Congratulations to Gregg Dunnett for writing something refreshingly different. It was a delight to read this book and I loved the author’s skilful intermingling of the supernatural elements. Thank you to NetGalley and Storm for introducing me to a new writer.

The premise of the story is fantastic, and I was very excited to start reading it. However, the execution of the book isn't as great as I'd hoped. It takes a good while to properly get into the story and for a thriller, that's not something I personally like. I want to get sucked in from the start. Once you do get into the book, it’s a solid fast paced 3 ⭐️ with a twist that’s a little predictable but still good.

Little Ghosts by Gregg Dunnett
Storm Publishing
Publication: 11 May 2023
3 ⭐️

What was supposed to be a fun and relaxing day at the beach turned out to be one of the most tragic days in the Martin family's life when the daughter, Layla, is kidnapped and later found viciously murdered. Fast-forward two years, and the police are nowhere near to finding the person responsible. Will her killer ever be found? Well, that is a question for the next Martin child, Gale. He knows exactly who it is, and how does he know? Layla told him. Gale is the only one who can see Layla's ghost, and the two of them must work together to bring the killer out of hiding.

One thing I enjoyed about this book is the sibling dynamic between Layla and Gale. I thought that some of the dialogue felt a little bit awkward as if the person who was speaking stopped in the middle of their sentence. Also, I wished there was a chapter detailing the aftermath of what happened once the killer was caught rather than hearing the event summarized by another character. Other than that, I thought this was a good book overall.

Thank you, Netgalley, Storm Publishing, and Gregg Dunnett, for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Reviews can also be found on my Instagram blog (bibliophiles_elite).

This book turned out to be really great! I loved the supernatural elements in it. The grieving parts were sad to me, but added depth to the story. Thank you netgalley for the ARC of this novel. Well done!

I wanted to quit halfway through the reading, but something stopped me. It was getting dreary, but to my surprise, it was the opposite of that. This book pulled a switch-a-roo on me from dull to brilliant. I couldn’t put it down until I read the last page. It was an unputdownable, amazingly intriguing read.

The book is really good !!!

The ghost is a little girl named Layla who was brutally murdered. After two years of her death, she returns to talk to her brother. Together they find the culprit.

I liked this book quite a lot. The story and the characters were good. Layla's character was the best one. The story was written in such a way that intially, the question as to who killed Layla was the dominant one while in the second section, the identity and the thoughts of the killer is focued. I highly recommend this book.

We follow the family of Layla two years after she was attacked and brutally murdered. The family is struggling with her death and the fact that the case has gone cold. No suspects, no new leads. The detective decided to try a reconstruction to help people remember what happened and hopefully bring new information to the case. However Gale the brother already knows who killed Layla. She told him

There are multiple POVS in the story for the family members, victim, and police. I liked having so many Povs to see from in the story and the writer wrote them well enough that I knew exactly who i was following throughout the whole story. The story is written perfectly for a young audience. The mystery is simple and thrilling and not to graphic or disturbing for a younger person who may be reading it. loved the twists and loved the mystery. It was a fun and fast paced read and I cannot wait for this book to come out!

Sections of this story were riveting, but the description and title are misleading. The ghost is not able to name her killer, and there is only one ghost. I figured out who the killer was early on, but once it's completely apparent who it is the story is like a cat and mouse game.

I received a free copy of the book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, what a story! Be prepared to put everything on hold once you have started this because you won't want to put it down.
A beautiful story of siblings kept together even after death to help catch the killer in a most unorthodox way. I'm not usually one for ghost stories, but somehow this just works.
Brilliant.

Free copy from NetGalley. This is not normally the type of book I would choose, but it sounded like something I may enjoy and was I right!! Very well written. Great story. Highly recommend.

4.25⭐️

My first read of this author.
Layla was brutally murdered. Two years later there are no suspects, and her parents and younger brother Gale are struggling to deal with her tragic death.
DI Kieran Clarke wants to do a reconstruction to jog people’s memories.
However her brother knows who killed Layla, because she told him.
I have to say it was the supernatural element of the storyline that persuaded me to read it.

We get Gale and Layla’s POV, the parents Rachel and Jon, and the police. I enjoyed Gale and Layla’s interaction, they are just ace. The uncomplicated writing style suits the young protagonists POV.
In the second half we get a different POV emphasis.

It’s dark but in no way graphic. graphic. It’s different, and I loved that. I found the ending moving.

I loved the premise of the story, I had an arc I’m used to typos and wrong words, but this one is quite clunky in places and has a lot of inconsistencies which I’m hoping are rectified in the publishing process. So it’s difficult to be able to recommend it with any certainty as it seems to be such an early proof that I read, which is a great shame.

Gale and Layla are brother and sister. The dynamics of their relationship, the closeness of their bond becomes apparent as the story unfolds and comes to a harrowing end.

Not sure what happened but I found myself absolutely in tears at the end. So emotional and I got right into the story. Not an easy read, child abduction and murder feature heavily, but one I found intriguing as to how it would unfold.

Brilliant writing from the author. Thank you for this opportunity.

"Little Ghosts" by Gregg Dunnett is a touching and alluring paranormal thriller of loss, grief, family, and everlasting love. Usually, I don't like to read books about child abduction and murder, but the unique premise caught my eye. While I don't believe in ghosts, I do love ghost stories. A kid who sees and talks with his dead sister's ghost?? Counts me in.

The book follows ten-year-old Gales and his family after a tragedy has struck them. Two years previously his sister was abducted and murdered while they were at the beach. DI Kieran Clarke is the detective assigned to the murder case, but the murderer was never caught.

Two years later, Gales is still sad and withdrawn. After claiming to see the ghost of his sister, his parents send him to a grief counselor to deal with his issues. The plot thickens when his sister's ghost starts communicating with him and asks for his help in revealing her murderer. The two start investigating and find a clue that may help tracking the murderer. Now, all they have to do is to convince the adults to believe them. A bit hard to do when Gales can't reveal the source of his knowledge. The clock starts ticking when the murderer threatens to kidnap another kid.

I enjoyed the book and found it very touching. As a mother myself, I identified with the mother and admired her determination not to give up. The characters are all finely drawn. The author did a great job creating interesting, believable characters (most of them anyway) I could care about. I found the exploration of the characters' mindsets fascinating. The author draws the kids very well, although there were a bit old for their age. However, grief and loss do that to a person. The story does demand a suspension of belief, but what book doesn't?

Gregg Dunnett takes the reader on an intense, terrifying journey into the mindset of a murderer (not a pretty sight). There are twists and other surprises in store for the reader. The book is written in the third POV and divided into two parts. The first part is focused on Gales and his parents, while the second part is focused on the murderer and the dark road he took. This is a thriller mixed with a police procedural, and it was interesting to see the steps taken to uncover the murderer. We know who is the murderer by the end of part one, and I certainly didn't see it coming. The identity of the murderer left me agape. There is tension as the reader is eager to discover if they catch the murderer on time before he carries out his evil plan, if at all.

Don't let the length of the book deters you from reading it. The reading was smooth sailing, and there is not a dull moment. There were a couple of typos I saw (grief being spelled as grief in Loc 5104), but nothing another round of editing won't solve, and it didn't hurt my enjoyment of the book. As I couldn't stop reading and needed to know how it would end, I felt the book deserved full stars. The book may not suit everyone due to its subject matter. I recommend the book to those who enjoy psychological thrillers with paranormal elements and can stomach the triggers.

* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.

This was just ehhh for me. I wasn’t really impressed by the ghost part or lack of ability she had. It was a decent story but it was slow. If I see something that says there is a ghost I’m expecting excitement and fast paced. This was not either of those things.

"Little Ghosts" by Gregg Dunnett is a gripping and haunting psychological thriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. The story follows a grieving mother, still reeling from the murder of her daughter Layla two years ago. As she struggles to cope with the loss and the strain it puts on her marriage and her relationship with her son Gale, she is stunned when Gale reveals that he knows who killed Layla, claiming that Layla told him herself.

Dunnett's writing is captivating, drawing readers into the emotional turmoil and suspense of the story from the very beginning. The plot is filled with twists and turns, keeping readers guessing and eager to uncover the truth behind Layla's murder. The characters are well-drawn and complex, with their secrets and motivations gradually revealed throughout the story.

The novel explores themes of grief, family, and the mysteries of the human mind, creating a tense and atmospheric read. The sense of unease and tension builds with each page, leaving readers eager to uncover the truth and discover the secrets that Layla and Gale are hiding.

"Little Ghosts" is a compelling and thought-provoking thriller that will leave readers questioning what they thought they knew and eagerly turning the pages to unravel the truth behind the mystery. Dunnett's skillful writing and intriguing plot make this a must-read for fans of psychological suspense.

A very difficult subject to cover, child abduction and murder, I thought I wouldn’t be able to read it. It’s wonderfully written and I couldn’t put it down. Read in one sitting.
It’s been over two years since Layla was taken and Gale is now the exact same age as his sister was when she died. Is it possible that she really can tell him who murdered her?

Thank you Net Galley & Gregg Dunnett for an advanced copy of this book.

3.5 stars. The story seemed really interesting, The idea of a dead person coming back and telling someone who killed them was not something I have come across before. However, it was a long story for a thriller, and there were chapters were unnecessary and it dragged on. I liked the twist halfway through, and finding out who the killer was. Near the end, I was hoping the book would be more fast paced, but it seemed to go rather slow which was disappointing. There are also blatant spelling and grammar errors that should have been picked up - so as grief being spelt as greif (word processor would have picked this up). This is the first book I have read from this author, and unsure if I would read more. I would recommend this book, but do be prepared for a dragged out ending.

Admittedly it took me a couple of tries I think because I had to be in the right frame of mind to read this book. You do have to be in a certain mood to read about the murder of a 10 year old little girl, especially when a few years later her little brother announces to his mother that he knows who killed his sister because “she told me.” No spoilers here as the book reviews share this same information.

Once you do get into the book, it’s a solid fast paced 3.5 ⭐️ with a twist that’s a little predictable but still good. I personally would have loved more from Gale’s and Layla’s perspectives but that’s probably just me. It felt vaguely like The Lovely Bones.

This book really intrigued me! The tagline of 'i know who killed her, she told me' GOT me. I wanted to jump in and understand and learn more. It ended up being spooky and scary and another title that I needed to read with my lights on. But on the other side I also felt sad and empathetic for the family because this was a tragedy. I would recommend!

This was a new author I thought I'd try. I found it was a little bit slow at the very beginning, but once it got going I didn't want to stop reading! I don't want to give anything away, but there's a major plot twist I wasn't expecting! Occasionally sad (for me anyway), but I thought it was written well and a good book to read