The Spirit Girls by Dawn Merriman is the first book in the Rylan Flynn paranormal mystery series. The story introduces readers to a young woman who possesses the ability to see spirits whom she helps to crossover the other side. Merriman delivered an interesting and suspenseful tale which will have readers flipping the pages.

Narrated from multiple POVs from Rylan to the villain, The Spirit Girls delivered a light, engaging and quick read. It weaves together the perfect blend of paranormal, witchcraft, mystery and religious themes. It reminded to some extent of the television show, The Ghost Whisperer.

In all her encounters with spirits, she never encountered ones seeking her help to find out who murdered them until now. The police, aware of her claims as a ghost hunter, warned her away from the case. She, however, decides to conduct her own investigation. A decision which places her in the killers’ crosshairs.

The Spirit Girls read like a young adult story, even though most of the characters were definitely over twenty-one. Despite the young adult vibe, I found the story engaging and the characters interesting. Rylan's family is aware of her gift, however not all of them willingly acknowledges same. She also faces ridicule from some of the townspeople. She doesn't let it bother her though and besides she has acquired a a lot of followers on her YouTube Channel. 

The story hinted at the possibility of a romance between Rylan and the lead detective. Their attraction to each other was clear, but the author chose not to explore it. Hopefully, the upcoming books will deliver on this.

Overall,  an enjoyable read and a great start to a series, which will appeal to fans of mystery combined with paranormal elements.

Stephanie Cannon narrated this delightful tale. Although this was my first experience with her narration, I would listen to her again. She delivered a solid performance by bringing the story and characters to life.

This is a very promising start to a new series of books about Rylan Flynn, a young woman who sees ghosts. It’s a great thriller with a big serving of paranormal. Not my usual genre, but this is a great book!

When two local girls are murdered, one of them leads Rylan to her body and attempts to tell her who killed her, but she can’t speak - there is something lodged in her throat.

Of course, the police don’t want Rylan to interfere in their investigation, but when it’s clear that she knows more than them, what can they do?

Excellent character development and pacing and I really enjoyed the narration by Stephanie Cannon.

Thrilling, sinister and gripping, with a brilliant cliffhanger at the end. Can’t wait for the next one!

4 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

A fast paced thriller with a paranormal twist. I found this one fun without being silly. The paranormal element (seeing dead people) was woven in with the whodunnit element without being too exaggerated.
It was too short.
I’ll definitely read the second.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW


Review for 'The Spirit Girls' by Dawn Merriman.


Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Dawn Merriman, Second Sky Publishing, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous


Publication date 9th May 2023.


This is the first book I have read by this author. It is also the first book in the 'Rylan Flynn Mystery' series.

I was originally drawn to this book by its colourful cover and intriguing, sounding synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that this book is 'A heart-pounding mystery with a touch of romance, The Spirit Girls begins a new series of paranormal thrillers that are impossible to put down. If you love urban fantasy or psychic thrillers by Heather Graham and Wendy Wang, this book will grab you from the first page and never let go’'. I am a fan of Heather Graham and am looking forward to seeing if this book lives up to this statement!! I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Second Sky (Bookouture). I have yet to read a book published by Second Sky or Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).


This novel consists of 32 chapters. The chapters are short to medium in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!


This book is based in Indiana, USA 🇺🇲.


This book is written in first person perspective and the main protagonists are Rylan Flynn, Detective Ford Pierce and the killer. The benefits of books written in first person perspective with multiple protagonists are as long as they are well written it makes you feel that you are being spoken to by the protagonist and it can create more of a bond between yourselves and them. If there are several protagonists you also get to see more of what is going on.


OMG!!! WELL THAT WAS NOT WHAT I WAS EXPECTING AT ALL!!! ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS BOOK, AN ABSOLUTELY PERFECT START TO WHAT PROMISES TO BE AN EXPLOSIVE SERIES!!

This book is extremely well written with vivid descriptions that really put you in the storyline, feeling the hair on your arms raise and putting you on the edge of your seat!!!

As previously mentioned this book was not what I expected when I seen this book was published under Second Sky which is a science fiction and fantasy publisher within Bookouture and Hachette UK. I was expecting there to be a lot more scifi. Now, I must admit I am not a massive fan of scifi but I'm an eclectic reader and will give most books a try. I would say this book is more paranormal, ghost and horror than SciFi so if you are a paranormal, ghost story or love a chilling book that will raise the hair on your arms and not a SciFi or fantasy fan please give this book a read. Trust me, you really won't regret it!! In fact, it doesn't matter what genre you like to read give it a read!!! Paranormal Investigator Rylan Flynn sees ghosts and she helps them to pass on to the other side along with some help from her Dad who is a priest. When visiting her Aunt Val she follows a ghost who leads Rylan to her body before she disappears. The police are called and Rylan is told to stay away from the investigation. However, what fun would listening be? Rylan starts digging into what happened but another body is discovered and the blame is put too close to home. Rylan won't rest until she finds out who the killer is even when it puts her in danger herself. Filled with suspense, murder, witchcraft, ghosts, friendship, family, mystery and a sprinkle of romance in the air this book is an absolutely explosive and epic start to what promises to be an addictive must read series!! I absolutely love ,love, LOVED the unique storyline!! I have read so many books that it is getting harder and harder for me to find a truly unique plot but Dawn absolutely smashes it out of the park with this one!! I picked it up and even though I kept telling myself just one more chapter I just could not put it down as every time I went to something happened which meant I had to read just one more again until I ended up reading it in one sitting having been glued to my kindle for a few hours!! Dawn's evocative writing skills and descriptions really brought the storyline to life and I just cannot wait to get hooked into the next book in this fantastic new series!!!


Clear your schedules before turning a single page as this book is truly unputdownable!!!

It is always worrying when starting a new series as you have no idea who the characters are. It is very important for me to bond with not only the lead protagonists but also any characters that may make repeat appearances during the series too.

The characters are all strong, well rounded and realistic. I really enjoyed getting to meet and learn all about Rylan Flynn, her past, her unique abilities and discovering how she feels about Ford. I love how she refuses to back down even when she has been threatened with arrest!! She has a great likeable personality and my heart goes out to her when her gift turns into a curse, especially in regards to her Mum. I also liked her friend and camerawoman Mickey and they have a great friendship which I'm looking forward to continue reading about in the next book. I also really like Ford and I cannot wait to see if it goes anywhere between him and Rylan, I've got my fingers and toes crossed that it does!! I was completely invested in all these characters as well as Rylan's Dad and Aunt Val who I am also looking forward to meeting again in the next book in this absolutely fantastic series. I'm just hoping it doesn't take that long too come out!! Hint, Hint Dawn 😉. Dawn's evocative writing skilsn really brought each of the characters to life and I am already missing them!! Of course I can't finish without giving a mention of the handsome George who is definitely one of my favourite characters!! I am a huge fan of pets/animals in books being a massive animal lover and I loved meeting George and looking forward to meeting him again soon!!

The ending was an absolutely explosive twist that I did not see coming at all. What an shocking cliff hanger!!! I was genuinely gobsmacked and I really cannot wait to get hooked into book 2 'Almost Human: Evolution'.

This book is the BEST ghost thriller I have ever read !!! This book really is a truly unique page turner that I picked up this morning and could not put it down until I finished!!!

Well done Dawn on an absolutely fantastic succeess and here is to what is guaranteed to be many more 🥂


Overall an absolutely addictive, action packed paranormal suspense packed thriller that will keep you turning the pages until you've devoured the book in hours!!

Genres covered in this book include Witch & Wizard Suspense, Christian Fantasy, Ghost Suspense, Spiritual Mystery, Psychic Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Occult Suspense, Religious Science Fiction & Fantasy, Occult Fiction, Christian Fiction, Witch & Wizard Suspense, Metaphysical & Visionary, Witch & Wizard Thrillers, Psychic Thriller, Occult Thriller, Ghost Thriller, Paranormal & Urban Fantasy amongst others.

I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Heather Graham, Wendy Wang and anyone who loves a unique, creepy paranormal page turner!!


322 pages.


This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle, free with kindle unlimited and £6.99 in paperback via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!


Rated 5/5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.


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This book was a super quick read (listen) and it was enjoyable but a bit rushed. It seemed to come to an end really quickly. The whodunnit just seemed to jump up out of nowhere without much searching. Again, a super quick read if you're looking for something fast

The Spirit Girls is the first book in the Rylan Flynn paranormal mystery series with a great mix of religion and romance. It is a pretty good start to the series. I enjoyed reading how Rylan was trying to help the girls who were murdered. Before, she helped spirits to move on, but this time something else is happening. The spirits of the murdered girls lead her to their bodies and look for help.

Just like the main character, I wanted to see what happened to the young girls, so I had to read the book in almost one sitting. The pacing and how the story was unfolding was good for my taste and I enjoyed it.

I listened to the audiobook and the narration by Stephanie Cannon was perfect. I look forward to reading future books in this series.

Rylan Flynn is often getting into scrapes, unlike most people she has the ability to speak to spirits who have not yet crossed over. At home her mother still resides in their house even after death, no matter how many times she tries to explain to her she is no longer alive, it seems the dead often have no grasp of their own demise and will forget when they are told.

Rylan runs a paranormal YouTube show out of Ashby, Indiana with her friend Mickey - 'Beyond the dead investigations'. This does not make them popular with the local police as they are often found trespassing in abandoned buildings etc. So when Rylan follows a spirit to a fresh body covered in blood and tied to a tree, it only spells the beginning of trouble for her.



I enjoyed the book, it had a young adult feeling and reminded me a bit of the point Horror books, I mean that in a good way. Elements of paranormal, thriller and romance make the book a little cliche in parts, but definitely entertaining. This would be a good read for someone that wants a short mystery that’s not too heavy.

I really like Stephanie Cannon as a narrator, I remember her being great in MindWalker and she was equally good in this, her excellent character voicing make it easy to differentiate between people and adds vibrancy to the book.

I liked this paranormal thriller in which it's really difficult to imagine who is wreaking havoc in Ashby. The characters are nice and the storyline is enjoyable and keeps you interested, even if not on the edge of your seat, hence 4 stars and not 5. Anyway, Rylan's series is definitely one I'll be looking forward to!

At first I was not sure if this book was for me since it has a supernatural aspect. But I endet up liking Rylan Flynn a lot. She has the ability to sees ghosts who want to cross over from this life. With the help of her father, a pastor, she can help them.
But one ghost is different: she leads Rylan into the woods to a dead body. More and more girls turn up dead. True to her natur Rylan wants to help but the local police tell her to let this be. That is what she does not do!
I liked the way the supernatural is woven into normal life of normal people. Although who defines normal anyway ;)
I listened to the audio book narrated by Stephanie Cannon and really enjoyed her performance.
Thank #Netgalley and #Bookouture Audio for this audiobook

My thanks to Bookouture Audio Second Sky for a review copy via NetGalley of the unabridged audiobook edition of ‘The Spirit Girls’ by Dawn Merriman, narrated by Stephanie Cannon.

This is the opening book in a new paranormal mystery series featuring psychic Rylan Flynn, who has always been able to see the restless spirits that haunt Ashby, Indiana. She has learned to live with her gift and uses it to help them cross over. She has also recently started a YouTube channel, ‘Beyond the Dead Investigations’.

On a visit to the woods close to her aunt’s cabin, Rylan sees a spirit among the trees. The ghost of a young woman approaches and leads Rylan to her body. This quickly develops into a murder investigation, headed by Ashby’s lead detective, Ford Pierce. He has been a friend of Rylan’s older brother since childhood and is aware of her gift. He makes it clear that he doesn’t want her help. Still, when has that ever stopped a determined amateur sleuth?

Then another body is discovered and clues point in a surprising direction. Rylan is more determined than ever to uncover the truth despite the possible dangers involved.

When I started reading I found 28-year-old Rylan’s dreamy-eyed longing over Ford reminded me of something I would find in a angsty YA romance. Thankfully the narrative quickly moved on and I became caught up in its fascinating premise and superb mystery. Oh, and I could better appreciate Rylan’s undeclared feelings for Ford.

The narrative moves between the points of view of Rylan and Ford with the occasional chapter by the sinister, unnamed killer. I felt that the pace flowed well and was enhanced by a number of supporting characters, who enriched the story without it becoming too cluttered.

I especially liked Ryland’s dad who was supportive of her vocation and as a pastor assisted her at times in helping restless spirits cross over. That there was faith at the novel’s heart was appreciated as so often authors writing about the paranormal will shy away from this. There were also a few teasers for things to come in later books in the series.

With respect to the audiobook, Stephanie Cannon is a well established voice actor, who is credited on over a hundred audiobook titles. Her neutral American accent was quite pleasant to listen to and I felt that she brought a great deal of energy to her narration of the novel’s various characters.

Overall, I found this an engaging paranormal mystery and certainly will be looking forward to future titles in the series.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

This was fun, adorable, and just a little scary. This is the perfect listen for a tween or teen. Or for those of us who want mildly creepy stories without too much horror and other scary things.
The narration was perfect!
I loved the ghost mom too.

Oh my word! This was just perfect! I really enjoyed this one.
It had everything I love about a book, quick pace, mysterious scenes, a hint of police procedural, a touch of crime, fantasy at its core with witchery and paranormal goings on with a person that talks to spirits and helps ghosts cross over.

It was such a great storyline and I’m extatic to know it’s part one of a series. I’ll certainly be following any further books!

This book absolutely reminded me of The Ghost Whisper which I adored! I found it full of pace, a really well planned out book and had great characters with a secondary storyline. It’s marketed as a paranormal mystery but was so much more.

Absolutely wonderful and looking forward to book two.

The Spirit Girls was a good start to a new character, Rylan Flynn, a young girl who can see and speak to spirits including her dead mother, it has a good blend of the paranormal and mystery and Stephanie Cannon did a great job with the narration, I will look forward to the next novel when it has been released.

„The Spirit Girls“ is the first book in a paranormal mystery series following a young woman who has the ability to see and communicate with ghosts.

Rylan Flynn has always been able to see what other’s don’t – namely the ghosts of the dead who haven’t yet moved on. What’s definitely a first, though, is a spirit seeking her out and leading her to her murdered body. When someone close to her is suspected to be the killer, Rylan knows that she has to do everything in her power to find out what really happened. Even if it means crossing the police and unwittingly putting herself in harm’s way.

This book is by no means earth-shatteringly unique and overall pretty predictable, but I loved reading it all the same. The characters are good, if not overly fleshed out yet, and Rylan’s abilites are rather interesting. I enjoyed the fact that everybody seems to know about her special talent and more or less accepts it – from the clergy to the police and her online following.
The storyline itself is engaging, coherent and everything ties together neatly in the end. I am already looking forward to the series‘ next installment and – as a hopeless romantic – am especially curious for the hinted at possible romance in future books.

This book is perfect for readers who enjoy genre mixes and are looking for a quick and entertaining read. Due to its length, pacing and overall engaging storyline it’s also great for helping you out of a reading slump. It definitely worked for me.

Holy Flip……

Book Information

Dawn Merriman is the author of The Spirit Girls, a 210-page book set to be published on May 9th, 2023. The audio version, narrated by Stephanie Cannon, has a running time of 5 hours and 45 minutes. The Spirit Girls is anticipated to be the first installment in a series of novels.

Summary

Rylan Flynn, a girl living in Ashby, Indiana, has the ability to see spirits. While visiting her aunt's cabin, Rylan discovers the ghost of Celeste Monroe and her murdered body in the woods. As a coin with strange symbols is found in Celeste's throat, Rylan realizes that a twisted killer is likely at work. Although Rylan's abilities could help prevent further deaths, the town's detective, Ford Pierce, does not want her involvement. With another murder and evidence pointing toward her family, Rylan is determined to uncover the truth and find the murderer before they strike again.

My Thoughts

The Spirit Girls is a light, easy read that combines elements of paranormal, religion, romance, and mystery. While the author adeptly weaves these themes together, the book left me just a bit short. One of the major drawbacks was my difficulty in connecting with the main character, Rylan. Despite her traumatic past and her ability to see ghosts, her bubbly demeanor seemed somewhat unrealistic.

The police investigation also falls short of expectations, with their attitude and commentary often feeling far-fetched. Moreover, the characters, plot, and relationships skew towards young adult readers, with Rylan's language (Holy-Flip) and behavior (Jammin-Out in the car), as well as the budding romance, conveying a distinctly YA vibe. As such, those seeking a more complex mystery with darker paranormal elements may be left disappointed.

Stephanie Cannon delivers an excellent performance as the narrator, deftly managing multiple voices. However, her voice seems better suited for a YA novel than an adult paranormal murder story.

All in all, while The Spirit Girls is not a bad read, it may not satisfy readers looking for a more sophisticated mystery or a more nuanced characterization of its main protagonist.

Recommendation

While the writing may not be to everyone's taste the book will likely appeal to younger readers who enjoy lighter paranormal tales. It wasn’t an unenjoyable read—just not my cup of tea.

Rating

3 Jammin-Out Stars.

🎧Audio Book Review🎧

The Spirit Girls
Dawn Merriman

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I really should have had more idea from the title, but the cover picture suggested to me that this was the start of a new detective series. What I got was so much more refreshing and I loved it!

Rylan sees spirits and when she visits her aunt one day, a girl appears and guides her to her body in the woods. The girl had been tied to a tree and left there dead.
The local police department know Rylan well and initially don't trust the additional information that she can give them.

I love a good psychological thriller and police procedural and this book had all this plus the added bonus of the paranormal too. Without giving too much away, I loved the unique plot and the motivation for the murders.

This was fast-paced which had me reading on late into the evening as I had to know what was going on. The writing was exciting and I loved the inclusion of the side stories which would be great to develop over the series.
Rylan's relationships with Ford, Mickey, Val and her father all provided extra interest and gave us an insight into her as a person.

I really enjoyed this start to the series and can't wait to read more and see what's next for Rylan and the team.

Ghostly Tale That Kept Me Guessing

💛Mixing the paranormal and mystery genres, this is the tale of Ghost Show YouTuber Rylan. She can see ghosts, which allows her to solve murders. Love the premise and the pace was great. I wanted to know what happened and that kept me listening.

🧡I couldn’t put this down. It was unputdownable. The earphones stayed in the ears. That’s the headline here. Because despite my quibbles - the characters felt underdeveloped, details provided gave the impression of being the middle of a series rather than the beginning, and it’s too wholesome for my ravaged tastes - I was still hooked.

💜 For me, this skews towards YA in terms of the characters, plot and relationships. It never gets too dark. Definitely one for tweens and teens looking for paranormal intrigue.
__________________________________________________
SOUNDBITE

🎧 Stephanie Cannon is compelling as always in this addictive listen. Part of the reason why this felt geared towards a younger audience was that I felt Cannon voiced Rylan as young, maybe 18-22.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for providing me with an ALC in return for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This was a good and quick thriller. I enjoyed how it was a little creepy with the spirits of the dead speaking to Rylan and the mystery of a killer doing satanic rituals. This was a quick and gripping thriller.

It's not often I find a character that I instantly fall in love with and could happily read whole series for; Rylan Flynn is one such character.
I adored this book and am quite upset that it is the first in a series that doesn't already have the next book available.
If you love fantastic FMCs who deal with the supernatural and solve crimes; this book is for you.
I can't wait for the next part and to see how Rylan's character grows and really hoping for the slow burn romance to take off sooner rather than later.

Well written and fast paced mystery! I loved the paranormal aspect and felt that it was perfectly balanced with the mystery so that the crime was solved with equal parts detective work and help from Rylan’s gift. Rylan was a breath of fresh air – confident and professional with just the right amount of whimsy, as evidence by her YouTube channel. This is my first book by this author but I will catch up on the other series as I wait for the next Rylan Flynn to be released. Highly recommended for those who love an intriguing mystery with some ghosts thrown in.