Publishers Weekly
01/24/2022
Coates’s follow up to The Whispering Dead takes readers on a spooky thrill ride that continues the adventures of “Keira,” the name adopted by an amnesiac fugitive taking refuge from a group of shadowy operatives hunting her in the rural English town of Blighty. Keira has no memory of her past or her real identity—but she has discovered that she can see and converse with ghosts, a power well suited to her newfound work as cemetery groundskeeper. This time, Keira has two especially restless spirits to deal with: a “hollow-faced” being who can’t speak and a ghost who feeds on other ghosts. Investigation leads Keira and her new friends Zoe and Mason to believe this cannibalistic ghost is Gerald Barge, a serial killer active in the town in the 19th century. The facts the trio uncover to tie the two spooks together underpin a ghoulish local history full of surprising plot twists. It’s an intriguing episode in its own right, while also keeping up the series’ momentum. This bodes well for future installments. (Mar.)
From the Publisher
"Lovers of ghosts and ghouls will shiver with delight.
" — Kirkus Reviews
"Darcy Coates has created interesting, clean characters that are relatable. Keira and her gang will appeal to all ages, from teens to any age. This series is a brilliant choice because…[it’s] a very fun read!" — Mystery and Suspense Magazine
"The Whispering Dead was one of last year’s little wonders, a horror novel with a surprising amount of humor and heart among all its terrors. This sequel continues Keira’s quest to uncover her lost memories and bring peace to the spirits of the dead, but gives her a new enemy in the form of a ferocious ghost that refuses to go gently into that good night." — BookPage, 2022 Most Anticipated Sci-Fi Fantasy
"Coates’s follow up to The Whispering Dead takes readers on a spooky thrill ride that continues the adventures of “Keira,” …[This is] an intriguing episode in its own right, while also keeping up the series’ momentum. This bodes well for future installments." — Publishers Weekly
Kirkus Reviews
2021-12-24
A woman with a mysterious past can talk to the dead but can’t get them to do her bidding in the latest from Australian author Coates.
In The Whispering Dead (2021), the first of the Gravekeeper series, franchise heroine Keira was pursued by unknown men and nearly killed before she took refuge in a groundskeeper’s cottage next to a cemetery filled with the unquiet dead. Although she still doesn’t remember who she really is, pastor Adage has hired her to get the dead to move on, and she’s acquired two new friends in the small town of Blighty—Zoe and Mason—along with Daisy, a very odd black cat. When she uncovers her inner eye, Keira can see the ghosts, but since none of them are willing to tell her why they’re still tethered to the cemetery, she consults the local library for information on the people buried there. Then a shade attacks her, placing her in mortal danger. Despite her best efforts to keep things from her new friends, they finally figure out she can talk to ghosts and agree to have her back. At length she learns that the evil shade was a serial killer and realizes that he’s amassing ever greater strength by destroying the other ghosts. Keira barely escapes another chase by her mysterious pursuers, and a plan to rid the cemetery of the shade goes dangerously wrong. How can her ordeal possibly end?
Lovers of ghosts and ghouls will shiver with delight.
