At once a gothic mystery and a kind of ghost story, Louise Beech’s I Am Dust incorporates all of the elements of both, along with the kind of astute look into the human psyche that has become her hallmark.

Twenty years after the first mounting of a musical called Dust, it’s due to return to the same theatre that hosted its debut.

The musical is the stuff of lore, as its lead actress, Morgan Miller, was murdered a few performances in, and is said to haunt the Dean Wilson Theatre. Is there any truth to the curse surrounding this place and this play?

Working as a theatre usher is Chloe Dee, whose career choices have been affected by the original musical, and who is scarred by life in many ways. A teen who has her own relationship with theatre, Chloe is surprised to find the woman taking on Morgan Miller’s role is someone she knows, and knows well.

With the story told in alternating time periods of Chloe’s life, the mounting tension encapsulates all of the yearning undercurrent of a young woman’s heart. When Chloe starts to hear staticky messages on her work radio, coupled with seeing flashes of movement, is she hallucinating?

The tone of the backstage workers, the backstabbing theatre community, and the workers who make it all happen add perfect layers of verisimilitude of that life.

Beech’s lyrical prose, not a word out of place, creates just the right atmosphere to in this twisty plot to suck you in and make you stay up far too late to finish this emotional and surprising read.