A Sudbury-born lawyer has written a gothic tale just in time for Halloween. Elizabeth Urso is a lawyer by profession but says in her latest book, Hail Mary, a family’s dark secret comes to light. It is a story where the dead don’t die. “It is a gothic suspense novel that follows Mary Foreman,” said Urso speaking with CTV News. “She is 34 and is being summoned back to the North Shore of Lake Huron by one of her uncles because he is having a little bit of a tough time with his bid for mayor.” Urso added there is some lore and questions about the family’s funeral business that is rearing its ugly head. “She takes a teaching job at her alma mater, St. Joseph’s School for Girls (and) they unearth a time capsule that contains human remains,” the author said. Urso said that development of human remains throws another ‘wrench,’ “a plot twist if you will,” into her uncle’s campaign. The lawyer turned writer said that begs the question, do the Foremans bury the dead and the living as well? Author draws on North Shore for fictional setting Urso said that she wanted to create a real geographical location, the North Shore of Lake Huron, for the backdrop of her novel. “I have taken some liberties with the town,” said Urso. “What folks in the area might know as Blind River is called Providence. That is one of the main towns. But I hope readers will see those locales in the book.” First published novel follows coming home trope Urso told CTV News she had written other works but said this is the first novel that she has published. “I have been pursuing traditional publishing for many years.” “What inspired this story specifically is the coming home trope is my favourite in fiction. I love when someone flees a small town under mysterious circumstances for the big city and is drawn back years later.” Release timing coincides with Halloween and municipal elections With municipal elections in Ontario around the corner as well as Halloween, Urso said the release of this book was not intentional, but the timing is spot on.
