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When Ghosts Cry
For fans of The X-Files and Big Sky comes a sapphic romantic suspense story that will leave you asking, "How far is too far?"
When FBI Special Agent Vera Aguilar gets handed a three-month suspension from the Bureau, she finds herself at risk of losing everything she has worked for. Until a single phone call turns all she has left upside down. Her cousin, Alex, has been found in a remote town in Colorado. Or, his body has, and she must return to Fort Collins immediately.
With a graveyard full of fatal secrets, she will be forced to navigate going home while carefully maintaining the wall she has put between her and everyone she knows. Colliding with the only woman she ever loved is the last thing she planned for.
Teddi Leon hasn’t seen Vera in ten years. When she ended things between them she thought it was the right thing to do. But when she gets tasked with using her skills as a Private Investigator to help find Alex, her secret wish of seeing Vera again comes to fruition in the worst of circumstances.
Soon, Vera and Teddi are forced to work together to find a ritual serial killer hell-bent on brutally murdering local men. Finding the culprit will take everything from them.
Their past. Their secrets. Even their souls.
The cost may be too high in a town that prefers its demons buried in a forest with a motive of its own.
When Ghosts Cry is the first in the OIA series.
This novel contains content that may be troubling for some readers. Please move forward with caution.
CW: Domestic violence, sexual assault (off page), death of a child, mutilation, murder, religious manipulation, systemic abuse, PTSD, and explicit sex scenes.
When FBI Special Agent Vera Aguilar gets handed a three-month suspension from the Bureau, she finds herself at risk of losing everything she has worked for. Until a single phone call turns all she has left upside down. Her cousin, Alex, has been found in a remote town in Colorado. Or, his body has, and she must return to Fort Collins immediately.
With a graveyard full of fatal secrets, she will be forced to navigate going home while carefully maintaining the wall she has put between her and everyone she knows. Colliding with the only woman she ever loved is the last thing she planned for.
Teddi Leon hasn’t seen Vera in ten years. When she ended things between them she thought it was the right thing to do. But when she gets tasked with using her skills as a Private Investigator to help find Alex, her secret wish of seeing Vera again comes to fruition in the worst of circumstances.
Soon, Vera and Teddi are forced to work together to find a ritual serial killer hell-bent on brutally murdering local men. Finding the culprit will take everything from them.
Their past. Their secrets. Even their souls.
The cost may be too high in a town that prefers its demons buried in a forest with a motive of its own.
When Ghosts Cry is the first in the OIA series.
This novel contains content that may be troubling for some readers. Please move forward with caution.
CW: Domestic violence, sexual assault (off page), death of a child, mutilation, murder, religious manipulation, systemic abuse, PTSD, and explicit sex scenes.
- GenresLesbian
486 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 13, 2023
17 people are currently reading
236 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 23, 2023
When I say I have been absolutely feral for this book to come out, I whole heartedly mean it and it truly exceeded my expectations. Alma tapped into some divine femme energy that I have never encountered and it left me staring at the wall feeling validated and … soft.
Considering the books contents, soft seems like the last thing to think of among the brutal ritual murder and ominous forest. However while sifting through Vera and Teddi’s past and how they will now navigate their feelings after 10 years apart is just such a breath of fresh air. Even if it’s ripe with angst, its just the right amount to keep the story going and yearning for them to go a bit further. Conversations are filled with respect, patience and honesty. Alma adds these little treasures of comfort throughout the story, bared truth of what we want, down to the tiniest of details that makes this so divine. She created that ‘nest’ we all yearn for, the community and safety among women, in such a way that you don’t realize it until you feel that softness.
And for all you feral creatures, myself included, the spice is absolutely delicious and doesn’t overtake the plot or the character driven narrative of the story, its simply a succulent treat to feast upon at the perfect moment.
We dive headlong into a ( maybe ) sentient forest with a town dripping with secrets, mutilated bodies hog tied on rocks and a sheriff you want to punch in the head. It all comes to a glorious ending that is literally blazing with feminine rage, murder, paranormal entities and a great set up for the series. This book doesn’t technically end on a cliffhanger but it will make you foam at the mouth for the next one.
Considering the books contents, soft seems like the last thing to think of among the brutal ritual murder and ominous forest. However while sifting through Vera and Teddi’s past and how they will now navigate their feelings after 10 years apart is just such a breath of fresh air. Even if it’s ripe with angst, its just the right amount to keep the story going and yearning for them to go a bit further. Conversations are filled with respect, patience and honesty. Alma adds these little treasures of comfort throughout the story, bared truth of what we want, down to the tiniest of details that makes this so divine. She created that ‘nest’ we all yearn for, the community and safety among women, in such a way that you don’t realize it until you feel that softness.
And for all you feral creatures, myself included, the spice is absolutely delicious and doesn’t overtake the plot or the character driven narrative of the story, its simply a succulent treat to feast upon at the perfect moment.
We dive headlong into a ( maybe ) sentient forest with a town dripping with secrets, mutilated bodies hog tied on rocks and a sheriff you want to punch in the head. It all comes to a glorious ending that is literally blazing with feminine rage, murder, paranormal entities and a great set up for the series. This book doesn’t technically end on a cliffhanger but it will make you foam at the mouth for the next one.
January 26, 2024
I’ll probably edit and add more later but holy fuck.
If you’re an X-Files girlie, and love disaster sapphics, this may be for you.
Others will give you a great talk about the characters, a beautiful synopsis. I don’t have the words right now. All I have is this
A familial death, uncovering conspiracy and corruption. Hidden truths, cover ups, trauma that spans multiple generations. Two ex lovers spiraling around each other, both yearning for another chance but feeling they don’t deserve it. Something is in that woods and it cannot rest, will not stop, will get what it wants.
This was beautiful, watching Vera and Teddi struggle through their jobs, their feelings, themselves. (And we got a little bit of spice that was defo spicy 🌶️🌶️🌶️)
This was brutal. This story was painful and harsh and dug deep into my marrow, where it will live for quite a while.
“He was at the mercy of wolves. And they were starving.”
Check cw/tw. This one has heavy stuff including but not limited to: sexually explicit content, blood and gore, sacrifice, murder, dismemberment, torture, cults, abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault (off page), death of a child, mutilation, religious manipulation, systemic abuse, PTSD.
If you’re an X-Files girlie, and love disaster sapphics, this may be for you.
Others will give you a great talk about the characters, a beautiful synopsis. I don’t have the words right now. All I have is this
A familial death, uncovering conspiracy and corruption. Hidden truths, cover ups, trauma that spans multiple generations. Two ex lovers spiraling around each other, both yearning for another chance but feeling they don’t deserve it. Something is in that woods and it cannot rest, will not stop, will get what it wants.
This was beautiful, watching Vera and Teddi struggle through their jobs, their feelings, themselves. (And we got a little bit of spice that was defo spicy 🌶️🌶️🌶️)
This was brutal. This story was painful and harsh and dug deep into my marrow, where it will live for quite a while.
“He was at the mercy of wolves. And they were starving.”
Check cw/tw. This one has heavy stuff including but not limited to: sexually explicit content, blood and gore, sacrifice, murder, dismemberment, torture, cults, abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault (off page), death of a child, mutilation, religious manipulation, systemic abuse, PTSD.
December 11, 2023
Wow, that was intense. Right from the beginning the reader is drawn in. The characters are flawed and relatable, the romance is well done. I only had two minor issues, the first was the sex. It started out hot, but some of the description has that crassness that used to be almost exclusively for straight men. Unfortunately, it's invaded sapphic books too. The second is the origin story of the village. If the women were strong enough and skilled enough to establish and survive in the village in the first instance, and there were no laws/lawmen to hang them or shoot them...I get they couldn't stop all bad things happening initially, but they had the skills, attitude and tools to stop it after the fact rather than simply giving up at the first invasion. Just a bit of a bother in my mind. Otherwise, excellent book.
December 20, 2023
Okay so I'm a sucker for exes with chemistry and when the author posted a teaser on TikTok that said "when the sapphic exes are having THAT conversation after no contact for a decade" I was like.... "just take my money and please destroy me emotionally K THANKS."
This was a great read. I couldn't put it down. The characters are messy and human. The worldbuilding and lore are on-point, visceral, and tangible. The chemistry between the ladies is so spot on, omg it burns. Nothing feels forced to fit into the length of the book. It's believable.
The thriller side is excited and mysterious and vengeful .... I spent so much of my read mumbling "ohh [REDACTED] that guy!" and "[REDACTED] yes, he deserved that!"
This will be a reread for me, and also one I purchase a physical copy of, which is a rare thing for me.
This was a great read. I couldn't put it down. The characters are messy and human. The worldbuilding and lore are on-point, visceral, and tangible. The chemistry between the ladies is so spot on, omg it burns. Nothing feels forced to fit into the length of the book. It's believable.
The thriller side is excited and mysterious and vengeful .... I spent so much of my read mumbling "ohh [REDACTED] that guy!" and "[REDACTED] yes, he deserved that!"
This will be a reread for me, and also one I purchase a physical copy of, which is a rare thing for me.
November 21, 2023
Not what I expected, but really good. The book gave me the vibe of the “Lottery” for the better part of the book. In the last quarter of the book, most things did start to fall into place. I liked how the paranormal was a part of the storyline but not the main focus. This was a good mystery book and I look forward to more in the series. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good murder mystery.
December 17, 2023
Really great read. There was a perfect balance of mystery, romance, and ofc sapphic moments. I highly recommend for those who enjoy murder mysteries, and gays.
December 26, 2023
this was surprisingly so good i couldn’t put it down. the storyline was SO good
January 21, 2024
I have so many thoughts about this book. Writing reviews does tend to help with processing.
This was a very dark, very graphic story about what appears to be ritualistic killings by an unknown serial killer. One main character is an FBI agent on suspension while being investigated for a questionable act. The other MC is the ex, who is now a private investigator. They team up to hunt for a missing cousin. The search takes them to a mysterious small town with a dark history and local law enforcement bent on keeping everything on the down low. They are not happy about outsiders snooping through their dirty laundry.
There is a lot going on. The strained relationship between the exes, the secretive agent and her suspension, the PI and her reason for their past breakup, the mysterious murders, the town history, the townsfolk and their unwillingness to cooperate, the shady local authorities, and a hint at something lurking in the woods.
The details of the murders are disturbing. Alma does a great job at painting a very eerie picture of Sylen that kept me looking over my shoulder as I was finishing this story while on vacation in the forest. I was able to guess the culprit before the ending, but there was a little twist I didn't anticipate.
The author used unique metaphors and described feelings in ways that seemed unexpected for me. I am not sure how I felt about them. Some left me unsure and struggling to relate. The characters had distinct personalities. There were a lot of interesting things going on that pulled me through the story. I was invested and entertained. Overall, I enjoyed it.
The ending solved the murders, revealed the FBI agent's reason for suspension, had the two exes speaking honestly, gave us a little twist, but left some things open-ended. What becomes of the MC's relationship? Does our agent lose her job, or is it reinstated or? What happens with the thing I shall not mention as to not be spoilery? How do they all process and reconcile the things that they have learned about the world and themselves? Perhaps this is the beginning of a series... If not, I would be disappointed with the unanswered questions.
I give this novel a solid 3.75 rounded up because it definitely held my attention.
I received an ARC from StoryOrigin. This is my unbiased opinion.
Edited to add: I read that this is supposed to be the beginning of a series.
This was a very dark, very graphic story about what appears to be ritualistic killings by an unknown serial killer. One main character is an FBI agent on suspension while being investigated for a questionable act. The other MC is the ex, who is now a private investigator. They team up to hunt for a missing cousin. The search takes them to a mysterious small town with a dark history and local law enforcement bent on keeping everything on the down low. They are not happy about outsiders snooping through their dirty laundry.
There is a lot going on. The strained relationship between the exes, the secretive agent and her suspension, the PI and her reason for their past breakup, the mysterious murders, the town history, the townsfolk and their unwillingness to cooperate, the shady local authorities, and a hint at something lurking in the woods.
The details of the murders are disturbing. Alma does a great job at painting a very eerie picture of Sylen that kept me looking over my shoulder as I was finishing this story while on vacation in the forest. I was able to guess the culprit before the ending, but there was a little twist I didn't anticipate.
The author used unique metaphors and described feelings in ways that seemed unexpected for me. I am not sure how I felt about them. Some left me unsure and struggling to relate. The characters had distinct personalities. There were a lot of interesting things going on that pulled me through the story. I was invested and entertained. Overall, I enjoyed it.
The ending solved the murders, revealed the FBI agent's reason for suspension, had the two exes speaking honestly, gave us a little twist, but left some things open-ended. What becomes of the MC's relationship? Does our agent lose her job, or is it reinstated or? What happens with the thing I shall not mention as to not be spoilery? How do they all process and reconcile the things that they have learned about the world and themselves? Perhaps this is the beginning of a series... If not, I would be disappointed with the unanswered questions.
I give this novel a solid 3.75 rounded up because it definitely held my attention.
I received an ARC from StoryOrigin. This is my unbiased opinion.
Edited to add: I read that this is supposed to be the beginning of a series.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews