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4.2 AVERAGE
4.2 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
⭐⭐⭐
I recently read The Twisted Dead by Darcy Coates and wanted to share my thoughts on this paranormal thriller...
The story follows Keira, a young woman who can see ghosts and works as a groundskeeper in a small town cemetery. When she receives an invitation to dinner at Dane Crispin’s ancestral estate, she knows she can’t refuse despite the fact that he once tried to kill her. As soon as Keira enters the mansion, she senses the presence of restless spirits, and when Dane asks for her help, Keira doesn't hold a grudge and agrees to help him.
While I found the setting of this novel suitably creepy, I felt that most of the action took place in the last 20% of the book. Getting there felt like a bit of a slog at times. Which was the same issue I had with the previous book. That said, I really enjoyed learning more about Dane Crispin and found all the characters to be very likable, particularly Keira’s friendship with Zoe and Mason.
Despite my mixed feelings about this installment in the series, I think it is worth reading. The Twisted Dead has amazing cover art, just like other books from this series, and presents an interesting storyline with intriguing characters.
Overall, while it may not have been my favorite book in the series so far, I am still onboard to see what happens next in this ongoing story.
**ARC Via NetGalley**
I recently read The Twisted Dead by Darcy Coates and wanted to share my thoughts on this paranormal thriller...
The story follows Keira, a young woman who can see ghosts and works as a groundskeeper in a small town cemetery. When she receives an invitation to dinner at Dane Crispin’s ancestral estate, she knows she can’t refuse despite the fact that he once tried to kill her. As soon as Keira enters the mansion, she senses the presence of restless spirits, and when Dane asks for her help, Keira doesn't hold a grudge and agrees to help him.
While I found the setting of this novel suitably creepy, I felt that most of the action took place in the last 20% of the book. Getting there felt like a bit of a slog at times. Which was the same issue I had with the previous book. That said, I really enjoyed learning more about Dane Crispin and found all the characters to be very likable, particularly Keira’s friendship with Zoe and Mason.
Despite my mixed feelings about this installment in the series, I think it is worth reading. The Twisted Dead has amazing cover art, just like other books from this series, and presents an interesting storyline with intriguing characters.
Overall, while it may not have been my favorite book in the series so far, I am still onboard to see what happens next in this ongoing story.
**ARC Via NetGalley**
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
This was the third book in the Gravekeeper series. In the first book, Kiera, our main character, lost her memory and discovered that she has the ability to see and communicate with ghosts. In this third book she has been tasked with helping Dane Crispin, the town recluse and last living member of Blighty's founding family, deal with some of his troublesome relatives.
This series has been my first introduction to Darcy Coates and it's very unique in that it doesn't fit into the typical book categories. While it has a bit of a cozy mystery feel since each book does have it's own puzzle that Kiera and her friends have to solve, there is the bigger riddle of Keira's past that we get more clues to with each installment. I felt that this book created more questions than it provided answers.
Like with the other two books, I loved the dynamic between Keira, Mason and Zoe. Mason is Kiera's voice of reason while Zoe is the complete opposite and brings in some levity with her outlandish ideas. There was also a sweet little friendship going on between Dane and goth Harry. As usual I need a little bit of romance even in a horror series so I was super excited for some hand holding between Kiera and Mason.
This book went way too fast and it just came out last month so it's going to be a long wait for the next. I want to be back in Kiera's one room cottage by the cemetery cuddling up with Daisy the cat by the fire again soon.
This series has been my first introduction to Darcy Coates and it's very unique in that it doesn't fit into the typical book categories. While it has a bit of a cozy mystery feel since each book does have it's own puzzle that Kiera and her friends have to solve, there is the bigger riddle of Keira's past that we get more clues to with each installment. I felt that this book created more questions than it provided answers.
Like with the other two books, I loved the dynamic between Keira, Mason and Zoe. Mason is Kiera's voice of reason while Zoe is the complete opposite and brings in some levity with her outlandish ideas. There was also a sweet little friendship going on between Dane and goth Harry. As usual I need a little bit of romance even in a horror series so I was super excited for some hand holding between Kiera and Mason.
This book went way too fast and it just came out last month so it's going to be a long wait for the next. I want to be back in Kiera's one room cottage by the cemetery cuddling up with Daisy the cat by the fire again soon.
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
My favorite book in the series BY FAR. The ending actually made me happy cry. So so good. Looking forward to book 4.
I'd like to thank the author & editor for the e-Arc I received through NetGalley.
Onto the review:
The Twisted Dead is the third book in a series but it can be also read as a standalone - the author does a great job of giving us context without making it feel artificial. I hadn't read the previous two but I had no problem following the story and previous events. Fair warning - there are some major revelations that do not get resolved in this book as they're part of the greater storyline, but it feels as an incentive to read the previous books & go on waiting for the next one.
The main characters are likeable and realistic. There is Keira, the amnesiac medium working as a caretaker of a small village cemetery and her two best friends, Mason, the friendly and caring med student and Zoe, a chaotic entity working in a general store. Other side characters are less fleshed out but I'm assuming other books in the series visit / revisit them and fill them out as needed.
The main plot of this novel involves the reclusive heir of a musty aristocratic family who has a bit of a ghost problem and asks the trio for help. While investigating, Keira and her friends stumble upon terrible answers to bigger questions: who is the mysterious organization set on hunting her, what do they want and how can she stop them?
Great read overall - wouldn't recommend for people who prefer series with episodic plots as the book does leave some unresolved plot threads, but if you're looking for a lighter horror series (more mystery than horror) this might be for you.
Onto the review:
The Twisted Dead is the third book in a series but it can be also read as a standalone - the author does a great job of giving us context without making it feel artificial. I hadn't read the previous two but I had no problem following the story and previous events. Fair warning - there are some major revelations that do not get resolved in this book as they're part of the greater storyline, but it feels as an incentive to read the previous books & go on waiting for the next one.
The main characters are likeable and realistic. There is Keira, the amnesiac medium working as a caretaker of a small village cemetery and her two best friends, Mason, the friendly and caring med student and Zoe, a chaotic entity working in a general store. Other side characters are less fleshed out but I'm assuming other books in the series visit / revisit them and fill them out as needed.
The main plot of this novel involves the reclusive heir of a musty aristocratic family who has a bit of a ghost problem and asks the trio for help. While investigating, Keira and her friends stumble upon terrible answers to bigger questions: who is the mysterious organization set on hunting her, what do they want and how can she stop them?
Great read overall - wouldn't recommend for people who prefer series with episodic plots as the book does leave some unresolved plot threads, but if you're looking for a lighter horror series (more mystery than horror) this might be for you.