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Reboot Mystery #3

A Ghost in Sacramento

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He’s a fake psychic who just wants to be left alone, but . . . he can see her.She’s a cop with unfinished business—and she’s not going anywhere until he helps her.After three years of working as a Detective with the 35th Precinct, Elizabeth Shea is finally starting to feel like she belongs. So, when the Serious Crimes Unit gets assigned to take down the Tourneau Cartel, she’s not worried; that is until she’s cut off from her team and shot.Being a cop has its risks, but the last thing she expected was to become a ghost. If she’s still here, she must have unfinished business. But that doesn’t explain why she can’t get more than a block away from a questionable psychic she saw on TV.Patrick Daley hates pretending to be a psychic, but having signed a contract years before, he’s bound to make television appearances every few months. Plus, being “psychic” has been invaluable in his work with the Feds. Just because he can’t see beyond the grave doesn’t mean that his power of deduction isn’t useful.However, when the two-year anniversary of his wife’s death passes, he finds faking psychic is way more than he can handle. After blowing off a consultation with the Sacramento Police Department, he’s inadvertently placed on a path he never expected.

All he wants is to be left alone. Unfortunately, the little brunette ghost following him around has other ideas.

In the third installment in the Reboot Mystery series, Patrick Daley and Elizabeth Shea get their memories wiped once more. And that’s not the only thing weird happening in this paranormal romantic mystery. (Can be read as a standalone.)

A Christian ghost romance with a murder mystery twist. If you liked the films Ghost and Just Like Heaven than this is the book for you.



What readers are

★★★★★ “A medley of mind games let one bad actor walk away. An almost fake psychic discovers real talents that are really disturbing. An intriguing mix of police procedural with psychological thriller and action romance drama. Keeps you and the characters guessing throughout the story.” – Molly G. Hamblin

★★★★★ “The two main characters are so likable and engaging that I could hardly put the story down. I love a good mystery, and I especially love one with a strong female lead character. Go Elizabeth! I was cheering for her the whole way through. She is strong and smart. I loved it. This book was very enjoyable to read. I couldn't recommend it more.” – Pam T.

★★★★★ “Patrick and Elizabeth are likable characters, and I enjoyed their witty banter. I also kept rooting for them the whole time. The scenes were depicted so well, I could visualize their actions as though I were watching the movie. Overall, a light-hearted, feel good story with a great message.” – Tasche

★★★★★ “Intriguing mystery. Loved it. I could hardly put it down. Can't wait to read the next one by this author. Twists and turns throughout.” – Amazon Reviewer



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212 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 9, 2018

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About the author

Ellie Thornton

50 books904 followers
Ellie Thornton is an award-winning author who has been writing since she could lift a pencil and making up stories even longer than that.

For years she worked part-time jobs so she would always have time to write, read, and travel. Some of her favorite filler jobs include working as an editor, at a nursery (flowers not children,) as a driving instructor (not as harrowing as one might think,) writing a blog called Confessions of a Property Manager, and being a ghost tour guide.

She loves mysteries (reading and writing them) and especially enjoys the ones with sweet romance involved. Her "Reboot Mystery Series," (Previously known as "The Contemporary Reboot Series,") is a mystery series that takes classics like "Pride and Prejudice," "The Count of Monte Cristo," "Jane Eyre," and "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" puts them in a modern setting and adds a murder mystery and a love story that builds from one book to the next. (Not an easy feat!)

She's currently super into honey and beeswax and everything bee related as she is writing a book for Gelato Publishing's Halloween Sweet Romance Series, "Pumpkins and Proposals." Her main character is a beekeeper and owns a business that's all about honey, and beeswax related products. And again, because she loves a good mystery, you'll also find some intrigue there too.

She also writes a writing, editing, and marketing blog for authors under the name Emily Clark called Write of Passages.

If she's not at her computer, you can typically find her reading, listening to podcasts, at the local library, in her garden, in her kitchen, or with her sister and her sister's kids.

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5 stars
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18 (30%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
Profile Image for P.B. Flower.
Author 6 books96 followers
January 11, 2023
Spooky, Sweet, and Sad

This book is a quick read and is part three of a series. A Ghost in Sacramento starts with the primary characters without any prior memory. The story is about a ghost of a female police officer, Elizabeth, who was killed on job. Her ghost starts to connect with a psychic, Patrick, who doesn't even believe in himself.

This reminded me of a movie I saw where a girl was killed and this psychic who pretended to be fake get the vision of how she was murdered. In this story, Patrick falls in love with the ghost and works in a circus. I have seen a few Korean series on this concept and liked them a lot. And so, I was able to connect with this book well.

I won't give out spoilers as to who killed Elizabeth. You have to read this fast-paced tale to know that. The relationship between Patrick and Elizabeth was kind of sweet and sad at the same time. It was an enjoyable read for me. I would recommend to people who like books with spooky storyline.
1,060 reviews34 followers
August 13, 2023
When a sting-gone-wrong leads to Elizabeth finding herself a ghost, she's left wondering what is keeping her from 'moving on'. Finding that Patrick is the only person who is able to see and hear her, she enlists his (unwilling) help. Patrick has been struggling ever since his wife died of cancer, but even being drunk has never made him see ghosts before. And when this ghost sticks around even after he's sober, and insists on him helping her, there doesn't seem to be anything to do but try. But spending time together seems to be becoming increasingly dangerous to his heart. Can they find her murderer? And what will happen if they do? Is Patrick about to face heartbreak again?

This is a unique (can I call it 'pleasantly weird'?) series, but I'm enjoying it. When I picked up book 2 after reading book 1, I was left totally confused until I gradually worked out that their past together had been erased in some magical way - so, having worked that out, I was ready to read more. Because though there are occasional errors I'd love to see removed, the stories themselves are well done and hold my attention. I loved the loyalty to her that Elizabeth's coworkers show, and it's also really nice to watch Patrick gradually get his act together again. Of course, there's plenty of fun and satisfaction in watching the pair of them interact... And I loved the ending - it all worked out beautifully. A good read and I look forward to reading book 4.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
661 reviews
September 27, 2025
In this episode, Detective Elizabeth Shea is shot while on an assignment. The story then takes on a bizarre twist, like something you might see in a movie! Our Hero from other books, Patrick Daley, appears as a widower, who has turned into a lush. Except for Patrick’s emotional deterioration, It’s all rather light-hearted and playful. Never fear, all complications are worked out so that Elizabeth and Patrick’s relationship can grow.
It seems to me, that in this series, every book is a re-do (or “Reboot”) of how Elizabeth and Patrick meet and become involved— a “what-if” model for each story. Once I figured this out, and quit trying to fit other pieces of their story into this book, I was ok with the author playing with the story. Therefore, I advise not thinking that all the stories are going to flow together to make some kind of progression. Take each story as another take on how they might have met and drawn close to each other.
This book is also a clean book, appropriate for all ages.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Jenifer.
1,101 reviews13 followers
October 13, 2023
Interesting
This book is part of an ongoing series of the paranormal happenings of Elizabeth and Patrick. The author prefaced this book with a warning of sorts. If you don't read the prologue, the book is a complete standalone. I, of course, did not heed that advice and read the prologue and then I got a little confused. The prologue is meant to connect the last book to this book so it would've totally made sense if I had read book 2. Duh. About halfway through the book I went back to reread it and figured out the basics of what is happening to them - kinda.
So, as a standalone it was an interesting story. However, reading the whole series may have given me more of a connection to or vested interest in Patrick & Elizabeth's relationship.
Have no fear, it doesn't have a cliffhanger which you might expect with a connected series like this.
Good read but more on the 'just okay' side of the scale.

(I received a complimentary copy of this book from Hidden Gems)
Profile Image for Kristen Lewendon.
8,429 reviews65 followers
September 17, 2022
The comparisons with the movie Ghost are easily recognizable. Elizabeth and Patrick even turn it into a bit of an inside joke. But for me, this story reminds me the most of the television series The Mentalist. I’m going to say it’s because It’s been a lot of years since I last watched the show, however I’m still kicking myself for not recognizing sooner that Patrick Daley is the textual version of Patrick Jane. From this point forward, that’s going to be the Patrick in my mind’s eye when I read this series. And also, the memory reboot makes so much more sense now, but there’s still a ton of answers I’m in search of about this particular plot thread. I can’t wait to see where the future books take this.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through Booksprout.
Profile Image for Tam Sesto.
839 reviews18 followers
June 29, 2023
Mystery and romance.

The characters were enjoyable and believable. I really liked Patrick even though he was a mess. Elizabeth was an intriguing character and rather a surprise, once you knew where the author was going with everything.

The plot had several surprises along the way and was quite entertaining. The author had you falling in love with both Patricia and Elizabeth and hoping for the best for them. There were moments of anguish, humor, romance, and plenty of mystery.

The author’s style was easy to read and follow.

My review is voluntary and all comments and opinions are my own.

Profile Image for Alicia Marsland.
Author 9 books10 followers
March 8, 2022
i love this series!

I can’t say I understand all of the subplot but I don’t think we are supposed to yet! Love the characters, love the plot twists, don’t love the malapropisms or the bad grammar or the talk to text misspellings but luckily they are few and far between.

(The author should hire me as an editor but that’s not gonna happen and I’m too busy writing my own books anyway…
I think she’d probably like my books as much as I like hers.)

P. S. What happened to the crucifix? I thought it was going to be used to solve the murder but apparently not…
139 reviews
September 26, 2022
A ghost... there's no such thing, or is there?

Patrick Daley is a psychic, at least on TV. He hates it so he blows off a meeting with the Sacramento PD.

Much to his dismay, he discovers he has a shadow - Elizabeth Shea a Detective from Sacramento PD. Why is she shadowing him? Why can't she get more than a block away from him? Who killed her?

What does Sean Jones have to do with Patrick Daley? So many questions and only one way to find out, read the book!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for T.N. Traynor.
Author 24 books48 followers
March 13, 2025
captivating

The author has done a great job intertwining the supernatural with mystery. Detective Elizabeth Shea’s transformation into a ghost took me by surprise. Lost at first, she finds herself connecting to Patrick Daley, a reluctant psychic entangled in his own struggles.
Together they try to unravel Elizabeth’s death.
Touching on themes of redemption and human connection this is an interesting read.
Looking forward to reading more in the series.
Ps, I jumped in at book 3 without any problems for not having read it in order.
873 reviews7 followers
January 1, 2026
Reboot - this series includes stand alone books that use the same characters but off of different scenarios.

In this one, Patrick is still mourning the death of his wife. He is a fake psychi.

Elizabeth is a cop, and all of a sudden she is a ghost and stuck around this one building.

Lots of wit, banter and just a fun, page turning, action packed adventure.

Enjoyed another wonderful tale that keeps your attention and in suspense to the very end. Surprise ending.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Heather W.
4,068 reviews35 followers
September 8, 2020
A Ghost in Sacramento is the third book in The Reboot Mystery Series and is an entertaining paranormal mystery story.

I am loving this series. The characters of Patrick Daley and Elizabeth Shea are interesting and well depicted. The storyline is engaging and has murder, drama, suspense, and a fake psychic who may not be as fake as he thinks.

I read and reviewed this book with no obligation.
1,705 reviews13 followers
October 27, 2022
A slow burn quirky romance and mystery which, if read as a standalone is enjoyable with delightful main characters of Elizabeth and Patrick. However, as part of a series it is a little confusing with the memory reboots but interesting enough to want to find out the ultimate conclusion as to who is pulling the strings and what the outcome is for our main characters.
I received an ARC of this book from Booksprout but voluntarily leave this review.
Profile Image for Louise.
1,531 reviews20 followers
June 30, 2023
Book 3, but the story is a standalone. Patrick is a fake psychic and Detective Elizabeth has returned as a ghost after an altercation. The story follows both characters, revealing both perspectives and thought processes as they attempt to adapt to their new situation as only Patrick can see Elizabeth's spirit form. The characters are endearing and a good story to read.


I received a free copy and am leaving a review voluntarily.
Thank you to Hidden Gems Books and author.
436 reviews4 followers
August 31, 2024
Another mind reboot for our intrepid couple. This time, Elizabeth is a cop who is shot and transitions into being a ghost but she's forced to stay in proximity to Patrick who is now a fake psychic. Together, they follow the clues and try to discover who killed her. This is an interesting mystery with enough twists and turns to keep the reader going and a dose of romance to boot.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
11k reviews128 followers
September 8, 2020
This is the 1st book I've read written by Ellie Thornton; she has done a great job at writing a good book; I can’t wait to read more of her books.

The story line caught my attention at the very beginning and kept me interested throughout the entire book.

I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.
6,078 reviews46 followers
September 8, 2020
A medley of mind games let one bad actor walk away. An almost fake psychic discovers real talents that are really disturbing .

An intriguing mix of police procedural with psychological thriller and action romance drama

Keeps you and the characters guessing throughout the story

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Shanna Johnson.
556 reviews23 followers
May 27, 2022
This was absolutely the BEST Ellie Thornton book I have ever read. Mystery, suspense, humor, with a hint of romance. It was wonderful and I 100% highly recommend you read this book, like RIGHT now. This series keeps getting better and better and I can't wait to start the next one.

The author is so talented and able to include so many different themes flawlessly.
Profile Image for AMBER CLARK.
961 reviews25 followers
September 14, 2024
A ghost detective and a fake physic. I could stop there but I won't. This book was fun, engaging, & a page turner. The Reboot Mystery series is a six-book set and A Ghost in Sacramento is the third book in the series. I love that Thornton uses the same characters over and over, just with a "reboot". Original and enjoyable. I can't wait to see what's next.

Profile Image for Ann.
2,668 reviews3 followers
April 8, 2022
This book was a great read! It's well written and hooks you on the first page. It's a wonderful mystery that the author brings to life with her words. I highly recommend this book and the entire series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Patricia Garber.
Author 9 books35 followers
July 19, 2022
Wonderful plot snd twist!

When I first downloaded, I didn't realize it was book 3, and began to worry that because I had not read the first two, I would be lost. False! Great read eve out of order!
Profile Image for Brad Dude.
Author 12 books6 followers
January 18, 2023
At first this story reminded me of the Ricky Gervais movie "Ghost Town" but later I enjoyed the challenges of the main character as he tried to figure out what was happening to him; whether he was seeing things; and, what was he going to do about it. Enjoyable read.
1,975 reviews8 followers
May 11, 2023
Book three is a little different as is deals with ghost and lost memories, however still quite interesting to read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
766 reviews3 followers
October 28, 2025
A Ghost in Sacramento is book 3 of The Reboot Mystery Series. This was a great paranormal romance. The story was interesting, sweet and enjoyable. The characters were charming and likable. I enjoyed this one.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
890 reviews5 followers
July 20, 2022
Interesting story with a ghost as the love interest. Could not figure out who the killer was until it was revealed. Captivating story, highly recommend
Profile Image for Tasche.
Author 35 books68 followers
September 14, 2018
An engaging and enjoyable story that had me turning the pages until I reached the end! Patrick and Elizabeth are likable characters, and I enjoyed their witty banter. I also kept rooting for them the whole time. The scenes were depicted so well, I could visualize their actions as though I were watching the movie. Overall, a light-hearted, feel good story with a great message.
Profile Image for Tami Willard.
2,646 reviews16 followers
December 30, 2024
The characters are the same throughout the series yet something keeps happening to change their pasts. Will Elizabeth and Patrick find each other again? What is causing them to forget each other? How will they uncover the plot in time?.

I received a copy of this book from the author. Review voluntarily given.
48 reviews
December 17, 2018
Very good read are you doing any more to this series. If you are I will look forward to your notice and read your new book thanks again.

Have read all her other stories they have been great. Hope to hear from you again soon with your next one
290 reviews
September 17, 2018
Another good read from Ms. Thornton. An original slant to the cozy mystery genre. Thoroughly enjoyed the story and the characters.
1 review1 follower
Read
December 23, 2018
Really good and hope you are going to write another book to carry on the story. All of the books in this series has been a very good read thanks.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews