Leigh Howard and the Ghosts of Simmons-Pierce Manor

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Both were essential to Leigh’s well-being and growth besides helping her get to the bottom of it all. So first of all, congrats to Mr. Warner on his debut novel and getting published. That is no easy task, and only a few ever complete it. That being said, here’s my honest opinion.

Ty, Leigh's father's friend, describes being disappointed in Leigh and having the urge to "put her over his knee and spank her" which again I think was weird, unnecessary, and added nothing to the plot. Again, she's 16 and her response to this is a sheepish "Oh I'd deserve it" which is both unrealistic and creepy. The suicide trope was thrown around loosely, which I did not appreciate, it was made fun of and often held against the MC to make her feel bad.

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The bad: I was once told by a mentor, writing a story is like flying a plane. You need a great takeoff, a smooth flight to the destination, and a safe and smooth ending that satisfies. This book did the first two, but the plane came out of the sky. The reason for my two stars is quite simple: 1) the dialogue is “cheesy” to the point of being unrealistic. A 16 year old gets chewed out by someone who’s not a parent and she…admits her wrong and accepts her punishment??? Since when!? It also felt like a Scooby Doo episode where the bad guy, having the characters dead to rights, pauses to dialogue about their plan, conveniently giving the characters a chance to regroup and thwart the plan. 2) given the Scooby Doo trope, the characters could have easily avoided the whole ending had the multi-million dollar business tycoon asked himself “does this situation make logical sense?”

I saw this book on Tiktok as many others have, I even sent it to my own book club and friends to read (before reading) because come on the story of Shawn was touching and heart warming. I enjoyed seeing Leigh’s growth throughout the story as well as her internal dialogue shift from the initial thoughts she had upon arriving at the manor. I really wanted to love this book, I really did love little Bodie and even eventually big Bodie, It had a really good plot line. A little exaggerated but hey it is a story.

Myra (19) describes going skinny dipping in a nearby river at age 10, which really didn't add to the plot and felt weird and unnecessary. Most issues could be solved with better editing, the rest could be solved by aging the MC up a mere few years. The "ghost" apparently has DID (formerly referred to as multiple personalities). As a therapist, I think this was an inaccurate and unnecessary description. It's just a ghost with a younger manifestation of itself and an older one. Not at all DID.

The name and way the character "Nacho" is written is strange and feels like an insensitive and unnecessary depiction. Come on, Nacho?? Seriously?? This novel appeals to both YA and Adult audiences. The main character, Leigh Howard, has lost her parents to a brutal murder. She has had difficulty dealing with the loss, even attempting suicide at one point. Now, Leigh has been placed with a wealthy family of relatives that she doesn’t know and is determined to solve her parents’ murder. To complicate her life – she discovers that she is also living with two ghosts! There are twists and turns in this light-hearted mystery and Leigh is a very likable character.

Now I can’t forget the ghost with severe split personality issues — Bodie. They equally made me laugh and feel so spooked. Their story was truly intriguing to read about as it felt so real and honest and I can’t say much else without giving it away.