The Girl Who Ignored Ghosts

(Copy provided by NetGalley.)
From Goodreads:

"Kat Preston doesn’t believe in ghosts. Not because she’s never seen one, but because she saw one too many. Refusing to believe is the only way to protect herself from the ghost that tried to steal her life. Kat’s disbelief keeps her safe until her junior year at McTernan Academy, when a research project for an eccentric teacher takes her to a tiny, private island off the coast of Connecticut.

The site of a grisly mystery, the Isle of Acacia is no place for a girl who ignores ghosts, but the ghosts leave Kat little choice. Accompanied by her research partner, Evan Kingsley, she investigates the disappearance of Cassie Mallory and Sebastian Radcliffe on their wedding night in 1886. Evan’s scientific approach to everything leaves Kat on her own to confront a host of unbelievables: ancestral curses, powerful spells, and her strange connection to the ghosts that haunt Castle Creighton.

But that’s all before Kat’s yanked through a magic portal and Evan follows her. When the two of them awaken 129 years in the past with their souls trapped inside the bodies of two wedding guests, everything changes. Together, Kat and Evan race to stop the wedding-night murders and find a way back to their own time—and their own bodies—before their souls slip away forever."

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The Girl Who Ignored Ghosts was a FANTASTIC mystery. I loved it enough to sacrifice a significant amount of sleep so I could finish it. The writing was strong, the characters were very well-developed, and the plot was all kinds of twisty, yet it made sense and came to a good conclusion. Ms. Tansley also proved that she's quite skilled with pacing and deft foreshadowing. That's the kind of book I like!

The reason I can tell you the characters were well-developed is because even though the heroine, Kat, seems to be a bit limp when it comes to dealing with things, I still liked her. I liked her counterpart, Toria, even more. But best of all was Toria's friendship with Alastaire, whom I immediately liked—his understanding of Toria's character made him my favorite from the very beginning.

This complex mystery, even with its rather serious dip into witchcraft and interesting take on reincarnation, is well-worth the reading time. It also set itself up well for a second book without ending on a huge cliff-hanger. I always appreciate that. Give this one a shot!

Gentle Reader Alert: I found nothing of concern.