The Restorer by Amanda Stevens

From Goodreads:

My name is Amelia Gray. I'm a cemetery restorer who sees ghosts. In order to protect myself from the parasitic nature of the dead, I've always held fast to the rules passed down from my father. But now a haunted police detective has entered my world and everything is changing, including the rules that have always kept me safe. 

It started with the discovery of a young woman's brutalized body in an old Charleston graveyard I've been hired to restore. The clues to the killer—and to his other victims—lie in the headstone symbolism that only I can interpret. Devlin needs my help, but his ghosts shadow his every move, feeding off his warmth, sustaining their presence with his energy. To warn him would be to invite them into my life. I've vowed to keep my distance, but the pull of his magnetism grows ever stronger even as the symbols lead me closer to the killer and to the gossamer veil that separates this world from the next.

I think most people who pick up this book expect a ghost story. You will not be disappointed. However, I would say that it is more than that. It is also a very good murder mystery story. And while that doesn't make the ghosts of any less importance, it does make the book lean more toward a thriller than a paranormal book for me. This is not a bad thing as I do enjoy thrillers.

The mystery revolves around a murdered victim found in the cemetery Amelia is in charge of restoring. Using her expertise of the grounds she becomes involved with the case and with Devlin, the detective in charge. The killer is also making sure that Amelia is a part of the case by sending clues to her blog. I won't say much more as I will end up giving too much away. You know what that means... get ready for it... *evil laugh* Ah, I feel much better now. ;)

This ghostly murder mystery thriller (say that 5 times fast) gets 4 stars. I really enjoyed the world Amelia lives and love trying to figure out what is what and who is what. ;) The characters were interesting and I suspect that in the next coming stories in this series we will see them develop even further. I hope so. I think it could become more deliciously creepy if that happens. The murder mystery was solved, but not certain parts of her life in which I have curiosities still left to be satisfied. The next book is The Kingdom.

I was given this eGalley by Mira and NetGalley and no compensation for my review was given.



I couldn't decide which I liked best. They were both equally wonderfully creepy. :)

The Graveyard Queen website