The Keeper of Lonely Spirits - E.M. Anderson - ★★★.¾

AUTHOR: E.M. Anderson

GENRE: Paranormal Fantasy.

PUBLICATION DATE: March 25, 2025.

RATING: 3.75 stars.

In a Nutshell: A horror-fantasy about an aged immortal ghost hunter solving a ghostly mystery and making new friends. Not as cozy as promised. Interesting diverse characters and a gripping storyline. Good use of the found family trope. The romance was a little cringeworthy and the writing, a tad repetitive. But on the whole, a good experience. Recommended, as long as you aren’t afraid of ghosts, and are ready to not overanalyse.

Plot Preview:

Peter Shaughnessy has been alive for more than two hundred years and is ready to die. Unfortunately, thanks to an encounter with an annoyed fey during his teens in Ireland, Peter is cursed to spend eternity wandering away from home. As the curse has given him the ability to see ghosts and talk to plants, he spends his time looking for angry spirits and sending them onwards. His roaming has now brought him to Harrington, Ohio, where he has heard about the presence of a vengeful spirit. But as he looks for this elusive ghost, he gets drawn into the lives of some of Harrington’s citizens, and for the first time in over a century, Peter wants something other than death. Can he afford to stay and risk heartbreak, or should he simply move on, even if it means risking the peoples’ lives?

The story comes to us in the third-person perspective of a few characters, but mainly from Peter’s POV.

Bookish Yays:

👻 The author's note at the start, clearly stating the heavy themes and triggers in the book despite its being cosy. Much appreciated.

👻 Peter Shaughnessy – What a character! His conflicted emotions, his grumpy exterior and soft heart, and his bravery make him an outstanding lead. But what really elevates his arc is that unlike almost every immortal fictional character, Peter stopped aging only in his seventies. It's refreshing to see an older immortal. (If ever a movie adaptation is made, Sam Elliott would be perfect as Peter!)

👻 The other characters are also great, perhaps a bit too goody-goody but they suit the vibe. Be it Nevaeh – the first Black woman to be the director of the cemetery where Peter works in Harrington, Sayid and Samira – the two kids with plenty of secrets and family worries, and David – the museum director with a penchant for history, all bring with them a wonderful range of emotions. I cannot forget to mention Isaiah whose presence infuses every one of his scenes with tremendous warmth.

👻 The excellent diversity of the cast in terms of age, ethnic background, and sexual orientation. None of the inclusions felt shoved in.

👻 The role of grief in taking the story ahead. Almost every character is facing some of the other sorrow, whether from the past or present, and is handling their burden differently.

👻 The small-town setting is used excellently, with characters being close and trusting and helpful in a way city dwellers won't ever understand. This also helps create a convincing found-family trope.

👻 The atmosphere, especially in the paranormal scenes and the nature-based scenes. I especially loved how plants and trees were made a part of the narrative through Peter’s ability to talk to them.

👻 The description of the various spirits and their "feelings" – so creative!

👻 A couple of really surprising reveals, which left me open-mouthed.

👻 The title. Its use of the word “Spirits” has a dual meaning, and can be applied to the living and deceased humans of this story. Perfect for the book!

Bookish Mixed Bags:

⚰️ Officially, this is tagged as a “cozy horror-fantasy”, which I totally forgot when I began reading this. 🤭 The horror elements took me by surprise, and in some scenes, I didn’t find the paranormal content cozy. I did enjoy the spooky parts, but I don’t think the ‘cozy’ label is accurate.

⚰️ The curse that has stuck Peter in an endless living spell is minimally explained. While this adds intrigue to the plot, it also leaves us with many queries. I wish there had been some more detailing about this, especially at the end.

⚰️ The pacing, though on the slower side, doesn’t drag. As the dominant mood of the book is contemplative, this unhurried tempo suits the proceedings. But this might not make most readers happy.

⚰️ The ending. Without going into spoilers, all I can say is that it is a bit too easy and a bit incomplete. I liked it, but I wanted some more continuation, clarification, and closure.

Bookish Nays:

☠ While I love the idea of two senior citizens fighting their feelings for each other, I didn’t like the “insta” feel to the attraction. Right from their first interaction, the focus is on the physical reactions such as blushing and hearts fluttering and so on. This kind of language probably suits YA novels better. Making geriatrics sound like teens is a turn-off. Plus, the intensity of the attraction doesn’t even suit the otherwise stoic Peter.

☠ There is a lot of repetition in the writing, whether in some of the descriptions or in the emotional reactions. Some words seem to pop up after every few pages. (24 uses of “blush”, 50 uses of “yellow”, 33 uses of “warm”, even 6 uses of the rare “pinkening”!) The editing needed to be much tighter.

☠ Some plot gaps are never clarified. (Mostly but not only connected to Peter’s past. One thing I really wanted to know was why Nevaeh was so intent on denying her budding relationship.) And some plot developments aren’t realistic. (Would a cemetery director not know the name of her employee for multiple days? Would a parent leave their young child in a strange old man’s house when he’s new to town and they barely know him?) Again, editing issues.

All in all, despite some things that could have worked better for me, I still liked this story and more so, the characters. If the editing could have fixed the repetition and plotting loopholes, this book could have ended up as a favourite. As the storyline is much beyond a typical fantasy, this novel could go either way for readers. It would help if you pick it up prepared for a paranormal fantasy than a cozy one.

I picked this up during one of the most challenging months of my life. Usually, I take about 4 days to read a standard-length novel, but it has taken me more than forty days to complete this work. Often, when a book takes me more than a week, I lose my interest in it. I think it speaks volumes that I never once thought of DNFing this book, and kept returning to it willingly, even if I couldn’t read more than 2-4% per day.

Recommended to readers who enjoy fantasy stories with a splash of paranormal and a dash of romance. The triggers are fairly intense, so do check out the author’s list before you dive in. This book is a heart-read and not a head-read.

My thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing and MIRA for providing the DRC of “The Keeper of Lonely Spirits” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.