C.J. Daley’s Welcome to Cemetery is a gripping mystery with a sci-fi edge, blending action, suspense, and unexpected twists. While it takes a bit of time to fully immerse in the story, once it picks up, it doesn’t let go. The novel is packed with constant action, keeping readers on edge as no character is truly safe.

The book balances its mystery elements with a touch of romance, though its primary appeal lies in its darker themes. Blood and gore play a significant role, adding a gritty, high-stakes intensity to the plot. Despite its mystery classification, the sci-fi-like atmosphere adds a unique twist, setting it apart from more traditional whodunits.

Overall, Welcome to Cemetery is a thrilling, fast-paced read for those who enjoy mystery with a darker, action-driven narrative. Fans of suspenseful storytelling with high stakes and unexpected turns will find plenty to enjoy.

C.J. Daley’s Welcome to Cemetery is a gripping blend of crime thriller and supernatural horror, set in a town where nothing is as it seems. With a pair of detectives who couldn’t be more different, a string of baffling disappearances, and an eerie, blood-drained crime scene, this novel keeps readers on edge from start to finish.

A Town That Lives Up to Its Name

Cemetery, NY is no ordinary town—it’s steeped in crime, secrets, and something far darker than the detectives investigating its latest mystery could ever imagine. When Abby Williams, a determined young detective eager to prove herself, and Ed Reyes, a seasoned veteran with years of experience, are assigned to what seems like a routine missing persons case, they quickly find themselves pulled into something far more sinister.

As bodies begin to turn up—completely drained of blood—the case takes a terrifying turn. The further they dig, the more Williams and Reyes begin to question the world around them. What if the murderer they’re hunting isn’t human at all?

Compelling Characters & A Haunting Atmosphere

Daley crafts a dynamic detective duo in Williams and Reyes. Their contrasting personalities—her youthful ambition versus his weary cynicism—create natural tension and give the story depth beyond its central mystery. The eerie setting of Cemetery, NY, with its foreboding atmosphere and shadowy history, makes the perfect backdrop for a thriller that seamlessly weaves crime and the supernatural.

A Genre-Bending Thriller

What starts as a detective procedural quickly shifts into something much more chilling. Daley masterfully blends mystery, horror, and suspense, keeping readers guessing as the case unravels. The investigation moves at a breakneck pace, delivering unexpected twists and eerie revelations that will keep even the most seasoned thriller readers hooked.

Final Verdict

Welcome to Cemetery is a spine-tingling, fast-paced thriller that will appeal to fans of both gritty detective fiction and supernatural horror. With its razor-sharp dialogue, unsettling mysteries, and a setting that feels like a character in itself, this book is impossible to put down.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for access to an e-arc of this title.
This was a cheesy, creepy, fun read overall. The first two thirds of this is almost satirical in its telling, with some creepiness... It reminded me of the first time I watched Scream... that kind of tongue in cheek characters that take themselves a bit to seriously, in a situation that is creepy but has that juxtaposition of the humour and small town vibe the Cemetery. Despite the creepy stuff happening, Cemetery is a town I would like to visit and hope I would come out alive. A lot of aspects of this were predictable but that felt quite comforting in this case. Along with moments that were absolutely unbelievable, you get the creepy vibes without being scared. An example of this is when the MC wakes up in hospital, she is determined to leave before doctors are happy with it.. but the doctor lets her leave with all the advice she can give anyway. In almost the next sentence the MC is running after someone... so much for being so badly injured!
There was a love interest in this which I really liked and found that character to have an interesting role in the plot. It was an important role in the MC's storyline but didn't detract from the plot or add anything for frivolities sake.
The last third of the book gets serious and is almost a different vibe... I found myself caring more about what was happening, where before I was just along for the ride.
I think this will suit readers that like satirical horror, and answers that leave more question... like... "what were they doing with the blood?!"
My final rating is 3.75 Grinches.

Welcome To Cemetery
By C.J. Daley
BestGhost Books
(04/04/25)
4⭐️

🔘Thriller/Suspense
🔘Horror
🔘Gore

Welcome to the town of Cemetery, a small town in upstate NY. Suddenly, many disappearances were happening in this eerie little town with so many secrets. As the detectives began to investigate a fatal car accident, they realized a string of killings and disappearances were all related.

A lot of things happen in the course of trying to solve this crime and catch the killers. The book was well written, entertaining, with excellent character development. Lots of mystery and twists and turns to keep you guessing!

Thank you to C.J. Daley, BestGhost Books and Net Galley for providing me an advanced e-book copy in exchange for my honest review.

Tropes:
🔪 Violence
☠️ Death
🕵️‍♂️ Mystery

"Stephen King has Castle Rock. Josh Malerman has Goblin. E. Reyes has Devil’s Hill. Now C. J. Daley welcomes you to Cemetery."

Well that certainly grabbed my attention. Although I confess I haven't read Malerman or Reyes, I am a big fan of Stephen King, so this sounded like it would be right up my alley..

"A strange town with a strange name, Cemetery, NY is filled with crime and secrets."

Intriguing, huh???

When a car accident one fateful night leads to a search for two missing bodies, detectives Abby Williams – an almost-thirty year old with something to prove – and Ed Reyes – a jaded, senior officer with a career as long as his partner is old – set out to solve the latest mystery.
Before long, a string of missing persons becomes a collection of bloodless bodies that has even the police pathologist stumped.

Oooh.... and this was where the book got really good. I had no idea what to expect. I had plenty of theories.....and they were all wrong. So wrong. If you love a fast paced mystery/thriller/horror , then you should definitely check this out.

I really enjoyed this book! It was a brilliant crime thriller and kept me guessing through out the entire book on who I thought could possibly be behind the awful crimes happening in Cemetery & I'm gutted to say, I did not guess correctly!

Thank you NetGalley and BestGhosts Books for the eARC.
This book had a nice plot, well executed, with strong characters, but was way too heavy on the dialogue, which I didn’t care for.
It had sort of a spooky aspect to it, which I liked, but the ending was so rushed and I feel like I have so many questions and things were left unanswered.
Abby was a good strong character, which I respect, but I also feel she made some not so smart choices throughout the book.
Overall, I didn’t love it, but it wasnt horrible.

This book has a nice mix of crime fiction, horror and the supernatural. I didn’t think it could really be done, but it was! I am not usually a huge fan of crime fiction but I think with the supernatural and horror aspect thrown into it, it made it very interesting. I think this would be a great book to read during the fall, or more specifically, Halloween.

A decent read with some interesting characters like Williams and Reyes, who I’d have liked to have learned more about, and a creepy town with a great name.
The plot started off good, bordering on the supernatural but when everything was revealed it didn’t quite live up to the rest of the story in my opinion.
Fast paced with some horrifying scenes and a few twists made this book enjoyable but not great.

Welcome to Cemetery

Although I understand this is an Advance Release, I have reviewed over 1,000 early release books, and for a professional writer and editor such as myself, this book is so rife with odd grammatical choices and errors I finally had to stop reading it (during the last chapter). Typically, I just forward an error or two to the publisher, but it reached the point where there were errors on every page. As I am not supposed to quote pre-publication, I must leave it at that, but I am SHOCKED other reviewers could make it through this book without noting the number of issues contained within..

This story is so flawed, from a verbiage and editing standpoint, distractions (errors) on nearly every page make it impossible to enjoy the storyline, which is just okay.

Trust me, Stephen King doesn't need to worry...

There are a few positives in this story including a promising premise, a cool name for a creepy town, and some characters with the potential to become more fleshed out, given work. Rather than being able to enjoy the story, I spent most of my time trying to put my finger on what was so off-putting about the entire reading experience. I’m not sure if this was passed through some kind of assistive writing program or if it was dictated-to-text, but it did not work for me. There was a pervasive peculiarity in syntax and sentence formulation that went far beyond a final proofing. The frequent misuse of similarly sounding words (not homophones), semantic errors, and the not so infrequent use of wrong vocabulary, made for a tough read.
2/5

This novel felt like AI wrote it.
The characters were very 1 diomensional, and felt like they had been pulled off a crime procedural show on TV.

It also felt like someone went through with a thesaurus to change out words and the ones they chose don't always make sense or fit the moment or the writing style.

Hard to get through. Could have been interesting based off the plot, but is very underdeveloped.

This one was fairly enjoyable, but not entirely to my taste (can't pinpoint exactly why, though). Still a three star.

3.5/5

Welcome To Cemetery was a decent book. It was good, but not my absolute favorite. It kept me interested, had lots of action, and an interesting plot. However, it just didn't captivate me? If your looking for a happy ending and heros prevailing, this is not the book for you. Lots of people died, and I could have done without the random romance in the book. It felt out of place and didn't give much to the story in my opinion. I was slightly disappointed in the ending. I wish there was more details and it left me with questions. Although, I believe this is the beginning of a series, hopefully things connect more in the next book. It was good, I just felt there could've been more information throughout, especially with the ending. I would still recommend you give it a read!!

Thank you to BestGhost Books publishing for providing me an ARC copy via Netgalley in exchange for my review.

This book features heavy dialogue, a queer romance, and a supernatural theme intertwined with crime, all of which I enjoyed. However, I felt that the ending was rushed, leaving some questions unanswered. I gave it 3.5 stars. I appreciated the author's effort in crafting a narrative that explores the trauma, anxiety, and shyness experienced by Detective Abby, a female in a predominantly male police station. Despite the book's strengths, the rushed conclusion detracted from my overall reading experience.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this ebook!

Welcome to Cemetery by C.J. Daly leans more into thriller territory than horror, but it's high body count and fast-paced action made it impossible to stop reading. About a third of the way in, I knew this was an action-packed mystery rather than a true horror novel—but that didn’t stop me. I was hooked, fully invested in unraveling the dark secrets buried within this story.

Set in a small town where the dead turn up in increasingly grotesque states—drained of blood, stripped of organs, hacked apart like a butcher's leftovers—the local detectives find themselves tangled in a case that defies explanation. The pathologist is baffled. The police are clueless. And as more bodies pile up, the web of conspiracies stretches wider, implicating nearly everyone in town.

That’s where things started to unravel for me. The sheer scale of the conspiracy requires a massive suspension of disbelief. When the mastermind is revealed, their motives feel flimsy, almost absurd given the reach of their influence. And the final act? It plunges headfirst into chaos, shredding any last grasp on reality.

It’s bloody. It’s fast-paced. It has moments of skin-crawling tension. Now the thing I wanted more of was dread, and lingering unease, a high-speed thriller with an over-the-top premise. If that’s your thing, you’ll have fun with it. But if you’re hunting for a story that will haunt you after dark, you might want to keep looking.


Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

First of all thank you to NetGalley and publisher for early arc of this book! Great characters with strong female protagonist who I was behind the whole time, fast paced and packed with action. I really liked it! Fun story with some really cool scenes!

Ｅｂｏｏｋ Ｒｅｖｉｅｗ
3 ☆

Abby Williams is an almost-thirty-year-old detective in a strangely named town, Cemetery, NY. Along with her partner, Ed Reyes, a car accident one fateful night leads to a search for two missing bodies. Before long, a string of missing persons becomes a collection of bloodless bodies that has even the police pathologist stumped.

This is labeled as a horror thriller, but I think it's just a thriller. It doesn't give me horror vibes! I wanted to love this book, but it was just "meh." I'm happy I read it, but I wouldn't read it again. I did like that it was fast-paced and straightforward, and the author didn't drag the book to 350+ pages. I don't know, I just wanted more.

Thank you, Netgellay, and BestGhosted Books for the ebook in exchange for my honest review.

This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

I read the prologue and thought it was promising, but it actually wasn’t. The narrative is boring—too much telling and not enough showing. There is also too much redundancy. I kept waiting for the writing to get better, but it didn’t.

The most annoying part is the characters. The female lead has a classic “woman written by a man” characterization, and the male characters are overly focused on the classic stereotypes. They just turned me off.