In The Chapel of Ease by Alex Bledsoe, mystery surrounds a new musical opening Off-Off-Broadway. Written by Tennessean Ray Parrish, it is a love tragedy set in his home county and involves two couples — one corporeal and one spirit. The play, based on a true story, hints at something buried in the chapel where the play takes place, but never reveals what it is. Ray knows, but won’t even tell the cast.
The lead actor, Matt Johansson, becomes friends with Ray during rehearsals and learns something of his people called the Tufa and how they don’t want their stories told. Later, he meets one of them in New York, who seems to be there to stop the play.
After the preview performance for the press, Ray dies suddenly, and Matt volunteers to take his ashes back home. His ulterior motive is to find out the mystery of the chapel of ease, but while there, he discovers more about the Tufa people and their strange origins.
A compelling book, The Chapel of Ease takes the reader from the world of New York theater to backwater Tennessee filled with spirits, danger, and a strange people who just want to be left alone. Bledsoe has done an amazing job weaving a story around the legend of the Tufa. I highly recommend.