Okay, couldn't sleep last night so I finished the book at about 4AM. It wasn't quite as good as I had hoped, but still well worth reading.
The book is "Shade," by Neil Jordan (author of "The Crying Game",) and according to the cover it was the #1 Irish bestseller.
The book begins with a brutal murder; the opening sentence is "I know exactly when I died." Nina, the 'shade' in question, describes her own murder, then recounts her life growing up with three other children - a half-brother, and two neighboring children of a different social class. World War I makes an appearance and makes its mark on the four, among other events.
The book is well written, I think, and maintains the somber mood required for a good ghost story, although I can't say for certain that "ghost story" really describes what it is.
It's an easy read and well worth adding to the stack.
