A very well written book that flows really nicely. It was a short mystery and paranormal mix that was enjoyable, mixed in with a little bit of history since it is set in the past. Would recommend.

A deliciously dark gothic tale with fascinating characters and a captivating plot. What more could one ask for? I thoroughly enjoyed this book, especially since it's not what I would usually pick up. Definitely recommend!

4 Stars

1920, Los Angeles: Letitia Hawking has sailed from England a few months ago to bury her past and lead a new life. She spends her days traversing the path between the living and dead. Her clients want some closure after their loved ones die, and Letitia offers them that. However, she is genuine material with strong powers and has strict rules about what cases she would take up and which she wouldn’t.
Alasdair Driscoll is tormented. His niece Finola has been seeing horrible things, and none of them know how to save her. Letitia is annoyed by his rude approach and terrified by the dark shadow haunting him. She doesn’t want to tangle with shadows again.
But she decides to take a step forward and help Finola. The girl needed saving, and Letitia could at least try and prevent the girl from being further tortured.
Time moves on, and before she knows it, Letitia is in the middle of a criminal case for helping a grieving father. Driscoll and his lawyering services come to her aid. Undecided about the growing attraction between them, Letitia is rather torn about what to do.
However, things take a turn for worse, and Letitia realizes that she needs to open the closed part of her if she wants to defeat the malicious shadow that’s hurting little kids. But is she strong enough to venture into a territory she swore never to enter? Will she succumb as she did the last time? What price does Letitia have to pay for interfering with the presence of evil?
The book starts on a steady note and progresses quite well. The setting is atmospheric, with a few lighthearted scenes added to the mix.
Letitia’s character has been crafted with care. She has her insecurities and vulnerabilities but is assertive and authoritative when required. Alasdair starts out as a rich rude man but shows his good side soon enough.
I think Abby was that one character I wasn’t too happy with. Her reactions were unexpected and either too demure or too excessive. Luckily, she doesn’t have a major role, and I could ignore most of it.
The final confrontation scene stretched over a good number of pages, and that worked in the story’s favor (at least for me). Of course, the ending could have been better though there is HEA. That complication felt unnecessary and seemed like it was used to tick off a trope from the list.
As a horror story, the book does very well and balances atmosphere with action, and is suitable for newbie horror readers. The author didn’t opt for explicit gore even though she could have done it. I appreciate this move as it made the book a better read.
To sum up, Behind the Veil is an engaging read with a steady pace and a good storyline. It’s nothing unusual or unique, but the overall effect is satisfactory, and that matters to me.
The book comes with content warnings. That said, the author doesn’t use any graphic descriptions. The themes, however, might trigger a few readers. Please read with caution.
Thank you, NetGalley and BooksGoSocial, for the ARC.

Atmospheric tale of ghosts and intolerance - the believers and the non, and how they interact when faced with what they don't understand. A time when women were more "subjugated" than now, and their independence almost frowned upon. Ultimately a tale of the strength of love and trust, on many levels.

A chilling tale full of ghosts and the darkest parts of humanity…

Behind the Veil has all the things I love in a gothic horror. I found the 1920’s setting to be unique to this particular genre and it added a richness of the story. Letitia has lived through something horrific, yet despite her fear of the darkness coming for her again, she knows she must use her gifts to help others. But when girls start vanishing, and she realizes they’re dead, she gets sucked into the murder investigation.

I enjoyed the romance between Letitia and Alisdair. It didn’t overtake the story but added another layer that kept me interested in the characters. I loved that after all Letitia had lost she’d found someone to love.

If ghosts, murder, intrigue, and romance are your idea of a thrilling ride, Behind the Veil is a must read! I simply couldn’t put it down!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to review Behind the Veil.

Thank you to Netgally for a copy of this book.

This has me hooked from the first page! It literally jumps in with a haunting tale. Meet Letitia, young woman from London and now in the US for a fresh start. She is a medium and can see ones death after it happens. She eases the pain of the loved ones left behind and answers their questions. However she does not do murder cases. She is very sensitive to those and could cost her life has well.
I do not want to spoil anymore than I have. I love this book. It is everything I want in a book. Spiritual, haunting, murder, mystery and the history!! Its set in the 19th century the perfect time for this kind of book. Also has a touch of romance involved. I never really knew what a Veil is. Or why some call it that. After reading this book I watched a movie. And in that movie the woman was explaining her daughter unique gifts. She told her she had the Veil. Thats what Letitia uses during her summoning. A black Veil and black gloves.

Bravo to the author. You killed it on this one!!!!

I love Gothic horror and I’m pleased to say this one was a delight. Intrigue, romance, horror, it has everything you want for a spooky read.

Behind the Veil follows Letitia who uses a scrying bowl to contact the deal to bring peace to and close to people’s families. Set in 1920’s Los Angeles this book is atmospheric and perfectly gothic. I love books with this type of setting and gothic horror is great. The romance was subtle but still amazing. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves gothic horror with a twist of magic.

This Gothic occult suspense was not set in the usual Victorian era, but last just after World War I. With its blend of romance and macabre tale of the darkness that taints from the Otherside, all the death that is associated with this time frame fits rather perfectly with this story. Mothers, fathers, sisters, and wives are all longing to reconnect with the thousands of men who lost their souls on the battlefields near and far.

This book isn't just a book about talking a woman who took a stroll with mysticism; she fought it, bled; lost a part of herself to it, almost died, and come out the other side changed by her experience. Leticia can now pull back the veil between the worlds, but it is her fear of looking into the evil that holds her back from doing more than just helping loved one glimpse final moments, to bring them some peace in their grieving.

It was changed when she is confronted not only by a request to help a child that is being tormented by a dark spector, but by the requestor, the broody Mr. Alasdair Driscoll. He stirs her ire and awakens her long dead passions. Together they must face the darkness that has attached itself to his family and now is out to do harm.

The proise of this book tends to meander. With the blend of genres of suspense, maybe thriller, some mystery, the romance between Leticia and Alasdair felt . . . almost like a hesitant addition or a change to the story later. It didn't feel natural. The story could have easily survived with them as friends. I don't know. It made me as confused as the character acted about her wanting a romance. I didn't enjoy the mystery of it, though it was good there were warning as not every one like to read about murder and such.

Letitia Hawking has just suffered through several traumatic events, crossed the line of sanity and with the help of a kind nurse has worked her way back. She is taken to Scotland where she is given instruction and guidance on nurturing and protecting herself especially her mind from the dangerous that her “gift” can cause. She has moved on to Los Angeles where she brings closure to families who have lost loved ones. All is well until Alasdair Driscoll appears in her door way with a shadow behind him. She soon finds herself going against all her teachings and breaking down the walls that she has built around her heart.
E.J. Dawson’s Behind the Veil is an incredible work. Her vivid descriptions and development of Letitia makes it easy to feel like you are in the same room with her as the story unfolds. The story moves well, the climax makes it almost impossible to put down until the last page is read. The cover is amazing and a definite eye catcher. Thank you E.J Dawson, BooksGoSocial and Netgalley for providing me an advance copy in exchange for my review.

Behind the Veil is an eclectic tale set in 1920’s Los Angeles. This tale offers something for everyone. We get a taste of horror, suspense, mystery, thriller, supernatural, possession, crime, ghosts and even a taste of romance and for the cherry on top the author throws in a few twists her and there. The language is authentic to the period.
Alistair Driscoll insists that local medium Leticia Hawking help his niece. Tormented nightly by an unseen assailant, the child’s only hope appears to be the medium known locally as the real thing. Legitimate fears the being haunting the child could literally pull her into death and resists.....for awhile.
During the same period young girls are going missing. The police try to drag Leticia into those cases. Is she a suspect?
Suddenly a child important to both Leticia and Alistair disappears and nothing will stop either of them from stopping the evil once and for all. The evil that walks the earth as a human, and the evil from beyond that still torments young girls.
I enjoyed all aspects of this book, even to “will they or won’t they” romantic elements which aren’t usually my thing. I enjoyed watching Alistair evolve through Leticias’s eyes.. Thank you for allowing me to read and review this ARC of #BehindTheVeil #Netgally

Letitia, a psychic, is drawn into the hunt for a supernatural killer who possesses men and uses them to rape and kill girls. Herself traumatized by her own history and her powers, the protagonist is faced with difficult and dangerous choices as she tries to help. I enjoyed the realism the author created in making Letitia vulnerable both mentally and physically and in the terrible conflict she feels. The settings are well-drawn and the plot moved well.

Behind the Veil is an enjoyably creepy slow-burn romance that fizzles a little at the end. While evenly paced for much of its duration, its final scenes feel hasty, almost like afterthoughts. This doesn't detract from the pleasure of the bulk of the narrative, but for me it was not entirely satisfying.

The highest points of Behind the Veil are its descriptions of its protagonist's world--the lovely women she lives with, the vials of scents she enjoys, the dark, menacing figures she keeps seeing in unexpected places--and her determination to build a good life for herself after escaping past devastation. In some ways, these details make Letitia and her story feel more real than many romance heroines do, while never leaving the confines of the romance genre.

I would recommend this book for readers who enjoy stories about the development of love in the face of evil and darkness and who are comfortable with disturbing adult themes.

I received a free e-ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Letitia has the ability to look behind the veil and 'see' and 'feel' dead people moments before they die. Alasdair searched for someone with Letitia's ability to help his niece who was haunted in her nightmare. Letitia refused due to her safety and her fear. Because of her concern and her experience, she ended up providing her assistance and fought against an evil spirit.

This book by Dawson is very interesting. To me, this book is quite refreshing and I have yet to read a book like it. It is very engaging and got me really immersed in the story. I like the details and how the book was written. The book is written from Letitia's point of view in such detail that I could imagine what she went through and how she was feeling.

The only downside to this book is that I found a duplicate of chapter 6 that made me had to go back and forth to make sure I didn't miss any important details.

A fantastic book about a young woman with a powerful ability that she uses to see how people have died.
Her ability is so powerful that once upon a time it made her lose her unborn child, and nearly cost her her life.
It's a beautifully written book, full of suspense and mystery.
What I really enjoyed about this book, was that there's no big reveal about her past. The central plot involves a missing child, and her romance with the child's uncle.
The details of her past, and why she's so afraid of her abilities that she hides herself, is revealed slowly, in little flashbacks, and confessions throughout the book.
I would definitely recommend this book.

A book with paranormal and ghost entities as elements speaking of war times. The book is so well written that it will suck you in and let you out only when you finish the last. If you are interested in paranormal stuff,this is a must read.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for a copy of this book to review !

Behind The Veil
by E.J. Dawson

A wonderful Gothic thriller.

A refreshing novel that deals with spiritualism in the late 19th century. I was so grateful to read this book as there are not too many good novels of fiction about this subject.

Letitia, a psychic medium uses her gift to ease the pain of those who have lost loved ones. She is able to scry into the last moments of someone's life up until their moment of death, unless they were murdered.

Letitia will not read for murder victims due to her own tragic past which has left severe physical and emotional scars . That type of reading could cause her great danger which she will avoid at any cost.

Letitia lives a simple and quiet life . She has an excellent reputation as a true psychic medium when there are so many frauds in the field allowing her to earn a decent living while using her gift to help others.

One night she receives an urgent request for a reading from a family who's daughter has been kidnapped. The parents hope that Letitia will be able to help them locate and save their daughter. Unfortunately, their request is denied, Letitia already feels the girl has been murdered and cannot help the family. Without divulging what she knows from beyond, she tries to politely decline to find out that saying no in this case may not be easy.

The story goes on to take the reader on a terrifying journey to the other side to catch a villainous murderer while our physic's life is always in great jeopardy.

This was a really good book. It was much more involved then I thought it would be and kept me reading until the late hours. Strongly recommend to anyone who is interested in Spiritualism, psychic mediums or just likes a really good ghost story.
5 Stars !

I had a ton of fun reading this. The writing was atmospheric and gothic and I really loved our main character. The cover caught my eye scrolling through Netgalley, and after reading the synopsis thought to give it a try and I'm SO GLAD I did.