Darcy Coates strikes again (in a good way, as usual). When I received The Twisted Dead as an ARC from Netgalley, I didn’t know it was 3rd in the Gravekeeper series. Luckily, I was still able to understand/enjoy it without having read the first two books. The story follows Keira — who can see/interact with ghosts — and her two best friends as they try to help Dane, the reclusive owner of their town’s largest estate, tackle a very prickly ghost problem. The story, which I would classify as “light horror,” has plenty of other sub-plots and threads running through it, which were equally as interesting, and I think we’ll get more on those in the next book in the series. I did feel that the dialogue, specifically from Keira’s friend Zoe, felt a bit forced and juvenile. I also wished that I learned more about the characters, but I understand this may have been included in the first two books, which I haven’t read. All in all, The Twisted Dead was an easy, engaging read and I’ll be looking out for the next book in the series.

So I’ll preface this by saying I did not realize this was the 3rd book in a series. I liked the friendship between Zoe, Mason and Keira. This book felt YA at times and although it was less than 300 pages I also felt it dragged at times. I loved the humorous moments and how Mason and Zoe would do anything for Keira. I may have needed to read the first two books to really understand what was going on as there is a lot of reference to them in this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for access to this digital ARC.

The Twisted Dead
(Gravekeeper #3)
By: Darcy Coates

eARC & Book Review
Pub Date: February 7, 2023

In the 3rd installment in the Gravekeeper series, Keira is back and having to put her *gift* to work once again!

After receiving an invitation to dinner at Dane Crispin’s crumbling estate, she is tasked with a new job: helping Dane free himself of the ghosts that live throughout the estate. Not to mention, his mansion is full of eerie history and restless spirits.

Once again, Darcy Coates has sucked me in and written a book that I just can’t put down! His books are equal parts cozy and creepy, jam packed full of ghosts and her awesome friends — Zoe and Mason. I love how her books are almost “lighter” than your typical horror/mystery, but still full of excitement. I also love how there’s clearly some slow-burn romance happening between Keira and Mason, but it doesn’t take over the plot at all! She’s still clearly the main character and it is just a subplot

I am looking forward to the next installment in this series!

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an eARC for review.



This is the 3rd installment of The Gravekeeper series. We are thrust back into the world of Keira, Mason, and Zoe as they work to exterminate more devious ghosts.



I absolutely love Darcy Coates’s books. She is like a mistress of wholesome horror. This book won’t make you want to sleep with the lights on but it will give you enough of the paranormal and loyalty of friends to keep coming back for the next installment.

Keira can see ghosts. She can help them cross over. Usually.
She has been invited to the Crispin Manor, home of the reclusive Dane Crispin. Even though he tried to kill her, she is curious to see what he wants.

Once again, I tried a book outside my comfort zone and again it wasn't for me. The writing was fine. I can see how it would appeal to people that like a contemporary setting. Unfortunately, I am not in that group.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Darcy Coates for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for The Twisted Dead coming out February 7, 2023. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Keira just wants her life to get back to normal. But things are never normal when your ghost seeing ability gets you the job of groundskeeper in a small town’s cemetery.

Dane Crispin lives in a crumbling ancestral estate. When Keira receives an offer to come to dinner with him, she knows she can’t refuse. Dane is the last of the Crispin family and he’s a recluse. Keira met him once…on the night he tried to murder her. 

The mansion hides a history that is both complicated and bloody. Restless spirits lurk in the shadows of its walls. Keira senses the ghosts the moment she enters through its door. And Dane wants to ask for her help.

I love Darcy Coates’ writing! I know she writes a lot of horror, but ghost stories just feel like cozy mysteries to me. I have the first two books, but I haven’t read them yet. I felt like they could be read out of order. I’ve been watching Ghost Whisperer, so this book felt a lot like that. I loved it! I enjoyed that Keira had friends who believed her and helped her solve ghost mysteries.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys haunted house and ghost stories!

In the third installment of The Gravekeeper’s Series, Keira is content with the quiet town of Blighty, her friends and her job assisting spirits in the cemetery. When Dane Crispin invites her to his manor, she knows she can’t say no, even though he previously tried to kill her.

I think this was the best book of this series yet! The action starts from the beginning and doesn’t let up as Keira attempts to help Dane and get Mason some closure as well. In doing so, she gets a few glimpses at what her last may have been like. As always, I thoroughly enjoyed the playful friendship between Keira, Mason and Zoe. This book seemed to lay the groundwork for a fourth installment as well and I can’t wait to see what is next!

“The Twisted Dead” releases February 7th! Thank you to Netgalley, Poisoned Pen Press and Darcy Coates for the ARC! This review will be shared to my Instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly.

Poor Kiera. Her blood turned to ice so many times that I thought she'd die of hypothermia. But then, she felt a raging inferno inside her. Remember those old commercials for Corningware where one half of the dish was imbedded in ice while the other half was over a flame? That's how I felt about poor Kiera.

First, they go to the home of the town's hermit. He's plagued by ghosts who think he's an "all you can eat buffet." Distracted by more ghosts, Kiera and her two friends for most of the book, leaving poor Dane as the first, second, and third course, plus dessert for some hungry hungry spirits.

There's some good writing. When the friends creep through the crawl space of a motel, I felt claustrophobic. That's a good sign when the writer makes the reader feel like they're in the novel, though I don't like feeling like ghosts are noshing on me because that would be icky.

Lots of fun, lots of adventure, and lots and lots of ghosts and stabby parts. Thanks to Netgalley and Poison Pen for allowing me to read and review The Twisted Dead and for making me feel claustrophobic and dusty.

I was really hoping for more closure with this book, but perhaps there will be another one! I enjoyed reuniting with the characters and seeing what type of trouble they got themselves into this time. This is a good paranormal mystery series for young adults.

Oh my gosh. This story.

Ok, I will be honest in that I did not realize that this was book 3 in the series, but the details in the beginning kind of explain some of what happened before so I wasn't too terribly lost.

Just slight spoilers ahead

So in here we have Keira who can apparently see ghosts. Which is cool. She is living in a tent at the beginning because someone burned down the cottage she was living in. One morning she receives a message from the rich recluse of the town that shot at her in a previous story but she and her friends are relatively sure that he didn't know who she was when shooting. Thus starts the main story of the book as she ends up finding out that it has to do with ghosts and she has the power to send them on.

I really liked this and the spookiness of the story, the ghost and Dane at the end kind of broke my heart.

I will be reading the first two books so I can catch up on how we ended up here.

While this book is considered a standalone, it is also book 3 in a series. There is some background information in the storyline to have you up to speed on what is going on in the main character's life, but yet I still feel as if I would be more prepared to read this one had I read the two books that proceed this title. I have not, and as such, I did think there was a lot I was trying to catch up on in the beginning. The first few chapters talked about things that happened in previous stories. I would recommend reading the first 2 books prior to this. I, myself, will now be going back to read all three in order to fully be able to grasp all there is to these novels. I think not doing so would be a huge disservice to a talented author.

The main character can see ghosts/spirits- I was not expecting a paranormal aspect, but I enjoy that. I think it is a really cool concept that she can communicate with them! She gets an invitation to this haunted manor, and while she and her friends are nervous to accept the invite, they do and go, and are surprised when the owner of the mansion requests her help.

Obviously I went into this blind- it was a really twisty, fun story. I just love Darcy Coates as an author and did not pay attention to the fact it was part of a series before requesting.

Thank you #Netgalley and publishers for the opportunity to read a free e-arc of this one in exchange for my honest review!

Coates has once again followed through with The Twisted Dead. Each time I read a Darcy Coates book, I cannot wait for the next one. This author is truly a master of all that is ghosty and spooky. I tend to stay away from series, but The Whispering Dead, The Ravenous Dead, and The Twisted Dead are an exception . . . on a fairly short list of exceptions!

Keira has been cursed with a second sight that allows her to see the dead that have been unable to pass on and now a local, who recently attempted to kill Keira, has asked for her help to rid his home of ghost who are feeding off him. Is Keira willing to use her skills to help Dean and is she strong enough to rid him of these ghost? On her quest to find answers on how to help Dean, she puts herself back onto the radar of those who are out to destroy her because her power could ruin their business. Can Kiera save herself and still have the power to save Dean? And, can Kiera help her friend who still experiences guilt after the murder of his fellow classmate? Has his classmate been able to move on or is he still hanging around as ghost because his soul can't rest till his murder is solved?



Darcy Coates is the queen of campfire ghost stories! I always say that horror is a difficulty genre to write but her stories have depth with great character development and The Twisted Dead is no exception! I do wish I had read the previous books in the series to have a better background on Keira but it wasn't necessary. The story does lead off into a few different directions and relieving Dean of his ghost is the most minor part but each part was interesting with just a few slow parts throughout. Overall, definitely recommend for anyone who enjoys the paranormal drama!

Thank you Netgalley and Poisened Pin Press for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As soon as I saw this book was coming out, I knew I had to read and find out what new adventures Keira, Zoe and Mason went on!

I love the idea of being able to help the dead move on, but sometimes that can be a bit scary. Again, we find Keira and company trying to solve a mystery, but is there ever really just one question to be answered or one problem to be solved?

Darcy Coates has a way of really immersing you into a setting and making you feel like you’re there; whether a chill in the air from an unseen friend/foe or feeling the grit of dirt under your nails. I could easily picture myself watching the characters as if I were there with them.

If anything, this book has made me a bit more introspective and curious about myself, friends and family and what happens when we pass on. Normally a ghost will stay behind if they have unfinished business, so a thought to live life to the fullest and not hold onto grudges or petty things really comes to mind.

Of course not everything can be tied up in a pretty bow with an “and they lived happily ever after” at the end…so, I’ll be waiting for the next installment to gain more answers.

Thank you to the author, Darcy Coates, Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the eARC of The Twisted Dead!

How much do I love Darcy Coates. What a fun read. Book #3 of the gravekeeper series I admit this was the first one I’ve read of this series, but it was easy to assimilate and learn the characters. Kira is a likable character that likes to do some damage to the ghosts she can see. Her crew is awesome and I cannot wait to go back and read the first two. I will follow you anywhere DCoates.

I had not read the first two books in the series going into this one, but this was so good I am going back to read those also! This was a fun time and a quick and easy read!

I recently discovered this series (The Gravekeeper) by Darcy Coates, and was excited to see the third book on NetGalley. This was a great continuation of the story, and kept me interested the whole time. Like most of Darcy's books, this was a fairly quick read because I just couldn't put it down. Haunted graveyards, ghosts, good friends - it's the whole package. I love a good supernatural story, and this one did not disappoint.

Great book, great series, great author.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC of this book!

Darcy Coates does not disappoint with this third book in her series. Ghosts and romance and the natural writing style that kept me invested in the story. Darcy Coates is a go-to author for anything mild horror for me.

This is the third book in The Gravekeeper series by Darcy Coates. We follow Keira and her friends, Zoe and Marcus, as they get themselves into crazy adventures while exploring haunted mansions and creepy graveyards - with narrow escapes and the constant feel of running for their lives.

In this third installment, Keira and her friends are invited to the estate of Dane Crispin who's mansion is steeped in history that is complicated and bloody. Coates' writing is the type of cozy horror mystery that you can't put down and keeps you guessing until the end.

I'm giving this one 3.5 stars and would like to give a huge thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Episode 3 of Darcy Coates wonderfully spooky supernatural series is just as entertaining as the previous books. This time Keira tries to use her gift for ghost wrangling to help a resident of Blighty who is plagued by dozens of unfriendly spirits. Plus there may finally be some answers for Keira about her mysterious past....or perhaps just more questions.

An excellent read, full of spooking goings on but still with the quirky fun that this series always brings. I cannot wait for the next instalment!