in hardcover, paperback, and e-book.
On Robert’s online shop, you can get a signed and inscribed hardcover along with exclusive companion items from the author’s collection.
You’ll also find collectible hardcovers and paperback copies of The Phantom of Forest Lawn at your local independent bookstores and libraries, as well as the visitor center at Forest Lawn Cemetery. Enjoy!