This didn’t hook me right away, but hang in there because it gets thrilling fairly quickly. I set it down to go do some cleaning, and I’m glad I did. I only set this down after I restarted it to get a couple hours of sleep. My dishes would still be dirty if I hadn’t taken that break 😅 if this was cleaned up a bit better, it would have easily been 5 stars. The blurb was from the mom’s POV, which doesn’t happen in the book. It threw me off a bit, that and the fact that there is only one ghost. I kinda kept waiting for at least one more to enter the picture. There were some bits that didn’t line up with what was written earlier in the book, but they were minor details. The bit twist happens at the end of the first section, and after that it was a no holds barred, action packed ride. At one point, I felt like there would have been evidence to catch the killer sooner (the second kidnapping) but it didn’t happen. Overall, once Layla’s ghost showed up, it was a great read.

It’s been two years since Layla was kidnapped, tortured, and murdered, and there is still no answers. Her family is still in a tailspin, grieving and drifting farther from each other. The grief counselor tells Gale that the visions of sister he is seeing is normal, and is his subconscious at work grieving. Until she talks. And she tells him where his toy that he thought he lost is, something he shouldn’t know. In all the stories they heard, ghosts stay because they need something. Layla must need her killer to be found. So they start trying to solve the case with what Layla remembers. But how can Gale tell adults how he figured this information out? No one will believe he is talking to his sister’s ghost.

One moment Rachel’s daughter Layla was waiting in line at the beach for an ice cream, the next she was gone.

It’s two years on and still no one has been charged with Layla’s murder. The police have searched tirelessly but have found nothing.

Understandably Layla’s younger brother Gale is struggling. He’s secretive and keeps staring past his mother at something he can’t see. And then one day he tells Rachel, ‘I know who killed Layla’, ‘she told me.’

Will the family finally get justice?

Having never read anything by Gregg Dunnett before, I started reading this book with no expectations and was surprisingly very quickly gripped. This is not just your average psychological murder mystery; the supernatural element makes it refreshingly different from anything I have read before and yet is small enough to make the story authentic.

The twists in this book make it a thrilling read. Without giving away any spoilers- there is one particular twist in part 2 which I never saw coming in a million years and from here on I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to find out what happens.

I thought the portrayal of grief and the aftermath of what had happened was well executed- the differing opinions between parents on where to go next, the pressure on different relationships and the mollycoddling of their only living child- really emphasised how trauma and grief causes a tidal wave through every aspect of a family and their life. The relationship between the two siblings was also beautifully depicted and added even more emotion to such a sad storyline.

Overall an emotional rollercoaster of a read; an exhilarating thriller with a supernatural twist. Five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for my e-arc of Little Ghosts

I really enjoyed this psychological thriller, the characters draw you in in from the beginning. I liked the incorporation of the paranormal, which I thought to be well done. I read this is two sittings, a great page turner. Be aware of trigger warnings, death of a child.
4 star

This is a new author to me so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I like physiological thrillers so thought I’d give it a read and I’m so glad I did. The way it is written the characters draw you in right from the start. It’s a rollercoaster ride of emotions and lots of twists along the way. I was absolutely engrossed right from beginning to end. A well deserved five star rating and I’ll definitely watch out for Gregg’s books in the future

Thank you to #NetGalley and#StormPublishing for my copy of #LittleGhosts by #GreggDunnett

What a fantastic book!!!
I was riveted from page one

Gale’s sister Layla was abducted and murdered and two years later there has been no trace of her killer.
Now the case is being wound down as there is no new evidence or clues left to track.
But then Gale speaks up, he knows who killed Layla, will anyone believe him ?
A brilliant premise and a terrific book.. I can’t wait for the next book from this author.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This story shows the love that can be between a sister and a brother. Layla was murdered when she was 10 years, 3 months old. Now her brother Gale, is the same age, and Layla comes back as a ghost that only he can see and hear, except for their pet. She can't 'move on' yet until she and Gale find out who killed her. Is that even possible? Is she really there or is his mind playing tricks on him? Their parents are still grieving for Layla, so Gale spends a lot of time alone in his room. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.

** There are semi-spoilers in this review...Proceed at your own risk **

With the help of NetGalley, I had the privilege of being an ARC reader for Gregg Dunnett’s newest book, Little Ghosts, and whooooff was it a ride!!

I will be completely honest, I had my doubts about liking a book with suggested paranormal aspects to it. It's not my normal cup of tea, and I found myself giving myself a pep talk to get motivated to start it, fully believing to not enjoy this book. Boy, I've never been more happy to be proven wrong! Written about a family who’s 12 year old daughter’s murder has yet to be solved, the twists and turns in this mystery are unparalleled. Within the first few chapters, I was hooked. The character dynamics, the switch from differentiating POVs (all while still in 3rd person), the development of plot and characters, it was all so well written! Speaking of well written…the writing itself was so well done. It didn't overly explain what was going on, giving the reader the benefit of the doubt and allowing us to lead themselves through the story, rather than be led by the 3rd person narrator. Usually, I struggled with 3rd person POV just cause it can be a little challenging to follow along to constant changing of focus, but Dunnett did an amazing job of making it seamless, flowing so well from character to character. I was never bored, there was never a moment where I battled my human response to skim, a rarity in and of itself. The ending crush my soul and left me in literal tears, and the journey there was one that didn’t leave my mind for weeks after.

(This is where some semi-spoilers will rear their heads, so beware, spoilers live here!)
There were a couple things I had pause over, some trivial, others a bit less so. Firstly, based on the blurb if the book, I figured I'd experience more of the father within the story, or at the very least, see more of his interactions with Gale, the main protagonist of this tale. I was quite shocked to see the father is actually involved very little. Sure, there's mention of him, and there were a couple instances within the book where we get a glimpse into his head and what he's experiencing, but those instances happen more towards the beginning of the book, and becomes less so as the book continues on. In fact, the little blurb that is supposed to serve as an insight of what's ahead if one chooses to read actually never really happened within the book! The POV mainly flitters between the villain and Gale, with a few shifts to the other characters, mainly Rachel, the mother, and Constable Cross. Now, with this being said, it didn’t really affect the way I read the book. In fact, I was so enthralled with the book itself that I almost forgot about the little blurb. When it comes to the plot and book itself, the only thing I really struggled with was the abrupt conclusion to the climax. I think I expected to see more from the villain after getting caught, rather than it happening off scene and being told about it from somebody else (I'm trying really hard to not spoil too much here lol)...We, as the readers, had watched it all unfold from the background, unseen and unheard, much like Layla, a ghost watching the world happen around us, but still very much present, feeling it all. I felt like I deserved to experience the ending of the villain first hand, I felt like I deserved that justice...But maybe that was the point? Layla got justice, but how much justice is that worth when she's dead? We got justice, but how much justice is that worth when it's not our story?

Either way, this book was worth every moment. Please, go read this! Gregg Dunnett did an amazing job here and I am looking forward to reading more of his books in the future!

Chilling Thriller With A Unique Take On Ghosts. Straight up, know that this book is about a child murder - if you can't handle that, this isn't the book for you. For those of you still here, Dunnett does a solid job of showing the aftereffects of an unsolved child murder on the family the child leaves behind, before transitioning into a cat and mouse game to try to stop the killer before he strikes again. These elements of the story are well done, but have been done time and time and time again... and again and again and again. To the point that there is an entire genre of these types of tales, and this tale is on par with its genre mates - if you like the genre, you're probably going to like this one, and vice versa.

What sets this book apart, really, is its take oh ghosts - how they present, what abilities they have, what they know, etc. And here, Dunnett really does a remarkable job of showing how his particular brand of ghosts could work within the overall story being told here. Overall a truly entertaining book with an intriguing take on ghosts. Very much recommended.

Thanks Netgallery for allowing me to review this book.
I couldn't put this book down! I was on the edge of my seat as the little boy with the help of his dead sisters ghost solve this crime and the twist and turns that happened everytime he tried to out the killer! What a great well worth book!

I loved this book the relationship between brother and sister that goes beyond her death is terrific. I cried when the poor boy couldn’t make the adults understand that the killer was dangerous. I loved every page and, above all , the end.

It's not your classic, flawless serial killer thriller but it does have a certain charm to it that I just find enjoyable. I think it may be the author's way of writing. There's just something so spellbinding about it, especially with the way he mixed the psychological and the paranormal.

All in all, I found this book interesting, again, because of the writing style and the ideas. However, I feel like this could've been better if it were told from the perspectives of the different characters so we could better understand where they were coming from. And about the kids, for me, their way of thinking isn't what you would expect from a ten-year-old. Though, to be fair, the times have changed so much, what with so much information that can be accessed by a mere click of a button. But still, it would've been more believable if they were sixteen or so. Next, while the synopsis did a great job of convincing me to give this a read, I feel like it didn't connect with the story proper. I mean, it seemed like it was told from Rachel's perspective but it wasn't at all like that in the story. In fact, it was more from Gale's point of view. Lastly, I like PC Ellen Cross' character. I feel like she deserves her own book series!

Little Ghosts by Gregg Dunnett is a gripping, page turning, excellent psychological thriller that you will be unable to put down. Layla was murdered 2 years ago, and there have been no arrests. Her family is falling apart in the aftermath of his vicious crime. Gale, Layla’s brother has become secretive, quiet, and introverted. He shares that he sees Layla and she has indicated who has committed his heinous crime. This book was enjoyable, fast paced, and I was unable to put it down. I didn’t foresee the ending and was therefore surprised, which is a must have in a psychological thriller. I would have liked a chapter at the end of the book that shared how the family was faring after the capture of the murderer. This was a 5 star read and I will look for more books by this author. The character development was spot on and I felt that I really got to know the main characters, especially, the murderer. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy in exchange for my honest review.

On the face of it, this book shouldn't work. But it does. When Gale tells his mum he knows who killed his sister Layla and he knows because he sees her ghost, it sounds like the book will be completely unbelievable. Somehow, the writer made me feel that the story was completely authentic and any scepticism I had was pushed aside. Not an easy read due to the content but well worth it. I very much enjoyed the book and was completely immersed into the characters and storyline. A surprising 5 stars from me!

It is a beautifully written book even though the plot is revelaed pretty early it still keeps u hooked to know what happens next.

A book written very much in the author's particular style, I found this story to be for a slightly younger market. The sadness over the loss of a sibling is palpable, the fact that she was murdered in such despicable circumstances and that the killer has not been found leaves a family broken and hardly able to communicate with each other. So when the little girl connects from 'the other side' her young brother is left in a quandary. His family and teachers already think he isn't coping with the loss so how on earth is he going to explain what his dead sister is telling him?

I love the concept and the execution of the premise of this book. There were a few surprises here and there that I didn't see coming and made the story so enjoyable. The whole coming together and the climax was breathtaking as well. I just wished for a thousand deaths for the perpetrator, though. HA! He really took the coward's way out. Grrr... 😅 But that's just me.

Thank you Netgalley and Storm Publishing for this ARC.

“I know who killed Layla”

Layla is kidnapped and murdered and after two years there is still no progress in capturing any suspect for this chilling crime.

I have to admit that I find it extremely hard to read books where a child is murdered. However this book was very well written and the twisty turns were gripping.
I liked how all of the characters developed.
The supernatural side is what got me wanting to read this as I do love that element in books. But only if done well and that was achieved in this book.
There were also spelling/grammar errors so I hope they are picked up in editing.
A good solid read.

A family day at the beach. Is meant to be a joyous thing. But what turns from a gorgeously fun and relaxing day quickly turns tragic when the Martins family's life is flipped upside down when they daughter little Layla is kidnapped and then later found brutally murdered. Fast forward two years and the family still have no answers, noone has been held responsible and it has turned into a cold case. But the family have never forgotten what has happened and their worlds and lives have been rocked forever more.

Gale is rocked by the death of his sister. Gale is also the only one who knows who killed Layla and how does he know. Well because he can see little Layla's ghost and the two of them must work together to bring the killer down.

I would have liked the dialogue to have flowed a little bit better. There were some times where it felt a little bit disjointed. It also felt that sometimes the dialogue stopped when someone was speaking like in the middle of a sentence. I would also have liked a chapter or two about how the family dealt when the killer was finally caught. I would have also liked a touching ending for Layla and Gale. I didn't like the fact the ending was summed up by another character when it was their story.

Overall not a bad read.

This is the incredibly moving story of the Martin family, struck by tragedy when their daughter Layla is kidnapped from a beach aged ten. Two years on, the case has been closed with no one convicted of the crime, and Layla's younger brother, Gale, has ongoing grief therapy. I enjoyed the unusual supernatural element of this story, but the best part for me was the relationship between the siblings, beautifully told and delicately handled. I've never read any of the author's other books, although I've got The Things You Find in Rockpools on my kindle - it's now next on my TBR.

Omg for a first book this was fantastic, warning on the topic as it covers the death of a child. Such a gripping twist half way through, I really didn't want to put it down. Thank you netgalley for the advanced copy.