The Sinner by Amanda Stevens
Summary
I am a living ghost, a wanderer in search of my purpose and place…
I'm a cemetery restorer by trade, but my calling has evolved from that of ghost seer to death walker to detective of lost souls. I solve the riddles of the dead so the dead will leave me alone.
I've come to Seven Gates Cemetery nursing a broken heart, but peace is hard to come by…for the ghosts here and for me. When the body of a young woman is discovered in a caged grave, I know that I've been summoned for a reason. Only I can unmask her killer. I want to trust the detective assigned to the case for he is a ghost seer like me. But how can I put my faith in anyone when supernatural forces are manipulating my every thought? When reality is ever-changing? And when the one person I thought I could trust above all others has turned into a diabolical stranger?
Book Details
The Sinner by Amanda Stevens
Series: The Graveyard Queen
On Sale Date: September 27, 2016
Fiction / Thrillers / Suspense
MIRA, 384 pages
Source: Bought
My Rating: 5/5 Stars
My Review
THE SINNER is the fifth book in Amanda Stevens series The Graveyard Queen and once again I was swept away into a story drenched in Southern Gothic atmosphere. This time readers are treated to a sinister murder mystery as our heroine, Amelia Gray, uncovers a gruesome discovery while on a restoration at the Seven Gates Cemetery.
Mortsafes, Murder and Seven Gates Cemetery
Summoned by an unknown presence, Amelia uncovers a circle of twelve mortsafes with the body of a young woman, her hands rising up out of her earthen grave - grasping the locked, iron gate. Something dark and sinister is calling to Amelia. With supernatural forces manipulating her every thought and a murder mystery that spans more than just her recent discovery, she can trust no one. Someone...is digging into her hidden past.
Amelia Gray - The Graveyard Queen
The Graveyard Queen series features the protagonist Amelia Gray who is a restorer of historical cemeteries, often abandoned and forgotten, with each story centering around a different Southern location. Amelia has grown to be such an enigmatic heroine to follow as each book takes us one step closer to the dark history that surrounds her and why the supernatural seem drawn to her.
“I solve the riddles of the dead so the dead will leave me alone.”
What makes Amelia such a relatable and fascinating character is the fact that beyond her abilities to see and communicate with ghosts, she must rely on her own intuition and deduction skills for each mystery. Down-to-earth, smart and independent, Amelia is an easy protagonist to appreciate.
Secret Societies, Lost Keys, and the Occult
THE SINNER may just be my favorite installment of the series so far. The Sinner takes readers one step away from the final book of The Graveyard Queen and there are so many fascinating details that Amanda Stevens gives us. Secret Societies, dark rituals, and the occult twine their way this series and the ever present mystery of a certain skeleton key becomes prevalent as we wonder just how far back does this mystery go? I'm always surprised and fascinated by the unique historical details and funerary customs Stevens includes.
A Centuries-Old Mystery and Forbidden Romance
Every story is rich with Stevens' unique blend of Southern Gothic, mystery and the continuation of a forbidden romance. Amelia and John Devlin are irrevocably drawn to one another yet outside forces are keeping them apart. To appreciate their building relationship, one must start with the beginning of the series. Such a strong and magnetic pull is both riveting and addicting to read about. Rarely has a relationship between two characters kept me on-edge while longing for more.
In The End
THE SINNER is an addicting read with its unique blend of Southern Gothic mystery, sinister twists, and intoxicating romance. The Graveyard Queen series is not to be missed by fans of paranormal, mystery and suspense. Highly recommended.
