The Restorer (The Graveyard Queen) by Amanda Stevens

Book Summary

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.

My Review - 4 1/2 Great to the last Drop

The Restorer is a great mystery with a creepy theme.  We learn about Amelia's job, how she restores unkept, abandoned cemeteries and the rules she has to follow to live safely because she sees ghost.  She is 9 when she realises she can see ghosts and her father tells her not to acknowledge them or tempt fate.  She grows up playing in cemeteries and loving the unique beautiful side of them but realises ghost bring with them an energy that you do not want to experience. There are moments I held my breath, chills down my spine and I wanted more.

She is requested to restore a cemetery and during the beginning of her work a body is found.  She is recruited as a consultant to assist the police with the murder investigation.  This was my favourite part of the book, the mystery surrounding the murder, why no one are answering all the questions, the history of a secret committee which may know all the answers but also it is a secret on who is and was a part so getting answers is impossible.  Amelia becomes the middle woman for many, detectives, police and of course the ghosts.

She also finds herself smitten with Detective Delvin and doesn't understand why she is drawn to him, if he is haunted then she needs to stay away, but how.  He called her 'strange, stunning and practical' which she loved.  She is naive to relationships and with the additional baggage they both bring this was an interesting forbidden romance. I thought this was executed well in the mystery.

There are so many sad, beautiful, creepy, entangled moments in this book, it really captures you in an eerie way while trying to figure out all of what is going on.

This book was a winner to me because it was so involved in a mysterious way.  I love murder mysteries and we did get closure but there is more than enough to keep this series going, more victim stories, the history of the ghosts, relationship with Amelia and Delvin, secrets around her parents and more. 

I read the prequel last week, The Abandoned which was a great lead in but now both have left me wanting to know so much more.

A great start to the RIP Challenge.  I recommend this one to Mystery fans that can handle the paranormal ghost story part, perfect creepy read to keep you up at night.  I swear I saw a spider, woke, turned on the lights and realised my mind was playing tricks on me from the book, now that is what I call perfection, lol.