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The first time Cassie saw a ghost, it was the imprint of her father. He’d died in an accident, but when she’d tried to tell her mum, she wasn’t believed. After that, Cassie mainly kept her ethereal visitors to herself – apart from her best friend Mel. One night, after a raucous party, Cassie is trying to sleep when she feels the familiar coldness that signifies a ghost; he tries to ignore it, until she hears Mel’s voice. Her relief is short lived, when she realises what she’s seeing – her best friend’s spirit… And despite Cassie constantly telling anyone who would listed that Mel’s boyfriend isn’t the culprit, she’s not believed. She spirals and is soon completely out of touch with everyone in her small village home. Until she moves to the city two years later to try to start afresh; along with her familiar, a cat named Smokey, she now aims to not only prove Jay innocent, but will help other restless souls find their peace.
Saving the Dead is a witty, charming urban fantasy/murder mystery/ghost story aimed at the ever growing New Adult genre. The characters are engaging, with each having their own unique, established voice. The mystery was cleverly written, with twists and turns that take the reader on a mini rollercoaster. I’ll admit, I worked out who the murderer was before the reveal, but that could just be my other passion of watching too many murder mystery TV shows. And, this could quite easily be converted into a teen show – with enough scares, scenery and intrigue to shape an enjoyable series.
As for the characters? There’s Cassie, who narrates the events of the book. She’s the typical quiet girl – likes wearing comfy clothes, sensible hair, trainers and studious. There’s Kimmy – the unfriendly, cool roommate at first, but turns out to be the person who will always have your back. Audrina; who in another life could have been Regina George – until she realises the error of her ways. I think Audrina actually became my favourite character, with her epiphany of how she treated Cassie and Mel at high school and how she almost met her untimely comeuppance because of her bullying ways. The boys in the story aren’t really that important. Which, again, makes Saving the Dead stand out within it’s genre.
If you’re looking for a romance, then this isn’t the book for you. Allan seems to have concentrated on the power of friendships in this novel. Of how looks and appearances can be delivering and how strong bonds can continue, even after death.
S. A.
Saving the Dead is available from Amazon, by clicking on it’s name. You can also read it for free in Kindle Unlimited.
I reviewed this book after downloading it via KU.