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jckrbbt's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
songwind's review
5.0
I *loved* this book. I put it on my to-read list because the premise seemed interesting, but this book blew me away.
Delia's Shadow is set in San Francisco, during the 1915 Pan Pacific Exposition. Moyer clearly did a lot of research on this historical time period. The characters, styles and environment come across as very authentic.
Delia is a young woman who has always been able to see ghosts. After losing her parents in the great San Francisco earthquake (1906), the number of recent and restless dead skyrocketed. Finally, she fled to a less haunted location, taking a job as a teacher. After three years away, her best friend and adoptive sister is to be married - and another ghost has come to haunt her personally.
Sadie's fiancee (Jack) is a SFPD sergeant in the homicide department, and his Lieutenant (Gabe) is leading an investigation into a string of serial murders that closely resembles an investigation from Gabe's father's time in homicide.
The story skillfully weaves themes of family, loss, duty, and horror. The story of Delia's haunting, the serial killer investigation, reuniting with Sadie and their dying mother Esther, and a growing web of interpersonal relationships is well handled. The characters are well fleshed out. Not only the main foursome, but also Sadie's family's cook/nanny, several of the uniformed policemen, and other people they come into contact with are clearly deep characters with more backstory than we know informing their actions.
The second book about Delia Martin is due out in June. I'm looking forward to it.
Delia's Shadow is set in San Francisco, during the 1915 Pan Pacific Exposition. Moyer clearly did a lot of research on this historical time period. The characters, styles and environment come across as very authentic.
Delia is a young woman who has always been able to see ghosts. After losing her parents in the great San Francisco earthquake (1906), the number of recent and restless dead skyrocketed. Finally, she fled to a less haunted location, taking a job as a teacher. After three years away, her best friend and adoptive sister is to be married - and another ghost has come to haunt her personally.
Sadie's fiancee (Jack) is a SFPD sergeant in the homicide department, and his Lieutenant (Gabe) is leading an investigation into a string of serial murders that closely resembles an investigation from Gabe's father's time in homicide.
The story skillfully weaves themes of family, loss, duty, and horror. The story of Delia's haunting, the serial killer investigation, reuniting with Sadie and their dying mother Esther, and a growing web of interpersonal relationships is well handled. The characters are well fleshed out. Not only the main foursome, but also Sadie's family's cook/nanny, several of the uniformed policemen, and other people they come into contact with are clearly deep characters with more backstory than we know informing their actions.
The second book about Delia Martin is due out in June. I'm looking forward to it.
mary_soon_lee's review against another edition
4.0
There are spoilers ahead....
Spoiler
This book gracefully blends many elements: murder mystery, ghost story, romance, and a historical setting (early 20th-century San Francisco). Despite the brutal nature of the murders, there's a sweetness to much of the novel, largely due to the care the characters have for each other. It took me a short while, approximately a chapter, to sink into the narrative, and thereafter I enjoyed it very much. The story switches between two point-of-view characters: Delia, a young woman who can see ghosts, and Gabe, the detective in charge of the murder investigation. Both characters are well-drawn and sympathetically portrayed, and I especially appreciated seeing their growing romance from both sides. I also appreciated that the best friends of both main characters play an important part in the story. Delia and Gabe do not exist in isolation, but come with family, friends, colleagues, and ghosts of their own. Although there are repeated instances of stark horror and loss in the book, it doesn't dwell on them, softening what could otherwise have been a harrowing read. Instead, what lingers with me is the tenderness with which the author treats her characters, and the tenderness with which they treat each other. Highly recommended.darkcrystal1839's review against another edition
4.0
Such a great read. Period piece, ghosts, romance, murder mystery ... you've got me hooked, no question. And while all those elements could have created a bit of a jumbled mess, this book was very well written, I thought. I'm very much looking forward to reading the rest of the series!
crankyfacedknitter's review against another edition
2.0
The premise is good, but it was very tame despite the unpleasantness of involving a serial murderer. Seemed like a first novel to me, stylistically; or perhaps I'm just not one for bland, teary romances in my spooky ghost stories.
spookysoto's review against another edition
4.0
Rating: Excellent, I enjoyed it a lot 🤗
2018’s Around the year in 52 books: #44, A ghost story.
This is a paranormal mystery/thriller set in 1916 in San Francisco, after the great quake that devastated the city. We meet Delia, since she was little she had the ability to see ghosts, but can’t comunicate with them. She fled San Francisco because it was flooded with spirits after the quake, but has returned because a strong ghost has been haunting her. She doesn’t know anything about her, she calls her shadow. Back in San Francisco, detectives Jack and Gabe are hunting a vicious serial killer. That’s the backdrop for the story.
I liked a lot, the setting, the atmosphere, plot and characters all drew me in, I was interested, engrossed and inmersed in the story from the beginning. I found it odd that most of the characters accepted the supernatural occurrences without giving them a second thought. I don’t think people would be that open to the paranormal but, at the same time, it was very refreshing not having to deal with skeptics.
I loved Dora, her free spirit. The ghost world intrigued me and I want to know more. I will definitely continue with the series.
If you like ghost stories, but don’t want to be scared, and like some romance sprinkled in, I recommend this to you.
2018’s Around the year in 52 books: #44, A ghost story.
This is a paranormal mystery/thriller set in 1916 in San Francisco, after the great quake that devastated the city. We meet Delia, since she was little she had the ability to see ghosts, but can’t comunicate with them. She fled San Francisco because it was flooded with spirits after the quake, but has returned because a strong ghost has been haunting her. She doesn’t know anything about her, she calls her shadow. Back in San Francisco, detectives Jack and Gabe are hunting a vicious serial killer. That’s the backdrop for the story.
I liked a lot, the setting, the atmosphere, plot and characters all drew me in, I was interested, engrossed and inmersed in the story from the beginning. I found it odd that most of the characters accepted the supernatural occurrences without giving them a second thought. I don’t think people would be that open to the paranormal but, at the same time, it was very refreshing not having to deal with skeptics.
Spoiler
The ghost was jack’s mother Aileen. It was very obvious. The killer was The son of Gabe father’s partner. He killed Matt (Gabe’s father) and the police chief, Parker. We never find out who Teddy was (the ghost Sadie’s mother saw). I enjoyed the romance Between Gabe and Delia, it felt like it took its time to blossom.I loved Dora, her free spirit. The ghost world intrigued me and I want to know more. I will definitely continue with the series.
If you like ghost stories, but don’t want to be scared, and like some romance sprinkled in, I recommend this to you.
bethanyread's review against another edition
5.0
I LOVED this book! Not a verified purchaser as I found it at the library -- but I have already started book 2. Great story line -- why does Delia have a ghost that she nicknames Shadow that will not leave her alone? Why does she feel that she has to return to San Francisco? Mystery is great, love the characters - Miss Esther, Annie, Gabe, Delia, Sadie and Jack especially. The reveals are great. Not too gory, but realistic. Definitely recommend.
ssung's review against another edition
2.0
think that this book had trouble deciding what it wanted to be.
i sort of got hung up on the part where everyone (very) calmly accepts that ghosts 1) exist (cops! really?) and 2) are sufficient (and seemingly _only_) evidence to be used in a murder spree and it went downhill from there for me. setting and characterization was somewhat bland; despite references to the san francisco earthquake, this mystery could've been during any part of the 20th century and in just about any state (or heck, any country) and i wouldn't have noticed, to be honest.
i sort of got hung up on the part where everyone (very) calmly accepts that ghosts 1) exist (cops! really?) and 2) are sufficient (and seemingly _only_) evidence to be used in a murder spree and it went downhill from there for me. setting and characterization was somewhat bland; despite references to the san francisco earthquake, this mystery could've been during any part of the 20th century and in just about any state (or heck, any country) and i wouldn't have noticed, to be honest.
rosyburrow's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Gore
cakereads's review against another edition
1.0
The premise is great: A ghost sets Delia, who can see ghosts, on a journey to find a serial killer together with a good-looking policeman, set in 19th century San Francisco. I was so excited - ghosts!! hot policeman!! San Francisco!!
But the book fell so flat for me - especially after seeing that it was blurbed by [a:Rae Carson|4074051|Rae Carson|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1284052029p2/4074051.jpg] whose book [b:The Girl of Fire and Thorns|10429092|The Girl of Fire and Thorns (Fire and Thorns, #1)|Rae Carson|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1323448113s/10429092.jpg|13282366] I absolutely adored.
My main issue with Delia's Shadow is that the plot is far far too convenient, and the characters don't actually do anything. It's like things happen and the characters are just along for the ride. They don't actually do anything to drive the plot along. For example,
Characters are flat, the romance is bland, the plot is unexciting. Pity because Moyer writes beautifully. Look at this for example:
There were some scenes that did chill my blood - - and Moyer does a great job of setting the scene and putting the reader in 19th century San Fran. But meh.
/tldr This book reads like a very boring Criminal Minds episode that went on for far too long with some ghosts and blood thrown in for good measure.
But the book fell so flat for me - especially after seeing that it was blurbed by [a:Rae Carson|4074051|Rae Carson|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1284052029p2/4074051.jpg] whose book [b:The Girl of Fire and Thorns|10429092|The Girl of Fire and Thorns (Fire and Thorns, #1)|Rae Carson|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1323448113s/10429092.jpg|13282366] I absolutely adored.
My main issue with Delia's Shadow is that the plot is far far too convenient, and the characters don't actually do anything. It's like things happen and the characters are just along for the ride. They don't actually do anything to drive the plot along. For example,
Spoiler
why doesn't Delia try to find out more about the ghost? And Gabe and Jack are terrible cops - they hardly do anything to track down the killer! What about seeing if there's any connections between the victims?Characters are flat, the romance is bland, the plot is unexciting. Pity because Moyer writes beautifully. Look at this for example:
A murder investigation was a macabre jigsaw puzzle, splashed with bloog and the remnants of someone's life.
There were some scenes that did chill my blood -
Spoiler
the scene at the fair for example, and the descriptions of the corpses and Aileen's torture/tldr This book reads like a very boring Criminal Minds episode that went on for far too long with some ghosts and blood thrown in for good measure.