OnlineBookClub.org

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Tangible Spirits" by Becki Willis.]

Gera Stapleton is a reporter with what she thinks is the worst assignment ever. Her editor has assigned her the task of researching the latest in a string of hauntings in the small town of Jerome, Arizona. It seems that the town’s friendly ghost, Mac, has had a mean streak lately. The problem is Gera doesn’t believe in ghosts. Just when she arrives in town, a dead body is discovered and also attributed to the ghost. Is Mac really behind the murder or is someone just trying to blame it on him?

Tangible Spirits is a mystery by Becki Willis. The book is written in the third person perspective with Gera Stapleton as the narrator. The characters are well rounded and enjoyable to read about. I love the humor that Ms. Willis throws into the book as well. One of the older characters, Minnie, is trying to tell Gera to Google something. Instead she says “Ogle.” It’s little moments like these that lighten up the story and make it fun to read.

The book is well edited and the writing style is on point. The author knows how to set the scene. There are plenty of facts thrown in about the very real town of Jerome, Arizona that add to the mystery. In the special note at the beginning of the book, Ms. Willis tells us the inspiration behind this book. After visiting Jerome, Arizona and learning about the historic landmarks and ghost stories, she felt compelled to put her own spin on these tales. Tangible Spirits is a unique blend of actual places, real legends, and fiction.

This story is a true mystery in that there are several suspects. There are quite a few people who have a motive for the murder, and the killer isn’t revealed until the very end. For those that like to play detective, this is the perfect story.

Unfortunately, the pacing of the story could have been a little steadier. The first half of the novel tends to drag some. There is quite a bit of description about the town and the local ghost legends. Since ghosts are heavily involved in the story, some of this is to be expected. I wish, however, that it had been more evenly spaced with the action of the story.

The author also included an element of romance in the story. While Ms. Willis incorporated it seamlessly into the plot, it felt a bit rushed to me. I have no doubt attraction can form quickly, but it seemed to me that the relationships progressed quite rapidly. This is most assuredly a matter of opinion, though, and didn’t take away from the enjoyable story.

Overall, I rate Tangible Spirits 3 out of 4 stars. I enjoyed the blend of fact and fiction by the author as well as the true mystery of the story. Since it dragged a little in the beginning, I couldn’t give it a full 4 stars. However, I would recommend this to those that love good mysteries and ghost stories.

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Tangible Spirits
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This sounds like a great mystery and I love the fact that they don't reveal the killer until the end. It adds a great amount of suspense.

Great Review! ?

Thanks Amagine. It's a book worth looking into.

Great book indeed

Yes it is! Thanks for stopping by.

There are stories of homes and places haunted by ghosts all over. I'll like to know if in this case the notion was confirmed or debunked. This is an enjoyable review.

Chrys- you want to know if the ghost did it? You'll have to read the book. Thanks for stopping by.

Sounds interesting. Book romances are usually too quick for me =D But, sometimes they are done well! Overall, the rest of the book seems worth a look.

It really is worth it even with the romance aspect. It was still an enjoyable read. Thanks for stopping by greenstripedgiraffe!

Great Review kandscreeley!! This type of story I can get lost in. I like how it has humor, romance, and ghosts!! I'm going to have to add this to my reading list.

Thanks. You'll have to tell me if you enjoy it.

This is sound really a great mystery full of suspense,humor,romance ang ghost and worth it to read.

This book sounds interesting. It seems like the romance aspect would take away from the plot. Did it feel this way to you? Sometimes I feel like in boooks the author gets carried away with all the stuff that she wants to fit in and then she remembers she has a deadline and she tries to tie up all the lose ends quickly.

The romance really didn't take away too much. It was still a good book. The romance just wasn't particularly realistic.

I love a good mystery that I cannot figure out and ghost stories. I also don't like it when authors rush romances. I like that you say that the book is a mixture of real life and fiction. Great review!