All Aubrey Ellis wants is a normal life, one that doesn’t include desperate pleas from the dead. Her remarkable gift may help others rest in peace, but it also made for an unsettling childhood and destroyed her marriage. Finally content as the real estate writer for a local newspaper, Aubrey keeps her extraordinary ability hidden—until she is unexpectedly assigned the story of a decades-old … murder.
Rocked by the discovery of a young woman’s skeletal remains, the New England town of Surrey wants answers. Hard-nosed investigative reporter Levi St John is determined to get them. Aubrey has no choice but to get involved, even at the terrifying risk of stirring spirits connected to a dead woman’s demise and piquing her new reporting partner’s suspicions.
As Aubrey and Levi delve further into the mystery, secrets are revealed and passion ignites. It seems that Aubrey’s ghost gifts are poised to deliver everything but a normal life.
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One of the best books I’ve read in a couple years. Laura Spinella has become another of my favorites.
Ms. Spinella’s world-building with the paranormal was great. One of the best presentations of the after-life and unfinished business that I’ve read.
The mystery was easy for me, but…I’m a mystery writer, so I don’t hold it against an author when I figure out whodunit too quickly.
I recommend reading “Ghost Gifts” for the ghostly twists, the hint of romance, and the superb world-building.
This could be considered a supernatural or ghost/medium book. It is much more!
The characters fly off the pages, fully fleshed out, personality quirks and all.
The dealings with the dead are not portrayed to scare us but to explain the reasons they are still here. Aubrey is someone you’d think is a bit introverted, quiet, loves to stay home and has a great job on the Surrey City Press. Her job is to promote homes for sale, giving them personalities and playing up their features. She lives with Charley, her grandmother, who her help deals with the dead. It seems she was born with this talent and has learned to control it. She can walk away or talk to the spirit of the dead….some just need help passing on, think they are alive still have or have messages for family. But some are bitter and angry and Aubrey prefers to walk away from their evil.
Unfortunately for Aubrey a nice looking, serious, glass wearing Levi St John is working alongside her….on a dead body case.Levi is determined to get the goods and get himself recognized in the case of Missy Flannan. It seems Missy has been finally found, dead, buried in a basement wall.
Bad news, Frank, a drifter that knew Missy is in prison for her death even without a body. Good news for Frank, the body was found in her older boyfriend’s basement wall.
This case is deep and perplexing and it’s hard to find the real Missy and why she was killed as everyone said she was the best and no one disagrees with that….so why kill her? Small town with secrets that are buried deep or a fight over Missy betweeen Frank and her older boyfriend Dustin?
The verbal exchanges between Levi and Aubrey make this book special …you feel you are there listening and watching. And when Aubrey is dealing with “ghosts”, it seems real, not odd or freaky but another aspect of her life.
There is a solid mystery, in depth look at a victim and why she acted the way she did….there were reasons….but also a burgeoning friendship/love between Levi and Aubrey. Missy is shown through the eyes of Frank and Dustin. Owen, the almost ex-hubby of Aubrey shows up and Charley is superb at one liners aimed to show her grand daughter that you can move on and live without a husband. As Charley puts it, one perfect chair is better than two chairs stuffed in a room. We could all use a Charley!
Settle in with a wine and just savor the book…and luckily, there is a second one…yeah.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Part mystery, part paranormal, tiny bit horror but not really, plus throw in a bit of romance. I can see this one as a movie. I was able to get great visuals in my mind as I read.
This ain’t your mama’s family drama! Binge-worthy Ghost Gifts trilogy (Ghost Gifts, Foretold, Echo Moon) is more than a romance, historical, and paranormal fiction all in one. The twists and turns will raise the hair on the back of your neck, yet Laura Spinella’s well thought out storyline and unforgettable characters keep you wanting more.
Great choice for February kindle first pick.
Hoping this will become a series. I found the characters to be relatable and for the most part likeable. Even though not too far into it I came to the conclusion who the killer was, I think the story is thoroughly enjoyble.
loved it bought the series
This one is currently on sale (July 18th, 2019) and well worth the read!
A nicely done story. I loved the concept, perhaps the most intriguing slant on ghost/medium stories I’ve read yet. And I enjoyed the complex characters with their backstories & idiosyncrasies.
But the last couple of chapters almost did me in. That was cruel. Even if it ended differently than I expected, it still hurt. Shame on you, Ms Spinella.
Which, I guess, really shows how great a book this is. Well done.
Great book! Well conceived plot, well written paranormal cold case mystery with a little romance thrown in for good measure.
Even though I correctly guessed the murderer about halfway through the book, I still enjoyed it very much, and appreciate that there were no loose ends at the last – everything was tied up nice and neat with a big red ribbon. Looking forward to the other two books in this trilogy, as well as the author’s stand alone novels.
I awarded this book 4.5 stars.
A very interesting, intense story. You think you know who done it or how it’s done. But the story keeps you guessing till the last chapter. Very captivating!
Favorite Quotes:
She’d given up on calling it prayer years ago. Prayers were meant to be answered. So far, Missy’s had not been.
In five years he’d exhibited all the spontaneity of a wet match.
He’d watched his mother paint her whole face, kind of like a human paint-by-numbers. She could even do it with a cigarette in her hand, though she repeatedly insisted it was her last one.
He wore metal through so many pieces of flesh that Levi imagined unhooking them would cause the punk rocker to fall apart.
My Review:
I immediately tumbled into this captivating and consuming tale during page one and practically loathed reaching the last page, as I didn’t want to leave the story behind. Thankfully I have the next two books to hopefully sate my appetite for this talented mastermind’s cunning word voodoo. Her clever storylines and skillfully adroit writing style were ingeniously crafted, lushly detailed, and highly evocative. It was sublime.