The Restorer (Graveyard Queen #1)

Since the age of 9, Amealia has been able to see ghosts. Her father warned her never to let them know she could see them, and never to get involved with someone who was haunted.

She’s about to break those rules.

A body is found in one of the graveyards she’s restoring. A bit fresh, given that the cemetery hasn’t been used in over a hundred years, and the body is a few hours old. An attractive police investigator asks her for help, and she gets way more involved than she should — both with the case and with him. He is haunted, after all, by the ghosts of his dead wife and daughter. And she shouldn’t get involved with anyone who is haunted.

But more bodies keep turning up. Some older, some newer. Who is killing all these people, and why are the bodies suddenly turning up now?

The book ends with the unveiling of the serial killer, and most of the elements click nicely into place. This book is clearly the first in a series, though, with several threads still dangling.

On every technical level I can think of, this book was very well written: plot, character, world building…I rated it three stars, though, and the only thing I can say is that I did not feel a strong connection with the main character.

Maybe it’s because I felt like most of the story happened to her, rather that her acting on the story. That may seem strange, because she did going around asking questions like an investigator. But there are two problems with this: First, she’s not an investigator, she’s a graveyard restorer, and I never understood her reasons for taking on the secondary role. Second, she didn’t actually figure anything out on her own. There was always someone (or something) pointing her in the right direction. Sometimes she just did things because she felt compelled to do them…like visit a graveyard where the detective’s wife and child are buried. I was also never sure why she was suddenly breaking her father’s rules. She didn’t even question his rules (which I would have done), but she broke them during the course of this story.

I do recommend this, if you like paranormal stuff. Looks like there will even be some romance going into the series, which is nice.

Rating 3/5

Title: The Restorer

Author: Amanda Stevens

ISBN: 9780778329817)

Published: April 19, 2011