A Sanctuary of Spirits

On the gas lit streets of Victorian New York, the NYPD’s Ghost precinct,a group of female spiritualists and physics have uncovered the existence of the Ghost Sanctuary, a place where the dead can give information to the living. The group of mediums, led by Eve Whitby are looking into the disappearance of an undertaker when she meets a magician and mesmerist whose gifts are as impressive as they are frightening. Is he an ally or a dangerous enemy? I love this unique and quirky mystery that features a strong and feisty Victorian heroine

I didn't see that you his was the second in the series and as soon as I finish this review, I'm definitely reading the first book!

Eve is a medium who heads up NYPD's Ghost Precinct close to the turn of the century with the help of her fellow precinct members who are also women, the ghost Maggie, and the wonder Detective Jacob Horowitz.

I had previously read Leanna's Strangely Beautiful series so I was hopeful I was going to like this as well and I absolutely loved it! Eve is a great character and it had two of my favorite things - well written relationships both friends, family and potentially romantic AND a unique, creative plot. Highly recommended for fans of historical mysteries with supernatural/fantasy elements!

The premise of this book was promising and at first it took some time to get into it. But as it progressed, I was quickly caught up with the story and the characters. A unique book with blending of paranormal and mystery and a hint of romance, I am looking forward to reading more from this author. I received an e-book from NetGalley in return for an unbiased review.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book as I hadn’t heard of the author before, I was really pleasantly surprised. The story was very original and. I loved all of the characters ,even the evil ones 😄.
I will be searching out more of her work.

Another wonderfully written book from Leanna Renne Hieber.

A Sanctuary of Spirits picks up where the first book ended. Eve Whitby still heads the Ghost Precint, works with her mediums, Cora, Antonia and Jenny. They are investigating a mortician’s disappearance and while doing so Eve discovers the Ghost Sanctuary. That place and the ghost within offer her answers and clues that help her and her team. Eve also meets a mesmerist unlike any she’s ever met.

I love this story, every character, the story, the writing style, all of it. The romance part is really the icing on the cake.

This book is highly recommended.

I received a copy from NetGalley and I am leaving a review voluntarily.

I received an advance copy of this book via NetGalley.

Leanna Renee Hieber is my go-to for beautiful, contemporary takes on gothic fiction. I jumped into this book without having read the 1st, and I immediately grasped the world and the characters. The concept is fantastic: in 1890s New York, gifted medium Eve Whitby leads NYPD's first Ghost Precinct. With the help of other skilled women with various psychic and spiritualist abilities--and a cadre of the dead--Eve hunts down clues behind a mortician's disappearance and the reasons for the persistent presence of a disturbing mob of ghostly children. Along the while, she's assisted by the mundane Detective Horowitz, and the romance that blossoms between them is charming and based on mutual respect for their abilities and cultures--which is the hottest sort of romance, in my opinion!

I love the balance that Hieber struck in this book. It is very much in the gothic mode. You can tell the author KNOWS New York City. The book does get quite dark at times--trigger warning for those who cannot read about bad things happening to children--but the romance with Horowitz and the wonderful friendships between the women do a lot to lighten the plot. (Just as those kinds of positive relationships do in life, really.) I loved the guest appearance by Theodore Roosevelt as well; I wrote him into my own books, and he's such a fascinating man.

This book comes out on October 15th. This series would make for the perfect Halloween read!

I did not realise this was the second book in a series but I loved this gothic tale so much I’m going to track down the first book. This was a paranormal mystery with MC Eve working with a division of psychics and a mundane detective and love interest bringing up the rear. The setting was perfect and the romance was very sweet. Highly recommend.

This book is truly a lot darker than the first, especially towards the end. I felt that the first sort of hinted at the darkness, it wasn’t as outwardly twisted. I’m not at all opposed to that, but I felt almost as if this book ramped up the series and it will be interesting to see what happens in the next book. Will it continue on this dark and twisted path? It seems likely.

I also know that the author has previous series which go on with the lives of Eve’s parents, which the reader of this series is continually left in the dark about. Honestly, the way it’s hinted at almost makes it feel like we should know the events that happened to Eve’s parents. I feel like reading the previous series may help with that. I haven’t yet, but I am honestly so curious that I probably will end up checking them out.

I really enjoy the author’s writing in general. But, I wish she did not summarize so much of the last book. Having just finished the first book and diving straight into this one, it felt a bit strange to me. However, I am guessing there may have been more than a 30-second gap between the two books for the average reader. So, I am sure they may have appreciated the reminder of scenarios and characters.

Overall, I really liked this book. It brought me back to my ghostly adventures that I have been cravingly lately. I think it’s very well written, plus, who doesn’t love a bunch of super cool ladies investigating murders? If you enjoy the ID channel, but you wish that you could ask the ghost who killed them, then you’re going to enjoy these books.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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I really enjoyed this. Although I was not aware that this was the second book in a series, I will definitely be going back to read the first book and continuing the series. The characterization was great and the plot unfolded at a decent pace.

Overall rating: 4/5 stars

This was an interesting, well written second part of what I'm guessing is a trilogy. Certainly this book reads as a follow up although sadly I have not read the previous story. It catches up with a medium called Eve who is part of a Unit working for the Police but as this is a period piece you can imagine the constraints levelled at the women. As this book begins Eve is desperate to find her ghostly best friend who has gone missing. Still struggling with the aftermath of recent exploits and kidnapping Eve and her fellow mediums are horrified when the ghosts of children start crying out for help but trust me dear reader the horror is far worse than you can imagine.
Sadly as I hadn't seen the first book it took me a while to immerse myself in this but I did thoroughly enjoy the idea of these amazing women working for the Police. It does actually feel really well researched and of its time so to speak so I commend the author for her diligence. Alas it is slow to start in many ways and it wasn't until the last third that things really started to get exciting. I liked the characters although they were numerous and there's the beginning of a romance here although slow burn is actually overstating it ! There is a resolution of sorts but it ends in a way that means the author definitely has more to tell .
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from NetGalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

I am a huge fan on Leanna's Strangely Beautiful series and couldn't wait to read her new novel. I was not disappointed. What I love most about Leanne's writing is her sense of place. Read her novels makes we feel like I am there, right along with her characters. Very little imagination is needed on my part to "see" the locations. Her heroines are an amazing combination of strong an vulnerable. Fearless but cautious. If Anita Shreve were to start writing Gothic novels she would meet her match with Leanne Renee Hieber.

I loved this entry into the series. I love the combination of mystery and the paranormal, and the women who investigate the incidents. The NYPD’s Ghost Precinct, an all-female team of psychics and spiritualists, take on the cases that no one else seems to touch. They speak for the women and children of the city who the police force ignores. The introduction of the Ghost Sanctuary was interesting. The gruesome end result of the murder case was terrifying but made sense.

I enjoy reading about Eve, her ghost unit, and her blooming relationship with Detective Horowitz and can't wait to read more.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this ghostly book before halloo ween...

this has all the elements, pychics, mediums,ghosts, madmen, seances...just enough to give you a taste of what this series is about....

a chilling tale with our band of pychics and mediums being inundated with visits from ghosts that have been violated, though they scream and shout they are also unable to make themselves understood to the mediums

and who is this shadow man that seems to be hanging around

can our band of mediums work out what is going on before its to late... and a love interest between one of them and the detective makes for worrying time for all

look out for book 3 in this series

When I requested this book, I didn't realize that it was the second in a series. I started A Sanctuary of Spirits as the first book I read in the series. It wasn't a bad thing to start in the second book, but it was obvious a continuous story from the first book. In my opinion it wasn't a terrible thing, I got the hang of characters/plot relatively quickly.

This was a nice, simple read. I enjoyed the characters/plot and felt a draw to continue to read it from day to day. I also very much enjoyed how endearing all of the characters are to one another. I'm not usually into books that are all fluffy rainbows and butterflies. But the amount of praise and endearment that each character gives to the rest of the characters was heart-warming. I normally like the evil, misunderstood characters, but this book just put me in an all around good mood.

I will definitely consider continuing on with this series for sure. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

Continuing to explore the Gaslight world developed in the Spectral City, Hieber plunges the reader deeper into the perilous world of spirit communication. In this universe, those who have passed over can linger, communicate, and interact with living humans. These interactions are facilitated by skilled psychic mediums such as Eve Whitby, the leader of The Ghost Project. As in book one, The Ghost Project has been asked to aid
the police resolving a very troubling case.

However, other things are more troubling for Eve. The hoard of spirit children who are badgering her; the 'wrongness' of the Prenzie family, the long disappearance of Maggie, her spirit confident, and coming at an inopportune time, her growing attraction for Detective Horowitz. She are Detective Horowitz are continuing their ruse of a 'sham' courtship. Now, however, Eve is beginning to long for the real thing. Does he feel the same way?

The discovery of a one of the few living world's anchors to Sanctuary provides some answers but beckons Eve
to explore more. The Sanctuary contains the thinnest of parts of the veil between the mortal and spirit world. It served as a portal to return Maggie to Eve. Hieber has created a place that is permanently of and for death. It serves as a refuge for those not ready to go on but need respite from the task that is binding them to the mortal world. A mortal entering Sanctuary would not be welcome, and would put their own existence in jeopardy. What would make Eve succumb to this temptation? Will she yield?

The plot is compelling, working well as a stand alone as well as part of this Gaslight series. A good ghost story must be realistic enough to be believable. Hieber's thorough knowledge of New York City on the cusp of the 20th Century fills the reader with a sense of credibility. I look forward to reading more of Eve's and The Ghost Precinct's adventures.

Full disclosure: I received an ARC e copy from netgalley.com and Kensington Publishing Corporation in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you for this opportunity.

"New York, 1899, and the police department's best ally is the secret Ghost Precinct, where spirits and psychics help solve the city's most perplexing crimes...

There's more than one way to catch a killer-though the methods employed by the NYPD's Ghost Precinct, an all-female team of psychics and spiritualists led by gifted young medium Eve Whitby, are unconventional to say the least. Eve is concerned by the backlash that threatens the department-and by the discovery of an otherworldly realm, the Ghost Sanctuary, where the dead can provide answers. But is there a price to be paid for Eve and her colleagues venturing beyond the land of the living?

Searching for clues about a mortician's disappearance, Eve encounters a charismatic magician and mesmerist whose abilities are unlike any she's seen. Is he a link to mysterious deaths around the city, or to the Ghost Sanctuary? Torn between the bonds of her team and her growing relationship with the dashing Detective Horowitz, Eve must discern truth from illusion and friend from foe, before another soul vanishes into the ether..."

Psychics and spiritualists fighting crime? I don't just want to read this book I want to live it!

This book was received from the Author, in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own

This thrilling, gaslight magical realism drama has great sensory appeal and is jam-packed with action, amusement and turns of events that keep your attention from the beginning.

The NYPD’s Ghost Precinct, an all-female team of psychics and spiritualists, take on the cases that no one else seems to touch. They speak for the women and children of the city who the police force ignores.

The main character is Evelyn Whitby (Eve), supervisor of The Ghost Precinct of New York City in 1899. Eve is a medium who sees and talks to ghosts and, with her staff and one male detective from the police force, handles crimes of a supernatural nature. Eve and her friend Maggie, who is now a ghost, are trying to solve the mystery of why so many ghost children are unsettled and unhappy. There is a very slow burn romance building between Eve and David Horowitz, the detective assigned to The Ghost Precinct.
Suspenseful and intriguing storyline that was engaging and captivating to read


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