4 star rating
Ghost Layer
Ghost Seer Series, Book #2
By  Robin D. Owens
ISBN# 970425268919
Author’s Website:

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Marianthi

ghost-layer-ghost-seer-robin-d-owensBook two is the continuation of Zach Slade and Claire Cermak’s story.  Zach, a disabled ex-police officer, and Claire, an ex-forensic accountant both are coming to grips with their newly found/acknowledged psychic gifts. Claire’s gift (from her gypsy lineage) is the ability to see and help ghosts from only a specific time period.  Her time period happens to be the Old West circa 1850 to 1900.  Claire has no opportunity to turn her back on her gift.  If she does not accept her gift and use her talents, she simply will become insane.  So the universe decides to help her by bestowing the use of a ghostly Labrador sidekick named Enzo to help.

Zach is just starting to acknowledge his gift. His gift is a form of premonition, or oracle, involving crows. In fact, his grandmother taught him a rhyme that deciphers the premonition based on the number of crows visible only to him.  Zach does not want his gift and is fighting it every step of the way.  Zach has to learn to use his gift to help Claire.

Zach and Claire have a very new and intense relationship that is growing more intimate by the minute.  They grow closer by working together again. Zach’s private detective/personal security boss knows about Claire’s gift and makes her an offer she can’t refuse, since her mental health is at stake.  A multi-millionaire client has relocated a ghost town to Colorado and it seems the ghost of a miner has a fetish for wooing modern day ladies by leaving a token of his affection in the bed…his bones.  No matter how many times the bones are re-buried, they keep showing up.  The millionaire hires Claire to put his ghost to rest, and on a very tight schedule I might add. In order to help her ghost, Claire and Zach must solve the ghost’s murder.

Someone else, however, decides that Claire should also go the other side instead of helping her ghost find peace.  She is victim of multiple murder attempts, but she can’t stop helping the ghost.  If she chooses her life over using her gift, she goes mad.  Talk about being between a rock and a hard place.

There are so many points that I like about this book.  It takes place immediately after the first and steps up the intensity for the new couple.  The relationship heats up even more sexually, but also in the areas that matter most, trust. The characters are trying to define themselves as an individual and also as a couple. There are many bumps in the road.  The relationship does not take a backstory to the paranormal thread.  It enhances the thread.

I will admit to not liking one element of the story.  The secondary characters were all stereotypes: the a-hole millionaire, the creepy housekeeper, the young lovers, and the cowboy next door.  There wasn’t really anything new about these secondary characters.  I think though they were acceptable characters, there could have been some new fresh twist in presenting them.  Overall, it was an enjoyable 4 out of 5 star mystery/paranormal romance story.
