Title: The Haunted Child
Author(s): Dawn Merriman
Series: Rylan Flynn #4
Also in this series: The Spirit Girls, The Shadow Girls , The Whisper House
Published by Bookouture on August 16, 2024
Pages: 206
Genre(s): Mystery, Paranormal
Source: Kindle Unlimited, Netgalley
Format: eArc, eBook
Purchase: Amazon|Audible
Rating:
Series Rating:
A young mother is being framed for a crime she didn’t commit. And only I can free her.
I’m Rylan Flynn. I hunt for ghosts and restless spirits, and solve the mysteries that make them haunt the living.
The police found Andrea Evans with a bloody knife in her hands and her boyfriend dead at her feet. But she swears she’s innocent. And I can tell from the desperation in her eyes that she’s telling the truth.
I first met Andrea at Camp Lakewood when we were just kids. That summer was meant to be one to remember, with hikes in the forest and canoeing on the lake. Instead, it’s one I try to forget.
Because Camp Lakewood is the place I saw a ghost for the very first time—the ghost of a murdered girl.
My long-time crush Ford Pierce was also at camp that year. Today, he is the detective who arrested Andrea. Ford is certain she’s guilty and he warns me off. But if he’s wrong the real killer is still walking free.
As I begin to investigate, everything seems to lead me back to camp. How is Andrea’s case linked to the summer we shared, and to that other killing decades ago?
To free Andrea and reunite her with her child, I must return to Camp Lakewood. Even if that means coming face to face with the darkest and deadliest secrets of my past…
With jaw-dropping twists, mesmerizing suspense, and a touch of romance, the Rylan Flynn series is your new paranormal mystery obsession. Fans of Noelle W. Ihli, Heather Graham and Wendy Wang will be hooked from start to finish.
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“The Haunted Child” is the fourth installment in the Rylan Flynn series. Merriman continues to captivate her audience with another thrilling and fast-paced read. In summary, Rylan possesses a unique ability to perceive ghosts. She not only sees these apparitions but also aids in unraveling the mysteries of their demise.
In this installment, an individual from Rylan’s past seeks assistance. Andrea Evans, accused of murdering her ex-boyfriend, maintains her innocence despite incriminating evidence. She turns to Rylan for help to clear her name. Convinced of her innocence, Rylan embarks on a quest to uncover the true culprit, disregarding cautions from Detective Ford Pierce.
Rylan’s inquiry transports readers to the past, recounting the moment Rylan encountered Andrea at a summer camp. It also unveils the circumstances under which Rylan acquired the ability to see and communicate with ghosts.
I am thoroughly enjoying this series; it improves with each installment. It’s fascinating to see the connections between past events and the present mystery. This mystery is such that accurately predicting the outcome is challenging. And the ending? The revelation was completely unexpected.
This was a fun read. I look forward to seeing what’s next in store for Rylan.
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About Dawn Merriman
Dawn Merriman writes creepy small town murder mysteries from her small farm in northeast Indiana where she lives with her husband and teenage children. You can often find her with muck boots on her feet and a story in her head. She enjoys animals, auctions, snorkeling and archaeology. Dawn Merriman grew up a small town farm girl, on a small time pig farm in Indiana. She spent her young adulthood sitting on her bedroom floor scribbling stories in notebooks. She won the “Northeast Indiana Young Writers” award as a sophomore in high school. After battling severe depression, she wrote her debut novel “How Murder Saved My Life” as therapy, mixing her love of murder mysteries and farming with climbing out of the darkness of illness.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2024 COYER Summer Challenge
- 2024 Netgalley and Edelweiss
