The book’s premise immediately intrigued me. If my mother were an author and the main character from her novels appeared in my house, I would hide in the bathroom too. But if that character were an amazing private detective who told me my mother had been murdered? I’m not sure I wouldn’t drive straight to the hospital. Niamh eventually accepts the impossible situation and begins looking into her mother’s death.

Instead of explaining the supernatural activity, Sarah Lotz leans into it. Leah Overton appears, insists there is unfinished business, and joins the investigation. Only Niamh can see her, which made me imagine everyone wondering who Niamh was talking to.

While searching for answers, Niamh also examines her own life and how she ended up living in her mother’s house. She has always felt secondary to Leah, the fictional character her mother and her readers adored. The story also slowly reveals more about Annie as both an author and a mother.

Overall, the book has a unique hook and memorable characters, but the mystery is light. Pick it up for the strange premise and the complicated mother-daughter story, not for a tightly constructed murder investigation.