The Curious Case of the Midnight Specter
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $5.99
Publisher Description
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?
Customer Reviews
A Fantastic YA Mystery
Moriah Chavis is no stranger to fantasy novels, but here she examines the ties between life and death against the backdrop of a mystery set in the Victorian Era of England. Leigh almost dies from consumption, but she survives only to find out that while she was sick, another young woman was murdered.
Leigh becomes determined to find out who killed the other woman, even seeing her ghost when she begins her investigation. She also begins seeing Life and Death at major moments in her life, and the supernatural aspects of the story only spur her on.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I loved this YA mystery. I am older than the target audience of a story like this, and I think because of that, I unraveled it faster than the story played out. YA mysteries often have very specific beats, and Chavis’ story mostly follows those, so seasoned mystery readers will see the ending coming.
Despite that, the story is very fun to watch play out. Leigh’s friendship with Kat is real, full of the kinds of cracks and repairs that can be seen even in the modern day. Her desire to be more than someone’s wife is also relatable as well. While there is nothing wrong with wanting to be married, Leigh sees the way society makes women anonymous in favor of remembering the men they are linked to.
Leigh is also very flawed. She is stubborn and sees the world around her in her own way, not wanting to take into account the points of view of others until she is forced to. Her eyes are opened the further along in the mystery she gets, and she exhibits a lot of growth.
With the way the novel ends, I hope this marks the start of a series because I would love to see how the futures of the characters, and how Leigh’s connections to Life and Death, play out.