The Restorer by Amanda Stevens
Genre: Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Mystery
Recommended by: Julie from That's Swell
Pages: 287 (Ereader)
Source: Library
Description:
My name is Amelia Gray. I'm a cemetery restorer who sees ghosts. In order to protect myself from the parasitic nature of the dead, I've always held fast to the rules passed down from my father. But now a haunted police detective has entered my world and everything is changing, including the rules that have always kept me safe.
It started with the discovery of a young woman's brutalized body in an old Charleston graveyard I've been hired to restore. The clues to the killer—and to his other victims—lie in the headstone symbolism that only I can interpret. Devlin needs my help, but his ghosts shadow his every move, feeding off his warmth, sustaining their presence with his energy. To warn him would be to invite them into my life. I've vowed to keep my distance, but the pull of his magnetism grows ever stronger even as the symbols lead me closer to the killer and to the gossamer veil that separates this world from the next.
My Rating:
My Review:This is an extremely difficult book to review. Amelia sees ghosts and they have been a part of her life. However, there a set of rules concerning ghosts that her father has instructed her to follow. All or the rules instruct Amelia not to look at the ghosts and to guard against them. Amelia has been successful all her life until now. When notices a Devlin, one of the haunted. This first person view takes the reader through a creepy mystery that seems to include the entire town and local college.
"Have you ever had a recurring nightmare?"I'm still not quite sure how I feel about this book. It is a well-written mystery centered around ghosts. It's a bit creepy but I love the unique story-line. On the other hand, I know almost nothing more about these ghosts than when I started the book. Amelia has these rules but I'm not sure why. It is hard for the reader to tell what is true and what is not. This is quite intentional. Ms. Stevens does a FANTASTIC job setting the tone and mood of this book. While I wasn't completely creeped out, I did feel as if I was one with Amelia and I promise I could feel the coldness of the ghosts...and the uneasiness that comes with that. True story. I just wanted more. I wanted to feel like I was understanding...more. Also, I wasn't as attached to Amelia as I would have liked.
"Yes." He paused. "And then I wake up and remember it's real."
I've really been wanting to read a book about ghosts. While this was a good book, it didn't quite satisfy my craving. Read this is if you enjoy paranormal reads. The tone and mood of the book was spot on. I didn't feel like I learned about a new world; I was only introduced to it.
