I enjoyed this book. It’s grisly in places, but they find 3 viable suspects right away, I found it frustrating that Danny (the cops) wouldn’t listen or take serious the evidence they find. The pacing does seem a bit slow although things move fast a the end. Also why doesn’t Eliot show himself earlier to Danny? #ShadowsofthePast #NetGalley

Princess Fuzzypants here: I liked the idea of the ghost of Eliot Ness helping solve modern crimes. I even liked the way the heroine and her ghost interacted. I also have to give the author high marks for writing a very exciting denouement. It almost made up for the frustration with the heroine and how she goes about trying to solve the crime her boyfriend is investigating. It is not even the old trick of the male character denigrating the female so that she is ”forced” to set out on her own. He even encourages her to do some research.

No. She is just a deserving Darwin nominee as she puts herself and her friend into dangerous situations even after she has been caught by the bad guy. She does acquit herself somewhat in trying to escape his clutches and she does apologize for her stupidity but I spent a goodly part of the book rolling my eyes. There is even a reference to that part in a scary movie where the audience tells the heroine not to do something. And yet, time and again, she does it. That ruins a book for me and when I see exposition show up more than once in the story, it also frustrates me.

I wish I had liked it better. Three purrs and one paw up.

In "Shadows of the Past," a thrilling fusion of historical crime and supernatural suspense, the spirit of Eliot Ness becomes an unexpected ally, guiding Indy and Cara through a treacherous maze of secrets and hidden motives. With their lives on the line and the body count rising, they must navigate the shadows of the past and confront the malevolent force that seeks to perpetuate the sins of history.

The past and present collide in this captivating novel, unleashing a bone-chilling tale of danger, redemption, and the enduring power of justice. Prepare to be captivated by this gripping page-turner.

This started out great: I loved the concept of Eliot Ness coming back to solve a crime similar to a case he had when he was alive. Indy and Cara are fun characters and I enjoyed investigating with them. But this story quickly turned into one TSTL moment after another, all in an effort to solve the case before the police could. I’m more a fan of sleuths who work with the police rather than put themselves in peril to one-up them. Otherwise, the mystery was fascinating and the writing drew me in and kept me interested until the end.

A copycat serial killer and the ghost of Eliot Ness. Can two amateur sleuths, with the help of the famous ghost, stop the murderer before he kills again

In this cozy mystery we follow India who doesn’t usually see ghosts until she meets Elliot Ness, a former detective who happens to be dead. There is a string of murders happening in town that her cop boyfriend Danny is working on. They just so happen to be copycat murders from a case that Eliot had worked on. India ends up teaming up with Elliot, and her friend Cass to solve the murders. The team has to work quickly because the body counts are rising.

I thought this was a fast paced cozy mystery. I liked India and her relationship with Elliot Ness. She was a smart sleuth who works with the police, but also does some sleuthing on her own, in typical cozy mystery fashion. I thought some descriptions of the murders were a little gory for the cozy mysteries genre, it didn’t bother me, but might for other readers. I thought the length of the book was perfect and it was a good weekend read for me. I am interested to see if this becomes a series and what other mysteries India will solve.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

#ShadowsofthePast #NetGalley

A big thank you to NetGalley and the author for the eARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. I am hoping that this is the start of a new series. This is an interesting fun read. It is a cozy mystery. India does not see ghosts, until she does. Eliot Ness is not your typical ghost. Danny is India's detective boyfriend who doesn't believe in ghosts. You get the picture. Yet the mystery is solved. The main characters are interesting and the concept was cute and fun. $ stars and I hope there will be more. Very enjoyable read.