Great start to a new series.
Rylan can see spirits - she videos her interactions, creating a following and reputation in her town.
A young woman comes to her - in need of aid. When Rylan finds her body in her aunt's woods, she becomes determined to help solve her vicious murder. While balancing the suspicion of her long time crush, the detective assigned to the case.
I enjoyed the relationships, the family aspect. Great start to a new series.
I also enjoyed the narration - gave the characters life and dimension.

<i>The Spirit Girls</i> is book one in the Rylan Flynn paranormal mystery series, following our leading lady Rylan who can see the dead. Using her unique gifts, Rylan usually helps long lost souls - like little girls in cemeteries, or beloved family members, but never has one asked her to solve their murder. While on a visit to her aunt’s cabin, Rylan follows a spirit in the trees, leading the way to her body. Realising that she has stumbled upon a murder scene, the police are quickly called - bringing along Ford Pierce, handsome detective and Rylan's current crush. Rylan and her family quickly become suspects, but how can she explain how she found the body without telling her secret.

The writing style is engaging and creates a creepy atmosphere that adds to the tension of the story. Pacing is well-balanced, with moments of intense action and suspense alternating with quieter moments of introspection and brief character development, leaving plenty of material available for later stories. <i>The Spirit Girls</i> is a great opener for a paranormal series that will appeal to fans of murder and mystery with just a touch of romance. It is the perfect accompaniment to Ghost Whisperer, The Sixth Sense and Tru Calling.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture Audio, Second Sky & Dawn Merriman for an advanced copy to review. I read this as an audiobook and would highly recommend the narrator Stephanie Cannon.

Let me just say Stephanie Cannon has an arsenal of different voices OMG she even makes Ford sound hot! In this book at the beginning we meet Rylan and her friend Mickey there in an abandoned hospital getting footage for the YouTube channel called beyond the dead they get interrupted by Fraser the local police but when she comes out of the abandon hospital she sees Ford Pierce her brothers good friend and her longtime crush, he also chastise her for being in an abandoned building breaking the law and putting her self in danger. Duly noted her and Nikki make their way home the next day like all Fridays she goes to eat breakfast with her and Val usually her brother Keegan joins them but not on this day. While she’s waiting for breakfast to be ready she sees and feels a ghost nearby turning to look into the woods she glances a red T-shirt and a dark ponytail and gets up to follow it this is how she finds the dead body of Celeste Monroe she’s tied to a tree but Rylan can make out the name of a local band on her T-shirt. Aunt Val is beside herself she can’t believe a dead body and now a ghost is on her property soon Ford and Tyler show up and start their investigation and at first it looks like they’re going to blame and they’ll but after seeing her reaction to the girl and not knowing who she is they quickly demure but when another dead body is found on her property she’s going to get all of the blame. celeste was a new transplant from Toledo but the next victim is a hometown girl is there a Serial Killer loose in Rylynn’s Indiana community and when Rylan is targeted to be the next victim can Ford save her before it’s too late? Are usually am not into paranormal mysteries but this one got me from the summary and I am so glad I listen to it. If you like mysteries that cause heart palpitations and having you sitting on the edge of your seat the you’ll definitely love The Spirit Girls by Dawn Merryman. I hope all the books are narrated by Stephanie Cannon as she is so good and made the book so much better I always say an narrator can make a break a book and she certainly made this awesome I would’ve loved it hadn’t been a kindle book but the audio just gives it an edge and the narrator set the tone that heightens the suspense and OMG she is so good. I love this book and highly recommend it I received it from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

“Where are you taking me?”

A girl with a dark ponytail walks deep into the woods while Rylan Flynn follows until the girl disappears and Rylan finds the girl's body. Rylan has always been able to see spirits. She helps them to move on. This time the spirit leads Rylan to its dead body. Rylan realizes the girl, Celeste Monroe, has been murdered with a coin left in her throat. What does the coin mean? Who could have done this?

Rylan decides to use her "gift" to catch the killer but the lead detective, Ford Pierce, has made it clear that she is to keep away from his investigation. Then another body is found, and Rylan is determined to prevent future deaths and catch a killer!

The Spirit Girls is the first book in the Rylan Flynn paranormal mystery series. It is a solid and enjoyable beginning to the series. I enjoyed how Rylan was compelled to help the victim(s). She is used to helping spirits move on, but this time it is a little different as the spirits have led her to their bodies, not being able to speak, but looking for help. I admired her determination to help even if it meant stepping on the toes of Detective Pierce.

This was an engaging mystery with a nice paranormal element. Like Rylan, I was invested in learning what happened to the young women and the circumstances around their deaths. I enjoyed the pacing and how the story unfolded.

I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narration. I look forward to reading future books in this series. I have a feeling that Dawn Merriman is just getting warmed up!

Mysterious, shocking and fast paced!

I found this book to be entirely lacking and at fifty percent through I had to speed up the narration to 2.0 in order to not DNF. The protagonist, plot, and writing were incredibly juvenile. For example, Rylan is often caught “jamming out” to alternative music in her car alone, no adult woman does this. She also refers to Ford as her “crush,” which is verbiage my eighth-grade daughter uses.

The research for writing this novel is shoddy. Not even a small-town detective is going to walk around pointing fingers and saying “everyone is a suspect” without evidence. If her brother had been a successful prosecutor, he would never allow his aunt to give consent for her home to be searched. “Oh yes please, come search my house while you illegally hold me in the back of a patrol car so you can find something to pin on me”. And let’s get real, no police department would ever work with a paranormal ghost hunter; that was actually laugh out loud hilarious.

I’ve read and loved so many paranormal ghost stories that really hit the mark in the creepiness factor and have excellent plot development. Each ghost in this story felt like an afterthought. There was not enough connection between them and Rylan. We also never found out about her mother. As the divorcee of a minister, why in the world was she found “with a big hole in the back of the head” in her bedroom. Why was there no further development of this and who was the shadow vine ghost? Way too many questions and not enough answers.

Even with these questions, I will not be picking up the next book in this series. I would rather my questions go unanswered.

I recently read The Spirit Girls by Dawn Merriman, and I must say, it's a fantastic paranormal mystery. The book follows Rylan Flynn, who possesses a unique gift of seeing restless spirits in Ashby, Indiana. When Rylan discovers the dead body of a young woman, Celeste Monroe, she realizes that she has been murdered. As the investigation unfolds, it becomes clear that a cold-blooded killer is at work.

The story is told from different perspectives, including Rylan's and Ford Pierce's, the head detective in charge of the case. Despite his reluctance to accept her help, Rylan's abilities prove invaluable in solving the murders. As the investigation progresses, Rylan and Ford's relationship evolves, adding a touch of romance to the story.

I enjoyed the book's fast-paced and thrilling plot, filled with unexpected twists and turns. The author has done an excellent job of building the characters, making them likable and relatable. The book is also an excellent blend of urban fantasy and psychic thrillers, reminiscent of Heather Graham and Wendy Wang's works.

Overall, The Spirit Girls is a great read that kept me engaged from beginning to end. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves paranormal mysteries or a touch of romance in their thrillers.

4.0
This book was short and sweet. It has many elements that I love like, murder, mystery and the intrigue of the occult. This book follows our main characeter Rylan who has the gift of communicating with ghosts. Because of her paranormal talent Rylan, has made a youtube channel that focuses on hauntings and ghosts alike.
Then suddenly a spirit comes to her asking for help. Strange thing is though, spirits are not suppose to come to her, only she can go to them.
This book had twist and turns and it was engaging all the way to the end.
There is a little romance in the book but it doesnt hyper focus on it, which I appreciated, I love a good ole grumpy trope.
I look forward to the next book in the series.

The Spirit Girls

This book immediately grabbed me within the first chapter. This is not your typical who dunnit mystery, but one with an added paranormal aspect to it, she sees spirits.

This storyline kept me guess who the killer may be the entire time, and I did not see the plot twist coming. I absolutely love a book that keeps me listening/reading and on my toes as to who did it!

I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a mysterious murder mystery with that added interest of the MC connection with the spirits of those lost in these murderous acts.

I enjoyed this book via an ALC provided by NetGalley and the publisher. This narrator kept a great pace, and I was able to listen at a speed of 2x. Multiple female and male voices were completely and excucuted nicely.

Oohhh this was good. I do feel like I did better listening to it than i would have reading it. I love a good paranormal book and used to read quite a bit of them. The ending was great! I cannot wait for the next book! Really like Rylan and her "sleuthing." Will def read more!

Spirit Girls is the first book in the Raylan Flynn series. I really enjoy a paranormal mystery and this was a good one! So often in books like these a large amount of the story is the protagonist hiding what they are from their friends and family. I really enjoyed that Raylan is open about what she can do. This was a fast paced book. I listened to the audiobook and the narration was very enjoyable.

I binged this audiobook on a work trip this week and was captivated by the story and narration! Rylan can see ghosts who have unfinished business before crossing over. Her ability is highlighted through a popular YouTube show and often gets her into stick situations with law enforcement, including her love interest Detective Ford. However, when a ghost leads her to the body of a local murdered girl indicating a possible serial killer, the Detective is forced to lean into Rylan's abilities to solve the case. The plot was fast paced, the paranormal aspect was intriguing, and the author introduced just enough about Rylan and Ford's budding relationship to make me want to jump right into the next book of the series! If you enjoy paranormal thrillers and romantic suspense, you will love this listen.

Thank you to Bookouture Audio, Second Sky Books, and NetGalley for this advanced listeners copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Spirit Girls is the first book in the Rylan Flynn Mystery series. This is a great way to start a series. It gives you a complete story but leaves you wanting more in some aspects, begging you to come back for the next book.

Rylan has the ability to talk to spirits. She has a YouTube series that is all about her taking to spirits and even helping them cross over. One night she sees a spirit of a young girl that has her follow her into the woods. The spirit brings Rylan to her body which was a gruesome scene. It looked like a ritualistic murder.

The police detective on the case is Rylan’s brother's best friend and her love interest, Ford Pearce. I loved Ford and Rylan together and the two of them are one of the main reasons I will be back for the next book.

Rylan gets herself right in the middle of the investigation and finds another body. I really liked Rylan and all her supporting cast. I finished this book in one sitting, I just had to know what happened, I was completely hooked.

I really hope we do not have to wait long for the next book in the series!

Setting the Scene: Rylan Flynn sees ghosts. More than that, her purpose in life seems to be to help these souls move on to their final destinations. Solving murders has never been part of what she does. However, when a young girl's ghost beckons her to follow and Rylan discovers the girl's body tied to a tree in the woods around Rylan's aunt's home, things change. .When a second girl's body is found near the same place and blood evidence seems to point to Rylan's dear aunt, solving murders definitely becomes part of her repertoire, much to the chagrin of her ADA brother and the hot detective who is her brother's best friend.

What I Thought: I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and Rylan is a welcome new protagonist.. She is likeable and reasonably intelligent, as is her friend and podcast camerawoman, Mickey. This book checks off a lot of cozy boxes, including the hot detective, but it is not quite a cozy, given that there are some darker themes at play. Regardless of its genre classification, it is an enjoyable read, and there is room for a lot of ongoing character and plot development. I look forward to Rylan's next outing that is scheduled for release in September 2023.

The narrator has a pleasant voice that made listening a pleasure.

The Spirit Girls is a thriller/mystery/ghost story that had me hooked!

We follow Rylan Flynn, someone who has the gift of seeing ghosts through this novel in a way that I thought was really unique and interesting! Rylan is not a detective but instead has a Youtube channel looking for ghosts and exploring supposedly-haunted places. But when she is sucked into an investigation, she has no choice but to hunt for her own answers.

I thought the mystery of this book was really good and relatively short and fast-paced, too. It was a kind of police procedural x fantasy novel with complex characters and an interesting plot.

If you like a good crime thriller with a supernatural twist, this book is for you!

The Spirit Girls is the first book in the new paranormal mystery series where Rylan Flynn sees ghosts. Rylan and her can see and talk to ghosts and has made it her mission to help them cross over to the other side. When a ghost brings Rylan to the scene of her murder, Rylan is pulled into the murder investigation whether she likes it or not. She takes it upon herself to help discover what happened to the poor girl, against the wishes of the head detective, Ford Pierce.

This is a great new series and has a vaguely Ghost Whisperer feel. I loved that TV show and I now love this book! The characters are great and likable and the premise of helping ghosts find their way to the light intrigued me. I can’t wait to see what comes next in this series and get to know Rylan and her family better. This was a fast paced read, full of mystery and ghosts. The only thing that I wish was a little different was how fast it went when Rylan discovered what had really been going on. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book and definitely recommend this new series!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC audiobook!

This sucked me in and held me tight. This is a paranormal thriller that started quick and never let up. It has hints of romance, but focused much more heavily on the murders and ghosts. There is a religious theme in the book, with the main character being a Christian and praying to help ghosts cross over. It wasn’t overt and I didn’t think it took anything away from the storyline, but just a heads up if that isn’t your thing. I listened to this in less than a day, I didn’t want to stop. This is the first in a series, and I can’t wait for more.

Rylan is a ghost hunter and has a YouTube channel with her best friend. In addition to making videos, she also helps ghosts cross over and not be stuck in limbo. And when a ghost comes up to her and wants her to follow her? She obviously follows. But she wasn’t prepared to be led to that ghost’s former body, or the murder scene that it was in the middle of. Helping this ghost might take a bit more than praying and helping her towards the light.

3.5⭐ rounded up
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If you like a supernatural thriller about ghosts, than look no further. Rylan Flynn sees ghosts, ghosts that need help crossing over. Her father is a pastor who helps her guide these lost souls into the light. But this time things are a little different, when Rylan is led into the woods by a ghost and stumbles upon a dead body. More girls turn up dead, and Rylan and her family end up in the middle of a murder investigation. She wants to help, but the police want her out of the way. This paranormal mystery about murder, ghosts, and magic will keep you entertained and wanting more.

I listened to this in audio book form and really enjoyed the narration by Stephanie Cannon., she did a wonderful job bringing the story to life I would definitely recommend the audio version.

Thank you Netgalley for this audio book ARC for an honest review.

I cannot wait for the next book in this series! Paranormal + Mystery + Family + Romance? Yep I'm in! I finished this book in an afternoon!! I could not stop until I found out what was going on. Creepy but not ridiculously so.

I hope the author doesn’t make us wait too long for the next book!!!

The book started out in action. Rylan who is a YouTube personality is on site recording. We instantly find out she has a talent to speak the the dead. The book does not slow down from there, steaming straight ahead into Rylan finding a body of a murder girl. I honestly can’t remember the last time I couldn’t put a novel down and devoured it in one sitting. Thank you Dawn Merriman for making that happen.

Outside of the mystery and body’s that are stacking up there is a great cast supporting Rylan. The book gives you a glimpse into each of these import people for her and starts building a love interest too. I cannot wait to see what will happen next in the world of Rylan Flynn.

I definitely encourage all my cozy mystery lover friends to check this one out because I am so sure you will love it!

Thank you Netgalley for the advance audiobook and reader copy of The Spirit Girls (A Rylan Flynn Mystery Book 1) by Dawn Merriman in exchange for an honest review. This book was an odd combination. It was a murder mystery with the occult through it as well as religion. I liked the story, but I'm not sure if I would read anymore.