Ghostly Echoes by william Ritter

Summary from Goodreads:

Jenny Cavanaugh, the ghostly lady of 926 Augur Lane, has enlisted the investigative services of her fellow residents to solve a decade-old murder—her own. Abigail Rook and her eccentric employer, Detective R. F. Jackaby, dive into the cold case, starting with a search for Jenny’s fiancé, who went missing the night she died. But when a new, gruesome murder closely mirrors the events of ten years prior, Abigail and Jackaby realize that Jenny’s case isn’t so cold after all, and her killer may be far more dangerous than they suspected.

Fantasy and folklore mix with mad science as Abigail’s race to unravel the mystery leads her across the cold cobblestones of nineteenth-century New England, down to the mythical underworld, and deep into her colleagues’ grim histories to battle the most deadly foe she has ever faced.

Review:

I wish I could put this book in more people’s hands. Seriously, these books are so amazingly good. Every time a new installment comes out, it’s like getting a free dessert added to your already excellent meal at your favorite restaurant.

I loved this book possibly even more than the first two. This is the book where I really got to see more deeply into the masterful craft that is William Ritter. The other installments could almost have worked as stand-alones because they were each separate stories. This book weaved together elements from the past two books in a way I was not expecting. And Ritter must have planned a lot from the beginning.

I loved getting to know Jenny more. And there was the added bonus of getting to know the mysterious Jackaby more too. I learned a little of his childhood. He even brought up his parents! Add this to the fact that Jenny’s murder is kind of connected to everything. Oh, and Abigail literally gets to journey to the underworld! What? How did one of my favorite fantasy tropes end up in this historic/paranormal mystery? Because this book is nuts in all the best of ways.

Also, there are new mythological creatures, new characters, new enemies, and new friends. A certain police werewolf comes to help. And there is a lot to learn about possessions, power, “seeing,” and machines. Is this novel missing anything awesome? If it is, it’s only because the dinosaur dig was in the book before.

I loved the story, the mystery, the historic New England setting, and the humor. I love the back and forth camaraderie Jackaby still has with Abigail. I love watching Abigail become stronger and stronger, and grow further into her role of investigator. And I’m so glad I finally learned what happened to Jenny and her finace. So much happens in this book. My only complaint is I want more.

The next book is setup to be really interesting, and will involve our favorite characters basically needing to save the world. And it’s all connected to the first two books. What a fun, well written, witty mystery! I can’t recommend it enough. I give it a 10/10.