Once Ghosted Twice Shy Review

Once Ghosted, Twice Shy
By Jessica Arden

Don’t get me wrong – a well-crafted, fear-inducing thriller is a great way for me to lose sleep and wonder if every creak I hear is coming from a serial killer who wants to add me to his list of victims. I’m right there with the chiseled detective trying to track down The One That Got Away.

Then there are times I want to curl up on the couch with a cool beverage and immerse myself in a mystery that draws me in like a good friend meeting for coffee. Quirky people, quirky setting, and fun that turns into a sinister story. These cozy mysteries usually include a charming protagonist who is on the verge of a good life but just can’t pull the pieces together to be following her true path and an impossibly handsome policeman who remains just out of reach because of her insistence on meddling in a potentially dangerous case (or two, or three, or ten).   

Once Ghosted, Twice Shy takes that basic premise and throws in some supernatural to add to the fun. Paige works in a New Orleans gift shop while wondering when her true purpose will appear and transform her life. Then the Ghosted app on her phone notifies her of a match. After wondering how the app got on her phone, she is matched with Austin, a bartender at a nearby restaurant. Oh, and he’s a ghost who hopes Paige can solve his murder. Paige wants to clear her friend who is the police’s prime suspect, so she agrees. Then things get weird.    

Paige is haunted by this case in more ways than one. Family ghosts pitch in to help. The ex-boyfriend who disappeared four years before is also investigating Austin’s murder.  Paige has to put aside her skepticism about magic and dig into a sinister society that may be the key to solving the case. If the ex-boyfriend isn’t enough eye candy, there’s also the chiseled-chin policeman nicknamed Officer Handsome. 

Oh, and Paige learns that her pet hedgehog can talk and has a French accent.

Arden has a wonderful conversational style that makes the reader feel like part of the gang. As Paige works through the case, she makes rookie ghost detective mistakes ranging from meddling to downright embarrassing. If you take away the quirks and magic, you’ll find a solid murder mystery story with all loose ends tied up well by the end. Once Ghosted, Twice Shy is a strong standalone book but also hints to an interesting sequel. 

I cared about the characters. I cared about the story. I rooted for Paige to show the skeptics in her life just how much she could do. In the potential love triangle, I kept going back and forth on which man was better for Paige while wondering if either deserved her. I laughed a lot throughout the book but especially during the shocking conclusion for one suspected murderer. In other words, I felt like I was a part of that world instead of just a spectator.

I hope this is the first of many mysteries facing our new ghost detective. Paige is in a fascinating, curious world, and I want to go to there.

Thank you, BookSirens and Wayfarer, for the Advanced Reader Copy.