Rylan was the last person to see Bess before she disappeared. The police are involved and fear for Bess’ safety. But Rylan can speak to ghosts and has had no sign of Bess from the other side so believes she is still alive. She tries to help the police to find the missing woman but they discover other bodies instead…
The Shadow Girls is the second book to feature ghost hunter Rylan. I have previously read and reviewed the first book in the series, The Spirit Girls.
I LOVE Rylan. The ghosts, the faith, and her caring personality all combine to make her a fab lead character. I was completely swept up in the plot from beginning to end and loved the twists (I guessed the big one, but it didn’t matter). There are engaging subplots as well which allows Rylan to help other spirits find peace.
Most of the book is written from Rylan’s first person perspective but other chapters show Ford, Bess and others. This builds tension as we try to make sense of the missing woman situation but also gives us a contrast to Rylan’s view. In particular, I like Ford’s attempts to stay objective and professional.
The plot is completely captivating and wonderfully delivered through the narrative structure. I enjoyed the first book but I LOVED this one! The ghosts, supernatural and religious elements are handled sensitively and I found myself believing in the authenticity of the characters and situations despite the fact it is fictional.
The Shadow Girls is a brilliant paranormal murder and crime mystery.
I open my eyes. The room is dark and I can see no windows, only stairs leading up to a metal trapdoor. From the shadows, a figure emerges. A little girl with long, pale hair. She smiles at me. “Are you my new mommy?” she says.
A young woman is missing. And Rylan Flynn was the last person to see her alive.
Nobody has heard from Bess Freeman since Rylan saw her leaving a bar and walking into the night with a stranger. Normally quiet and shy, Bess would never skip out on her family and friends like this. The small town of Ashby is in shock.
While the police struggle to find leads, it’s immediately clear to Rylan that this is no ordinary abduction. Her ability to see ghosts reveals sinister clues on all sides.
In the basement of an abandoned church, Rylan finds the spirit of another young woman who may be a victim. And when the police uncover human remains beneath a barn, a male figure watches them closely, then disappears.
Ashby’s handsome head detective, Ford Pierce, is as reluctant as ever to involve Rylan in the case.
But when another woman’s body is discovered hidden in a derelict family home, it’s clear that Bess is in mortal danger. And her time is running out.
For years, a killer has been lurking in Ashby, driven by a darkness that is more than human.
Desperate to find Bess before another innocent life is lost, Rylan must work with Ford to unravel a dangerous web of lies. But is she drawing closer to the truth or walking into the killer’s trap?
A gripping paranormal thriller packed with dark secrets, danger and slow-burning romance that will keep you turning pages late into the night. Fans of Wendy Wang, Heather Graham and Dean Koontz will love The Shadow Girls.
Author Bio
Dawn Merriman writes creepy small town murder mysteries from her small farm in northeast Indiana where she lives with her husband and teenage children. You can often find her with muck boots on her feet and a story in her head. She enjoys animals, auctions, snorkeling and archaeology.
Dawn Merriman grew up a small town farm girl, on a small time pig farm in Indiana. She spent her young adulthood sitting on her bedroom floor scribbling stories in notebooks. She won the “Northeast Indiana Young Writers” award as a sophomore in high school.
After battling severe depression, she wrote her debut novel “How Murder Saved My Life” as therapy, mixing her love of murder mysteries and farming with climbing out of the darkness of illness.
Rylan was the last person to see Bess before she disappeared. The police are involved and fear for Bess’ safety. But Rylan can speak to ghosts and has had no sign of Bess from the other side so believes she is still alive. She tries to help the police to find the missing woman but they discover other bodies instead…
