The premise was promising, but the execution is disappointing. Overwritten prose. Some glaring historical errors that could have been avoided if the author had done a little bit of research before referencing certain things. The US Air Force wasn't officially established until 1947. During the war they were part of the US Army. Yes, a small detail, but it matters, and Google would have given you the correct answer in like 2 minutes.

My other problem is that there were no characters I could root for in this book. I didn't particularly care for Seraphina, and the supporting cast of characters aren't very fleshed out. They are there to serve a purpose, or possess one distinguishable treat and that's it.

I particularly didn't like the fact that the women in this book are all either older than Seraphina and thus fulfill the role of the town gossip or the wise "motherly" figure. And those who are her age or close are either dead, or rather unsympathetic. It's the usual trope of portraying the heroine as better (wiser, more beautiful, virtuous, etc.) as everyone else by making other women less than her. Ugh, I hate that trope.

Also, the idea that London somehow has less active ghosts than a little town in New Forest is rather ridiculous. London has been inhabited for thousands of years and saw its fare share of tragedies and deaths. For someone able to see ghosts, the city would be positively teeming with them.

I didn't particularly care for the romance between Seraphina and Ross either. It read rather lukewarm to me. Like the author just wanted to add a romance into the story to draw a parallel between Seraphina and Ross and Rose and Elliott.

Though I must admit that the concept that ghosts might exist on different planes from each other and not be able to see other ghosts or communicate with those that aren't on the same plane is interesting. I don't think I saw anything like that before.

My biggest issue is with the identity of the killer though. I found that it came out of nowhere. There was no foreshadowing anywhere in the book before the big reveal, no crumbs disseminated throughout the story to make the protagonist, or at least the reader suspect anything. It was just "bham! He is the killer! Queue evil laughter". It's almost like the author decided to make him the bad man just for shock value. I am all for shocking reveals, but they need to be justified.

PS: I received an advanced copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.
Great read!

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

not quite what i thought it was going to be...yes there are ghosts

seraphina can see them.... but its the onset of war that causes her more distress with the abundance of ghosts around london once the bombing campaign had started, so it was with deep hardship that her mom and dad sent her to the country to live in a mansion that was being supplied by their great friend....

but once there more ghosts made themselves known and the warnings of not entering the woods when it was dark because of a killer became to much for seraphina

as the killer starts to target her and the ghosts make themselves known life becomes interesting, at times i struggled with one but i did want to find out who the killer was and how would the ghosts be helped....the answers are revealed....

Our main character Seraphina can see and interact with ghosts - I loved the premise and loved the way the author executed on this. One of my big concerns/issues with books like this is if the rules are consistent in the world. The author did a great job of staying consistent in this world and I was able to suspend my disbelief, get into the story, and not get frustrated with changes or inconsistencies.

I appreciated how well each character was differentiated. Seraphina interacts with a number of people, any of whom can be the murderer, and I was able to keep them all straight in my head. They were all distinct in different ways and it was easy to keep track of them. The answer for who the murderer is kept me guessing until the reveal. Seraphina made a case for just about everyone and I suspected everyone.

I also appreciate how different the 2 main ghosts were. She interacted with the soldier ghost who was a nice, young soldier trying to find what happened to his love. Then there's the angry house ghost who did a lot of screaming and door slamming. It was an interesting contrast between them both.

The atmosphere of the book was great. Lewis Manor is dark and creepy with ghosts running around. I felt very immersed in the Gothic atmosphere. The book is set during WWII and it reads that way. Some historical fiction feels like it was written now and set then; that's not the case with this book.

Overall, I loved this book. It was spooky and creepy without being too much. It was a great read for fall/spooky season.

Thank you for the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this advance review copy.

*this is an arc from netgalley. It is my own opinion with no bias or influence*

This just wasn’t for me. I tried so hard to get into it but it fell flat for me. :(

A young lady sensitive to the presence of ghosts, attempts to escape a ghost-filled WW2 London, only to venture into another place filled with ghosts and darker things.

The term ‘serial killer’ wasn’t coined until way after WW2.
I didn't like how Ghost has a conversation with Seraphina- its too easy.

Thank you NetGalley and City Owl Press!

Love, Loss and Loyalty. This books is nothing short of a roller coaster. The first half of this book I was thinking that I really liked this and would probably end up being a four star considering I am so picky with handing out five stars. That was until I got to the second half. I experienced every single emotion in such rapid succession I honestly needed a minute to breath. I was on edge, I was angry, I was frustrated, I was broken, I cried, and could not sit still. This book was absolutely phenomenal and I will without a doubt recommend this book to anyone and everyone. Buckle up people you are about to go on a wild ride.

I love dark, gothic and atmospheric reads so this supernatural read was right up my street, I love books that have a paranormal element. Well written with a gripping storyline and well developed and compelling characters.

A well written, gripping paranormal novel that I enjoyed. The plot is solid, the characters fleshed out, and I liked it.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

The Ghosts of Lewis Manor by Marcia Maidana.
Born with a rare ability—or curse, Seraphina can see and hear the dead. During the early days of the London Blitz, she is confronted with hundreds of lost souls wandering the streets. As the war escalates, her parents send her away to the home of an old friend in the English countryside to preserve her sanity. But there are monsters lurking in the hallways and the surrounding woods of the mansion, not all of them are ghosts. Seraphina must use her gift to help solve the gruesome mysteries of Lewis Manor’s past in order to prevent her own murder in the present.
A really good read. Couldn't put it down. 5*.