"Emotional and gripping short story"

Firefighting is in Ben Murphy's blood. The Murphys have been firefighters for generations. Ben's own father was lost in a fire, as was his younger brother, Chris. When Chris became a firefighter, Ben's dad admonished Ben to take care of his younger brother. When Chris was lost in a warehouse fire, Ben blamed himself and has been doing foolish things ever since. The latest stunt is the one which finally forces Ben's captain to act. Ben now has a choice, he can either move into the Victorian house his captain rented for an indefinite period until he can get himself back together, or he can lose his job. Not surprisingly, Ben decides on the house...

...Where he is visited by Chris. You see, Chris can't ascend to the higher plane until Ben lets him go. With his brother eating less and drinking more, Chris knows this won't be an easy thing to accomplish. Things become even more complicated when Kate Donovan comes by to complain about the state of the yard on the property.

Will Chris ever be with his family again? Will Ben get over his guilt from Chris' death and be able to perform as a firefighter again? How does the beautiful Katie fit into all this?

MY BROTHER'S KEEPER is a really wonderful short story. Candace Sams has done a wonderful job with her characters, making them all believable and realistic. We suffer right along with Ben as he deals with his feelings of guilt and inadequacy. Not only was my attention gripped and held throughout this heartwarming tale, but my emotions were as well. Something that doesn't happen all that often anymore. The addition of the ghost makes this a perfect story for the season. This is truly a story you don't want to miss!

Reviewed by Chere Gruver
Posted October 31, 2005

Summary

When firefighter, Ben Murphy, loses his younger brother, Chris, in a warehouse blaze, he's ordered to get out of his apartment and move into an old Victorian mansion. To recover from the shock, Ben is on vacation...whether he likes it or not. And he definitely doesn't like it!

Once he's moved in, Ben finds there's something creepy about his new home. There's an apparition present claiming to be his dead brother, Chris. To make matters worse, a demanding social worker named Kate Donahue just won't leave him the hell alone.

Ben thinks he's going crazy. Kate thinks Ben is already past that point, and Chris...Well, Chris is just trying to haunt his brother into getting on with life.