The Curious Case of the Midnight Specter
by Moriah Chavis

She can see ghosts, but can she catch a killer?

Stornshire, England – 1890

Leighanna Pauley barely escaped consumption. Now, she’s claimed by both Life and Death. Fascinated by justice and why she survived when so many others haven’t, she has a new obsession: the murder of a fellow socialite. But the police have no leads.

The investigation emboldens Leighanna to attend the first ball held at the Carmine Estate. When midnight strikes, the unimaginable takes place. Time stops for everyone but Leighanna. Before her stands the ghost of the dead girl, pleading with Leighanna to catch her killer before someone else is murdered.

In a race against time, Leighanna hunts for clues across Stornshire. Will she be able to solve the case before the murderer strikes again, or will she become just another forgotten victim?

5 out of 5 fairies

I absolutely loved this book from start to finish, the personifications of life and death, Stan the adorable cat, and of course, our heroine, Leighanna. If I’m being honest, I had a lot of fun getting to know all the characters, and seeing them interact with each other. What struck me most, is how Chavis opened with what could easily turn into a heartbreaking scene, but quickly becomes a beautiful and interesting look into a world between worlds. While I admit, the writing style wasn’t quite what I was expecting from a YA paranormal mystery, that wasn’t a bad thing. Chavis’s writing is much more poetic than I would have expected, but it worked well, and I think made the story all that more engaging. The story itself has excellent pacing, and the descriptions really transport you back in time. Highly recommend for mystery lovers, YA and older!

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Moriah is the author of the young adult fantasy Heart of the Sea and various short stories. She is a two-time graduate from the University of South Carolina with a Bachelor’s in Liberal Arts and a Master’s in Library and Information Science. It’s been said you can find perusing bookstores, attempting to persuade strangers to read her favorite books, oscillating between watching the Lord of the Rings trilogy (her husband’s favorite) or Harry Potter (hers), and keeping her books from the clutches of her two feisty cats.

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