Ghosts of Gotham by Craig Schaefer

Ghosts of Gotham

by Craig Schaefer

Irresistibly drawn to mysteries, if only to debunk them, reporter Lionel Page exposes supernatural frauds, swindlers, and charlatans. His latest case is an obsession—at least for an ancient and wealthy heiress: verify the authenticity of a lost Edgar Allan Poe manuscript circulating through New York City’s literary underworld. But the shrewd Regina Dunkle offers more than money. It’s a pact. Fulfill her request, and Lionel’s own notorious buried past, one he’s been running from since he was a child, will remain hidden.

As Lionel’s quest begins, so do the warnings. And where rare books go, murder follows. It’s only when Lionel meets enigmatic stranger Madison Hannah, his personal usher into the city’s secret history, that he realizes he’s being guided by a force more powerful than logic…and that he isn’t just following a story. He is the story.

Now that the true purpose of his mission is revealing itself in the most terrifying ways, it may finally be time for Lionel to believe in the unbelievable.

Reviewed by kimbacaffeinate on

4 of 5 stars

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We meet Lionel Page, a Chicago reporter who exposes supernatural frauds, swindlers, and charlatans. He has made quite a name for himself.

When a story from his past threatens his livelihood, he accepts a quest from Regina Dunkle to verify the authenticity of a lost Edgar Allan Poe manuscript circulating through New York City. In exchange she promises to make his problem go away. Ah, Lionel we all know how that goes. The tale that unfolds introduces mythology, supernatural elements and paranormal creatures.

Schaefer surprised me left and right. When Reginia sends the enigmatic Madison Hannah unbeknownst by the players on the same quest. It had me itching for answers. Then I was surprised and delighted by the discovery of witches and powerful entities as we shot further down the rabbit hole.

Fans of quests, suspense, quick-witted players and fate will delight in the tale that unfolds. I loved the tunnels, hexes, snarky characters and interaction with supernatural creatures who dwell in the underbelly of New York City. This had a gritty flair to it with the mystery, but also dabbled in gods, between worlds and more.

The characters see growth as a relationship develops first from a survival aspect until it evolves into something more. It felt genuine and I enjoyed their interactions. The author gave the characters depth, exposed their scars and allowed us to witness their strengths.

The overall story wrapped up nicely solving several mysteries and giving our couple an HEA. While this is a standalone, it did leave an opening for additional books.

While I would have chosen a male narrator based on the protagonist, I felt narrator Susannah Jones did a nice job of delivering the story. She managed to give characters their own voice while provided a nicely paced listen. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 25 March, 2019: Finished reading
  • 25 March, 2019: Reviewed