Ghost Gifts
Buy the Book: Amazon
Barnes & Noble
IndieBound
Books-A-Million
Audible
Series: Ghost Gifts Trilogy #1
Published by: Montlake Romance
Release Date: March 1, 2016
Pages: 374
ISBN13: 978-1503950771
Book 1 in the Ghost Gifts Trilogy
Synopsis
RITA Finalist
RT Reviews Finalist
Audie Winner, Best Paranormal Romance
All Aubrey Ellis wants is a normal life, one that doesn’t include desperate pleas from the dead. Her remarkable gift may help others rest in peace, but it also made for an unsettling childhood and destroyed her marriage. Finally content as the real estate writer for a local newspaper, Aubrey keeps her extraordinary ability hidden―until she is unexpectedly assigned the story of a decades-old murder.
Rocked by the discovery of a young woman’s skeletal remains, the New England town of Surrey wants answers. Hard-nosed investigative reporter Levi St John is determined to get them. Aubrey has no choice but to get involved, even at the terrifying risk of stirring spirits connected to a dead woman’s demise and piquing her new reporting partner’s suspicions.
As Aubrey and Levi delve further into the mystery, secrets are revealed and passion ignites. It seems that Aubrey’s ghost gifts are poised to deliver everything but a normal life.
Also in this series:
Praise
"An engaging writing voice, realistic characters and a compelling mystery make this a must-read! Aubrey and Levi are compelling and likable, both individually and as a team, and the way their stories intersect increases the appeal. Just the right blend of emotion and humor combine with captivating suspense for a paranormal mystery that is sure to delight fans. The flashbacks heighten the tension and deepen the poignancy, and the romantic angle has a great slow-burn passion."
—RT Book Reviews, Top Pick Read More
"Ghost Gifts is a wild adventure of a mystery, brimming with layers, secrets, and more than one person who should feel guilty. ...each puzzle piece is absolutely needed, making the story read at a quicker pace. The paranormal twist gives the plot flavor, and Aubrey's carnival background also adds a fun spice. Some of the most intriguing scenes come from flashbacks centered around Missy, placing the reader in a very different sort of mindset and making the murder mystery much more personal. It's a close call as to whether the romance or the mystery is most consuming, but thankfully, both are there, and both are bound to keep readers up far past their bedtime. Paranormal mystery/romance fans will find a gem of a story in Laura Spinella's Ghost Gifts.”
—Fresh Fiction Read More
“Ghost Gifts transcends labels like ‘murder mystery’ or ‘love story’ or ‘ghost tale,’ giving readers a masterful plot that weaves effortlessly between past and present, sharply pivoting whenever you think you’ve put your finger on it. The characters and setting come to life so vividly that you forget you’re reading a book. Laura Spinella’s Ghost Gifts is an absolute treasure.”
—David Ellis, #1 New York Times bestselling author
Excerpt
Chapter One
Holyoke, Massachusetts
Twenty Years Ago
The sky cartwheeled overhead. A Ferris wheel continued on, carrying Aubrey Ellis past amber-tinged treetops and stringy power lines that looked like black spaghetti. She counted church steeples. This town had three to the north. Heaven disappeared, carrying Aubrey closer to earth. On the approach, Aubrey felt like any normal thirteen-year-old girl, in particular the kind who didn’t speak to the dead. The scenery leveled and the view changed. Carnival crowds thinned as she circled past Carmine, who manned the controls. “One more time, please!”
“Once more, Miss Ellis, then it’s back to work! Your grandmother will take us to task for slacking on the job.” But his mustache stretched wide over a grin.
Aubrey relaxed, her long arms resting lazily across the seat back. Her chin tipped upward and she indulged in nothingness, a soft breeze touching her face like a kiss. A cornflower September sky domed high while a white moon awaited its cue. Cool nutty air rode with her, and Aubrey breathed deep with each turn of the Ferris wheel. It was the Heinz-Bodette carnival’s largest, most spectacular ride. But soon cycles would come full circle and leaves would decay, signaling another season’s end. The troupe and equipment would break down into smaller units and retreat to various winter haunts. Some went to storage and some went to Albuquerque.
Aubrey inhaled halfway and the autumn air transformed. A chemical odor, like gasoline but stronger, seeped into her lungs. She inched forward, looking right and left, trying to match the smell to an earthly event below. There were only signs that a carnival had come to town: Sugared-up children begging for one more ride and another game of chance. The parents who’d spent their money on made-in-China memories, their children’s bellies filled with cotton candy and funnel cake. Aubrey saw nothing that explained the pungent air. The growing stench made her gag, and she pressed her hand to her mouth.
Trailer