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illusie's review against another edition
3.0
I really liked the mystery vibe and paranormal part of the book. The plot was good with several plot twist and it kept me guessing about who was the murderer. The romance however was lacking and the end was not completely satisfying. I hope the next book gives more answers.
yodamom's review against another edition
5.0
4.5
Finally, a great ghost story ! I had good old fashioned goose bumps while reading this wonderful tale. It was scary with a subtle touch, slowly unraveling. I was enchanted, by the characters, the mystery, and the hint of a romance.
The Amelia Grey, a cemetery restorer, loves her job, repairing the forgotten treasures of our ancestors. She is a southern girl, her father a cemetery grounds keeper. She see’s her first ghost at nine years old. Her father warns her and gives her a set or rules she must follow. She follows them until she meets John Devin, a handsome, dark and haunted detective. She is tied to him through the graveyard restoration she is working on, and her heart. A terrible mystery must be solved, there are many twists and turns. Her world is about to change forever. There are more terrifying things in her world then her father ever warned her about. Fantastic..I never saw the ending coming. I will be first in line to buy the second book in this series
Finally, a great ghost story ! I had good old fashioned goose bumps while reading this wonderful tale. It was scary with a subtle touch, slowly unraveling. I was enchanted, by the characters, the mystery, and the hint of a romance.
The Amelia Grey, a cemetery restorer, loves her job, repairing the forgotten treasures of our ancestors. She is a southern girl, her father a cemetery grounds keeper. She see’s her first ghost at nine years old. Her father warns her and gives her a set or rules she must follow. She follows them until she meets John Devin, a handsome, dark and haunted detective. She is tied to him through the graveyard restoration she is working on, and her heart. A terrible mystery must be solved, there are many twists and turns. Her world is about to change forever. There are more terrifying things in her world then her father ever warned her about. Fantastic..I never saw the ending coming. I will be first in line to buy the second book in this series
selenajean's review against another edition
4.0
The writing was a little awkward at first. Run on sentences galore. The story sounded so interesting though that I kept reading and it ended up being very good. It ended up being much creepier than I expected. The author was really good at creating atmosphere. I was pleasantly surprised and this is the first series in awhile that I want to continue right on to the next book. The main murder mystery was solved but there are many sub plot mysteries/storylines that leave you hanging. Not a terrible cliff hanger though. I really liked it.
pam2375's review against another edition
4.0
OK, Amelia Grey has an unusual occupation. She restores old graveyards. Amelia also has an unusual ability to see ghosts. Interestingly enough, she doesn't see ghosts in the graveyards that she restores. The ghosts that she sees are the ones that are following others.
This book is the first of three in a series and I really enjoyed it. I liked the way the author had a storyline and stuck with it throughout the entire book. The story ended with a nice wrap up but you know that the characters will continue to the next book. This book made me feel like I was watching an episode of a favorite mystery show on TV.
This was a quick and easy read and I have already started book two, The Kingdom.
This book is the first of three in a series and I really enjoyed it. I liked the way the author had a storyline and stuck with it throughout the entire book. The story ended with a nice wrap up but you know that the characters will continue to the next book. This book made me feel like I was watching an episode of a favorite mystery show on TV.
This was a quick and easy read and I have already started book two, The Kingdom.
edshara's review against another edition
4.0
*Reread Oct. 2017*
So if I was going to rate this after my reread, I would give this book 3 stars. I'm not going to change my initial rating because, at the time, that is what I thought this book deserved. Besides, I'm the one who changed, not the book.
Things I noticed this time around:
-The writing style isn't my favorite. It's a bit cheesy, over the top and too wordy. The author did a lot of telling, instead of showing.
-Amelia is close to 30 and yet she's still treated like a child and on top of that she allows it. Their is a situation with her mother, that I felt she had every right to be upset about. Yet when she began to express it, she was reprimanded and she just let it go. Umm no, she's an adult, and you can't always protect her. At the same time I think Amelia is more than a little naive and maybe that plays into it as well.
She also has this ability, that she's had for years, and she still doesn't really know all that much about it. The one person she can talk to about it seems so caught up in his own drama that he only teaches her when their is a problem and he always seems irritated or angry. It's like he's mad Amelia would ask questions about it. You know, because seeing ghosts is so normal!
-I had the same problem with the middle of the book this time around too. I think the book starts off well enough and the ending while, slightly predictable, was still pretty good. But in the middle I just found that, at times, I was bored and just wanted the end to happen already.
-I like John, however for all his layers he still felt one dimensional. I guess that goes with us being told how he was instead of really being able to see/feel it. As far as the tragedy that surrounds him I think The reasoning behind John's guilt was a little over the top. It was just too many pieces. He marries a woman who he knows, is an expert in pushing his buttons, that leads them to have a verbally explosive argument in front of their child and friend(maybe, I can't remember if friend was actually there). Only to, get so angry, you make small, (seemingly) uncharacteristic mistakes leading up to the event. I don't know, it just didn't seem to fit his character in my opinion. (Lol sorry if that's vague, trying not to spoil it). Now he lives with all this guilt. I didn't really like/buy that part of the story. It felt like it was an unsuccessful attempt to pull the heart strings.
-The prequel was totally unnecessary and didn't really tell us any more than what the first book tells you. I wouldn't bother with it.
I did like the fact that Amelia wasn't supposed to have any interactions with ghosts. That's a different little twist from most stories where characters can talk and interact with ghosts. While I did find more flaws this time around I'm still interested to see how things go with Amelia and John and if Amelia finds out more about what she can do. Fingers crossed the series gets better. On to Book 2.
So if I was going to rate this after my reread, I would give this book 3 stars. I'm not going to change my initial rating because, at the time, that is what I thought this book deserved. Besides, I'm the one who changed, not the book.
Things I noticed this time around:
-The writing style isn't my favorite. It's a bit cheesy, over the top and too wordy. The author did a lot of telling, instead of showing.
-Amelia is close to 30 and yet she's still treated like a child and on top of that she allows it. Their is a situation with her mother, that I felt she had every right to be upset about. Yet when she began to express it, she was reprimanded and she just let it go. Umm no, she's an adult, and you can't always protect her. At the same time I think Amelia is more than a little naive and maybe that plays into it as well.
She also has this ability, that she's had for years, and she still doesn't really know all that much about it. The one person she can talk to about it seems so caught up in his own drama that he only teaches her when their is a problem and he always seems irritated or angry. It's like he's mad Amelia would ask questions about it. You know, because seeing ghosts is so normal!
-I had the same problem with the middle of the book this time around too. I think the book starts off well enough and the ending while, slightly predictable, was still pretty good. But in the middle I just found that, at times, I was bored and just wanted the end to happen already.
-I like John, however for all his layers he still felt one dimensional. I guess that goes with us being told how he was instead of really being able to see/feel it. As far as the tragedy that surrounds him I think The reasoning behind John's guilt was a little over the top. It was just too many pieces. He marries a woman who he knows, is an expert in pushing his buttons, that leads them to have a verbally explosive argument in front of their child and friend(maybe, I can't remember if friend was actually there). Only to, get so angry, you make small, (seemingly) uncharacteristic mistakes leading up to the event. I don't know, it just didn't seem to fit his character in my opinion. (Lol sorry if that's vague, trying not to spoil it). Now he lives with all this guilt. I didn't really like/buy that part of the story. It felt like it was an unsuccessful attempt to pull the heart strings.
-The prequel was totally unnecessary and didn't really tell us any more than what the first book tells you. I wouldn't bother with it.
I did like the fact that Amelia wasn't supposed to have any interactions with ghosts. That's a different little twist from most stories where characters can talk and interact with ghosts. While I did find more flaws this time around I'm still interested to see how things go with Amelia and John and if Amelia finds out more about what she can do. Fingers crossed the series gets better. On to Book 2.
katyanaish's review against another edition
4.0
Fantastic start to the series. I'm a tad frustrated, only because I want more info on the real rules and structure of this world and Amelia's ability. But for now, I can live with wanting more. I like the world and the characters, and the layers and layers to the story... I just have my fingers crossed that there's a payoff.
Re-read August 2022
There's something lyrical about the narrative, something haunting and lovely. Perfect for this kind of story, honestly. I like Amelia a lot. Devlin less so, honestly, but that's less from this book and more baggage from the next couple.
Anyway, I picked this up for a re-read because I remember liking the series, but also thinking book 3 was the end...and recently I saw that there are several more. So I decided to revisit!
Re-read August 2022
There's something lyrical about the narrative, something haunting and lovely. Perfect for this kind of story, honestly. I like Amelia a lot. Devlin less so, honestly, but that's less from this book and more baggage from the next couple.
Anyway, I picked this up for a re-read because I remember liking the series, but also thinking book 3 was the end...and recently I saw that there are several more. So I decided to revisit!
vicrine's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
cathybruce208's review against another edition
4.0
Amelia Gray is a cemetery restorer. What is that? You've seen crumbling, moss-covered tombstones in old graveyards, right? It's Amelia's job to clean them up or, ideally, keep that damage from happening in the first place. She is a one-woman archaeological whirlwind. She's more comfortable around gravestones than people. She's wound pretty tight and lives her life by a strict set of rules (given to her by her father.) Why? Because Amelia can also see ghosts. And if those ghosts see her, she's in big trouble. And then a (fresh) dead body is found in one of the graveyards she's working in...
I think this book did a great job of introducing Amelia and the "love interest." More on him later. Amelia is smart, resourceful, slightly obsessive, and more than a little repressed. She says she's "quietly pretty" in a don't-look-at-me way. She's the sort of quirky heroine that you want to spend time with, slowly getting to know (which bodes well for the future of the series). The book needs to convince us that this woman has seen ghosts her whole life, and I think the writer does a good job with Amelia's personality.
The object of Amelia's affections is John Devlin: cop, widower, smoldering hottie with a tragic past. Devlin didn't float my boat, but I can see why Amelia becomes obsessed with him. Some women like a fixer-upper. Personally, the whole "haunted by the ghosts of my ex-wife and child" thing would send me running in the other direction, but some girls like a challenge.
The book also did a great job of describing the setting. I've lived in the South, but only visited Charleston a few times. It's a beautiful city with an old-world charm. This book conjures the smells, sights and sounds of the city. It makes me want to move there (even with all the ghosts, killers and back-stabbing Steel Magnolias).
BTW, did I mention this is a murder mystery? It is. It's a good story and I won't give any of it away. I will say that the answer is in front of you the whole time. It doesn't come out of nowhere the way some do. I missed some clues, but then, so did Amelia. She's not perfect, but she is someone you'll root for.
I'll be reading the sequel to see what Amelia does next.
I think this book did a great job of introducing Amelia and the "love interest." More on him later. Amelia is smart, resourceful, slightly obsessive, and more than a little repressed. She says she's "quietly pretty" in a don't-look-at-me way. She's the sort of quirky heroine that you want to spend time with, slowly getting to know (which bodes well for the future of the series). The book needs to convince us that this woman has seen ghosts her whole life, and I think the writer does a good job with Amelia's personality.
The object of Amelia's affections is John Devlin: cop, widower, smoldering hottie with a tragic past. Devlin didn't float my boat, but I can see why Amelia becomes obsessed with him. Some women like a fixer-upper. Personally, the whole "haunted by the ghosts of my ex-wife and child" thing would send me running in the other direction, but some girls like a challenge.
The book also did a great job of describing the setting. I've lived in the South, but only visited Charleston a few times. It's a beautiful city with an old-world charm. This book conjures the smells, sights and sounds of the city. It makes me want to move there (even with all the ghosts, killers and back-stabbing Steel Magnolias).
BTW, did I mention this is a murder mystery? It is. It's a good story and I won't give any of it away. I will say that the answer is in front of you the whole time. It doesn't come out of nowhere the way some do. I missed some clues, but then, so did Amelia. She's not perfect, but she is someone you'll root for.
I'll be reading the sequel to see what Amelia does next.
brisamar's review against another edition
3.0
La autora alarga demasiado el libro y lo más emocionante ocurre en los capítulos finales.
luciearan's review against another edition
4.0
Pro mě je tohle rereading po několika letech a přiznávám, že jsem se ho tak trochu bála. Mám slabost pro duchařiny jako takové a tahle série se pro ně stala docela srdeční záležitostí.
Nakonec jsem se ale bála zbytečně. I po opakovaném přečtení se mi tento díl líbí, i přes to, že některé z dalších dílů série jsou lepší, tedy alespoň co si pamatuju. V každém případě i na jejich znovupřečtení se chystám před tím, než se pustím do dílu posledního.
Nakonec jsem se ale bála zbytečně. I po opakovaném přečtení se mi tento díl líbí, i přes to, že některé z dalších dílů série jsou lepší, tedy alespoň co si pamatuju. V každém případě i na jejich znovupřečtení se chystám před tím, než se pustím do dílu posledního.