2.75/5

CW: death, gore, depression

Rylan Flynn can see ghosts.So when the ghost of a teenage girl leads Rylan to her body, naturally Rylan wants to help. Unfortunately, helping may just be what puts Rylan in harm’s way.

The potential was there. I didn’t hate it, but this story just felt incomplete. The MC finds a body in the woods, and in her defense she really does try to let the police handle it. But, as is the standard for heroine MCs who just don’t know when to quit, our MC can’t stay away. Fortunately, she really doesn’t get in the actual police’s way, so that’s nice. And she doesn’t go confronting potential murder suspects alone in dark allies, so more bonus points there.

I don’t really know what else to say about this book. There’s a potential love interest who actually seems like a decent guy, there’s some good groundwork for a really entertaining story, and there’s a lead-in to the next book at the end. It has all the makings of a really lovely ghost-y murder mystery. It just didn’t quite get there. The details are nice, but can be a bit sparse. The sentence structure is a little choppy in areas, although nothing horrible and it could work if the story had some more meat to it. Unfortunately, very few of the characters end up feeling relatable or overly likable because we just don’t have enough information about them.

I could easily have enjoyed reading this story if it had been 2-3 times as long, provided the extra length came from fleshing out more of the little things that really make a book jump out and grab your attention. I’d definitely be willing to check out more of the author’s work in the future; it’s just that this book didn’t quite do it for me.

I really, really enjoyed this book! It was a very quick read that left me quickly turning the pages. Rylan was a great lead - I loved that she could talk to the dead and that she has some quirks to her as well. The whodunit part of this book was not predictable to me and I loved that! Will absolutely recommend this book, and series, to others!

Short but sweet! Ghost whisperer and YouTube star Rylan looks into the murder/s surrounding her small town, going against all police advise to stay away, and ultimately leading to revelations for several people, including herself

I both liked and disliked this book, and I will explain why without giving anything away.

Rylan can see and talk to ghosts. Cool. She is a beautiful woman, living in her small hometown in the States, where everyone knows she can speak to the dead, though no one believes it. Except for her best friend (who makes youtube videos with her as she helps souls pass over,) her Father (who is a Minister,) her Aunt (who owns a bakery coffee shop,) the Cop (who she grew up with and has a major crush on,) and her Brother (with who she is not close with.) The story starts with a murder of a young girl on her Aunt's property, and they find the body when Rylan follows her ghost. Obviously, things start to go from bad to worse as the book continues, and it is down to Ryland to save the day.

I like the premise, and I like the thought of such a setting, but what I was not sold on was Ryland Flynn. She was a little too "Mary Jane" for a woman who can speak to the dead. She has some other nasty stuff going on in her life too, and yet there seems to not really be any emotional baggage. I would expect her to be a little more dark, damaged, and broken maybe, but other than having issues with cleaning up, she seems to live a mostly charmed life while making enough money to live on her youtube channel.

The book was so close, the story so good, just lacked a little something for me.

4/5 stars! Rylan's ability to see spirits has been something she has lived with her whole life. When the spirit of a young woman leads Rylan to her murdered body, Rylan realized she needs to solve this crime. I enjoyed the plot line of this story and the development into realizing the 'villain'. is a serial killer. It's cool to combine a mystery with paranormal elements. I did struggle with how many POVs there were because it hopped around quite a bit. Overall, a good quick paranormal mystery.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

Now this was a nice little paranormal story.
Rylan see’s and hears ghost, and sometimes they come looking for her, or she goes looking for them.
As you can imagine this can get her into a little trouble, especially with police if she is trespassing as usual.
I really enjoyed the story line and Rylan is so very likeable, although she does give the local Detective and friend of her brother a big headache. ( I wonder why that is).
Recommended quick read for anyone who loves the paranormal, will be waiting for the next instalment. Thanks to Netgalley and Blue sky publishers for a chance to read this EARC.

An intricately woven magical tale that has mystery, murder and a very handsome detective as a distraction. Rylan Flynn sees ghosts and talks with them. She diverges from her podcast determined to solve the mystery of the murder of a young woman who may have been killed by a serial killer. Her quest throws her in to conflict with Detective Ford as she seeks to stop a third victim of what the ghosts claim is dark ritualistic magic. She seeks the aid of a white witch. Discovering bodies, seeking to help unquiet spirits and trying not to be distracted by the suspicions leading her way or the hot guy while stopping a dark serial killer is the thrilling and exciting journey that drives Rylan on.

The Spirit Girls is the first book in a new series of paranormal mysteries by Dawn Merriman. The book follows the adventures of Rylan Flynn, a paranormal investigator who can talk to dead spirits. When Rylan is approached by a recently deceased young woman found tied to a tree in the woods behind her aunt Val’s home, she becomes embroiled in a murder investigation with the Indiana police. Detective Ford Pierce, a childhood friend of Rylan’s brother Keaton, serves as a foil to Rylan’s investigations and as a potential romantic interest.

The chapters oscillate between Rylan’s and Ford’s first person point of view with a couple of chapters narrated by Keaton and several mysterious chapters narrated by the unknown murderer. When a second body is found in the same condition as the first, Rylan and Ford realize they may have a serial killer on their hands. Rylan learns from the ghosts of the murdered girls that they have been killed in a dark ritual, and she seeks the help of a white witch to help her better understand the killer’s motivation.

The book is a formulaic, procedural novel that oversimplifies witchcraft by presenting it as black and white. The romantic tension between the two main characters who are trying to solve the murders is the highlight of the book, and an implication that Rylan has an interesting past which may be explored keeps readers turning pages. The novel ends with the promise of another paranormal mystery which should please fans of the book.

The Spirit Girls is a good choice for readers looking for a simple mystery peppered with ghosts and supernatural details.

Thank you to Netgalley for a free copy of the book in exchange for a fair review.

Well, that was a fantastic Start to being in Rylan Flynn’s world! Loved her as a character and how she interacts with the ghosts around her. I would have preferred a bit more spookiness/gore as at times it felt Y/A. This won’t put me of reading further books by the author.

I can tell that this will be a series that I will love, so much to look forward to, especially finding out what is locked in Keaton’s room.

This book is nothing like what I usually read but I absolutely couldn’t put it down. The story was well written and Rylan Flynn is a very interesting character to read about. It kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time.

Wonderfully fantastic... The book was amazing... It had a lot of details and suspense to it... The characters and their personalities match them perfectly... The plot and the storyline was very descriptive and amazing..

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.
I. COULD. NOT. PUT. THIS. BOOK. DOWN!!! (Except from when it was late at night and my imagination took over making me think I had someone watching me!) I was constantly kept on the edge of my seat and needed to know what happened next. Very easy read, and my time while reading it flew by. Loved Rylan’s character and I can’t wait to see what happens next for her. Will be looking out for the next book in this series for sure!

This was a quick and easy read and although, the premise was fun, I felt like I couldn’t connect with the characters much. I felt the story was too short and ended abruptly to carry on for the sequel. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

I loved this book! I loved the character of Rylan and her story and ability to help ghosts....I loved shorter chapters switching from different POVs this was a very well written and entertaining book and can not wait to read more in this series!

Much thanks to #netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this ARC
All thoughts and opinions are my own

Rylan Flynn is one of the most interesting characters I've read. She not only has the incredible ability to speak with the dead and help them move on, she also has a very interesting, but not enviable, home life and history. She's a small town girl that makes the most of her abilities despite the toll it takes on her and the ridicule she faces. Her encounters are haunting, and her current case is as close and personal as it can get. Even with her paranormal ability, she avoids magic. I found this story to be wholly engrossing, and I read it pretty much in two sittings because I didn't want to interrupt the narrative. I absolutely love Rylan and hope that Merriman continues her escapades because she is just too awesome a character to have her story end here!

I absolutely loved this book I read it in one day i really enjoyed that the chapters were shorter and that it switches between multiple perspectives so that you can really follow the whole case it’s a 10/10 for

This book displays the story of Rylan Flynn a girl that can see and talk to ghosts. Although it seems like she just helps ghost move on as the story goes on you see that she has ghost of her own that she is dealing with. There is a subplot of romance but it’s not really a super important prt of the story which I do not mind. It was a really good mystery to follow along with and try to solve throughout the story.

The Spirit Girls (A Rylan Flynn Mystery1) Ratings story 9/10, characters 9/10, had a copy of this novel sent to me by the kind people at net galley, a paranormal crime mystery thriller, I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed reading it, kept my interest right to the very end #DawnMerriman #thespiritgirls #rylanflynn #paranormalmystery #paranormalcrimestory

This book is ok. The blurb said that fans of Heather Graham and Wendy Weng would like it. I enjoy both of those authors but don’t feel this book is up to those standards. I don’t like how the narrative switches between many of the characters. #TheSpiritGirls #NetGalley

they were absolutely no flaws to this story. I am grateful I got to read this through netgallery.com cause I don’t think of anything else I would’ve preferred to do on this Sunday than reading this very well written paranormal mystery thriller. now i just have to worry how i’ll get sleep tonight after all this rush of adrenaline and big emotions😻…

This book takes you on a journey of Rylan Flynn and her gift to see and talk to ghosts that are stuck. She first just helps them to move on, but quickly into the story you feel she might be having private ghosts visiting her too.
The story is mixed with romance parts as she’s having a long-time crush on the detective being on case of the murdered girls which ghosts she sees and tries to communicate with …
A very good crime plot, I have to say.

Well done, Dawn!! Looking forward to more parts of Rylan Flyan!!

ps: i’m very open-minded about reading in different genres and then usually just stick to the ones I always read, so this was an adventure into a new genre and I have to say I absolutely loved reading this book. So if you ever thought of getting into reading a good mystery thriller, this book is a good choice.

Heart pounding thriller that left me on the edge of my seat. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. Definitely one of the best books this year.