Ghostly Guides and The Search for Lady

Ghostly Guides #3

by Tess McNeill

I’m Nora Nash, and I have officially dubbed myself the Ghost Girl of Lakeside, North Carolina.
When I was called the Ghost Girl in my last hometown, it was always said with derision. My mistake, for not keeping my “ability” under my hat.

So now, I keep it on the down-low.

But just because I don’t let on to outsiders that I can see and talk to ghosts doesn’t mean said ghosts need my help any less. Now, I’m trying to locate the lost dog of a brand-new spirit—Avery Adler. Avery recently had a tragic accident, and her canine companion was frightened off by the EMTs.

My little nephew, Tommy, can see Avery, and so can our border collie, Shadow. With their help, and the help of the rest of the Nash family, we need to find Lady so her mistress can finally find peace.

108 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 1, 2024

Reviews

[Emily Pennington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finding Lady . . .

Avery Adler was driving to her cousin’s wedding, her golden retriever named "Lady" sitting beside her. When another vehicle, a truck, drifted into her lane, she tried to avoid a collision and her car went off the road and flipped. Lady was thrown from the car.

Nora Nash and her family run the Lakeside Bed and Breakfast. Both she, her nephew Tommy, and their border collie, Shadow, have the ability to communicate with ghosts. As a result, the ghost of Avery Adler is asking her to find her lost dog who ran away in fear from the EMTs who responded to the fatal accident scene. Detective Bruner has warned them not to enter the unsafe deserted cabin where they believe Lady may be sheltering. He is on his way to help. But Shadow is indicating they should follow him inside. Will they risk their own lives and ignore the Detective’s warning? Is someone else also inside the dark, deserted cabin? Will they finally be able to rescue Lady so that the ghost of Avery Adler can find peace?

[Merry Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really good read that keeps you engaged from beginning to end. Nora, her young nephew Tommy and her dog Shadow can see ghosts. The rest of the family is very supportive and together they run a B&B. But Nora keeps her ability quiet except to her family and has to teach Tommy to do the same. But when she and Tommy see a ghost and so does Shadow, they have to find out why the ghost is showing up. Shadow seems to have an even larger interest in the ghost who happens to be an accident victim, named Avery, whose dog got loose and ran away then the EMTs were treating her at the scene. Unfortunate, she didn't make it. But Avery saw that Shadow, when Nora picked him up at the kennel, saw her, she followed him to Nora's B&B and asked for Nora's help to find Lady. Nora and Tommy said they would help and with Shadow, they set about to find Avery's missing dog. Even the rest of the family got out to help. This is a sweet book and the characters are great. I received and ARC of this book but the opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

When ghost whisperer, Nora Nash, learns that their rescue dog kept barking at seemingly nothing at the shelter, she suspects Shadow was seeing a ghost. Upon investigation, she meets the ghost of Avery Adler who died in a car accident nearby. Avery’s dog, Lady, got frightened away and is now lost. Avery had been haunting the shelter, hoping that Lady would be brought in. Nora agrees to help find Lady and find her a new home so that Avery can rest in peace.

Though short, this story packs an emotional punch. A bittersweet read about the bonds between people and their pets. Avery’s despair over not being able to comfort Lady as a ghost and the urgency of the Nash family’s quest to find her are palpable. Elegantly written and ends with the perfect home found for Lady.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Robin Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the author’s previous books in this series, and was looking forward to this one. Nora’s family owns and operates a B&B, and Nora can see and communicate with ghosts and tries to help them. There is not much of a mystery in this book, the title pretty much says it all. But I like the author’s writing style, and I like how Nora’s paranormal ability is portrayed. I like the characters and the story line, and this novella added a little to the family story, so I will continue with this series and hope for a more involving mystery next time.
I received an ARC from the author, and this is my honest and voluntary review.

[Shane Crick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Join Nora and her gang in their search for the adorable Lady, a missing pooch. The story has this awesome rhythm that just keeps you wanting to know what's next in every chapter. It's got this cool mystery vibe that keeps you guessing, and you're always rooting for Lady to be found and for everyone's stories to wrap up nicely. Can't spill too much or I'll ruin the fun! :P

It's not a huge novel, but it's a neat little read. Suitable for all ages, even the kiddos – no scary stuff here! The ghosts are all friendly, making it a super chill book. If you're into mysteries, a bit of suspense, and, of course, dogs and ghosts, this book is definitely worth checking out.

[CatMomReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes I don't have the energy to dive into a long book and this book was the perfect length for those times, coming in at around 100 pages, compact but with a real emotional punch.

The mystery is fairly straightforward, but the characters are engaging and the addition of pets and ghosts makes it more interesting and involved. It's a cozy, but fair warning there are some sad bits in this one, though nothing that should be triggering.

Very heartfelt, very sweet. I liked it and can recommend this book and author.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Marjorie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast-paced cozy with lots of action, just a smidgen of danger and excitement and lots of heart, love and family. Many ghosts leave something unfinished that they need to attend to before they can cross over. Avery's unfinished task is to make sure her dog - who survived the accident that took her - finds a good home. But first the dog needs to be found!

Fun read, it can be read as a standalone, but does tie into previous books so you will get a few references. There is A LOT packed into this short read - sometimes it moves so fast it took a second for my brain to catch up to where we were at.

[Sharmani Jayaram · Rating 5 out of 5]

Avery Adler was with her dog “Lady” and meets with an accident. Nora Nash and her family run the Lakeside Bed and Breakfast and she is able to communicate with ghost. Nora connects with Avery who wanted her to look for her dog “Lady”. She is determined to her Avery find her dog and with the help of her brother Gerry, friend Tyler and her family go on a search. A intriguing read to the end. I received a ARC copy via booksprouts and leave a honest review. I recommend this book to other readers.

[Margaret Hejmanowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never read anything by Tess McNeill before, OMG this was fantastic!! A cute cozy short story. Nora Nash is considered the ghost girl of Lakeside North Carolina; she can see and talk with ghosts. A new spirit Avery Alder appears to Noah, as she is distressed about her dog Lady. Lady was her canine companion golden retriever. She just wants to make sure she is ok and has a good home! Is this something Noah can do? Love the plot, great setting, and strong intense interesting characters. I look forward to reading more from Tess McNeill!!

[Jeanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ghostly Guides and The Search for Lady is book #3 in the Ghostly Guides series by Tess McNeill.

This was a sweet and a bit sad quick read. Nora and the family dog, Shadow, encountered a ghost who is looking for her lost dog. The family and friends search for the dog so her owner can have peace. This was a touching story and this series is one I will be following.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Nevaeh Ruegger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a short cozy litter mystery about Nora and a bed and breakfast. I love the witchy vibes of this and I now realize this is part of a series so I plan to go back and read it in order. This was a cute little story about communicating with ghosts and the search for a dog. This novella will have you turning pages and is perfect for any age.

[Divya · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a nicely written cozy mystery that follows Nora, who runs a bed and breakfast with her family. She has the ability to speak with spirits. She then meets Avery, a young ghost who is searching for her lost dog, Lady. The story brought tears to my eyes towards the end and was written beautifully.

[Ashley Wise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short story by Tess McNeill is full of surprise, anticipation, heartache and tears of joy. Tessa uses great expressive language that allows the reader to feel what the characters are feeling. This is the perfect cozy mystery for a cold, rainy day.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sentinelle23 · Rating 3 out of 5]

🐕Touching.


Avery Adler, 33, was traveling in her car with her dog, Lady.

She fondly remembered the day she adopted her dog.

The road was slippery, she swerved, lost control, and the accident occurred...

>>>>

Here is the moving story of Avery's ghost, who is searching for her beloved dog.

This is a delightful family read.

A must-read for lovers of stories about pets.

[Jessie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have waited for this book, and it was worth waiting for. Nora and the family work wonders again with her and young Tommy’s abilities to see and speak to ghosts. Very enjoyable short story. I had a free ARC copy of this book, and this is my honest review.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

The only complaint I have is that it was too short. Sweet, somewhat sad, but with a happy ending. Recommend reading.

[Karin Tillotson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where is Lady??? Avery needs her!!! A cousin??? I enjoyed this story and recommended the book.