The Twisted Dead by Darcy Coates

The Twisted Dead (Gravekeeper, #3)

by Darcy Coates

USA Today bestseller and rising queen of atmospheric horror Darcy Coates returns with a ghost story that will haunt you long after the final page.

Keira is ready for a normal life. Hunted and haunted, all she wants is to put her mysterious past behind her and move forward with her new friends as Blighty Graveyard's groundskeeper. But then she receives an invitation to dinner at the local recluse's crumbling ancestral estate. The mansion is steeped in history that is equal parts complicated and bloody-and at its center is the man who once tried to kill her, now begging for her help.

Dane Crispin believes his home is haunted-and that the unquiet dead clawing through the ancient house are after him. Unnerved but intrigued, Keira opens her second sight and discovers he's right: resentful specters cling to Dane...and if she can't find a way to stop them, threaten to consume everything in their path.

There's something dark happening in the world beyond most peoples' vision, and if Keira isn't able to sever the ties between the living and the dead, the chained spirits may not be the only things twisted beyond saving.

Horror Novels By Darcy Coates:
The Haunting of Leigh Harker
The Haunting of Ashburn House
From Below
Gallows Hill
The House Next Door
Carrow Haunt
Craven Manor
Voices in the Snow

Reviewed by Lindsey Gray on

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I’m going to be upfront and let you all know that I have not read the first two books of the Gravekeeper series. I didn’t feel lost as there was enough about the first two books that I felt I knew the basics of the other books.

After killers and a mysterious company bring angst to amnesiac Keira’s life, she faces something she has no idea how to fix. The town hermit, Dane Crispin, who lives in a crumbling mansion is being drained by the ghosts of his dead relatives. Unfortunately, there are a lot of them and at the rate they are going, Keira and friends, Zoe and Mason, don’t think he’ll last much longer.

While Keira practices with her powers to see if she can help Dane with his not so dearly departed family, Zoe and Mason are ready to help. They are best friend goals. Mason and Zoe go through their own transitions and are the best friends Keira could ever wish for. They all have their pasts to contend with as they encounter ghosts, shades, and men in black who want Keira dead.

This is also my first read of Darcy Coates. I usually like my ghost stories with a bit of romance. While I think there is a possibility for Mason and Keira, I loved their friendship throughout the novel. Zoe is a trip! She reminds me of a friend of mine and she has the best fashion sense. *cough* black ball gown *cough* While the story revolves around Keira, Mason, and Zoe, I loved the local goth/aspiring speed metal musician, Harry. He at one point just takes a nap on a grave and Keira sees the ghost the grave belongs to is not happy about it.

Final thoughts, I loved this book and Coates writing style. These books are written in third person, but you are really able to get all the perspectives. I got pulled into the imagery of the graveyard and the descriptions of the ghosts throughout the novel. I will definitely be reading the first two books in the series soon and gobbling up all her other series as soon as possible.

I received The Twisted Dead for free. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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Reading updates

  • 2 October, 2022: Started reading
  • 5 October, 2022: Finished reading
  • 6 October, 2022: Reviewed