Harbinger of Books

The Restorer is a mystery with supernatural elements. Amanda is a woman who can see ghosts and this has been a block in her life as she attempts to avoid them. Allowing them to know she can see them means they will attempt to engage her and steal her energy so they can once again belong to this world. Amanda is also the "Graveyard Queen" because she restores graveyards back to their original beauty. Amanda leads a rather solitary life, but things are looking up because she is restoring the cemetery of a prominent university in Charleston SC. Then one day life as she knows it has changed because the body of a murder victim is found in the same cemetery that she is restoring. This brings her face to face with a detective, Devlin, that is the lead in the murder investigation and he is haunted by two ghosts. Amelia knows she should keep her distance from him but she is also attracted to him which is complicating matters.

I really enjoyed this book. I would also warn people that if you are looking for romance, it is not really romantic. Yes there is some sexual tension but it really takes a back seat to the mystery. I also enjoyed the complexity of the characters both Amanda and Devlin but also the sub characters as well like Regina and Ethan. The writing is this combination of gothic yet it has a lot of flowery imagery. I like this style of writing especially in the book because it reminds me of the feel of Charleston, for me it works but it could be a turn off for someone else. The end of the book leaves open more questions than answers but the writing is done so well that there is a feeling of closure but at the same time through Amanda's eyes we finally see the entire world. Personally I liked that there are questions that are still unanswered and secrets left untold.

The only downside to this book was the mystery, suffice it to say it was not as satisfying as I had hoped. Plus it felt a bit rushed.

Still a great book!