Hey, writers and readers!
It’s not a good month without an indie novel or two. Today I’ll be reviewing Cemetery Shift by Nina del Arce, or the first novel in the Cheston series. You thought the spooky book reviews were over, but you’re in for a pleasant surprise. The novel was released end of June, so it’s still a relatively fresh read! Check out the review below and make sure to give your two cents in the comments section if you’ve already read the book, too!
Rating: 4 stars
Synopsis:
Josh Tremaine has his own skeletons in the closet, and he prefers to keep them there. He is determined to start fresh in Cheston, a small town that could use a new journalist.
When he’s the first to discover a girl in the graveyard, he’s immediately hushed and asked to keep his nose out of it. When he hears that this girl was pronounced dead and buried already, he can’t leave the story alone. And the story won’t leave him alone, either. Josh, with the help of the attractive police officer Dan Weston, sets out to put this story—and spirit—to rest.
What I Enjoyed:
Del Arce is exceptionally good at dropping hints, red herrings, and cliff hangers. I feel like I enjoyed the plot more than the characters, which isn’t a bad thing. Basically, we got a taste of each characters’ personality with the expectation that we’ll delve deeper into their past in the next book in the series.
All of the parts surrounding the twists and turns of learning the identity of the “dead” girl and her past was a wild ride and I think you will enjoy it. Being in a creepy town makes it difficult for Josh to know who to trust and how to draw the line between fact and fiction.
What I Didn’t Enjoy:
I guess this is sort of a compliment, but I wished the novel was longer. Josh has to accept the supernatural elements quicker than I’d expected because the plot has to move along. I think that some areas of the novel could’ve been longer to strengthen relationships between characters, understand more of the supernatural stuff, and overall raise the suspense.
My Final Thoughts
This novella is pretty quick by definition, but the pacing is right where it should be. Everything unfolded at the right times, and with all the supernatural suspense, I was finished with the story in no time.
I hope I shared enough to pique your curiosity without giving too much away! If you’d like to learn more about Nina del Arce and her work, you can catch up with her via social media:
Have you read this novel? How do you feel about vampire novels? Share with me in the comments! You can also see all of my other book reviews by checking our the Book Reviews tab.