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Ghost Tamer
Death is one thing, it's what you do afterward that matters. Aspiring comedian Raely is the sole survivor of a disastrous train wreck. While faced with the intense grief of losing her best friend, she realizes that someone is following her―and has been following her all her life. Trouble is, no one else can see him. For a ghostly tag-along, Casper’s not so bad. He might even be the partner Raely needs to fight the evil spirit hell-bent on destroying her. Raely and her friend must learn why this demonic spirit is haunting Raely and how she can stop him before he destroys her life―and her soul. Which, much to her chagrin, means she needs the help of a psychic (although she’s sure they are all charlatans) and must rid herself of the pesky ghost hunter who’s interested in exploiting her new abilities. For readers who enjoy Leigh Bardugo’s Ninth House and Clay McLeod Chapman’s Ghost Eaters .
336 pages, Hardcover
First published September 19, 2023
About the author
Meredith R. Lyons
2 books167 followersMeredith grew up in New Orleans, collecting two degrees from Louisiana State University before running away to Chicago to be an actor. In between plays, she got her black belt and made martial arts and yoga her full-time day job. She fought in the Chicago Golden Gloves, ran the Chicago Marathon, and competed for team U.S.A. in the savate world championships in Paris. In spite of doing each of these things twice, she couldn’t stay warm and relocated to Nashville. She owns several swords, but lives a non-violent life, saving all swashbuckling for the page, knitting scarves, gardening, visiting coffee shops, and cuddling with her husband and two panther-sized cats. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters In Crime. Ghost Tamer is her first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 127 reviews
August 21, 2023
Gobbled this book up in just a few days. I instantly fell in love with Raely's friendly ghost (aptly nicknamed "Casper") and on the edge of my seat as Raely and Casper realize that a not-so-friendly ghost has also taken an interest in her. This book is definitely more thriller/suspense than horror, although some of the ghost attacks are truly chilling! Yet even though the pacing is tight and shot through with adrenaline, the characters are wonderfully developed (for better and worse; there's one character in particular that made my blood boil every time he appeared on the page, which was definitely intentional! It's just a good thing I don't already struggle with high blood pressure), and I was just as invested in Raely and Casper's emotional journeys as I was in them finding a solution to Raely's haunting. Ultimately, GHOST TAMER wraps up with an ending that is equal parts thrilling and poignant, and left me wholly satisfied. Fantastic debut, and can't wait to see more from Lyons!
August 21, 2023
This book is such a unique genre-bending thriller with a ton of suspense, action, and mystery. Raely is a complex, hilarious, and well-rounded character surrounded by a cast of equally intriguing characters both alive and dead. I gobbled this book up in a day because it was that amazing. I highly recommend it to fans of paranormal, horror, and fantasy.
August 8, 2023
This is a very different ghost story from books I have read before. Really enjoyed the book, and I loved the way the story flowed, it kept me hooked throughout – wanting to find out what was next to be revealed. The characters were well written and there was real depth to Raely’s character.
The tragic loss of her best friend and the realisation that she had been loved and supported all her life by someone she never knew, helped her to grow in confidence and self-belief. She tackled some nasty characters but was able to do the right thing for herself. The ending was well done.
I would have liked to have some more background on Lovonia – her story would make an interesting read.
The tragic loss of her best friend and the realisation that she had been loved and supported all her life by someone she never knew, helped her to grow in confidence and self-belief. She tackled some nasty characters but was able to do the right thing for herself. The ending was well done.
I would have liked to have some more background on Lovonia – her story would make an interesting read.
August 19, 2023
I really enjoyed this novel. It was not what I expected. Paranormal aspects, grief, thrills, and love.
January 30, 2024
I've never left a written review on here before, just starred my read books for my own reference, but I really enjoyed this book and seeing how few reviews it has breaks my heart.
The characters in this are all so well fleshed out, every one of them appearing in full technicolor in my head. Each one was charming and lovable or disgustingly infuriating right when they were supposed to be.
Also, and maybe this is because I am primarily a romance or romantasy reader, but the story felt very fresh and unique to me. While all of the ghost lore was comfortably familiar, the fact that there were ghosts at all (instead of werewolves or fae or vampires) made this urban fantasy seem like there was a whole new wide world to explore.
The pacing was excellent as well and even though I was able to guess where things were going ahead of time, I had so much fun getting there that I had a really hard time putting the book down to do stupid, necessary things like work and sleep. I just wanted to funnel the whole thing straight into my brain as fast as possible.
My absolute favorite thing about this book, however, was how authentic and immersive Raely's grief felt. It made me miss Joe right along with her and brought back memories of my own dearly missed friend who died too soon.
I was so sad to see this is the only book available from this author so far, but I really look forward to whatever she writes next.
The characters in this are all so well fleshed out, every one of them appearing in full technicolor in my head. Each one was charming and lovable or disgustingly infuriating right when they were supposed to be.
Also, and maybe this is because I am primarily a romance or romantasy reader, but the story felt very fresh and unique to me. While all of the ghost lore was comfortably familiar, the fact that there were ghosts at all (instead of werewolves or fae or vampires) made this urban fantasy seem like there was a whole new wide world to explore.
The pacing was excellent as well and even though I was able to guess where things were going ahead of time, I had so much fun getting there that I had a really hard time putting the book down to do stupid, necessary things like work and sleep. I just wanted to funnel the whole thing straight into my brain as fast as possible.
My absolute favorite thing about this book, however, was how authentic and immersive Raely's grief felt. It made me miss Joe right along with her and brought back memories of my own dearly missed friend who died too soon.
I was so sad to see this is the only book available from this author so far, but I really look forward to whatever she writes next.
August 26, 2023
A fun, yet meaningful read! You’ve got to love it when a book sends your emotions on a roller coaster of a ride. I found my responses running the gamut from laughter to tears and everything in between. Along with the protagonist, Raely, I experienced her feelings as her life changed in one split second.
Raely’s snarky attitude lends itself well to her life as an aspiring comedian. But her life off-stage is anything but funny. Already dealing with the repercussions of a dysfunctional childhood and several unhealthy relationships, Raely’s world comes crashing down when she is the only survivor of a train wreck. Waking in the hospital to learn about the loss of her best friend, Joe, Raely discovers she has come back from her near-death experience with a friendly ghost. As ‘Casper’ follows her, Raely sees other ghosts, including one particularly malicious apparition. The humorous banter between Raely and Casper off-sets the terrorizing by the demon that is out to claim her soul. It’s a classic tale of good vs. evil fought in more than one dimension.
Seeking ‘ghost buster’ assistance, Raely encounters both charlatans and the real deal, eliciting anger and doubt as she is plunged further into danger. Throughout her ordeal, Raely learns that she must reach deep inside to rid herself of the darkness threatening to take over. With the help of family and friends, she comes to terms with the overwhelming grief of Joe’s loss and discovers why she survived the train crash. Author Meredith Lyons tackles the topic of grief with understanding and empathy, allowing the reader into Raely’s head with a first-person point-of-view to experience her physical and emotional recovery as she strains to find hope amidst despondency.
More than just a paranormal tale involving ghosts, The Ghost Tamer is the story of a young woman finding her purpose in life. I thoroughly enjoyed taking this journey of self-discovery with Raely and all her ghosts.
Raely’s snarky attitude lends itself well to her life as an aspiring comedian. But her life off-stage is anything but funny. Already dealing with the repercussions of a dysfunctional childhood and several unhealthy relationships, Raely’s world comes crashing down when she is the only survivor of a train wreck. Waking in the hospital to learn about the loss of her best friend, Joe, Raely discovers she has come back from her near-death experience with a friendly ghost. As ‘Casper’ follows her, Raely sees other ghosts, including one particularly malicious apparition. The humorous banter between Raely and Casper off-sets the terrorizing by the demon that is out to claim her soul. It’s a classic tale of good vs. evil fought in more than one dimension.
Seeking ‘ghost buster’ assistance, Raely encounters both charlatans and the real deal, eliciting anger and doubt as she is plunged further into danger. Throughout her ordeal, Raely learns that she must reach deep inside to rid herself of the darkness threatening to take over. With the help of family and friends, she comes to terms with the overwhelming grief of Joe’s loss and discovers why she survived the train crash. Author Meredith Lyons tackles the topic of grief with understanding and empathy, allowing the reader into Raely’s head with a first-person point-of-view to experience her physical and emotional recovery as she strains to find hope amidst despondency.
More than just a paranormal tale involving ghosts, The Ghost Tamer is the story of a young woman finding her purpose in life. I thoroughly enjoyed taking this journey of self-discovery with Raely and all her ghosts.
October 9, 2023
If you are a follower of Goodreads’ suggestions, ideas, you would realize that this month they have been highlighting/pushing terror books. It is October! This is not my go to genre of books, but I thought I would dip my toe in and see what it had to offer. I have to admit that my first few choices into this type of book were not to my liking, they just didn’t make sense to me. They seemed so contrived that I thought maybe this is not my genre after all. But, I have always loved spooky books, magic, spells, hauntings, Ghosts, that kind of paranormal/otherworldly type of books. Definitely not zombies and preferably not vampires either.
I am not sure if this book was a suggestion of theirs or one that I had picked on my own a while ago, and just got from the library. I have to say it fit the bill perfectly. I loved it. It had just enough fun and a sweet ghost, he was nicknamed Casper, until they found out his real name. But also a psychic and some not so friendly demon/ghost/mean spiritual entities. I never go into the books plot. I don’t like spoilers. I don’t like people that rewrite the book flap, so I am just going to say that I loved this book from start to finish. It had that spooky flavor, but it also had a nice family and an interesting story.
One thing, I definitely have to mention is the publisher of this book, CamCat. I never really took notice of the publishers before, but after I was maybe 40-50 pages into the book, I said wow, who published this book? I just love it. The pages were nice and thick. The type was not tiny, not huge. The whole layout of the book was perfect, I am definitely going to look into more of their books because I hate books with type that is so tiny you need a magnifying glass.I don’t like decile edges. I don’t like pages that are so thin that you have to wrestle with them to get to the next page because I don’t lick my finger to turn the page:Number one because I respect all books and number two if it’s a library book well you can figure out what number two is.
I think I rambled more than usual but I just want to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this debut novel by Mereditth Lyons and I hope she has another one up her sleeve because it was well written, fun and magical. What more can you ask for?
I am not sure if this book was a suggestion of theirs or one that I had picked on my own a while ago, and just got from the library. I have to say it fit the bill perfectly. I loved it. It had just enough fun and a sweet ghost, he was nicknamed Casper, until they found out his real name. But also a psychic and some not so friendly demon/ghost/mean spiritual entities. I never go into the books plot. I don’t like spoilers. I don’t like people that rewrite the book flap, so I am just going to say that I loved this book from start to finish. It had that spooky flavor, but it also had a nice family and an interesting story.
One thing, I definitely have to mention is the publisher of this book, CamCat. I never really took notice of the publishers before, but after I was maybe 40-50 pages into the book, I said wow, who published this book? I just love it. The pages were nice and thick. The type was not tiny, not huge. The whole layout of the book was perfect, I am definitely going to look into more of their books because I hate books with type that is so tiny you need a magnifying glass.I don’t like decile edges. I don’t like pages that are so thin that you have to wrestle with them to get to the next page because I don’t lick my finger to turn the page:Number one because I respect all books and number two if it’s a library book well you can figure out what number two is.
I think I rambled more than usual but I just want to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this debut novel by Mereditth Lyons and I hope she has another one up her sleeve because it was well written, fun and magical. What more can you ask for?
September 20, 2023
I was excited to try this book to branch out a bit from my usual read and to be honest, I wasn't sure how I would feel about it. Well, I loved it! Once I started, I couldn't stop and I cringed every time I had to put it down to do real life, ugh. Raely is snarky and funny and so relatable. I love her sarcasm and spirit and the way she just dives forward despite the fear. I loved her "friendly ghost" and the character he became. There are a couple of fun small twists during the story, and I may have said out loud, I knew it!!
For someone who doesn't normally read ghost stories, this is such a good one. It's about love, loss, family and the power of forgiveness. I highly recommend this book!
For someone who doesn't normally read ghost stories, this is such a good one. It's about love, loss, family and the power of forgiveness. I highly recommend this book!
September 16, 2023
It took me a little bit to finish this book and then to write a review. The emotions I had while reading this book were from; sobbing uncontrollably to being incredibly angry. Then once I had calmed down enough to read again, I was hit with another wave of emotion. This world of people interacting with spirits was such a believable story that if I were a skeptic, this book might convince me otherwise. I loved the ending and I hope there will be other books to come with Raely as the main protagonist.
July 25, 2023
Fast paced, easy read, and compelling
October 1, 2023
Following the traumatic events of a deadly a train crash, aspiring comedian Raely wakes up in the hospital to discover that she has a new gift: she can now see ghosts. Reeling from the loss of her best friend, Raely is haunted by grief and ghosts, and soon discovers that many of the latter like to feed on the former. She befriends benevolent ghost Casper, who doesn’t understand his own place on earth, and together they have to figure out why Raely has become the specific target of an evil and powerful entity.Lyons masterfully weaves humor and banter throughout, all without taking away from the deep grief. Bring your tissues, but be ready to laugh out loud in this powerful, hilarious, tragic, and hopeful book—this story is layered and nuanced and is so much more than a ghost story. 10/10 must read.
March 13, 2024
This book wrecked me in a delicious way. I actually will read again so I can take in the layers.
This book is about family-chosen and blood.
This book is about friendship.
This book is about the paranormal.
This book is about grief and working through it.
This book is about forgiveness. This book is about remembering. This book is about overcoming.
This book is about a mystery filled with thrills and turns.
This book is about justice…or revenge and choosing the path you decide to take.
Every one of these sentences could be the first sentence in my review. And I am sure I am missing layers.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The pace was perfect. The characters are well developed. I worked through things in my own life while reading a freaking paranormal thriller!
I highly recommend!
This book is about family-chosen and blood.
This book is about friendship.
This book is about the paranormal.
This book is about grief and working through it.
This book is about forgiveness. This book is about remembering. This book is about overcoming.
This book is about a mystery filled with thrills and turns.
This book is about justice…or revenge and choosing the path you decide to take.
Every one of these sentences could be the first sentence in my review. And I am sure I am missing layers.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The pace was perfect. The characters are well developed. I worked through things in my own life while reading a freaking paranormal thriller!
I highly recommend!
October 3, 2023
Excellent. Ghost Tamer creates a unique supernatural universe, whose poor main character is thrust into the deep end to sink or swim. A well told story. I am certainly waiting for the next book (I hope!), and following this author. Having read decades of books and stories, I am hard to impress. Yet here I am, ticking off a well deserved five star review. A fine example of modern writing and character development, urban fantasy or otherwise.
November 2, 2023
26-year-old Raely is an aspiring comedian looking forward to a hopeful future when her life is literally derailed by a horrific train accident. Raely is badly injured, and her best friend, Joe, is killed. At first it seems like Raely is handling this tragedy remarkably well, but it soon becomes apparent that she is not, in fact, handling it. At all.
As she attempts to brute-force her way through the aftermath of her accident, things quickly get weird. First, she starts seeing ghosts. And then her newfound abilities begin to attract all kinds of unwanted attention, of both the living and non-living kind. Raely finds herself tangled up with an awkward ghostly tag-along whom she dubs “Casper”, a skeezy ghost hunter (think Pete Venkman with the creep factor dialed up to 11), an eerie medium, and, worst of all, a highly aggressive and extremely scary entity called a Jimani that seems to have it in for her, specifically.
While the first ghost she encounters turns out to be something of a guardian angel, some of the others are not so friendly. In addition to the horrifying Jimani, Raely encounters a variety of other types of ghosts, many of which attach themselves to vulnerable humans and feed off their unhappy vibes. We get tantalizing glimpses of a complex spirit realm with its own set of rules and expectations. Raely must learn to navigate her newly expanded world and avoid its dangers with Casper’s help, all while struggling to come to terms with her own traumas. As it turns out, her emotional wounds run deep—and go back much further than the recent loss of her friend.
While Ghost Tamer is very much a literal ghost story, it is also, at its heart, a book about dealing with grief and trauma. It manages to find a nice balance of snark, humor, warmth, sadness, and solid scares—similar to that spicy blend of emotions that Raely must connect to within herself in order to tap into her full potential. Having lived in Chicago for about 15 years and taken the Green Line countless times, and knowing a lot of people who are part of Chicago’s comedy and theater scene, this book was also a sweet little taste of home for me.
I loved watching Raely’s complex emotional arc slowly unfold, but I also found myself longing for a deeper look into the fascinating ghost world that Meredith Lyons has developed. Luckily, the ending leaves the door open for a sequel that does just that. I do hope we get to see more of Raely’s ghostly adventures in the future, but either way, Ghost Tamer was a satisfying and deeply emotional read that stands well on its own.
As she attempts to brute-force her way through the aftermath of her accident, things quickly get weird. First, she starts seeing ghosts. And then her newfound abilities begin to attract all kinds of unwanted attention, of both the living and non-living kind. Raely finds herself tangled up with an awkward ghostly tag-along whom she dubs “Casper”, a skeezy ghost hunter (think Pete Venkman with the creep factor dialed up to 11), an eerie medium, and, worst of all, a highly aggressive and extremely scary entity called a Jimani that seems to have it in for her, specifically.
While the first ghost she encounters turns out to be something of a guardian angel, some of the others are not so friendly. In addition to the horrifying Jimani, Raely encounters a variety of other types of ghosts, many of which attach themselves to vulnerable humans and feed off their unhappy vibes. We get tantalizing glimpses of a complex spirit realm with its own set of rules and expectations. Raely must learn to navigate her newly expanded world and avoid its dangers with Casper’s help, all while struggling to come to terms with her own traumas. As it turns out, her emotional wounds run deep—and go back much further than the recent loss of her friend.
While Ghost Tamer is very much a literal ghost story, it is also, at its heart, a book about dealing with grief and trauma. It manages to find a nice balance of snark, humor, warmth, sadness, and solid scares—similar to that spicy blend of emotions that Raely must connect to within herself in order to tap into her full potential. Having lived in Chicago for about 15 years and taken the Green Line countless times, and knowing a lot of people who are part of Chicago’s comedy and theater scene, this book was also a sweet little taste of home for me.
I loved watching Raely’s complex emotional arc slowly unfold, but I also found myself longing for a deeper look into the fascinating ghost world that Meredith Lyons has developed. Luckily, the ending leaves the door open for a sequel that does just that. I do hope we get to see more of Raely’s ghostly adventures in the future, but either way, Ghost Tamer was a satisfying and deeply emotional read that stands well on its own.
November 17, 2023
Wow. This book was a journey, and not one I expected to take when picking it up. I was looking for a horror book for some cheap scares approaching Halloween and the title of "Ghost Tamer" stood out to me. It sounded just what I was seeking, but it was so, so much more than what I expected in the absolute best way possible.
This is no standard, formulaic horror. This blends in so many other genres seamlessly, including elements of fantasy magic, aspects of occultism, paranormal phenomena and investigation, mystery, action, suspense, and even a little comedy and romance to top it all off. You'd think hitting all these different notes over the course of a novel might detract from it or dilute it somewhat and only manage to accomplish many things in a mediocre way. Let me tell you, that was NOT the case at all with this book. This was a masterfully written, genre-blending novel that will have you feeling all sorts of emotions, from laughing along in one moment to feeling utterly heartbroken in the next, and sometimes a mix of the two at once somehow!
The character work in this novel was excellent. I felt fully invested in our main character Raely's plight, who just couldn't catch a break. The supporting cast from the living world, the spirit realm, and some somewhere in between (Lovonia!), were also well written and enjoyable to get to know.
Ghosts are usually presented in "horror" books as something to be afraid of, and there was definitely aspects of that here no doubt. But the twist of Raely discovering that friendly ghosts also exist that were able to help her made this book all the more intriguing and amazing. The aptly-named "Casper" was one of my favorite characters and his relationship with Raely really made this book come alive (pun intended). I can't say too much more than that without spoilers, but some of the revelations as the story unravels were deeply emotional and made me feel things I never expected to feel when reading ghost stories.
This is a fast-paced, quick read that you'll not want to put down. It had me excited for the next chapter at each juncture and I can't recommend this enough to anyone who'd find its premise even mildly interesting. Read this, you'll not regret investing yourself into Raely's world!
Meredith R. Lyons is an author who has instantly put herself into my "must read" category with this debut novel. Amazing.
This is no standard, formulaic horror. This blends in so many other genres seamlessly, including elements of fantasy magic, aspects of occultism, paranormal phenomena and investigation, mystery, action, suspense, and even a little comedy and romance to top it all off. You'd think hitting all these different notes over the course of a novel might detract from it or dilute it somewhat and only manage to accomplish many things in a mediocre way. Let me tell you, that was NOT the case at all with this book. This was a masterfully written, genre-blending novel that will have you feeling all sorts of emotions, from laughing along in one moment to feeling utterly heartbroken in the next, and sometimes a mix of the two at once somehow!
The character work in this novel was excellent. I felt fully invested in our main character Raely's plight, who just couldn't catch a break. The supporting cast from the living world, the spirit realm, and some somewhere in between (Lovonia!), were also well written and enjoyable to get to know.
Ghosts are usually presented in "horror" books as something to be afraid of, and there was definitely aspects of that here no doubt. But the twist of Raely discovering that friendly ghosts also exist that were able to help her made this book all the more intriguing and amazing. The aptly-named "Casper" was one of my favorite characters and his relationship with Raely really made this book come alive (pun intended). I can't say too much more than that without spoilers, but some of the revelations as the story unravels were deeply emotional and made me feel things I never expected to feel when reading ghost stories.
This is a fast-paced, quick read that you'll not want to put down. It had me excited for the next chapter at each juncture and I can't recommend this enough to anyone who'd find its premise even mildly interesting. Read this, you'll not regret investing yourself into Raely's world!
Meredith R. Lyons is an author who has instantly put herself into my "must read" category with this debut novel. Amazing.
September 23, 2023
This book was fantastic! The story is fast-paced and energetic, and kept me engaged throughout. The author has a wonderful way with words. Some of the sentences made me stop and just admire before moving on.
The mystery element was the perfect amount of mystery for me - I figured things out a hair before Raely, which is exactly how I like it - enough to make me feel smart but not to obvious to bore me.
I love Raely's character arc, and her relationship with Casper, and how it changes through the book. Also, the manner in which the paranormal is treated is fantastic. I felt like I was there and all of it was real.
The mystery element was the perfect amount of mystery for me - I figured things out a hair before Raely, which is exactly how I like it - enough to make me feel smart but not to obvious to bore me.
I love Raely's character arc, and her relationship with Casper, and how it changes through the book. Also, the manner in which the paranormal is treated is fantastic. I felt like I was there and all of it was real.
August 11, 2023
This book was enjoyable because it’s unlike anything I’ve read before, which is hard to find these days. I liked that there was humor, some sadness, with some paranormal thrown in. There were a few unexpected twists which kept me hooked. I did feel like the book was a little slow in the middle because the main character experienced the same conflict a few times. Overall, this was a good debut novel by the author. 3.5 rounded up for goodreads.
September 30, 2023
Emotions created by this writer. Oh my God! Tears were falling fast on my Kindle as our main character Raely grieves for her best friend, lost to a horrific train derailment. One which Raely survives having been pulled from the wreckage. (But if she was pulled from the wreak, why are there no footsteps in the snow?)
Then laughter throughout the book as Raely interacts with her ghost attachment whom she names Casper. He tells her he’s always been with her, but why can she suddenly see him? Not only see but interact with him? Lots of snark and comedy between these two drawn through sound characterizations.
Then fear, real fear, when a demon confronts Raely and her ghost. They have to find out how to get rid of this thing that beats the crap out of Raely. Can it actually kill her? For fantasy it’s extremely realistic.
Personally, It’s been a long time since a book has evoked so many emotions in me. And I honestly can never remember full on tears when reading. (Not to mention that every time I wiped those tears clean from my kindle it jumped around and I had to find my place again and again) it’s impossible not to read this to its conclusion- it’s that good!
Then to find out this is a debut!!! WTH! Such talent Meredith R Lions! Where have you been? And can you please give us more as fast as you can?!
Then laughter throughout the book as Raely interacts with her ghost attachment whom she names Casper. He tells her he’s always been with her, but why can she suddenly see him? Not only see but interact with him? Lots of snark and comedy between these two drawn through sound characterizations.
Then fear, real fear, when a demon confronts Raely and her ghost. They have to find out how to get rid of this thing that beats the crap out of Raely. Can it actually kill her? For fantasy it’s extremely realistic.
Personally, It’s been a long time since a book has evoked so many emotions in me. And I honestly can never remember full on tears when reading. (Not to mention that every time I wiped those tears clean from my kindle it jumped around and I had to find my place again and again) it’s impossible not to read this to its conclusion- it’s that good!
Then to find out this is a debut!!! WTH! Such talent Meredith R Lions! Where have you been? And can you please give us more as fast as you can?!
September 22, 2023
It reads like a train speeding toward derailment with a comedian onboard who takes her audience along for the ride. And journey it is for Raely, through good and evil, through guilt and self-doubt and through discovery of the destructive patterns and missing pieces of her life. It is the journey of a damaged woman into her past. I have read a number of paranormals, and this one is quite different. It deals with a different side of the ghost realm. In this novel suspense is created when the ghosts are looking for Raely vs. Raely trying to identify the ghosts. Lyon's world building also involves lots of telekinesis and telepathy. Loved the sarcastic Raely and the ever-patient Casper and the opportunistic ghost hunters as well as the psychic. Finished this one in 48 hours, stayed up till 3 a.m. reading, which is a great time to read a paranormal thriller.
October 11, 2023
I'm not gonna lie--most of this book had me walking a line between understanding Raely's circumstances, and thinking she was irritating as fuck. She's been through a LOT recently.
I get it.
But Raely's also sometimes a selfish, stubborn, bratty bitch who fights against her own best interest just to be contrary. Fucking annoying.
But I get it.
I liked this book way more than I thought I would, despite the fact that the MC sometimes got on my nerves. Here's why:
I've always been of the opinion that forgiveness isn't something you do for the person who wronged you--it's something you do for yourself. That's really what this book is all about, under all the spooky horror stuff. It's about learning to forgive those who've hurt you--not for their sake, but for your own. It's about how broken people learn how to move forward again.
This book takes what could have been a decent (but average) woo-woo spooky horror story and makes it deep and poignant. And it managed it in a pretty tasteful, respectful, heart-felt way.
I get it.
But Raely's also sometimes a selfish, stubborn, bratty bitch who fights against her own best interest just to be contrary. Fucking annoying.
But I get it.
I liked this book way more than I thought I would, despite the fact that the MC sometimes got on my nerves. Here's why:
I've always been of the opinion that forgiveness isn't something you do for the person who wronged you--it's something you do for yourself. That's really what this book is all about, under all the spooky horror stuff. It's about learning to forgive those who've hurt you--not for their sake, but for your own. It's about how broken people learn how to move forward again.
This book takes what could have been a decent (but average) woo-woo spooky horror story and makes it deep and poignant. And it managed it in a pretty tasteful, respectful, heart-felt way.
October 7, 2023
It's not very often that I find a book that I'd call a "genre bender"... But this is definitely one! This was the perfect mix of paranormal, thriller and maybe a dash of fantasy. It will suit so many different kinds of readers! Raely is hilarious and the things she goes through in this book had my finishing it in one sitting. I highly recommend!
October 19, 2023
This is a paranormal thriller with some interesting twists.
There is a woman, Raely, who after being the only survivor of a Chicago train wreck starts to see ghosts.
She has two main ghosts in her life. She finds that she has a protector ghost. There is also a scary black misty ghost that’s out to do Raely harm.
There is a manipulating and stalkerish ghost hunter. Raely’s ghost friend also finds a psychic to help that gives Raely some pretty vague advice.
While Raely and her ghost companion work to stay safe and rid themselves of the scary ghost, they learn a lot.
I’m very glad that I didn’t read this one while riding any public transportation in Chicago, since Raely has a bunch of run ins with her scary ghost on the train, bus, and even the commuter Metra.
I loved the revelations of who the ghosts were and how everything connected.
This is a spooky one you can read any time of the year.
There is a woman, Raely, who after being the only survivor of a Chicago train wreck starts to see ghosts.
She has two main ghosts in her life. She finds that she has a protector ghost. There is also a scary black misty ghost that’s out to do Raely harm.
There is a manipulating and stalkerish ghost hunter. Raely’s ghost friend also finds a psychic to help that gives Raely some pretty vague advice.
While Raely and her ghost companion work to stay safe and rid themselves of the scary ghost, they learn a lot.
I’m very glad that I didn’t read this one while riding any public transportation in Chicago, since Raely has a bunch of run ins with her scary ghost on the train, bus, and even the commuter Metra.
I loved the revelations of who the ghosts were and how everything connected.
This is a spooky one you can read any time of the year.
November 11, 2023
Raely is the sole survivor of a horrible train wreck, and is wracked with survivor's guilt and immense grief. However, she soon realizes she has a spiritual tag along, and that he's been there a lot longer than she thought. Together, Raely and Casper set out to discover his true identity, the truth behind Raely's gift, and how to fight the evil the is lurking in the shadows of Raely's life.
This book reads as a paranormal mystery thriller. It is fast paced, with the action starting pretty immediately and then everything going off the rails (horrible pun intended). Lyons did a fantastic job showcasing Raely's emotions and evoking emotion in the reader. Raely's grief is profound, but as the story progresses, she also experiences intense rage, visceral fear, among other things. The paranormal aspects were handled well, with some mild scare factor at times. The true star of the show was the mystery. It was a pleasure watching Raely and Casper work together to get to the bottom of everything, and the various reveals and plot twists were well done. Overall, this is a good paranormal mystery that can be read and enjoyed fairly quickly.
Thank you to NetGalley and CamCat Books for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily and all views expressed are my own.
This book reads as a paranormal mystery thriller. It is fast paced, with the action starting pretty immediately and then everything going off the rails (horrible pun intended). Lyons did a fantastic job showcasing Raely's emotions and evoking emotion in the reader. Raely's grief is profound, but as the story progresses, she also experiences intense rage, visceral fear, among other things. The paranormal aspects were handled well, with some mild scare factor at times. The true star of the show was the mystery. It was a pleasure watching Raely and Casper work together to get to the bottom of everything, and the various reveals and plot twists were well done. Overall, this is a good paranormal mystery that can be read and enjoyed fairly quickly.
Thank you to NetGalley and CamCat Books for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily and all views expressed are my own.
September 25, 2023
I’m really judging myself for believing the comments and reading this book to completion.
October 16, 2023
This was so much more than what I was expecting going into it. I wish I could read this again for the first time.
October 2, 2023
This wasn’t horror at all. It had a lot of potential but really lost it about 30% through and the ending was so rushed and too convenient. This won’t stop me from reading more from the author though, I did enjoy her writing.
November 1, 2023
This is one of two of the best spooky books I've ever read! (and as a prolific reader at age 70, that says a lot.) The story is perfect; a great story line, believable characters, and excellent narrative flow. The protagonist is a 26 year old woman who was in a train accident and looses her best friend, then she starts seeing ghosts. No, this isn't the typical "I had an accident and can now see ghosts" type of story, and it's not a "murder mystery." When I read the book's description, I thought it would be a fun story. It's not, although parts are funny, because Raely is a comedienne with wit and a bit of sarcasm. There's so much more to this story, you just have to read it!
October 25, 2023
2.5 weak stars
Unsure how to rate this book. It had some things I liked, but other things weren't for me.
I came into the story expecting a stone-cold horror mystery of sorts (a notion solely based upon the cover) and was at first a bit jarred by the tone of the story telling.
It felt more "cosy mystery" than "horror" and that worked less than well for me.
I also never grew to like Raely. I felt very little for her.
Not even annoyance, which otherwise is a feeling I've got plenty of when I don't like characters. But in this case... Nope, nix, nada. I really felt nothing.
Unengaged and uninterested I made my way through this story.
I guessed all the big plot twists long before they happened and was constantly bored by waiting for Raely to catch up.
Something else I was waiting for was for her to be funny - at least once! Alas, that didn't happen. Not even towards the end, no matter how much the author was letting me know her audience was (politely?) laughing at her comedy act.
The humor through out the book wasn't my cup of tea. Or rather: The lack of it stuck out like a sore thumb to me.
There were moments I guess were meant to be funny, but they felt clunky and not really funny at all.
Raely could have had basically any other job or hobby and it wouldn't have made much of a difference. She and her comedian friends didn't leave a trace of humour to be found - at least not to me.
The author mainly told me about them all being comedians, but never once proved it.
I also didn't really like the plot twist of the demon/evil spirit possession.
It took away all responsibility from the possessed person and that just rubbed me completely the wrong way. To me it was like sweeping all abusive men under a "It's not their fault, they're possessed!" carpet.
I'm not saying this is what the author meant in any way! But it is what the book made me think of and I didn't like it one bit.
One thing that struck me through out the entire book was how much it reminded me of V.E. Schwab's Cassidy Blake books.
It felt like a lot of plot points were similar and just upgraded for an older audience, but not made better or even equally well.
In fact, I came to the conclusion that I prefer the Cassidy Blake books at lot more.
(Recommended, even for adult readers!)
The title "ghost tamer" really took its time to start making any sort of sense. There wasn't much "taming" or handling of ghosts to be had.
I kept wondering where all the other (numerous) ghosts went. Felt like the author sort of forgot them after having introduced the Big Bad one.
Maybe this is the first book in a series about Raely? It could be and if so, her role as ghost tamer would probably get more fleshed out, now that her origin story is finished and done with.
However, standing on its own two feet, this book wasn't a hit for me. I probably won't return if there's a sequel.
Unsure how to rate this book. It had some things I liked, but other things weren't for me.
I came into the story expecting a stone-cold horror mystery of sorts (a notion solely based upon the cover) and was at first a bit jarred by the tone of the story telling.
It felt more "cosy mystery" than "horror" and that worked less than well for me.
I also never grew to like Raely. I felt very little for her.
Not even annoyance, which otherwise is a feeling I've got plenty of when I don't like characters. But in this case... Nope, nix, nada. I really felt nothing.
Unengaged and uninterested I made my way through this story.
I guessed all the big plot twists long before they happened and was constantly bored by waiting for Raely to catch up.
Something else I was waiting for was for her to be funny - at least once! Alas, that didn't happen. Not even towards the end, no matter how much the author was letting me know her audience was (politely?) laughing at her comedy act.
The humor through out the book wasn't my cup of tea. Or rather: The lack of it stuck out like a sore thumb to me.
There were moments I guess were meant to be funny, but they felt clunky and not really funny at all.
Raely could have had basically any other job or hobby and it wouldn't have made much of a difference. She and her comedian friends didn't leave a trace of humour to be found - at least not to me.
The author mainly told me about them all being comedians, but never once proved it.
I also didn't really like the plot twist of the demon/evil spirit possession.
It took away all responsibility from the possessed person and that just rubbed me completely the wrong way. To me it was like sweeping all abusive men under a "It's not their fault, they're possessed!" carpet.
I'm not saying this is what the author meant in any way! But it is what the book made me think of and I didn't like it one bit.
One thing that struck me through out the entire book was how much it reminded me of V.E. Schwab's Cassidy Blake books.
It felt like a lot of plot points were similar and just upgraded for an older audience, but not made better or even equally well.
In fact, I came to the conclusion that I prefer the Cassidy Blake books at lot more.
(Recommended, even for adult readers!)
The title "ghost tamer" really took its time to start making any sort of sense. There wasn't much "taming" or handling of ghosts to be had.
I kept wondering where all the other (numerous) ghosts went. Felt like the author sort of forgot them after having introduced the Big Bad one.
Maybe this is the first book in a series about Raely? It could be and if so, her role as ghost tamer would probably get more fleshed out, now that her origin story is finished and done with.
However, standing on its own two feet, this book wasn't a hit for me. I probably won't return if there's a sequel.
October 30, 2023
surprisingly amazing story
I haven’t read a book this well written in a long time. Couldn’t put it down until I finished. A must read
I haven’t read a book this well written in a long time. Couldn’t put it down until I finished. A must read
July 27, 2023
This book was unexpected. I read the synopsis, but there were no reviews yet, so I wasn't sure what to expect.
What a treat this book was. It was a little bit of horror, a littler suspense, a little drama, a little bit of everything..
I really fell for "Casper" -the ghost who has been following her around. I loved how his story ended..
I really liked the character development. I also thought the descriptions were great - I could really picture the people and the places and could see the movie in my head.
Is this great literature? No. Is it a fun, enjoyable, engrossing read? Yes!
THis is 3.5 stars (above average) rounded up to 4.
Thank you to #netgalley, the author #meredithrlyons and the publisher for the ARC. This did not impact my review.
What a treat this book was. It was a little bit of horror, a littler suspense, a little drama, a little bit of everything..
I really fell for "Casper" -the ghost who has been following her around. I loved how his story ended..
I really liked the character development. I also thought the descriptions were great - I could really picture the people and the places and could see the movie in my head.
Is this great literature? No. Is it a fun, enjoyable, engrossing read? Yes!
THis is 3.5 stars (above average) rounded up to 4.
Thank you to #netgalley, the author #meredithrlyons and the publisher for the ARC. This did not impact my review.
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