The Restorer (Graveyard Queen #1)

The Restorer by Amanda Stevens Pub­lisher: MIRA Pages: ebook, 400 pages Series: Graveyard Queen Pub­li­ca­tion date: May 1st 2011 My name is Amelia Gray. I'm a cemetery restorer who sees ghosts. In order to protect myself from the parasitic nature of the dead, I've always held fast to the rules passed down from my father. But now a haunted police detective has entered my world and everything is changing, including the rules that have always kept me safe. It started with the discovery of a young woman's brutalized body in an old Charleston graveyard I've been hired to restore. The clues to the killer--and to his other victims--lie in the headstone symbolism that only I can interpret. Devlin needs my help, but his ghosts shadow his every move, feeding off his warmth, sustaining their presence with his energy. To warn him would be to invite them into my life. I've vowed to keep my distance, but the pull of his magnetism grows ever stronger even as the symbols lead me closer to the killer and to the gossamer veil that separates this world from the next.

Keep your distance from those who are haunted.

Long story short
Amelia Gray, a cemetery restorer who can see ghosts, is forced into a police investigation when a body is found in the cemetery she is restoring.

My thoughts
The first thing that made me check out The Restorer was the cover. I absolutely love that sad angel statue. It makes me think of an extremely gloomy story. Which is exactly what The Restorer is. Amanda Stevens nailed the cover, it's perfect for the story. The second thing that made me add the book to my “Want To Read” list was the title, The Restorer, and the name of the series, Graveyard Queen. Then I went on to read the summary and holy shit! She’s a cemetery restorer who can see ghosts. Whaaaaaat?


Like right now!

Lucky for me, my wonderful friend Alk chose it as a birthday read (which is supposed to be mandatory) so I had to read it. I can’t say that I was sad about it. On the contrary, this was the perfect excuse to spend a bit more money on an ebook. I mean, it is a mandatory read, right? *wink*

Anyways, I’ll keep this short. I fell in love with The Restorer. I love Amelia’s job, I love Amanda Stevens’ writing style. I love cemeteries and I love ghosts. I love creepy stories, and this is one hell of a creepy story. It could have been scary, but my definition of “scary” is different than the one you would normally hear from people. I need something worse than this to get scared. But creepy is the perfect word for it. The Restorer is deliciously creepy and intriguing. I am going to read Graveyard Queen #2 as soon as possible.

To buy or not to buy?
There are a few simple questions that can help you take this decision.
- Do you like ghosts?
- Do you enjoy reading creepy and disturbing stories?
- Do you mind mysteries?
- Do you mind a bit of romance in your books?

If your answer is yes to at least two of those questions, then The Restorer is the book for you.

Favorite quote

“You are a very strange woman.”
“I thought I was practical.”
“Strange, stunning and practical.”

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