The Ravenous Dead

“Now I know what a ghost is. Unfinished business, that’s what.”

― Salman Rushdie, The Satanic Verses

I’ve been a fan of Darcy Coates since her very first book. She started with true ghost stories and is now more of a cozy ghost mystery writer. Her books aren’t dark or gory but more like reading a Nancy Drew novel, with Mason and Zoe as her trusty sidekicks. Having read the first book in this series, The Whispering Dead, I am thrilled to be able to read and review the sequel. 

Keira is a young woman without a past. She believes Keira is her real name, but she can’t remember who she was when she woke up cold and alone in the small town of Blighty. Keira realized almost immediately that she could talk to ghosts and have them communicate with her. She does not understand how her clairvoyance works, not knowing if she has been like that in the past. She also struggles to understand why these “flaky men” are trying to find her. Now living in a groundskeeper cottage, outside a graveyard, she is able to help the spirits move on that seem to linger around the cemetery.

In The Ravenous Dead, Keira, along with main characters; Pastor Adage, Zoe, and Mason try to take on a malevolent spirit, Gerald Barge, the most popular guy in town in 1892, before he died, and they discovered he was a serial killer. When she learns his ghost is tearing apart the spirits living in her graveyard, she must find out why his spirit is lingering and try to send him on his way. And let’s not forget about Daisy, the mysterious cat, who seems to appear randomly through closed doors and windows to comfort Keira. 

Darcy Coates has created interesting, clean characters that are relatable. Keira and her gang will appeal to all ages, from teens to any age. There is no ‘horror’ or ‘gore’. There are just fun characters and wonderful friendships, with some good scares but not ‘keep your light on all night’ horror. This series is a brilliant choice because it is a fun, easy series to read, without too many complications. In my opinion, this should be read as a series and not as a standalone, as it is hard to read book two without knowing why Keira is the way she is. It became clear really early on that this series was not a duet like I had expected. In The Ravenous Dead, Keira’s relationships grow and she gets to know more of the townspeople of Blighty, including Harry, the goth son of the town florist. This is a very fun read!