ARC Review: The Visitor by Amanda Stevens

Posted on 08/01/2016 in Book Review / 3 Comments

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

ARC Review: The Visitor by Amanda Stevens

The Visitor (Graveyard Queen, #4) by Amanda Stevens
Published by MIRA on March 29th 2016
Genres: Adult, Romance, Southern Gothic, Suspense, Thriller
Pages: 384
Source: NetGalley
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
four-stars

My name is Amelia Gray. I'm the Graveyard Queen.\r\nRestoring lost and abandoned cemeteries is my profession, but I'm starting to believe that my true calling is deciphering the riddles of the dead. Legend has it that Kroll Cemetery is a puzzle no one has ever been able to solve. For over half a century, the answer has remained hidden within the strange headstone inscriptions and intricate engravings. Because uncovering the mystery of that tiny, remote graveyard may come at a terrible price.\r\nYears after their mass death, Ezra Kroll's disciples lie unquiet, their tormented souls trapped within the walls of Kroll Cemetery, waiting to be released by someone strong and clever enough to solve the puzzle. For whatever reason, I'm being summoned to that graveyard by both the living and the dead. Every lead I follow, every clue I unravel brings me closer to an unlikely killer and to a destiny that will threaten my sanity and a future with my love, John Devlin.\r\n

I love Amanda Stevens’ writing. It’s creepy, dark, but most importantly, it’s believable. Believability, even in supernatural books, is so important. The Visitor is the fourth installment in the Graveyard Queen series, which follows the life and discoveries of a very interesting woman who restores graveyards for a living. And, if that isn’t enough to entice you, she sees ghosts, too. Amelia’s story arc is wide and fascinating, throughout all the novels thus far, but I think she does the most growing in this one. More of her history is coming out, through various, sometimes otherworldly means, and it’s a history she must process to save herself. Her relationship to Devlin has progressed, and yet regressed at the same time. Inexplicable passion draws them to each other, despite her own reservations and gifts, despite his connections to the Charleston elite (and dangerous), and yet they may as well be strangers who sleep with each other. I didn’t feel as connected to them as a couple in The Visitor as I did in the previous novels; Devlin has become more of a mystery to me (and Amelia), but I didn’t particularly care one way or the other about his presence in her story. I’m not sure if Stevens meant to do this as a set up for The Sinner, but I’m still eager to find out where their story goes, especially with the way The Visitor ended! Amelia’s past is truly brought to light in The Visitor as well. Stevens cements herself as a masterful storyteller, setting up Amelia’s history in previous books, giving us just enough to say, “Oh yeah!” when you connect the dots. Keyholes in eyes, dopplegangers, caulbearers…I just had a lot of fun as Stevens pulled in details from previous Graveyard Queen books to flesh out this one. Such a great story and series, and I’m on to the next!

Bio
Latest Posts

Jennifer @ BookShelfery

Owner/Administrator at The Bawdy Book Blog

Jennifer became addicted to books when she randomly picked up a Sweet Valley High book in grade school. She never looked back. After blowing through the SVH and SVU series faster than her parents could put them in her hands, she began perusing her stepfather's bookshelves and reading fantasy like Piers Anthony's Incarnations of Immortality series, which she still maintains is some of the best fantasy ever. She collects books like the Duggar family collects kids and began waiting for her Hogwarts letter at the tender age of 33.