Reviewed by Nino Lobiladze for Readers' Favorite

Moira Gallagher was five years old when a car accident took the life of her best friend, Julia. Moira didn't mourn the loss, puzzling her parents. Julia's ghost appeared before her almost immediately after the accident. Since then, Moira has been experiencing frequent visits from the spirits of the departed. Moira and her sister, Deirdre, run Gallagher Investigations, using Moira's abilities to help grieving people and lost souls. The sisters received a letter from Séan Kennedy, asking them to investigate his past and find possible connections to the McGuire Stud Farm in Kildare, Ireland. The recently passed-away owner had a reputation as a cruel man and was married to a woman Séan believed to be his mother. Both died in a car crash, and the estate, with its many secrets, was waiting for an heir. The younger of the Gallagher girls, Nuala, comes to their aid with her own unique gift as Moira, guided by the otherworldly guardians, opposes the evil forces. We Are Shadows by Gail Grant Park is an engaging read for fans of mystery, detective, and suspense novels with a paranormal element.

We Are Shadows is a thrilling read divided into four interconnected parts. The events unfold in Ireland, and Gail Grant Park has graciously added a pronunciation and translation guide for Irish proper names and terms. Pieces of Irish wisdom, like "A handful of skills is better than a bagful of gold," open some chapters. Gail offers us interesting insights into the dark periods of the history of Ireland, like the Great Famine and the social injustice that followed it. The binding elements of the book's four parts are kindness and compassion. Moira is always ready to help those who reach out for her, be it her next-door neighbor or a ghost from the other side of the veil. Open-hearted Moira, empathetic Deirdre, and Nuala, who is always honest with herself, are very lovable characters. Gail touches on the importance of family connections. Nana Brigid may be dead, but she watches over her granddaughters constantly. She is a great secondary character with a vibrant personality to remember. I liked the touching story of Moira's and Deirdre's trip to the US, where they tried to support an elderly relative in need. We Are Shadows has an appealing writing style and a captivating plotline with many unpredictable twists.

Reviewed by Alicia DeBerry for Readers' Favorite

Kevin A. Davis shows us a world that is hidden within our world in Atlanta’s Guide to Cryptids. Kristen, a witch, and the latest recruit to the Department of Realm Containment, has no time to adjust to her new crew. They get a case on her first day. She thought she was just joining the FBI but soon discovers that’s not the case. Now working with an experienced team of witches, werewolves, vampires, and dragon shifters, she must use all her wits and experience to stay alive. With their combined abilities, they work to solve the cases that involve instances of the use of the dangerous Tarus realm to unleash deadly cryptids into the city.

I love the theme that secret branches are working together to protect the world's fragility and keep things in balance. Kevin A. Davis’s descriptions of each crime scene and action scene are so vivid that at times I felt like I could see and smell what was happening. The pace moved just right so I never got bored during the investigation scenes. As knowledge was revealed about the different entities they encountered, the abilities of the crew kept me entertained and intrigued for more. I connected with the lead character Kristen's struggles as she voiced her opinions despite her lack of experience. I enjoyed watching her grow in trusting her abilities and becoming a new valuable member of the team. I recommend Atlanta’s Guide to Cryptids to lovers of fantasy, paranormal, supernatural, action, and drama.

Reviewed by Divine Zape for Readers' Favorite

Burning Red: The Red Legacies by Trinity Slain delivers a beautiful blend of romance and paranormal intrigue. Garron, tortured and scarred in prison, finds an unexpected ally in Jaxon. Jaxon makes the ultimate sacrifice to help Garron escape from prison. Now, Garron must find and protect his sister. Maxine has lost hope of seeing her brother after killing the only person who knew his whereabouts. But Garron arrives, claiming he knows where to find her brother. As secrets unravel and danger looms, the tension between Garron and Maxine simmers with primal intensity, fueled by a connection neither can deny. They must stay alive while finding a way to return to the prison where Garron has faced monsters, torture, and dark caves. Can they beat multiple enemies and rescue Maxine's brother from a place where escape is almost impossible?

There is much to enjoy in this first installment of The Red Legacies series, an opening that makes a bold promise on what readers should expect in the next installments. Characterization is impeccable! Readers are introduced to complex characters, each meticulously written, each carrying a heavy burden. The conflict shapes their inner worlds. Garron has been through a lot of pain, a man broken by torture, and his escape from the worst prison in their world is daring. His encounter with Maxine, a beguilingly beautiful woman, increases the stakes. Maxine has her demons to handle, and while the attraction grows between them, they must overcome their fears and learn to trust each other. The writing is superb, with beautiful descriptions and multiple POVs. The setting is finely drawn and mirrors the characters' inner worlds. Trinity Slain's writing is infused with strong imagery and a sense of timing. Burning Red was a delightful read for me.

Reviewed by Saifunnissa Hassam for Readers' Favorite

Abigail Cutter’s The Last of What I Am is a riveting and well-crafted historical novel about a Confederate soldier and the American Civil War. The narrator is the ghost of Tom Smiley, a Confederate veteran from Bethel in Augusta County, in southwestern Virginia. Tom’s spirit continues to live in his family home in Bethel into the 21st century. Tom’s memories of the Civil War and his profound remorse at the death and devastation caused by the war will not let his spirit rest. His sense of who he is, everything in his life, and his family’s life from the 19th century is still in the farmhouse. All that changes abruptly when the new owners, Harry and Phoebe Hunter, begin significant renovations of the home. Tom’s heart breaks as his memories are ripped away. His anger grows. Phoebe senses a ghostly presence as she opens closets and chests, discovering long-ago letters among many family treasures. Intuitively, with her growing awareness of the family who lived here once, she reaches out to Tom and he tells her his story about those dark and grim Civil War days. The novel twists and turns to the very end.

Profoundly moving and thought-provoking, I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Last of What I Am for its remarkable characters and deeply personal narrative. I particularly liked how Tom Smiley’s character remains central to the story, as he remembers the harrowing and unforgettable days of the Civil War and then his heart-wrenching helplessness when the 21st century intrudes into his home, unaware and uncaring about his memories and his spirit. The novel gained great depth with the rich and vivid details of the other characters, Tom’s family, his boyhood friends who were also infantrymen with him, and the other Confederate soldiers Tom came to know in the war. I was deeply moved as I read the letters from Mary, Tom’s sister, during the war, and how these letters were a lifeline for him to survive at all costs and to return home. I also liked the details Abigail Cutter worked into the novel after Tom returned from the war, as well as the challenges he faced in postwar life. The interweaving of the paranormal and the layering of past and present was expertly crafted through Phoebe’s intuition, understanding, and encouragement. The Last of What I Am has complex and compelling themes; a historical and contemporary story of friendship, loyalty, family, forgiveness, and redemption.

Reviewed by Anne-Marie Reynolds for Readers' Favorite

Running In The Shadows by Niki Gregory is the first book in a paranormal series, Memoirs of a Living Dead Girl. Lucy must die because the witch wants her powers, powers that grow with Lucy. Once the witch has claimed her, Lucy’s spirit cannot move on. It hovers somewhere between life and death. Lucy is trapped in a never-ending sleep, safe from the witch, until she returns to consciousness, leaving her vulnerable. It’s down to Lucy’s sister and her friends to save Lucy, and they set off on a long, dangerous journey, fighting dark forces to rescue Lucy’s soul from the evil that lies ahead. Can they get to her in time, or is their quest doomed to fail before it starts?

Running In The Shadows by Niki Gregory is very different from other stories in the paranormal genre. Rather than being a good vs. evil story all the way through, we see things from the perspective of a living dead girl, floating between life and death, highlighting the fragility that exists between the two states. It is an adult book and contains triggers, so beware. This story is highly emotional and full of action as the main character’s friends and family face dangers they never dreamed existed. All the characters are well-developed, and you will feel that you know them. Indeed, you can probably see yourself and the people you know in them, and they are easy to relate to. This is a highly imaginative story that will stay with you for a long time. A very enjoyable, nail-biting read, and I can’t wait for the next one.

Reviewed by Pikasho Deka for Readers' Favorite

Run! Katie! is a paranormal mystery thriller by Doris Pariso. It's been twelve years since Katie Parish's mother, Sharon, went missing without a trace, leaving Katie and her father, John, alone. Now a college student, Katie deals with the trauma of losing her mother the best way she can; running. Meanwhile, Peter Dorjen, a well-known psychic, has recently acquired the ability to listen to deceased souls from the other side. So when Sharon's spirit warns him of grave danger to her daughter, Peter must do everything he can to protect Katie. He travels to Harperstown and, alongside Katie's eccentric Aunt Patty, delves into deciphering Sharon's messages. But a dangerous man is back to his old ways, and Katie is the next victim on his mind. Will Peter be able to help Katie avoid a similar fate as her mother?

Doris Pariso has created a captivating yarn filled with mystery, suspense, and thrills. Run! Katie! is a thriller with just a hint of the supernatural to make it all the more intriguing. Pariso's smooth prose and easygoing narrative make the story a breeze; you can read it in one sitting. The characters have well-defined personalities that differ, but this is primarily a plot-driven story. A couple of well-placed twists take you by surprise and keep you glued to the pages. Grab a copy if you're in the mood for a fast-paced mystery thriller.

Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

House of Mirrors is a work of fiction in the paranormal thriller subgenre. It is best suited to the general adult reading audience and was penned by author Nola Weeks Nash. In this chilling and mysterious story, we enter a paranormal world when Ruby Baxter, a local tour guide and sometime-medium in the little town of Franklin, Tennessee, finds herself wrapped up in the ghosts of the past and the troubles they bring to the present day. Taking us back through some of the atrocities and struggles of the Civil War as it took place in Franklin, Ruby must try to settle the restless spirits of the dead in order to give the living some sense of peace.

Author Nola Weeks Nash has crafted a multi-dimensional tale of paranormal drama that will enrapture fans of historical fiction, military tales, contemporary drama, and ghost stories alike. The writing in itself is impressive, as it captures perfectly the small-town atmosphere and environment in every tiny detail of setting and dialogue touches, whilst also keeping a confident hand on the pacing and progress of the overall plot. I really loved Ruby as a central protagonist as she was a reluctant hero and not without reasonable fear, but she was also brave and filled with interesting skills that helped her to solve problems and put the clues together in unique and unexpected ways. Overall, I would certainly recommend House of Mirrors for fans of ghostly and mystery fiction who want to discover a talented author with excellent storytelling skills.

Reviewed by Miche Arendse for Readers' Favorite

Vampire Witch, Book One of the Vampire Witch Trilogy by Eileen Sheehan is set in a world devastated by nuclear war where resources are scarce but monsters are aplenty. Casey Merker is trying to get by just like anybody else when a strange man appears, searching for her. The weirdest part is that he claims her mother sent him, the mother she presumed was dead. If only Casey knew that this wasn't the weirdest thing in store for her.

Vampire Witch by Eileen Sheehan is a stunning example of how a vampire novel should be done, and I hung onto every page. The storyline and concepts are original, ensuring you’re always left surprised at one thing or another. Sheehan has such a way with words; she seamlessly adds the right amount of information into any given scenario, thus allowing the story to flow without awkward breaks. By this, I mean it often happens that while trying to explain certain concepts within the story’s world, the reader becomes disconnected from the actual scene in the book. This was never a problem; I was constantly immersed in the story and the characters, resulting in binge-reading. The drama and complexities left nothing to be desired, and by the end of the story, I was at the edge of my seat. Vampire Witch had me in a chokehold, and I cannot wait to check out the next book in the series.

Reviewed by Michelle Stanley for Readers' Favorite

Mystery at Raven’s Crest is a paranormal story by Salem Marlowe. Lee and Maggie, owners of a Victorian inn, accommodate a group of mystery writers who create a murder mystery, complete with 18th-century food and costumes. Despite the antics of three young spirits living in the attic, everything is going well until Rory, a new guest, is found dead. Lee and Maggie are worried their business will be ruined as this isn’t the first murder committed at Raven’s Crest. They use their supernatural powers to summon Amanda, another spirit, to help them. Something sinister is happening at the inn. Lee and Maggie don’t want the guests to be frightened and are determined to get things back to normal as quickly as possible.

Mystery at Raven’s Crest by Salem Marlowe is an entertaining and engaging story. It consists of several intriguing dramas that intertwine so well. It can’t be easy for Lee and Maggie to operate an inn that is haunted, but they keep a cool demeanor, at least most of the time. The author has written descriptively. Lee and Maggie are organized and methodical, so I paid attention to every detail, just in case I missed anything relevant. Salem Marlowe provided some information on 18th-century food and other vital topics of the story. The characters were also charming with lively personalities. I like the Wiggan siblings, too. There were a few twists that kept me smiling, but there were a few sad, touching scenes. Mystery at Raven’s Crest is a fun read.

Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

Ark of the Apocalypse is a work of fiction in the science fiction and fantasy subgenres and it forms the opening novel of the Magellan ll Chronicles. The work is best suited to adult and mature teen readers owing to some moderate use of adult language, and it was penned by author Tobin Marks. After planet Earth is left desolate and waterless by the ravages of pollution, war, and the callousness of humankind, the arkship the Magellan II transports what’s left of humanity’s brightest hopes to a new constellation to start a better life. But here in the Draco constellation, the promise of water brings with it dangerous reptilian life that seems hauntingly familiar to humanity’s own draconic mythology.

Author Tobin Marks has much to offer in this insightful and thought-provoking story, and it’s a joy to read a work that balances plenty of action-packed adventure with interesting core messages about the destructive nature of humanity. Fans of fantasy will appreciate the blend of influences within this space opera setting, which deftly incorporates dragons into the storyline with lore and descriptive logic that make perfect sense in context. The travelers aboard the Magellan II are a huge variety cast as we see a colony develop over time, and Marks gives each one a unique perspective from which to continue the overall journey of humanity itself. Fans of big-picture science fiction will love Ark of the Apocalypse for its well-thought-out worldbuilding, scientific ingenuity, and lasting message for our future.