5 out of 5
Book by Darcy Coates
An intriguing and suspenseful sequel. Fans of ghost stories and the cosy murder mystery are in for a treat.
The Ravenous Dead is book two in The Gravekeeper Series, with the main character Kiera returning for a second spooky encounter in the small town of Blighty. In book two, Keira still has no memory of who she is, where she has been, and who or what the growing threat is that lurks in the surroundings towns in search for her. But if Keira is to remain hiding in Blighty, she will need a job. Her ability to see the dead brings her the perfect role as Blighty Graveyard’s new groundskeeper. Kiera can help guide souls to the other side, but not all the dead want to move on. When Kiera answers the call to the ghost of a vicious serial killer, she finds herself his next intended victim.
The Ravenous Dead is a unique ghost story mixed with elements of the cosy murder mystery. It has all the horror tropes—cemetery, dark forest, impenetrable mist, isolated town—that provide the gothic atmosphere horror fans love to read, but also has Keira set up as the amateur sleuth, investigating a crime that took place more than a hundred and fifty years ago. Kiera’s dangerous past catches up with her in this second adventure, which allows for some exciting action sequences and creates a fast and intense pace to the overall narrative. Fans of the first novel will be pleased to know that Kiera’s two sidekicks, Mason and Zoe return as supporting characters, Mason as a potential love interest, and Zoe with her crazy conspiracy theories, as comic relief. Descriptions in the story are visual, with the pacing often jumping from slow to staccato to build suspense. Jump scares are necessary in any horror novel, and they do not disappoint in The Ravenous Dead.
Overall, this is an enjoyable, amusing, terrifying, and engaging sequel—a horror series that fans of the genre will no doubt love to binge read.