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Gravekeeper #1
Šeptající mrtví
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Horror (2021)Slyší jejich šepot.
Keira je bez domova, pronásledovaná a zoufale se snaží uniknout prudké bouři. Útočiště najde v opuštěné zahradníkově chatce. Ta stojí na okraji hřbitova a ze všech stran ji obklopují hroby: některé nedávné, jiné stovky let staré a všechny zanedbané. A ve tmě slyší šeptání neklidných mrtvých. Hřbitov ožívá nezřetelnými spektrálními siluetami, v jejichž čele je žena, jež zemřela příliš brzy.
Keira je jediným člověkem, který ji vidí, a nyní se stala jejím novým cílem. Keira je odhodlaná duchovi pomoci do příštího života. S nečekanými novými přáteli zkoumá minulost zesnulé ženy, přičemž odhalí příběh plný klamu, nešťastné lásky a vraždy.
Minulost však není tak prostá, jak se zdá, a Keiře rychle dochází čas.
Keira je bez domova, pronásledovaná a zoufale se snaží uniknout prudké bouři. Útočiště najde v opuštěné zahradníkově chatce. Ta stojí na okraji hřbitova a ze všech stran ji obklopují hroby: některé nedávné, jiné stovky let staré a všechny zanedbané. A ve tmě slyší šeptání neklidných mrtvých. Hřbitov ožívá nezřetelnými spektrálními siluetami, v jejichž čele je žena, jež zemřela příliš brzy.
Keira je jediným člověkem, který ji vidí, a nyní se stala jejím novým cílem. Keira je odhodlaná duchovi pomoci do příštího života. S nečekanými novými přáteli zkoumá minulost zesnulé ženy, přičemž odhalí příběh plný klamu, nešťastné lásky a vraždy.
Minulost však není tak prostá, jak se zdá, a Keiře rychle dochází čas.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published May 4, 2021
1210 people are currently reading
22043 people want to read
About the author
Darcy Coates
70 books14.4k followersDarcy Coates is the USA Today bestselling author of more than a dozen horror and suspense novels.
She lives in the Central Coast of Australia with her family, cat, and a collection of chickens. Her home is surrounded by rolling wilderness on all sides, and she wouldn't have it any other way.
You can hear about her next book by joining her newsletter: www.darcycoates.com/updates
She lives in the Central Coast of Australia with her family, cat, and a collection of chickens. Her home is surrounded by rolling wilderness on all sides, and she wouldn't have it any other way.
You can hear about her next book by joining her newsletter: www.darcycoates.com/updates
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,396 reviews
January 9, 2022
I didn't realize this was the start of a new series. ::sigh::
**Please note: I received this book as an ARC way before it was announced that it was a series. When I received it, I had no way of knowing.**
This had so many plot holes and unanswered questions. It was frustrating as heck to read. Beyond that, it just wasn't a terribly interesting story, especially since it's left so wide open. I will say that I enjoyed Zoe's over-the-top persona, and Daisy the Cat was certainly a stand-out; actually, now that I think about it, all the characters were pretty decent. The whole town of Blighty is quirky and full of secrets. I can definitely see how Darcy Coates was setting this up for future volumes.
Regardless, this wasn't a book I was excited to pick up, and for that reason, there will be no recommendation.
Available May 4, 2021
2.5 stars
My sincere thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for my review copy.
**Please note: I received this book as an ARC way before it was announced that it was a series. When I received it, I had no way of knowing.**
This had so many plot holes and unanswered questions. It was frustrating as heck to read. Beyond that, it just wasn't a terribly interesting story, especially since it's left so wide open. I will say that I enjoyed Zoe's over-the-top persona, and Daisy the Cat was certainly a stand-out; actually, now that I think about it, all the characters were pretty decent. The whole town of Blighty is quirky and full of secrets. I can definitely see how Darcy Coates was setting this up for future volumes.
Regardless, this wasn't a book I was excited to pick up, and for that reason, there will be no recommendation.
Available May 4, 2021
2.5 stars
My sincere thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for my review copy.
January 27, 2021
Oh, I struggled with my rating on this one. Literally, my head was like: 3? 4? 3? 4? Maybe 4? No, 3.
See, it’s a very entertaining and easy breezy read. It’s kind of Horror-Lite. It’s got its spooky bits that do give a bit of a chill. Light gruesomeness, but not too much. Lots of buddy-humor. Remarkably light and leaves you smiling.
On a scale of Shirley Jackson to Edward Lee, it’s…R.L. Stine.
And I *almost* gave it four stars for sheer entertainment value and the fact that I do want to read the next book.
But…
It has about 800,000,000 loose ends! This is the 1st book in the series and it’s all set up for the next books. We get one solution to a tiny mystery, but every other loose end in the book is not only left open, but the author throws some new ones in! There are some books that leave you satisfied, like you just finished a good meal. This one? It’s like the waiter took your order, but never brought your food.
I worry about the next book. As I said above, I do want to read it. But I’m really afraid that it’s going to end with more loose ends, no solutions, and then I’m going to be kind of mad I read it. I’m both a masochist and an optimist. I’ll try the next one, but I’ll be expecting and hoping for much more!
*ARC Provided via Net Galley
See, it’s a very entertaining and easy breezy read. It’s kind of Horror-Lite. It’s got its spooky bits that do give a bit of a chill. Light gruesomeness, but not too much. Lots of buddy-humor. Remarkably light and leaves you smiling.
On a scale of Shirley Jackson to Edward Lee, it’s…R.L. Stine.
And I *almost* gave it four stars for sheer entertainment value and the fact that I do want to read the next book.
But…
It has about 800,000,000 loose ends! This is the 1st book in the series and it’s all set up for the next books. We get one solution to a tiny mystery, but every other loose end in the book is not only left open, but the author throws some new ones in! There are some books that leave you satisfied, like you just finished a good meal. This one? It’s like the waiter took your order, but never brought your food.
I worry about the next book. As I said above, I do want to read it. But I’m really afraid that it’s going to end with more loose ends, no solutions, and then I’m going to be kind of mad I read it. I’m both a masochist and an optimist. I’ll try the next one, but I’ll be expecting and hoping for much more!
*ARC Provided via Net Galley
January 30, 2022
Ghostly Whispers!
Backstory:
Keira wakes up in the woods with no idea of how she ended up there and she has a nasty bump on her head, but worse than being knocked out is to know that someone is hunting her. She runs through the woods trying to escape whoever is chasing her and she stumbles across a parsonage out in a cemetery. Adage, the pastor, takes her into his home and hides her just in time before the "someone" is pounding on the door wanting to know if the pastor has seen her, but the pastor ends up lying to the person and they go away.
After chatting with Keira and learning that she has a case of amnesia, Adage puts her up in a guest cottage that sits at the back of the cemetery till he can find out in town who she might be. As Keira settles into the cottage, she realizes that she has the gift of second sight as she is able to see restless souls that wander the cemetery. When she finds out from Adage that there is a ghost mystery surrounding the area from a woman's murder that took place in the 1800's she decides to try and investigate of why the soul of the murdered woman has not moved on.
With the help of a shop keeper in the town of Blighty named Zoe and the help of a local doctor intern named Mason, Keira sets out to find whatever she can on why there are restless spirits in the area along with finding out more about herself and how she came to end up in that area with only the memory of her name.
That is about all I can give on a backstory without giving away spoilers, so you will just have to read the book!
Thoughts:
I thought this book would be more spookier and would have more shivering chills but really the book was more of a mystery/ghost story which was fine with me as it still drew me into the storyline as I wanted to know more about the lead female character, Keira.
The story was up and down as it seemed to drag in parts, but then the last half of the book took off into a state of suspense and tension when Keira learns some facts about the area and she starts encountering more ghosts that are earth bound.
This is the first book in the Gravekeeper series and the book still did not tie up loose ends about Keira as she still does not know where she came from or anything about her past. There were some other unanswered questions with different things in the book, but I feel like with any series not everything is going to be wrapped up in the first book and that is why I will be looking forward to the rest of the series to see how everything pans out in the future books.
I will eventually move into the second book which is "The Ravenous Dead" as I want to find out what Kiera discovers about herself along with where her next ghost adventures will take her. Giving this one four Mysterious Apparition stars!
Backstory:
Keira wakes up in the woods with no idea of how she ended up there and she has a nasty bump on her head, but worse than being knocked out is to know that someone is hunting her. She runs through the woods trying to escape whoever is chasing her and she stumbles across a parsonage out in a cemetery. Adage, the pastor, takes her into his home and hides her just in time before the "someone" is pounding on the door wanting to know if the pastor has seen her, but the pastor ends up lying to the person and they go away.
After chatting with Keira and learning that she has a case of amnesia, Adage puts her up in a guest cottage that sits at the back of the cemetery till he can find out in town who she might be. As Keira settles into the cottage, she realizes that she has the gift of second sight as she is able to see restless souls that wander the cemetery. When she finds out from Adage that there is a ghost mystery surrounding the area from a woman's murder that took place in the 1800's she decides to try and investigate of why the soul of the murdered woman has not moved on.
With the help of a shop keeper in the town of Blighty named Zoe and the help of a local doctor intern named Mason, Keira sets out to find whatever she can on why there are restless spirits in the area along with finding out more about herself and how she came to end up in that area with only the memory of her name.
That is about all I can give on a backstory without giving away spoilers, so you will just have to read the book!
Thoughts:
I thought this book would be more spookier and would have more shivering chills but really the book was more of a mystery/ghost story which was fine with me as it still drew me into the storyline as I wanted to know more about the lead female character, Keira.
The story was up and down as it seemed to drag in parts, but then the last half of the book took off into a state of suspense and tension when Keira learns some facts about the area and she starts encountering more ghosts that are earth bound.
This is the first book in the Gravekeeper series and the book still did not tie up loose ends about Keira as she still does not know where she came from or anything about her past. There were some other unanswered questions with different things in the book, but I feel like with any series not everything is going to be wrapped up in the first book and that is why I will be looking forward to the rest of the series to see how everything pans out in the future books.
I will eventually move into the second book which is "The Ravenous Dead" as I want to find out what Kiera discovers about herself along with where her next ghost adventures will take her. Giving this one four Mysterious Apparition stars!
April 11, 2021
The Whispering Dead is the first book in a brand new series, Gravekeeper.
Keira is running, she just doesn't know who or what she's running from. Her escape leads her to an abandoned groundskeepers cottage, tucked away at the edge of a cemetery. It's here Keira discovers she can communicate with ghosts.
I loved the small town setting and found it to be quite charming. It's full of secrets and interesting characters. One in particular had a very short introduction that I hope we see more of in the coming books. I found the cast of characters extremely interesting, well developed and entertaining. They were all so different and had such unique personalities. Plus there's a cat!!
My only complaint would be the amount of plot holes. I'm hopeful these will all come to make sense as the series continues.
Give me a ghost story and I'm ALL in! Huge thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and Sourcebooks for my gifted copy.
Keira is running, she just doesn't know who or what she's running from. Her escape leads her to an abandoned groundskeepers cottage, tucked away at the edge of a cemetery. It's here Keira discovers she can communicate with ghosts.
I loved the small town setting and found it to be quite charming. It's full of secrets and interesting characters. One in particular had a very short introduction that I hope we see more of in the coming books. I found the cast of characters extremely interesting, well developed and entertaining. They were all so different and had such unique personalities. Plus there's a cat!!
My only complaint would be the amount of plot holes. I'm hopeful these will all come to make sense as the series continues.
Give me a ghost story and I'm ALL in! Huge thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and Sourcebooks for my gifted copy.
April 20, 2022
3.5 ⭐️‘s means I liked it.
This was a book of what I’m calling comfy horror. Meaning it wasn’t too gory or scary or grueling or heartbreaking as so many can be. Terrible things have happened in the past but the author doesn’t linger on the horror of it or sit in those painful feelings. It’s breezier and I’m enjoying reading these in-between the more intense and angst filled books I typically read. This is book one of a series so all of my questions WERE NOT ANSWERED. Ugh! So now I’ll have to read the next one to feed my nosiness. Anyhow this one does wrap up the current ghost story so don’t worry about that but it also leaves many questions hanging. I’ll write a real review a little later when my brain is working.
This was a book of what I’m calling comfy horror. Meaning it wasn’t too gory or scary or grueling or heartbreaking as so many can be. Terrible things have happened in the past but the author doesn’t linger on the horror of it or sit in those painful feelings. It’s breezier and I’m enjoying reading these in-between the more intense and angst filled books I typically read. This is book one of a series so all of my questions WERE NOT ANSWERED. Ugh! So now I’ll have to read the next one to feed my nosiness. Anyhow this one does wrap up the current ghost story so don’t worry about that but it also leaves many questions hanging. I’ll write a real review a little later when my brain is working.
March 29, 2021
I've been waiting to read The Whispering Dead since it was announced in the fall. My excitement grew when I started getting emails from the Darcy Coates mailing list about this exciting book she had kept a secret from her readers. I was intrigued for sure. Just a few pages in and I was already feeling disappointed but remained hopeful. I suppose this happens with all authors, but The Whispering Dead is the first Darcy Coates book I have not enjoyed. In fact, I downright disliked The Whispering Dead. It pains me to do this - but, here we go...
We start with Keira, she "awakens" in the woods during a storm. She has no memories except for her name, but quickly realizes she is being chased and shot at by a group of men. She runs to a nearby church and is taken in by the pastor who allows her to stay in the groundkeeper's cottage. Strong start that quickly went off the rails when a whole other plot line was immediately brought in.
Her first night in the cottage, Kiera starts seeing ghosts using a new "muscle" she has discovered. (Note about the ridiculous overuse of this muscle at end of review) The local townspeople offer to help Kiera figure out who she is or take her to the police. She wants nothing to do with either option, insisting she is probably a criminal. If you were being chased through the woods by men with guns, who definitely are not the police, would your first response be "I must be a criminal!"? Hmm.
Kiera spends the rest of the book attempting to solve a mystery she has uncovered about one of the ghosts. She never once tries to uncover who she was, why people were chasing and attacking her, or anything about her prior life. We do find out she is apparently quite the brawler when she takes down the town bully. So, there's that. I think the idea she has no interest in her prior life is absurd and unrealistic. Zoe and Mason, Kiera's sidekicks, felt out of place. Their relationship to one another and constant banter felt trite.
Lots of plot holes throughout but I am guessing these will be wrapped up in future installments, this is essentially a novel broken into five parts. According to Darcy, this book has sat completed on her hard drive for years. Reading The Whispering Dead, I felt this was the work of a younger and less experienced author. The Whispering Dead is not up to par with other books by Darcy.
Muscle?
For some reason, the way the Kiera-can-see-and-communicate-with-ghosts plot line was portrayed did not sit well with me. It felt generic and corny. I also felt beat over the head with the idea that she had discovered a special muscle. Over a dozen uses in a book that's barely 250 pages. Here's a few examples:
"It was as though she had a muscle just behind her eyes that made the ghost visible."
"...focusing on using the muscle she hadn't even known existed."
"Kiera felt for the muscle behind her eyes and strained it."
"The headache flared when she flexed the muscle behind her eyes."
"Kiera strained the muscle more, but the pain shot deep into her head."
"She found the aching muscle and pulled on it to open her second sight." Sigh.
There's many more, but here is one final example, "She was certain the graveyard would be full if she used her second sight. She touched the muscle and felt it ache. It was still sore from the previous night, so she didn't pull on it." I thought the so called muscle was deep inside her head? How exactly is she touching it?
Thanks to Net Galley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC to read and review, I'm truly sorry I did not enjoy it more!
We start with Keira, she "awakens" in the woods during a storm. She has no memories except for her name, but quickly realizes she is being chased and shot at by a group of men. She runs to a nearby church and is taken in by the pastor who allows her to stay in the groundkeeper's cottage. Strong start that quickly went off the rails when a whole other plot line was immediately brought in.
Her first night in the cottage, Kiera starts seeing ghosts using a new "muscle" she has discovered. (Note about the ridiculous overuse of this muscle at end of review) The local townspeople offer to help Kiera figure out who she is or take her to the police. She wants nothing to do with either option, insisting she is probably a criminal. If you were being chased through the woods by men with guns, who definitely are not the police, would your first response be "I must be a criminal!"? Hmm.
Kiera spends the rest of the book attempting to solve a mystery she has uncovered about one of the ghosts. She never once tries to uncover who she was, why people were chasing and attacking her, or anything about her prior life. We do find out she is apparently quite the brawler when she takes down the town bully. So, there's that. I think the idea she has no interest in her prior life is absurd and unrealistic. Zoe and Mason, Kiera's sidekicks, felt out of place. Their relationship to one another and constant banter felt trite.
Lots of plot holes throughout but I am guessing these will be wrapped up in future installments, this is essentially a novel broken into five parts. According to Darcy, this book has sat completed on her hard drive for years. Reading The Whispering Dead, I felt this was the work of a younger and less experienced author. The Whispering Dead is not up to par with other books by Darcy.
Muscle?
For some reason, the way the Kiera-can-see-and-communicate-with-ghosts plot line was portrayed did not sit well with me. It felt generic and corny. I also felt beat over the head with the idea that she had discovered a special muscle. Over a dozen uses in a book that's barely 250 pages. Here's a few examples:
"It was as though she had a muscle just behind her eyes that made the ghost visible."
"...focusing on using the muscle she hadn't even known existed."
"Kiera felt for the muscle behind her eyes and strained it."
"The headache flared when she flexed the muscle behind her eyes."
"Kiera strained the muscle more, but the pain shot deep into her head."
"She found the aching muscle and pulled on it to open her second sight." Sigh.
There's many more, but here is one final example, "She was certain the graveyard would be full if she used her second sight. She touched the muscle and felt it ache. It was still sore from the previous night, so she didn't pull on it." I thought the so called muscle was deep inside her head? How exactly is she touching it?
Thanks to Net Galley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC to read and review, I'm truly sorry I did not enjoy it more!
April 19, 2024
Delightfully creepy and shrouded in mystery. A perfect little ghost story.
Keira has no memory of who she is or what has happened to her. All she knows is that there are men searching for her and they can't find her. She finds sanctuary with a kind pastor in the small town of Blighty. As she makes friends and starts to put down roots she also discovers she has the unique ability to see ghosts, and she wants to help them move on.
So this was such a fun read. I admit that I am already a Darcy Coates fan, and she didn't let me down with this one. It's kind of like the Ghost Whisperer only she was highly trained to kick butt, and then lost all her memories. That's how I would describe Keira, our main character. Zoe is an interesting character. She provides relief from all the severe seriousness in the rest of the book. And the romance has some decent chemistry, I'm hoping to see more development with that in the next book. Which I will be starting soon since I was lucky enough to get an ARC from Netgalley.
It sure left a whole lot unanswered though. I know it's to build anticipation for the next book, and it's not a cliff-hanger exactly. But I really want some of the questions answered. Like who she was before she lost her memory and who it was that was chasing her and why.
If you like horror, especially a good ghost story, then this book is for you. It seems to be definitely meant for an adult audience. But there isn't a whole lot of swearing, some violence. I would say, older teen and up for this book.
Find this review and others on my blog:
https://darklittomes.wordpress.com/
Follow me on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/darklittomes/
Keira has no memory of who she is or what has happened to her. All she knows is that there are men searching for her and they can't find her. She finds sanctuary with a kind pastor in the small town of Blighty. As she makes friends and starts to put down roots she also discovers she has the unique ability to see ghosts, and she wants to help them move on.
So this was such a fun read. I admit that I am already a Darcy Coates fan, and she didn't let me down with this one. It's kind of like the Ghost Whisperer only she was highly trained to kick butt, and then lost all her memories. That's how I would describe Keira, our main character. Zoe is an interesting character. She provides relief from all the severe seriousness in the rest of the book. And the romance has some decent chemistry, I'm hoping to see more development with that in the next book. Which I will be starting soon since I was lucky enough to get an ARC from Netgalley.
It sure left a whole lot unanswered though. I know it's to build anticipation for the next book, and it's not a cliff-hanger exactly. But I really want some of the questions answered. Like who she was before she lost her memory and who it was that was chasing her and why.
If you like horror, especially a good ghost story, then this book is for you. It seems to be definitely meant for an adult audience. But there isn't a whole lot of swearing, some violence. I would say, older teen and up for this book.
Find this review and others on my blog:
https://darklittomes.wordpress.com/
Follow me on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/darklittomes/
May 1, 2024
I've been wanting to read a Darcy Coates for a long time, and this is my first. I have to say, I'm very confused.
In the very beginning of the book, Keira, the FMC, is running away from people hunting her. She runs to a nearby church and ends up staying in a cottage on the property. She doesn't know her identify and can remember nothing about herself. Yet she proceeds to pretend play a PI and go on a fishing expedition to help a ghost in the graveyard. She is evidently unconcerned about these people looking for her because she roams the village and properly freely. She meets a quirky new friend, and a handsome not-doctor. Hijinks ensue.
This is marketed as a horror book but reads like a YA cozy mystery. The characters are immature, and the dialogue is cheesy. I would have thought this to be cute if that is what I was looking for. There are so many plot holes, perhaps setting up for the series (which I also didn't know what I was getting into). I can't tell how old or young the characters are; they seem like late teens. I can't tell if this takes place in the US or UK because the dialogue changes between US and UK phrases/slang.
Overall I'm perplexed. I will try another from this author that is not part of a series and hopefully is actually horror.
In the very beginning of the book, Keira, the FMC, is running away from people hunting her. She runs to a nearby church and ends up staying in a cottage on the property. She doesn't know her identify and can remember nothing about herself. Yet she proceeds to pretend play a PI and go on a fishing expedition to help a ghost in the graveyard. She is evidently unconcerned about these people looking for her because she roams the village and properly freely. She meets a quirky new friend, and a handsome not-doctor. Hijinks ensue.
This is marketed as a horror book but reads like a YA cozy mystery. The characters are immature, and the dialogue is cheesy. I would have thought this to be cute if that is what I was looking for. There are so many plot holes, perhaps setting up for the series (which I also didn't know what I was getting into). I can't tell how old or young the characters are; they seem like late teens. I can't tell if this takes place in the US or UK because the dialogue changes between US and UK phrases/slang.
Overall I'm perplexed. I will try another from this author that is not part of a series and hopefully is actually horror.
October 20, 2022
Okay look, Darcy Coates tried to do something somewhat different than normal. I can see that. I recognize it. She’s done it a few times. But in this case, I didn’t really like it. I do think she writes tried and true haunted house stories best.
This did have ghosts and a haunting don’t get me wrong. But it also has a weird amnesia plot line, men with guns, and the mc running from someone who may or may not be out to kill her. And then just like on top of that she just didn’t happens to have the ability to see ghosts that she can apparently turn off and on? She’s supposed to be hiding from men who want to kill her, but instead of doing that she’s openly walking around town digging for info about a 50+ year old murder so she can put the ghost to rest? Don’t even get me started on the fact that she doesn’t know who’s dangerous or who isn’t…. But gives tons of info that could be important away. The whole memory thing was just….. ugh. I don’t wanna rip into this because it’s cozy horror….
Also what’s with all her main characters being poor, only having $20 the whole book, and just being utterly offended by any level of help? It was okay the first time or so… but it’s tired now. Not really a fan of when authors write the same character in each book they have.
This was just the most hard to read Coates I’ve come across. You have to suspend your disbelief with all of her books…. But for this one I just kind of couldn’t.
I liked the writing, that was fine. I think Darcy Coates is super accessible and I really love her for that.
I liked most of the side characters , as I always do. Darcy has a way of writing them that can’t be contested by anyone other than maybe t.kingfisher lol. And I do think I would have liked the ghost mystery if it wasn’t for some other aspects of the plot. This did have potential to be a strong start to a series!
But I don’t think I’ll continue it. If I want something that feels different by Darcy, I’ll probably try “from below”, because who doesn’t love haunted ships?
Edit: the more I sit with this the more I dislike it and barely remember it. Unfortunately I don’t think I can recommend it.
This did have ghosts and a haunting don’t get me wrong. But it also has a weird amnesia plot line, men with guns, and the mc running from someone who may or may not be out to kill her. And then just like on top of that she just didn’t happens to have the ability to see ghosts that she can apparently turn off and on? She’s supposed to be hiding from men who want to kill her, but instead of doing that she’s openly walking around town digging for info about a 50+ year old murder so she can put the ghost to rest? Don’t even get me started on the fact that she doesn’t know who’s dangerous or who isn’t…. But gives tons of info that could be important away. The whole memory thing was just….. ugh. I don’t wanna rip into this because it’s cozy horror….
Also what’s with all her main characters being poor, only having $20 the whole book, and just being utterly offended by any level of help? It was okay the first time or so… but it’s tired now. Not really a fan of when authors write the same character in each book they have.
This was just the most hard to read Coates I’ve come across. You have to suspend your disbelief with all of her books…. But for this one I just kind of couldn’t.
I liked the writing, that was fine. I think Darcy Coates is super accessible and I really love her for that.
I liked most of the side characters , as I always do. Darcy has a way of writing them that can’t be contested by anyone other than maybe t.kingfisher lol. And I do think I would have liked the ghost mystery if it wasn’t for some other aspects of the plot. This did have potential to be a strong start to a series!
But I don’t think I’ll continue it. If I want something that feels different by Darcy, I’ll probably try “from below”, because who doesn’t love haunted ships?
Edit: the more I sit with this the more I dislike it and barely remember it. Unfortunately I don’t think I can recommend it.
March 22, 2022
"She probed for memories but came up empty. Her name was Keira. She’d woken in a forest of some kind in the early evening, coated in mud, sore, and soaking wet. That was the extent of her knowledge."
Keira has a gift (or curse?!), as an Unnormal young woman, as she can see ghosts, normal people probably don’t even believe ghosts, she decided to help a ghost, while she has no memory of herself.
There are still questions with no answers about Keira, but overall I enjoyed the story, characters, writing style, Keira's new kitten, and her relationship with her new friends, we still have book 2 to complete!
Keira has a gift (or curse?!), as an Unnormal young woman, as she can see ghosts, normal people probably don’t even believe ghosts, she decided to help a ghost, while she has no memory of herself.
There are still questions with no answers about Keira, but overall I enjoyed the story, characters, writing style, Keira's new kitten, and her relationship with her new friends, we still have book 2 to complete!
May 17, 2021
2.5 stars.
The Whispering Dead, by Darcy Coates was a book I found well written, and easy to read.
The problem?
I just didn't find it "scary" in any way. Unsettling in parts, but never the kind of creepy ghost story that I love.
There was one main issue (no spoilers), which is a "troupe" I never liked that comes into play. That is probably why my overall enjoyment wasn't as much as I had hoped for.
Still, a solid read with interesting characters.
The Whispering Dead, by Darcy Coates was a book I found well written, and easy to read.
The problem?
I just didn't find it "scary" in any way. Unsettling in parts, but never the kind of creepy ghost story that I love.
There was one main issue (no spoilers), which is a "troupe" I never liked that comes into play. That is probably why my overall enjoyment wasn't as much as I had hoped for.
Still, a solid read with interesting characters.
February 13, 2023
TW: stalking, murder, suicide, language, death of baby
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
Homeless, hunted, and desperate to escape a bitter storm, Keira takes refuge in an abandoned groundskeeper's cottage. Her new home is tucked away at the edge of a cemetery, surrounded on all sides by gravestones: some recent, some hundreds of years old, all suffering from neglect.
And in the darkness, she can hear the unquiet dead whispering.
The cemetery is alive with faint, spectral shapes, led by a woman who died before her time... and Keira, the only person who can see her, has become her new target. Determined to help put the ghost to rest, Keira digs into the spirit's past life with the help of unlikely new friends, and discovers a history of deception, ill-fated love, and murder.
But the past is not as simple as it seems, and Keira's time is running out. Tangled in a dangerous web, she has to find a way to free the spirit... even if it means offering her own life in return.
Release Date: May 4th, 2021
Genre: Horror
Pages: 256
Rating:
What I Liked:
1. It's a horror(ish) book
2. The books are easy fast reads
What I Didn't Like:
1. The writing is too simplistic
2. The dialog is cheesy
3. Endless plot holes
Overall Thoughts:
So here we go again. How does she turn out books so fast? She has like 2 books out a year.
Me reading a Darcy Coates book.
So we meet Keira and she doesn't know where she is or even if those are her hands. We do learn that Keira can tell where a gunshot is coming from and that in the woods it's fifty meters away 👀.
I love that there are men looking for Keira but the pastor says he'll go to town and ask around about her. Like why would you do that? Wouldn't that get back to the men looking for her? I'm not sure why she would ask for a more remote location to stay at vs asking him if he has a car to take her out of town.
I'm sorry this book ALREADY starts off dumb! She is going to stay in the ground keepers cottage. She says she feels the men won't stop looking for her so she has to leave the old man behind to protect him. But won't the men look for her at the ground keepers cottage too? There are windows and she'll have a fire going too. Why wouldn't they go there? She then proceeds to stare out the window while being back lite with the lights in the dark woods while watching a ghost. Speaking of the ghost how calm was she? She's all like "I can't hear you.. I'm sorry"! I'd be out of there! First you're being chased by men you don't know, you're beaten, and now a ghost.
Omg then she decides that she is going to just go into town to buy food. Like what??? She's hiding out and she's going to into town and possibly run into one of the men that was looking for her but she doesn't know what they look like. How stupid. Why is Darcy writing this???
The pastor leaving the note on his door where ANYONE could just see it. Like wth?
Since when is rice & potatoes rations for survival? I hate Zoe. She's annoying and in her face.
One of the things that annoys me about the author’s books that probably is the thing that people love is that there is always 2 things happening. It annoys me that Keira doesn’t even know who she is but she’s out there trying to solve a 40 year old murder. Oh but wait now we have to tag along with her and the mystery cat.
Isn't she supposed to be keeping a low profile? Why does she just go to town to get cat food for a cat that isn't hers?
How old is Zoe??? She likes to get to work early so she can have a coffee and read the newspaper? Then when Zoe reacts to things she acts like a child getting discouraged because Keira can't have coffee for hours since that's “Ugh, but I won’t be free again until my lunch break, and that’s literally hours away.” when did they become friends?? It's been 1 day!!
Zoe's stupid ridiculous reasoning for Keira to watch out for Mason is hilarious. She tells her that he went through years of schooling to become a doctor and dropped out his last year. That's it! Ohhhhh scandalous!! Zoe made a noise that was somewhere between derision and annoyance. “Look, I’m not telling you to shun him or anything, but…just be cautious. He’s hiding something. And in my calculated opinion, there’s an extremely high chance that he’s a serial killer who had to flee the campus in fear of being caught.” Why does that mean he's hiding something?? Maybe he couldn't afford school anymore. Maybe someone was going through an illness.
What is it about Keira? She just makes friends with people as soon as they look at her - they are inviting her to come hang with them.
Okay I know this book is a "cozy-mystery" but I just can't help laughing at how cheesy the dialog is. “No. George discovered her in the garden behind the house. They argued. He was incensed. She refused to leave without seeing Frank. So George picked up one of the rocks lining the path—” “And beat her head in,” Keira murmured, absorbed in thought. Mason raised an eyebrow. “That’s right… Good guess."
How did Keira ever guess that would be what he did next hahahaha!
What kind of coffee cafe' sells pancakes and nachos?
All the characters sound so childish. I am shocked that they are in their late 20's. They all read as though they are teenagers.
Keira annoys me. She sees a ghost with his shirt unbuttoned and a sweaty face and jumps right into believing that he died of a heart attack. Like how would she know that from looking at him?
Owning Daisy the cat is so easy. All Keira has to do is set down food and never clean a litterbox.
Cool again Keira is off to town to find Polly. Not like anyone is looking for her or anything. She has gone to town so much for a person trying to lie low she is failing. I am just so confused on why she cares so much to figure it out. Plus why she thinks she is the one in trouble and has to not go to the police. She is so worried she was the one who did something bad from before she is willing to lie low and move 6 hours away.
What a waste of time reading about Keira going to Polly's house when she just spends the whole time trying to push her son and Keira together and then the last page and half saying she doesn't remember much but she wasn't even home when Emma came by. Pointless.
This book makes little sense. One on hand Keira likes tea with milk, no sugar but doesn't know if she hates coffee. What are the rules of this book?
She acts like she knows all these people for year and years but it's been 4 days. 4 days!! Everyone is giving this stranger in there tiny village free flowers, a place to stay, groceries, and drinks at the coffee shop. She's sad that she is leaving everyone and doesn't want to go because they're all best friends after 4 days!!! What is it with this author that she makes all her characters best friends after meeting one time?!
The fact that Mason is EVERYWHERE she is doesn't make Keira feel weird.
Okay so Emma had a child to Frank and left it in the mill's secret room so she could find Frank. Frank kills himself right over said room bug doesn't hear anything from the baby? You know what's driving me insane about this is that it's just Keira saying "it must have happened this way". So the baby died overnight in the summer and inside the secret room? Ummm okay! I hate Keira's speculation.
There's just too many holes in this book! Why wouldn't Emma had told Frank she was pregnant? Why is this book written like it's from the 40's and these two can't be together? It was the 80's! Why wouldn't the police have found Emma's family after she was murdered? The police couldn't find them?? They were just so impossible to find when they weren't even hiding. Frank loved Emma so much he'd kill himself over her death but didn't go after her when she left and try to find her? Also these two were like 26 when this happened. Writing style would have you believe they were teenagers but they were almost 30! How would they link the baby to Emma? Dna wasn't really a thing in the 80's.
Final Thoughts:
Why do I do this to myself? The book s are not good. I feel like I'm reading middle grade books. There's always plot holes and people doing stupid things. The characters have zero personality other than over the top. Everyone is best friends in 5 minutes. Ahhhh!
Recommend For:
• Simple storylines
• Easy paint by numbers plots
• Basic characters
• Fast books
IG | Blog
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
Homeless, hunted, and desperate to escape a bitter storm, Keira takes refuge in an abandoned groundskeeper's cottage. Her new home is tucked away at the edge of a cemetery, surrounded on all sides by gravestones: some recent, some hundreds of years old, all suffering from neglect.
And in the darkness, she can hear the unquiet dead whispering.
The cemetery is alive with faint, spectral shapes, led by a woman who died before her time... and Keira, the only person who can see her, has become her new target. Determined to help put the ghost to rest, Keira digs into the spirit's past life with the help of unlikely new friends, and discovers a history of deception, ill-fated love, and murder.
But the past is not as simple as it seems, and Keira's time is running out. Tangled in a dangerous web, she has to find a way to free the spirit... even if it means offering her own life in return.
Release Date: May 4th, 2021
Genre: Horror
Pages: 256
Rating:
What I Liked:
1. It's a horror(ish) book
2. The books are easy fast reads
What I Didn't Like:
1. The writing is too simplistic
2. The dialog is cheesy
3. Endless plot holes
Overall Thoughts:
So here we go again. How does she turn out books so fast? She has like 2 books out a year.
Me reading a Darcy Coates book.
So we meet Keira and she doesn't know where she is or even if those are her hands. We do learn that Keira can tell where a gunshot is coming from and that in the woods it's fifty meters away 👀.
I love that there are men looking for Keira but the pastor says he'll go to town and ask around about her. Like why would you do that? Wouldn't that get back to the men looking for her? I'm not sure why she would ask for a more remote location to stay at vs asking him if he has a car to take her out of town.
I'm sorry this book ALREADY starts off dumb! She is going to stay in the ground keepers cottage. She says she feels the men won't stop looking for her so she has to leave the old man behind to protect him. But won't the men look for her at the ground keepers cottage too? There are windows and she'll have a fire going too. Why wouldn't they go there? She then proceeds to stare out the window while being back lite with the lights in the dark woods while watching a ghost. Speaking of the ghost how calm was she? She's all like "I can't hear you.. I'm sorry"! I'd be out of there! First you're being chased by men you don't know, you're beaten, and now a ghost.
Omg then she decides that she is going to just go into town to buy food. Like what??? She's hiding out and she's going to into town and possibly run into one of the men that was looking for her but she doesn't know what they look like. How stupid. Why is Darcy writing this???
The pastor leaving the note on his door where ANYONE could just see it. Like wth?
Since when is rice & potatoes rations for survival? I hate Zoe. She's annoying and in her face.
One of the things that annoys me about the author’s books that probably is the thing that people love is that there is always 2 things happening. It annoys me that Keira doesn’t even know who she is but she’s out there trying to solve a 40 year old murder. Oh but wait now we have to tag along with her and the mystery cat.
Isn't she supposed to be keeping a low profile? Why does she just go to town to get cat food for a cat that isn't hers?
How old is Zoe??? She likes to get to work early so she can have a coffee and read the newspaper? Then when Zoe reacts to things she acts like a child getting discouraged because Keira can't have coffee for hours since that's “Ugh, but I won’t be free again until my lunch break, and that’s literally hours away.” when did they become friends?? It's been 1 day!!
Zoe's stupid ridiculous reasoning for Keira to watch out for Mason is hilarious. She tells her that he went through years of schooling to become a doctor and dropped out his last year. That's it! Ohhhhh scandalous!! Zoe made a noise that was somewhere between derision and annoyance. “Look, I’m not telling you to shun him or anything, but…just be cautious. He’s hiding something. And in my calculated opinion, there’s an extremely high chance that he’s a serial killer who had to flee the campus in fear of being caught.” Why does that mean he's hiding something?? Maybe he couldn't afford school anymore. Maybe someone was going through an illness.
What is it about Keira? She just makes friends with people as soon as they look at her - they are inviting her to come hang with them.
Okay I know this book is a "cozy-mystery" but I just can't help laughing at how cheesy the dialog is. “No. George discovered her in the garden behind the house. They argued. He was incensed. She refused to leave without seeing Frank. So George picked up one of the rocks lining the path—” “And beat her head in,” Keira murmured, absorbed in thought. Mason raised an eyebrow. “That’s right… Good guess."
How did Keira ever guess that would be what he did next hahahaha!
What kind of coffee cafe' sells pancakes and nachos?
All the characters sound so childish. I am shocked that they are in their late 20's. They all read as though they are teenagers.
Keira annoys me. She sees a ghost with his shirt unbuttoned and a sweaty face and jumps right into believing that he died of a heart attack. Like how would she know that from looking at him?
Owning Daisy the cat is so easy. All Keira has to do is set down food and never clean a litterbox.
Cool again Keira is off to town to find Polly. Not like anyone is looking for her or anything. She has gone to town so much for a person trying to lie low she is failing. I am just so confused on why she cares so much to figure it out. Plus why she thinks she is the one in trouble and has to not go to the police. She is so worried she was the one who did something bad from before she is willing to lie low and move 6 hours away.
What a waste of time reading about Keira going to Polly's house when she just spends the whole time trying to push her son and Keira together and then the last page and half saying she doesn't remember much but she wasn't even home when Emma came by. Pointless.
This book makes little sense. One on hand Keira likes tea with milk, no sugar but doesn't know if she hates coffee. What are the rules of this book?
She acts like she knows all these people for year and years but it's been 4 days. 4 days!! Everyone is giving this stranger in there tiny village free flowers, a place to stay, groceries, and drinks at the coffee shop. She's sad that she is leaving everyone and doesn't want to go because they're all best friends after 4 days!!! What is it with this author that she makes all her characters best friends after meeting one time?!
The fact that Mason is EVERYWHERE she is doesn't make Keira feel weird.
Okay so Emma had a child to Frank and left it in the mill's secret room so she could find Frank. Frank kills himself right over said room bug doesn't hear anything from the baby? You know what's driving me insane about this is that it's just Keira saying "it must have happened this way". So the baby died overnight in the summer and inside the secret room? Ummm okay! I hate Keira's speculation.
There's just too many holes in this book! Why wouldn't Emma had told Frank she was pregnant? Why is this book written like it's from the 40's and these two can't be together? It was the 80's! Why wouldn't the police have found Emma's family after she was murdered? The police couldn't find them?? They were just so impossible to find when they weren't even hiding. Frank loved Emma so much he'd kill himself over her death but didn't go after her when she left and try to find her? Also these two were like 26 when this happened. Writing style would have you believe they were teenagers but they were almost 30! How would they link the baby to Emma? Dna wasn't really a thing in the 80's.
Final Thoughts:
Why do I do this to myself? The book s are not good. I feel like I'm reading middle grade books. There's always plot holes and people doing stupid things. The characters have zero personality other than over the top. Everyone is best friends in 5 minutes. Ahhhh!
Recommend For:
• Simple storylines
• Easy paint by numbers plots
• Basic characters
• Fast books
IG | Blog
April 30, 2025
4⭐️
If you see me updating with "read" Darcy Coates' books like crazy is bc I am lol. I literally finish each one in one sitting.
This one's really good too but it is the start of a series so you do have things that are not resolved. However I think I'll still continue the series. I had a great time with this one and I ended up really intrigued. Wasn't as suspenseful as some of the other books I've read by her but really good nonetheless. We also have a cat companion!!!! Her name is Daisy and one thing about me, daisies are one of my favorite flowers.
The book won me over just with that alone.
I really loved the characters in this one too. One thing about Darcy Coates is that she knows how to make you care for her characters even if it's a horror/thriller. These two genres don't usually tend to do that bc authors feel like it takes away from the story but Miss Coates just knows how to do it.
The characters never take away from the suspense and they feel very different too. And not only in this book. I feel like all of her characters across all the books I've read by her are different which, I don't know how she does it, but I love.
If you see me updating with "read" Darcy Coates' books like crazy is bc I am lol. I literally finish each one in one sitting.
This one's really good too but it is the start of a series so you do have things that are not resolved. However I think I'll still continue the series. I had a great time with this one and I ended up really intrigued. Wasn't as suspenseful as some of the other books I've read by her but really good nonetheless. We also have a cat companion!!!! Her name is Daisy and one thing about me, daisies are one of my favorite flowers.
The book won me over just with that alone.
I really loved the characters in this one too. One thing about Darcy Coates is that she knows how to make you care for her characters even if it's a horror/thriller. These two genres don't usually tend to do that bc authors feel like it takes away from the story but Miss Coates just knows how to do it.
The characters never take away from the suspense and they feel very different too. And not only in this book. I feel like all of her characters across all the books I've read by her are different which, I don't know how she does it, but I love.
June 29, 2021
Somebody is haunting Keira and she is taking refuge in a cottage near a cemetery. She can't remember anything about her and her life. From the cottage she can see that the cemetery is full of ghosts, why are they still here? What is keeping the dead to move on? Keira is going to try and find out.
Thanks to Netgalley for this book.
Thanks to Netgalley for this book.
June 9, 2021
This was a good ghost story!If you are interested in a plot like this, I highly recommend this book!
Keira wakes up in a forest clearing. She knows she's being hunted, but doesn't know who it is. Keira remembers nothing about her life except for her name. A pastor gives her refuge and let's her stay in an old cottage.
Keira's cottage is right next to a graveyard and she starts seeing ghosts. One in particular is begging for her help. Keira makes a few friends in town and they all embark on a quest to help her figure out what this ghost needs in order to move on. This means that they all must risk their own lives to figure out the mystery.
This book had me hooked from the first page to the very last.
I enjoyed the four main characters and really felt that they all had a good connection.
This book is the first in a new series and I am excited to see what happens with Keira and her friends in the next book.
Keira wakes up in a forest clearing. She knows she's being hunted, but doesn't know who it is. Keira remembers nothing about her life except for her name. A pastor gives her refuge and let's her stay in an old cottage.
Keira's cottage is right next to a graveyard and she starts seeing ghosts. One in particular is begging for her help. Keira makes a few friends in town and they all embark on a quest to help her figure out what this ghost needs in order to move on. This means that they all must risk their own lives to figure out the mystery.
This book had me hooked from the first page to the very last.
I enjoyed the four main characters and really felt that they all had a good connection.
This book is the first in a new series and I am excited to see what happens with Keira and her friends in the next book.
July 14, 2021
“There’s something evil here. Something evil...something evil... something evil...” I ask you...how could any “ghost story junkie” resist after that? I have yet to read anything by this author that I have not absolutely loved...this one is no exception. The reader has plenty of mysteries to sort out. Who is Keira? Why is someone hunting her? Who are they? Why can Keira do the things she can do? You usually don’t have characters that are all fun. The main characters are delightfully quirky and so entirely likeable. Makes you think of the best grandparents in the entire world. Not all the questions were answered in this one... but that certainly leaves something to grab book #2 for.
October 16, 2022
Wasn't great but also wasn't bad... just somewhere in between.
I'm curious enough to know more about the characters to read the
next book sometime.
I'm curious enough to know more about the characters to read the
next book sometime.
October 14, 2023
okay this was fun!! nothing special and you can definitely tell this was an introduction to the series but still a good n fast read.
read this if you like:
– main character w amnesia (ish)
– small towns
– rich family scandals
– quirky side characters (zoe supremacy!!)
– casual ghost stories
i will say the “mystery” was lacking a little for me and there were some parts that felt repetitive but it was still entertaining. also this is labeled as horror but it’s not scary at all? i’d say it’s more of a cozy horror if that’s a thing?
read this if you like:
– main character w amnesia (ish)
– small towns
– rich family scandals
– quirky side characters (zoe supremacy!!)
– casual ghost stories
i will say the “mystery” was lacking a little for me and there were some parts that felt repetitive but it was still entertaining. also this is labeled as horror but it’s not scary at all? i’d say it’s more of a cozy horror if that’s a thing?
February 24, 2022
The Whispering Dead by Darcy Coates is a paranormal mystery novel, and the first in the Gravekeeper series. I wouldn't call it horror.
My Synopsis: (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Keira finds herself hunted, and lost in the woods. She stumbles upon a cemetery where a kindly clergyman gives her refuge. Adage allows her to stay in the old groundskeeper's cottage while they figure things out.
Unfortunately, Keira knows her first name, but little else. When Adage tells her she is in the town of Blighty, she says she's never heard of it. She seems to have amnesia, but only when it comes to her own life. She has no idea who the men were that were chasing her, or why. She fears she may have committed a crime, but doesn't know for sure.
As she spends her first night in the little cottage, she hears whispering, and although she can't make out the words, she realizes she is hearing the dead. When she concentrates, she can see them. One woman in particular seems to want Keira's help. Keira is determined to help this poor, restless entity.
As Keira digs into the past of the dead woman, she finds herself with new friends, as well as an enemy or two. She may have more to fear from the living than the dead.
My Opinions:
I really enjoyed this book, and am now really looking forward to reading the second in the series.
I loved Keira, who is strong and determined, and yet doesn't really know her own past, or what has made her into the capable young woman she has become. Zoe is a hoot, and both Adage and Mason are interesting characters.
The plot was good, and it was a very fast read. It was suspenseful, but definitely not scary. It was actually a light, fun read!
For a more complete review of this book and others (including the reason I chose to read/review this book, as well as author information), please visit my blog: http://katlovesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
June 5, 2022
3 The way it was written took some of the pleasure out of this read for me. There was a lot of telling, telling me each and every little detail sometimes. I nearly quit it a few times. I kept going anyway, I found enough to have hope that the story would develop beyond that level. The telling got better towards the end enough that I'll give book two a try. There where holes in the story, big ones, perhaps they'll be filled later in the series. First books in a series are always tough.
I love a ghostly graveyard read. This one starts out with a woman running from men with guns. She finds herself at a pastors house in a graveyard. He takes her in, she see's dead people, and swears to find their answers so they can move on. She has no memory of anything or anyone, the author felt the need to remind us of that every time she has to act on an everyday experience. There are several people in the community that feel some connection to her, a closeness I didn't get and wasn't written into the story.... As I try to write this i'm getting irritated with the book again. LOL I'll give #2 a shot
I love a ghostly graveyard read. This one starts out with a woman running from men with guns. She finds herself at a pastors house in a graveyard. He takes her in, she see's dead people, and swears to find their answers so they can move on. She has no memory of anything or anyone, the author felt the need to remind us of that every time she has to act on an everyday experience. There are several people in the community that feel some connection to her, a closeness I didn't get and wasn't written into the story.... As I try to write this i'm getting irritated with the book again. LOL I'll give #2 a shot
Read
February 14, 2022DNF at 60%
May 1, 2021
I enjoyed this mysterious, eerie, quick read by Coates that takes you into the life of Keira, a young woman with no memory of the past but an extraordinary ability to see, and in some cases help those who have died but who are tormented and unable to pass into the afterlife. It has a few plot holes, which I would imagine will be revealed as this new series unfolds, but with its quirky supporting characters and unique storyline, I look forward to discovering a little more about Keira’s past and the other mysteries hidden inside the gates of the Blighty cemetery when the next novel in the series is published.
November 21, 2023
Great YA book about a haunted house!! This is a series I will passing on to my grandchildren.
March 11, 2022
Though light on horror, this book was fun, with just enough mystery about main character Keira, who’s suffering from memory loss. Helped by the local Blighty pastor Adage, where she finds herself one night, soaked from the rain and injured, she quickly discovers an interesting ability: she can see ghosts, and one in particular, the shade of a woman murdered years earlier, sets Keira on a path to help the dead, young woman.
Helping Keira are Mason, a young man who almost became a doctor, and Zoe, a conspiracy fanatic. They investigate the cold case, unearthing a sad secret, while becoming friends.
I liked the mostly light tone of the text, and liked the ease amongst Keira, Mason and Zoe, and enjoyed Zoe’s and Mason’s sniping at each other. I also really liked Daisy, the black cat who adopts Kiera, and I’m looking forward to more fun interactions and investigations in the next book.
Helping Keira are Mason, a young man who almost became a doctor, and Zoe, a conspiracy fanatic. They investigate the cold case, unearthing a sad secret, while becoming friends.
I liked the mostly light tone of the text, and liked the ease amongst Keira, Mason and Zoe, and enjoyed Zoe’s and Mason’s sniping at each other. I also really liked Daisy, the black cat who adopts Kiera, and I’m looking forward to more fun interactions and investigations in the next book.
April 13, 2024
Darcy Coates never disappoints! This is book 1 in the Gravekeeper series and I can’t wait to read the others. Loved the storyline & characters.
Solid narrator that kept me engaged as I read the book in tandem with the audio.
Solid narrator that kept me engaged as I read the book in tandem with the audio.
July 4, 2021
Satisfying tale from Coates about a mysterious woman, Keira, who awakens one night near a cemetery with no memory of who she is and where she came from and being chased by unknown men. As she is taken in by a local pastor, she starts seeing ghosts and tries to unravel the mysteries of both her past and those of the ghosts, in particular a young woman who seems rather distressed. The book is more mystery than horror, and there aren't any real surprises here, but the characters are rather likable and the story moves along nicely as the mystery of the young ghost is unveiled. Not all that original but it manages to overcome the familiarity with an entertaining take on "second sight". The first in a series with which I will gladly continue. If you don't expect too much, you'll likely enjoy the ride.
P.S.--Darcy, you need to learn the difference between "hanged" and "hung". People are hanged, pictures are hung. I would expect an author to know the difference.
P.S.--Darcy, you need to learn the difference between "hanged" and "hung". People are hanged, pictures are hung. I would expect an author to know the difference.
April 30, 2021
I don’t think this was the proper Darcy Coates book to start with. The Whispering Dead was definitely entertaining, but it also felt kind of hollow and weird. Maybe this is because it’s going to be a series and there’s a lot to be fleshed out through the upcoming books? It’s kind of hard to say honestly.
That being said, I really did enjoy my first foray into Coates’ work and I am super excited to venture into her other novels. Just go into this knowing that there are a lot of unanswered questions/several dangling threads of this story. Overall, it was worth the read. At no point was I bored or considered marking this a DNF. This will be more of a middle rating at 3 stars.
Thanks so much to NetGalley. Source Books, and Poisoned Pen Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
That being said, I really did enjoy my first foray into Coates’ work and I am super excited to venture into her other novels. Just go into this knowing that there are a lot of unanswered questions/several dangling threads of this story. Overall, it was worth the read. At no point was I bored or considered marking this a DNF. This will be more of a middle rating at 3 stars.
Thanks so much to NetGalley. Source Books, and Poisoned Pen Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
July 30, 2024
#2) The Ravenous Dead ★★★★☆
#3) The Twisted Dead ★★★★☆
➸ Trigger warnings for .
▷ Representation: Keira (mc) has amnesia.
Blog • Trigger Warning Database • StoryGraph
November 14, 2024
There are some spoilers in this review/rant.
Wow, I didn't know I was getting myself into a book that was 90% errands!
I wouldn't call this a horror. Nothing was remotely scary. Cozy mystery? That's more accurate, but also doesn't seem to quite fit. Probably because it didn't feel like a mystery either. This feels and reads like a YA, honestly.
This story was pretty boring and nothing was interesting. It was short but it was sort of a slog to read, because hardly anything was going on.
How old are the MCs? We're never told. They talk and act like teenagers, but Mason was in medical school for 4 years or almost 4 years until he dropped out.
Kiera annoys me. She decides to lie to these people, instead of telling the simple truth, like how a cut happened on her arm or shoulder, Mason asks her and she tries to say she accidentally stabbed herself... JUST TELL HIM YOU WERE ATTACKED BY GAVIN, GIRL. What is there for you to not tell the truth? Nothing! It'd be better for EVERYONE if it came out that Gavin was a horrible person going around attacking people with a KNIFE.
Kiera did not seem to be scared of any of the ghosts. If I was her and I saw a ghost outside my window, I would be freaking out and wanting to leave the area immediately.
And for some reason, she found it more important to help the ghosts and uncover the mysteries on why they're lingering, instead of finding out about herself. Make it make sense.
I did not really like any of the characters, except for maybe Adage, the pastor guy. Everyone felt over the top and it annoyed me. The MCs? Overly friendly/nice and got along with each other IMMEDIATELY. Sure Mason and Zoe already knew each other, but they had just met Keira and instantly liked her... They were all pouty about the idea of Keira leaving town, and Keira was also all pouty and mopey. THEY BARELY KNEW EACH OTHER. Kiera was in town for what? Maybe a week? Why are they all attached to each other like that? Kiera has amnesia but attached herself to two people and a cat that she had just met... ugh... and why was everyone giving Kiera stuff for free?! Food from the pastor makes sense, but from Zoe? Who was just grabbing them off the shelf of the grocery store to give to her for free? Nah...
I'm surprised Zoe wasn't fired from the store from all of her shenanigans.
Now onto Gavin. He's a stupid character and is written horribly. Gavin is also over the top with his evilness and his rich-kid bully attitude. I'm pretty sure he's an adult, same thing with the MCs, even though he's written to act like a 12 year old with his childish insults. He's literally a walking stereotype of an anime bully, and if you watched anime, then you'd know what I'm talking about.
Oh! A thing to add to the "anime" stereotype is that Kiera had suddenly unlocked her amazing fighting skills and took down the bully like she's an undercover agent! Wow! Amazing! Not!
It's just all extreme, rushed and felt quite unbelievable, but who knows? That's just my opinion.
Also, how many times does Darcy Coates have to mention Mason's "Piercing green eyes." or whatever, everytime he shows up. We don't have to hear about his eyes or chocolate brown hair all the time. He also feels like a stalker most of the book, by the way.
This crap was inconsistent. Kiera lost her memories, so she doesn't know what she likes or dislikes. Apparently she doesn't remember what chocolate tastes like, and she doesn't know whether she likes coffee or not, but then there seemed to be times where she KNEW whether she liked something or not. I don't know the extents of amnesia, but it just seemed like it was forgotten at times throughout the book.
I don't know if this is set in the USA or Australia. I know Darcy Coates is Australian, but some stuff Zoe says, makes it seem like it's the USA.
Darcy Coates goes back and forth between using American and Australian slang/words. Doesn't help set the location.
So the MCs trespassed onto the Crispins property, or whatever the surname is. They were caught by Dane, the only one living there by this point, and they scatter after Kiera yells run after she sees Dane raise a long and shiny hunk of metal, which turns out to be a gun. Anyways, Kiera leads Dane in the opposite direction away from Mason and Zoe and Dane follows, shooting at her! He's literally trying to murder her. I'm 99% sure you can't chase a trespasser to shoot them, and then proceed to claim "self-defense." They were no longer on the freaking property when he continued to shoot at her. I rolled my eyes so hard during this scene.
And then later, for some reason Dane called the freaking DOCTOR, about someone sneaking onto his property and not the freaking CONSTABLE. You would call the cops! Not your local general practioner! Sure sure, they're probably in some weird kahoots with each other, but that doesn't change the fact that you would call the cops for a trespasser. Dane probably knew it was illegal to chase after Kiera and continue shooting at her.
I don't know why but it's such a pet peeve of mine when characters start laughing over some stupid unfunny thing that a character said, and it happened a few times in this book.
I think I was slightly catfished with the synopsis. I came into this book expecting something completely different. But that's my fault, I guess.
Anyhow, there is a small positive to this novel, and it's that the cover is really nice! But other than that, there's really not much to praise.
Now, I'm not done with Darcy Coates. I have some more books of hers that I will eventually read. I just don't think I will continue this series. Book #1 definitely didn't sell me on it.
Wow, I didn't know I was getting myself into a book that was 90% errands!
I wouldn't call this a horror. Nothing was remotely scary. Cozy mystery? That's more accurate, but also doesn't seem to quite fit. Probably because it didn't feel like a mystery either. This feels and reads like a YA, honestly.
This story was pretty boring and nothing was interesting. It was short but it was sort of a slog to read, because hardly anything was going on.
How old are the MCs? We're never told. They talk and act like teenagers, but Mason was in medical school for 4 years or almost 4 years until he dropped out.
Kiera annoys me. She decides to lie to these people, instead of telling the simple truth, like how a cut happened on her arm or shoulder, Mason asks her and she tries to say she accidentally stabbed herself... JUST TELL HIM YOU WERE ATTACKED BY GAVIN, GIRL. What is there for you to not tell the truth? Nothing! It'd be better for EVERYONE if it came out that Gavin was a horrible person going around attacking people with a KNIFE.
Kiera did not seem to be scared of any of the ghosts. If I was her and I saw a ghost outside my window, I would be freaking out and wanting to leave the area immediately.
And for some reason, she found it more important to help the ghosts and uncover the mysteries on why they're lingering, instead of finding out about herself. Make it make sense.
I did not really like any of the characters, except for maybe Adage, the pastor guy. Everyone felt over the top and it annoyed me. The MCs? Overly friendly/nice and got along with each other IMMEDIATELY. Sure Mason and Zoe already knew each other, but they had just met Keira and instantly liked her... They were all pouty about the idea of Keira leaving town, and Keira was also all pouty and mopey. THEY BARELY KNEW EACH OTHER. Kiera was in town for what? Maybe a week? Why are they all attached to each other like that? Kiera has amnesia but attached herself to two people and a cat that she had just met... ugh... and why was everyone giving Kiera stuff for free?! Food from the pastor makes sense, but from Zoe? Who was just grabbing them off the shelf of the grocery store to give to her for free? Nah...
I'm surprised Zoe wasn't fired from the store from all of her shenanigans.
Now onto Gavin. He's a stupid character and is written horribly. Gavin is also over the top with his evilness and his rich-kid bully attitude. I'm pretty sure he's an adult, same thing with the MCs, even though he's written to act like a 12 year old with his childish insults. He's literally a walking stereotype of an anime bully, and if you watched anime, then you'd know what I'm talking about.
Oh! A thing to add to the "anime" stereotype is that Kiera had suddenly unlocked her amazing fighting skills and took down the bully like she's an undercover agent! Wow! Amazing! Not!
It's just all extreme, rushed and felt quite unbelievable, but who knows? That's just my opinion.
Also, how many times does Darcy Coates have to mention Mason's "Piercing green eyes." or whatever, everytime he shows up. We don't have to hear about his eyes or chocolate brown hair all the time. He also feels like a stalker most of the book, by the way.
This crap was inconsistent. Kiera lost her memories, so she doesn't know what she likes or dislikes. Apparently she doesn't remember what chocolate tastes like, and she doesn't know whether she likes coffee or not, but then there seemed to be times where she KNEW whether she liked something or not. I don't know the extents of amnesia, but it just seemed like it was forgotten at times throughout the book.
I don't know if this is set in the USA or Australia. I know Darcy Coates is Australian, but some stuff Zoe says, makes it seem like it's the USA.
Darcy Coates goes back and forth between using American and Australian slang/words. Doesn't help set the location.
So the MCs trespassed onto the Crispins property, or whatever the surname is. They were caught by Dane, the only one living there by this point, and they scatter after Kiera yells run after she sees Dane raise a long and shiny hunk of metal, which turns out to be a gun. Anyways, Kiera leads Dane in the opposite direction away from Mason and Zoe and Dane follows, shooting at her! He's literally trying to murder her. I'm 99% sure you can't chase a trespasser to shoot them, and then proceed to claim "self-defense." They were no longer on the freaking property when he continued to shoot at her. I rolled my eyes so hard during this scene.
And then later, for some reason Dane called the freaking DOCTOR, about someone sneaking onto his property and not the freaking CONSTABLE. You would call the cops! Not your local general practioner! Sure sure, they're probably in some weird kahoots with each other, but that doesn't change the fact that you would call the cops for a trespasser. Dane probably knew it was illegal to chase after Kiera and continue shooting at her.
I don't know why but it's such a pet peeve of mine when characters start laughing over some stupid unfunny thing that a character said, and it happened a few times in this book.
I think I was slightly catfished with the synopsis. I came into this book expecting something completely different. But that's my fault, I guess.
Anyhow, there is a small positive to this novel, and it's that the cover is really nice! But other than that, there's really not much to praise.
Now, I'm not done with Darcy Coates. I have some more books of hers that I will eventually read. I just don't think I will continue this series. Book #1 definitely didn't sell me on it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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