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Lorna Shadow #1

Ghostly Manners

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A new job. A haunted house. A ghost with a problem.

Lorna Shadow wants to be the best personal assistant she can be to the rich and aristocratic. The trouble is, the ghosts she sees have other plans for her.

Gifted with a rare ability to see restless spirits, Lorna treads a thin line between offering the ghosts help and not getting caught talking to thin air!

When the sad, lonely ghost of Beatrice Galbraith appears in Lorna's new place of work and reveals she was murdered, Lorna is determined to get justice for her.

To do that, she must hunt for the truth, question numerous suspects, and make sure her employer doesn’t figure out the one ability she never puts on her resume.

With the help of her ghost-sensing dog, Flipper, and her ditzy best friend, Helen, she’s determined to get to the truth.

If Lorna fails to help Beatrice she’ll be trapped forever and a killer will go free. But if she uses her gift to right a wrong, Lorna could lose her job and potentially her life.

Enjoy reading this fun cozy ghost mystery, which involves close friendships, tasty treats over a mug of tea, the cute antics of a ghost-sensing dog, and just a hint of a future romance and a dash of magical realism.

What readers have to say about the book:

“A fun, fast and cute read.” Amazon review.

“I can't wait to read another book by this talented author.” Amazon review.

“I really enjoyed this book. It was funny and serious and it was very hard to put down. I will be excited to get the next book of the series. Great reading.” Amazon review.

“Recommend these books to everyone.” Amazon review.

“Loved this book. Couldn't put it down till I finished it then bought the next one. It was a lot of fun.” Amazon review.

This is the first book in the Lorna Shadow cozy ghost paranormal series. Other books include:

Ghostly Secrets
Ghostly Games
Ghostly Affairs
Ghostly Business
Ghostly Rules
Ghostly Waves
Ghostly Play
Ghostly Proposal
Ghostly Vows
Ghostly Fright
Ghostly Hunt

167 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 14, 2016

457 people are currently reading
408 people want to read

About the author

K.E. O'Connor

177 books193 followers
K.E. O’Connor is the author of the Witch Haven mystery series, the Crypt Witch cozy mysteries, the Lorna Shadow ghost mysteries, the Holly Holmes baking mysteries, the Zee Town paranormal cozy series, and the Old Sarum mystery series, along with other titles available if you cast the right spell. She can imagine dragons, taste cookies when they aren’t even there, and hear the crack of a witch’s broom at a hundred paces.

K.E. (the K stands for Karen) lives in the United Kingdom (it isn’t very united, but that’s a mystery for another time) among the mystical stones and fairy creatures of Somerset. She graduated from the Universities of Southampton and Reading, where she received degrees in Archaeology and Cognitive Evolution (both highly entertaining to take part in, but with the career options of a ground witch’s toe bone.)

If you’re of the curious persuasion and want to know more, visit her website at www.keoconnor.com for enlightening knowledge on all things cozy mystery, book news, and a peek into the magical world of a writer who believes animals talk and magic is just a finger click away.

To contact her, visit her Facebook page – www.facebook/keoconnorauthor, join her email list, or dust off that haunted mirror in your cellar and speak the ancient magical words to transport yourself into her lounge. There may be tea and cookies waiting, or there may be giants – it depends on her mood.

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5 stars
331 (46%)
4 stars
216 (30%)
3 stars
126 (17%)
2 stars
33 (4%)
1 star
13 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
Profile Image for Mairi Swan.
500 reviews37 followers
September 4, 2025
A cute cozy mystery story with a duo (that becomes a trio), a dog and a ghost trying to solve a murder while working. It had its funny moments and the beginning of a slow burn romance. It feels promising for the rest of the series
Profile Image for eleanor.
846 reviews6 followers
March 24, 2024
this was so sweet and so cute and so harmless (although our MC does get herself into dangerous situations ALL THE TIME) but i love the dog love, i love the friendships!! they were kinda rude to the ghosts which i didn't love :// but i'll definitely be reading the rest of the series
Profile Image for Sue.
14 reviews
September 5, 2017
Ghostly Manners is a nice, easy,clean read. I enjoyed it. It could use some extra editing & proof reading. Maybe better character building. It has an unexpected ending - I didn't feel the clues led to this outcome, but I did enjoy it as an easy read.
Profile Image for Tammy.
640 reviews7 followers
November 5, 2019
A cozy mystery

Lorna can see ghosts and ghosts can see her. When the ghosts want to communicate with her they have to mime, then Lorna has to figure it out.
Lorna and her friend Helen start new jobs as a personal assistant and a seamstress. While meeting the owners and the staff where they will be sr as gong and working they are told that the Lord's sister died of heart failure in the gardens, that is until Lorna sees her ghost and discovers different.
Lorna and Helen gather clues to find out who murdered Beatrice and run into road blocks along the way..
A great cozy mystery, reminds me of the old tv show, Ghost Whisperer..
Profile Image for Trish Goodgame.
517 reviews5 followers
November 8, 2019
A Delightful Cozy Mystery

An entertaining read, likeable characters (except for a couple that you love to hate), dogs and a ghost. What more could you ask for?
The story flowed nicely at a good pace, and while I did notice a couple of typos/grammatical errors, it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book. A few twists and turns that had me guessing most of the way through, cheering for the dog Flipper and ghost, Beatrice when they help Lorna and Helen out of sticky situations.
Read the book description for details on the story outline. If you love cozy mysteries, dogs and ghosts, this is definitely for you.
Looking forward to reading more in this series.
Profile Image for Susan Clark.
549 reviews2 followers
September 20, 2021
Fabulous fun Mystery

This first book in a series is satisfying on so many levels ---plot, characters, pacing, and a lot of LOVING dogs. I must confess that my favorite characters are Zach and Beatrice. Cannot wait to read the next in the series!
Profile Image for Malin.
21 reviews
May 7, 2017
Lorna Shadow is a girl who can see and communicate (somewhat) with ghosts. Her best friend accompany her on various jobs, most in the richer parts of society and has had jobs all over Europe. They land themselves with a job at a manor, where it soon becomes clear that a murder has taken place; or so the ghost insist is the case. So the books plot is basically about Lorna, Helen and Flipper (Lorna's precious dog) finding out what actually happened to the ghost.

This is very much a cozy read, and while I did enjoy it, there are some improvments that could be made.

First of all, I have to excuse myself for being a bit knitpicky with some of these things - it's more or less my nature.

So here's why I rated this book 3 stars.
The book could have used some line edits. Though I didn't find many typos, there were a few places where better words could have been chosen. This is not the main issue though - what disturbed me most was the Helen sidekick explaining many things twice when it wasn't needed and could be shown. An example of this is when she says that they talk about money in the office (not going into further details, as it might spoil something).

I might have gotten this wrong, but I thought this was a book of a puzzle mystery type, but the clues and threads aren't that clear. They just happen to stumble upon them from time to time, in a very convenient manner. This made me halt in reading as they said "now we have even more suspects" and I thought "not really" counting back the characters mentioned and discovered they had already ruled out two. There were more 'red herrings' as they call them which I would see as dead red herrings from the start as no one had any relations to these objects or a reason to be related to certain occurances.

Characters:
The book was a cozy read because of all the likable characters, but looking deeper there are a few things that lacked and which could have been done better.
Lorna: Lorna is a likable girl with some self-respect and values, but these could be deepened and explored further. She never reflects on something that has happened, which, for one, makes the pacing flow quicker but also makes me not care as much for her as I would if I got to know how she reacted - I need something to relate to, not just 'she's a nice person, it would be too bad if something bad happens', I want to feel like 'Nooo, cmon girl! You can do it! I want you to live, beat the bastard down!'. I would also have liked a bit more backstory to her - especially since she's the MC of a coming series. All I know about her backstory is how she got her power and some tidbits about her previous jobs (not counting her relation to Helen). I would also have liked to see some personal growth, and some flaw which she has to struggle with. Her fear of water is mentioned once, but never acted upon.

Helen: Helen was likable as well, but she was more like a Watson character without the narration. She stated some obvious facts, but I felt she didn't contribute anything to the story as a whole.

Douglas and Karl: Sure, every story needs a bad person in it, but every person has at least something good to them as well, to make them believable. These people doesn't seem to have any good points at all (and Douglas' paintings manifested themselves as another failed plan in my mind - not much compassion there). No person is mean just for being mean (a + for the lady of the house showing something likable and complex, an even more complex person than all the rest of the characters in the book).

Zach: A believable character with appropriate and believable reactions, but we know nothing of his background. This gains another + from me, as there's something like love developing at a believable pace.

All the characters' backrounds could have been more developed (trust me, the author doesn't have to (and shouldn't) cram it in there, but we as readers know it if there's a background planned for the characters, it seeps in through-out the story and makes it more engaging.

Another thing to work on are the characters' voices. This might be a minor thing that doesn't disturb as many, but I like to know when a certain character speaks through how they speak. As an example (a bold, and maybe exaggerated one) I would look at the speaking patterns in Harry Potter, between Hagrid, Harry Potter and other characters in the book. When someone speaks, you often know who is speaking without having to read the tag.

The house keeper: Was talked about maybe three times, seen once and then disappeared to nowhere.

Ok, enough about me rambling on (sorry for this review - it has turned out more of a note to the author than to future readers). To the last, specific point.

Ending: The ending was underwhelming. Though the MC can 'talk' to ghosts, she (and me) had no idea what or how or who until it all spills out in the end. The clues were nonconsistent and didn't add anything to actually figure out what had happened. No one had a clear objective to have done it, and the explaination (though intriguing) didn't tie back to basically anything that we learned though the rest of the story (some could be thought to have been, but only appeared at the 80% mark into the book). This made me feel cheated, especially since everything spillt out in the end. The story behind what happened was intriguing, but it could have made for a better book if those things explained had been strewn around in the story more.


Summary: A cozy read. More slice-of-life where there happens to be ghosts involved. I love stories with ghosts and people who could see them, but if you're looking after a mystery in which you can follow the clues yourself this might not be your book of choice.
However, if you want a cozy light read with some feel-good and some humoristic elements in it (and some ghostly manners (funny pun in the title, as regards to the ghost's manners)) this might be a good fit for you.
Profile Image for Meghashyam Chirravoori.
Author 4 books6 followers
June 4, 2021
I warmed up to the characters and the story instantly

Ms. Shadow and Ms. Holiday, with their mixed-breed dog in tow, find employment in a manor haunted by a ghost seeking justice and closure.

They make for a skeptical, yet compassionate, team and begin to help the ghost from day 1. Do they accomplish their mission without jeapordising their much-needed jobs?

This was my first book by this author and I found myself interested and entertained from the very beginning. I liked the style of writing as well as the pace.

Having said that, the book presented some sore points -

1. Compound adjectives without hyphens (7 such cases in chapter 1 alone!)

2. Editing errors in a few places that could have been caught with just some proof-reading ("If you ever wants to walk him" - chapter 1) more errors related to punctuation, tenses, articles, conjugation.

3. Repetitive vocabulary - sleazy, ice lady etc.

4. Plot weaknesses - I found the "Save Douglas" mission to be stupid and unnecessary. Also, if the ghost is communicative, why not make full use of that and involve it more in the investigation? I also found that Karl should have been pursued more in terms of being a suspect. The same for the cleaning lady G.

However, I found the story to be pleasant and engaging. I enjoyed the dog parts and would have loved to explore Ms. Holiday more.

This series has at least 10 more books, so maybe I will get to see more of these two side characters as well. Hopefully, the books have been proof-read. Fingers crossed :)
2,006 reviews
August 31, 2023
I think it's time for me to find a different genre to read. I am totally over the over-used plot device of the main character(s) investigating a murder on their own. This did have an interesting twist of two ladies doing work at other people's homes -preferably large mansions. One was a seamstress/laudress and the other did private secretary work. See footnote.


Amazon synopsis:
Lorna Shadow wants to be the best personal assistant she can be to the rich and aristocratic. The trouble is, the ghosts have other plans for her!

Gifted with the ability to see restless spirits, Lorna treads a thin line between offering the ghosts help and not getting caught talking to thin air!

When the sad, lonely ghost of Beatrice Galbraith appears in Lorna's new place of work and reveals she was murdered, Lorna is determined to get justice for her.

She must hunt for the truth, question suspects, and make sure her employer doesn’t figure out the one ability she never puts on her resume.

With the help of her loyal ghost-sensing dog, Flipper, and her ditzy, heart-of-gold best friend, Helen Holiday, she’s determined to get to the truth, even if it means risking losing her new job and potentially her life!
1,187 reviews4 followers
February 11, 2020
Lorne Shadow is a personal assistant and event planner. She goes out on short term jobs with her best friend Helen Holiday who cooks and sees. Lorne’s job comes along as a service animal,he helps her stay calm when they see ghosts. At the job they take there is a ghost who is not at rest and she is determined to find out the truth.

This is a great paranormal cozy mystery that is set in a mansion on a large estate. The main characters are well developed and personable. The other characters are interesting and have flaws and strengths. The creative storyline is smooth. The narrative is good, you feel like you are there. I enjoyed the dialogue a lot. The mystery is full of paranormal activity, surprises, unexpected twists and turns, that keep you interested until the end. I am sure this is soon to become one of my favourite series.
Profile Image for Christine Rains.
Author 57 books245 followers
November 18, 2019
Lorna Shadow is only looking for a decent job, not a ghostly mystery to solve. She and her best friend, Helen along with her faithful hound, Flipper, get jobs at Galbraith Manor. It looks like a lovely place to work, until Lorna meets a ghost who will not leave her alone until she solves her murder. Yet trying to subtly investigate and keep their jobs might prove most difficult. It might even prove to be a fatal mistake.

Ghostly Manners is the first book in a cozy paranormal series. It's cute, funny, and very British! I loved Lorna's sensibilities and Helen's pluck. Plus Flipper is just the best doggo in the world. The other people in the manor are eccentric and full of surprises. While I did guess the end, it was still a wonderfully fun journey getting there.
Profile Image for JoAnne.
3,152 reviews32 followers
December 24, 2019
Cute, clean cozy mystery with lots of ghost sightings thanks to Lorna and her dog, Flipper who help to solve a mystery. Interspersed throughout the story are her best friend, Helen, along with the owners of the manor they are living and working in along with other hired help or guests - some are not too friendly.

There are twists and turns to the story as we get to know the characters along with Beatrice, the unsettled ghost, who comes in handy a time or two when Lorna gets involved in troublesome situations. Fast paced and nice closure. I will be back to read more in this series.

Ms. O'Connor is a new to me author. This book was reminiscent to me of The Whispering Bay Mystery series by Maria Geraci.
Profile Image for Karen.
112 reviews1 follower
September 14, 2017
Ghostly Manners is a great read for all you cozy mystery fans,

Lorna can see ghost and so can Flipper her dog.. The two of them, along with their best friend, Harriet likes to work in great old manors of the rich in England and so set out on an exciting new job at just the right manor that has a murder to solve and Lorna reluctantly agrees to try to solve it, but as usual must give it a try and succeeded. All in all a great book with the right amount of doggie love , romance and good friends and one tho was enough for me and I can't wait to read another book by this talented author.
1,383 reviews19 followers
October 29, 2017
I didn't enjoy this book. I tried very hard to read the whole thing hoping the mystery would get more exciting but by chapter 18 (18 of 23) I gave up and skipped to the last two chapters. It seems that I didn't miss a thing. The ending was 'meh'. The characters were likeable enough but so little is revealed about them that it was hard to really like them. They were all rather stereotypical and one dimensional. The mystery wasn't and the solution came about more through accidents than any sleuthing. The writing was fairly good and perhaps the mysteries get better in future books. However, there wasn't anything in this book to entice me to read further.
1,769 reviews24 followers
September 21, 2019
Manners Required

K.E.O'Connor gives a spectacular entry into a new series. Vibrant caracters and an intreageing murder mystery full of motives, greedy relatives , family secrets and unrequited love. Along comes Lorna who communicates with gohsts of unfinished business such as wanting thier murderers found and punishment set. Hellen ,Lorna's lighthearted sidekick and friends since childhood and the psychic dog found as a pup abbandond at the side of a road ,Flipper keeps Lorna grounded . A cozey light hearted yet compelling murder mystery full of intreage and humor to give enjoyment for a time. ☺😏🤔🙄😉😊 Kat
673 reviews4 followers
November 9, 2019
A quick, cozy read. I enjoyed the mix of a mystery with a ghost added into it. There was some funny parts and some twist and turns. I liked how the dog was involved in the story. There is a touch of romance mixed in but it is not a lot. I liked the interaction between the main characters. One thing I did appreciate is that they don't do that the ghost is all seeing and knows some of right and wrong. They allow the ghost to be individual just like the people they represent. The story flowed well and it was done so pulled you in and kept involved with wanting to see what happens. I would read more by this author.
937 reviews7 followers
June 4, 2021
Two young woman take on jobs, one as a personal assistant and the other as a seamstress and other tasks, usually for periods of about 6 months. The personal assistant has a dog that she calls her service dog. The service it provides is of making her aware of when ghosts are around. You see she talks to ghosts and they ask her do do things! In this tale they are at a huge stately manor in which 3 years ago one of the family was killed. The ghost wants to move on but is unable to leave the mortal plain due to unfinished business. There are lots of possible suspects and it is very difficult to sort out all the clues but it comes with several happy endings! No spoilers!
Profile Image for Ceejay.
555 reviews18 followers
September 4, 2018
I've always enjoyed murder mysteries that take place at a castle/mansion/secluded resort. That's what we have here. Lorna Shadow, her dog Flipper,and her best friend are hired to work at an English mansion. The twist is that Lorna, and her dog, can see ghosts. The sister of the mansion's owner presents herself to Lorna, and claims that she had not died of natural causes,that she was murdered. Lorna, Helen, and a third person (no spoilers)set out to prove or disprove the ghost's claims. I highly recommend this cozy.
Profile Image for Tammy.
640 reviews7 followers
October 12, 2021
Nice little cozy mystery with a Ghost thats upset with her family and wants justice. Beatrice the ghost throws little temper tantrums when things are not going her way with the investigation. Lorna and Helen do what they can to uncover clues and help Beatrice out, but they are NOT professionals at this. Lorna does secretary work and Helen is a seamstress/ cook and Zach is the gardener who helps out. Kind of reminds me of the Scooby Doo mysteries... where sometimes clues just come out of no where..
Enjoyed it.. I would read more of this series.
967 reviews8 followers
December 10, 2017
Lorna is a personal assistant who can see ghosts. She works with her friend who is a seamstress. Together they get hired at a manor house where she sees the ghost of her employer who died 3 yrs earlier. Turns out Beatrice was murdered not by her brother who she thinks did it. Lorna and Helen investigate later joined by the gardener. A good quick read. I look forward to reading more books from this series and author. Definitely recommend.
Profile Image for Christine Early.
27 reviews1 follower
December 30, 2017
Interesting plot

Enjoyed "meeting" Lorna and Helen and Flipper. While their lifestyle leaves me confused, they have a plan for the way they want to live, and they earn their wages very honestly. The mystery here is confusing, because while Lorna sees ghosts, she can't talk to them. So lots of guessing and searching for clues are the only way to solve the problem. Very much fun...
1 review
December 25, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. I will say it was slow ar first, but it drew me in . Who killed the lovely sister? So many suspects, not many clues. Can you solve this mystery?

I chose this book for the ghostly character's and mystery. They go hand & hand. This is a "cozy " mystery , so it's not scary. This was my first shot at this kind of mystery book. I will be reading more of these. Try this one. Great story!!
Profile Image for Carol Ann.
168 reviews3 followers
September 25, 2019
A cozy paranormal mystery.

This is a very clean mystery with delightful characters. A quick read with an angry but cooperative ghost of a very nice animal loving spinster. They are living in a large estate in England and a duo of women finding a job for them both plus her “service” dog. Nothing heavy in this book just a delightful and cozy mystery to read on a quiet day with a (optional) cup of tea.
211 reviews2 followers
April 28, 2022
Fluff

There isn't any substance to this book. I never felt connected to any of the characters or understood why they did what they did. Even the dog didn't feel real.
The main characters begin investigating a possible murder before they've even begun working. They insult their employer's wife almost immediately. And often. They would not have lasted a day in the real world.
I'll forget this one quickly.
Profile Image for Lisa Denn.
510 reviews2 followers
June 30, 2017
There is nothing sadder than having to watch a great idea fail on paper. Unfortunately, Ghostly Manners is one such example.

The characters were far from likeable. The story dragged on and on and on. Could have skipped reading the middle chapters and not missed anything. I really didn't get this book. Not my cup of tea.
265 reviews
September 30, 2019
Was it murder?

Taking a new job at a mansion Lorna,Flipper and Helen discover the ghost of Beatrice. Everyone says her death was natural but she is conveying it wasn’t. Who are the suspects and how did she really die? Read how the team reaches the truth behind her death. A great read!
Profile Image for Brad.
701 reviews3 followers
October 1, 2019
Good Mystery and Fun to Read

Lorna, Helen, and Flipper make a great team even if they are sometimes a bit impetuous. The story telling is good, the protagonists are likable and the mystery has a few good twists and turns.

If you ignore the tendency to run into danger instead of away from it, the story is fun and interesting. It's worth the time to read it.
Profile Image for Aparna J.
430 reviews5 followers
May 23, 2021
Brilliant

It's a very loveable and adorable supernatural cozy mystery. Lorna's unique ability to see the ghosts is the main highlight of this highly thrilling series. She is well supported by her friends, Helen, Zach and her pet flipper. The climax had a nice twist with good end. Lovely read.
1,572 reviews7 followers
September 18, 2022
magnificent

That’s the word I felt as I finished this book. With a great plot that’s well hidden among many suspects, new enemies and friends to be made and an often frenzied ghost, it’s a great story and is written so well. It’s completely clean with fun times as well. A must read for fans of this genre.
Not over the top or outlandishly quirky, all great story!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews

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