I received Shuttered Secrets, Riley Thomas #2, by Melissa Erin Jackson and it was a very good read. A nice surprise, by an author I haven’t read before and the 2nd book in the series. The book read like a stand alone but I will go back and read the first one. Riley Thomas, has shanties apartment and she hears ghosts. They tell her things and they hardly ever leave her alone. The ghosts are leaving her alone for a bit and she is very happy because she can help her friend get ready for her wedding. Jade has an idea to put old cameras on the tables at her wedding. She wants the guests to use them during the wedding and then she can see them when the wedding is done.
As they search for the cameras though, Riley starts to hear from the ghosts. They actually very insistent and Riley can not ignore them. The first woman comes at midnight in a yellow dress..Riley gets freaked out and takes the cameras out of the apartment in hopes that the ghost won’t come back, no such luck.. Riley must get help in this one. She starts to research the cameras that they got at one shop. They seem to be from the same person. Can she develop the film? Before she knows it she finds out that the camera has to do with two other woman, who were also murdered. One white and one black and neither are the first woman. As she continues to figure this out… she finds more clues that totally emerge her into this mystery.. can she find out the truth before the murderer finds her? Can she give peace to these girls families? This story was very good and I loved the writing. I couldn’t stop reading because i needed to know how it ended…

A great read. I loved the book. The plot was very well written and I cannot wait for another book. I really enjoyed the book.

3 for neutral, didn’t realize this was a series and therefore couldn’t get into it. Will update when I am able to get book one, read it and then this one, as then I’m sure I’ll enjoy much more!

I loved Shuttered Secrets! This book follows a psychic medium named Riley who is just developing her ability and is able to connect with ghosts. She gets drawn into a murder mystery when she buys some vintage cameras for her best friend's wedding. This leads her to discover the work of a serial killer who had been targeting a women using his abilities as a photographer.
I won't give away any twists, but the story kept me on my toes and I couldn't put it down. There are some great family moments too and fantastic side characters. Melissa Erin Jackson is great at fleshing out characters in a short time and allowing the reader to easily bond with them. The gore/violence is at a minimum, so even though this is for fans of true crime and thrillers, cozy readers can love it as well.
I love that Melissa Erin Jackson isn't afraid to look at social issues like race and class and is inclusive in her books. This is the second book in the series, but you can read it as a stand alone. Keep in mind there are many spoilers to the first book.
I can't wait to see where this series goes. Highly Recommended!

I loved this book, it kept me up far too late into the early hours! it was so well written, couldn't wait to pick it up. The psychic element added a slight feeling of nerves, of the unknown, but it all added to a brilliant read - will defiantly read more by this author.

Although I happened across the second book in this series it was not hard to follow along and get caught up to a point where the character relationships made sense.

The main character, Riley Thomas, is a clairvoyant and although she is unsure and resistant about her powers, in this book she starts to understand the importance of her gifts.

Seeing ghosts randomly in daily life must be startling and downright draining. After Riley's best friend buys some retro film cameras from an antique store however, she is motivated to use her clairvoyance to put an end to her interactions with the sorrowful woman in the yellow dress that keeps appearing.

A twisted plot unfolds proving to be dark and complicated, including a few camera fanatics using their photography for morbid & merderous means, and a poltergeist pushing around the new family living in her home.

This was a slightly darker plot to an otherwise cozy mystery. I would be interested to see how Riley's journey progresses.

Riley is going to be maid of honor for best friend Jade. In an effort to make the wedding reception unique Jade wants to look for used cameras to put on the tables so the guests can take pictures. They go to a second hand store and find three older cameras. They inspect the cameras to be sure they are still in working order and find an old roll of undeveloped film. Once the cameras are purchased Jade hides them so her fiancé doesn't get curious and try to take them apart. Meanwhile, Riley is trying to avoid her encounters with the paranormal. She calls her friend Nina to help her but Nina suggests that Riley needs to decide what she wants from these encounters in the future and then they should meet again to discuss. Riley sees an image of a lady in a yellow dress and is convinced it is somehow tied to the camera and the film. She will reach out to her friends and contacts to try to solve the mystery.

This is a light hearted story about clairvoyants and physic mediums. The story was interesting at the start but it dragged some after that. There was also a strange game of mystery food that I could have done without. All in all it was a nice afternoon read.

Good writing and flowed nicely. Riley was a likeable character and you root for her to find out the truth. The supernatural aspect is interesting and kept me turning the pages to find out what happens next. Overall highly entertaining.

Thank you Netgalley for this arc

Riley is such a great character! There's a lot to enjoy about this book. If you're a fan of the paranormal genre you will really like this one. It is the second of the series but there's enough recap given you won't feel lost. The cameras and the mystery surrounding them is engaging and full of surprises. It sucks you in. This series is quickly becoming a must read for me. It has a great blend of paranormal, mystery, and crime.

You
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Thriller to the very end. A great book club pick as you’ll to discuss.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ -- Enjoyed this one a lot!

<b>PROS</b>
-- Gorgeous cover.
-- Well written.
-- Worked well as a standalone (this is book two in a series).
-- Loved that the author included a summary of book one at the beginning.
-- Engaging plot.
-- Loved the bits of humor sprinkled throughout.
-- A relatively large cast of interesting and likable characters.
-- Satisfying ending.

<b>CONS</b>
-- The pace of this one was a little up and down. I found the story dragged in parts, and moved along at a good pace at other times.

**ARC Via NetGalley**

This was my first ARC and I wasn’t sure what to expect but WHAT A WAY TO START!

Before I review I must admit that I didn’t realise that this book was a sequel in the Riley Thomas series, luckily a short summary was included at the beginning of the book and the story was independent enough that it didn’t matter and I could still enjoy this one.

The story follow Riley, a psychic medium whose clairvoyant powers are growing stronger after she solved a cold case of a serial killer in the last book. Her best friend is getting married and wants some vintage cameras for wedding guests to use but upon touching one, Riley sees a ghost connected to the camera by energy. After looking at the film she realises the ghost is part of a serial killer cold case and begins to use her powers to solve it.

I’m getting really into murder mysteries lately but the addition of a medium was so much better. It sort of reminded me of what I loved about Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo but without the Dark academia and magic.

This book was really fast-paced and I finished it in two days, the characters were sarcastic and witty and I loved the relationship between Riley and the other clairvoyants Nina and Olivia. Seeing her come to terms with the powers she has feared for so long and the despair she felt from seeing these ghosts which can’t receive justice for themselves was so much more emotional than I was expecting and I thought that there was a lot of information (such as the factors of social class and race) about why a victim was selected that was sadly very accurate to what you see in a lot of true crime documentaries.

I especially enjoyed the chapters in the POV of the killers. It was quite chilling way of looking into a villain/characters mind and although it may be revealed earlier who is involved in the crimes, it’s really exciting seeing Riley piecing it all together.

Thank you so much to Xpresso Book Tours for this ARC, I really enjoyed it and am now definitely going to be checking out any more of Melissa Erin Jackson’s writing.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4014542086

I read the first Riley Thomas book 2 years ago and all the other books by Melissa Erin Jackson too and I absolutely adore her stories and her lead characters.

Riley’s story continues and her life isn’t getting any easier. Another ghost needs her help and then some so she has to woman up and find out who this latest ghost was. As her investigation continues she finds more ghosts that need her help but she also finds old and new friends who show her that her abilities are a gift.

Charachter developement is definitely one of Jackson’s strong suit. She creates amazing and lovable leads and support characters. I love Riley and Michael and Jade ane Nina, they complement each other.

I can hardly wait for the next book in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy. I received a free copy and I’m leaving this review voluntarily.

In book 2 of the Riley Thomas Mystery Series, Riley's best friend Jade is getting married, and they go shopping in thrift shops for some vintage cameras the guests can use to document the big day. They find 3 at one of the shops they go to, only to bring home an unexpected surprise along with the cameras...the ghost of a woman. As Riley, the reluctant medium, begins to dig into the history of the cameras, and communicate with the woman in yellow, she discovers that there are even more women. She realizes that the cameras belonged to a serial killer and that until she can name all of the victims and the killer himself, no one will be able to rest, including herself.

I didn't read the first book in the series, but it gave such a good overview at the beginning I didn't feel at all lost when I was reading this one. I do want to go back and read the first one now though, since I enjoyed this one so much. Riley is really uncomfortable with her psychic abilities and is still trying to get a handle on them, but she has a great group of friends who also have psychic abilities who can support and help her, and her boyfriend and other friends are really supportive as well. The book was like a combination ghost hunters & mystery, so I think it would appeal to anyone who liked paranormal or mysteries. This is a great series, and I look forward to seeing what adventures Riley and her friends gets up to in future installments.

This was a fun read and I enjoyed the characters, plot, and progression/pacing of the story. This is outside of my usual type of mystery as I tend to not read books that deal with paranormal/supernatural themes but I had heard good things about this book and the first in the series... and this was worth my time. I also requested it because my spouse is a photographer and I thought this might be fun given my connection to photography (and it was).

Shuttered Secrets was a welcome change of pace read, I found the characters well developed and the plot was engaging, which I was willing to accept at face value because hey it's fun to just enjoy a book and let the author tell you a story. It is nice to be on an easy, quick, and fun mystery ride and also to find a new to me series that I will check out again. I can tell the author has an affection for her themes and her characters, even the secondary ones, and that came through in the storytelling.

Haunted cameras?? LOLOLOLOL.

This book was a fun ghost story/mystery. It's the second on a series on the detective Riley Thomas. I did feel that this was a litttttle junior level but it was still a fun read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review.

Wow, I was utterly captivated by this book!
This is an incredible paranormal mystery.
The characters are written vividly and are interesting.
The story was engaging and I cannot wait to read more books featuring these characters.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

This novel is extremely well written with an interesting plot that involves ghosts and a mystery. The characters were very likable and relatable and found myself immersed in the story and trying to figure the mystery out. It held my interest throughout the entire book. Highly recommend for those who love a good mystery with some ghostly elements thrown in the mix!

Riley is a psychic medium, and is also the maid of honor in her best friend Jade's wedding. Jade wants to find some old fashioned cameras for the wedding, so they visit a secondhand shop. The cameras they find look perfect, except they cause Riley plenty of stress when ghostly women appear.nearby. Could these women all be victims of a serial killer from years before? Will the roll of undeveloped film provide any clues? Riley wants to find out so that she can give the ghostly women and their families some closure. This is the first Riley Thomas book I've read by Melissa Jackson, but I've enjoyed all of her Witch of Edgehill series. Recommended for readers who enjoy a paranormal mystery with humor and likable characters. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I wasn’t sure what to expect with this book but I actually really enjoyed it. It’s somewhere between a ghost story and a thriller. I really enjoyable book that kept my interest.