Ghostly Findings

Ghostly #2

by E.M. Leya

As a medical examiner, seeing ghosts has its advantages. After being informed by a ghost that there is a mass grave in the area, Lance and Detective Angus Young feel the fallout. As one investigates the murders, the other investigates the bodies, both trying to piece together what happened. Luckily, the dead aren't all silent. As ghosts of the victims appear, clues to what happened start to come together. The only problem now is figuring out who the killer is and catching him before he strikes again.

Genres: Paranormal, Ghosts, M M Romance, Mystery, Contemporary, Romance, Crime

230 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 4, 2023

About the author

E.M. Leya lives surrounded by the beautiful mountains in Salt Lake City, Utah with her amazing daughter and loving pets. She is passionate about the world we live in and current events, deeming herself a "news junkie". She believes that we are all here to create something beautiful, whether it's through our talents or our actions. She enjoys writing stories that take us deep into real world problems while showing that love can happen for anyone, regardless of how dark their past might be.

Reviews

[Eugenia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Repetitive & Weak Paranormal Police Procedural!

If you want to be told over and over what happens, then this is the book for you.

If you like shoddy police work, dive in.

If you like a book that’s mainly awkward dialogue, start reading.

If that’s not you, take a pass on this one—I wish I would have!

[Kirsten · Rating 2 out of 5]

Simple mystery,
simple writing, simple men.
Just not enough here.

[Lindsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

The most mid of mid book with someone an extremely horrifying serial killer that’s made boring? Somehow I’m invested with Lance and Angus to give book 3 a shot to get better if not… all done

[the_bookworm_ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is going to be a phenomenal series, this book is about a serial killer that’s been killing for a long time. And all I can say is, thank the universe for ghosts! 👻 These types of stories make one think, do we go right away or do we have a choice to “hang around,” visiting our families or/and wanting to see justice (if needed,) before heading to that warm, welcoming light the ghosts describe in the book.

We have Angus, our resident police detective and Lance, our resident medical examiner working closely together again, and falling for each-other, s l o w l y!
I adore how they are taking the relationship very slow, as the main focus is the serial killer! The author is a pro at pacing this story, I witnessed it in the first book as well, and it makes things a bit more realistic! The book flowed so nicely that I read this one in 24 hours!

Love the sweet humor between all of the characters, ghosts included. The camaraderie between all is admirable, and the ghostS are becoming like family to the main characters!!

Kudos again to Agnus’ mother, she is one hip woman, with a mad love for metal rock and the 80’s music! Hilarious! And Franks, Agnus’ partner definitely gets a mention too, he’s an amazing and funny guy, and a GREAT friend to Agnus!

The book has everything… suspense, humor, romance, and did I mention suspense?!!

I can’t wait to get to book 3!

Bravo, bravo! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[Aricka Decker · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Love is eternal. It doesn't stop just because we change forms. Once you've connected with another soul, that is a constant. Your paths may go different ways in the future, but your soul will always remember those who matter."

4.25 ⭐

Ghostly Findings continues the series as we follow newly ghost-seeing medical examiner Lance and his new homicide detective boyfriend Angus, as they follow a lead from a ghost who was buried in a mass grave.

Even though this technically falls under the cozy mystery umbrella ,and yeah, we do not get any sexual content in the romance, just kissing ; this series still gives us some grizzly, brutal cases. I really like that about it. Instead of being super soft and comfortable like a lot of cozy series, this one dives into some darker, rougher deaths and cases that could definitely make people uncomfortable. And honestly, that makes it more interesting to me.

I have read six of these books now, and yes, they all kind of follow the same formula, but that does not take anything away for me. I still enjoy meeting the ghosts and following both Lance and Angus as they balance their work life, ghost life, and their slowly growing personal life together.

I also really like the side characters, which helps a lot in a longer series like this. And the more people who know about Lance's ability, the easier it is going to be to catch all the bad people who seem to be popping up left and right in their town in Texas.

I do not know if this qualifies as a hardcore mystery series. Maybe not. But for me, the best part is the journey to figuring things out. That is where the fun lives.

I really liked this one, and I am glad that some of the ghosts are sticking around. Lance is going to have himself a certified haunted house by the end of this series, and I fully support that.

[antonia🫧 · Rating 4 out of 5]

this plot was insane.
it really reminded me of some of criminal minds's darkest episodes.

i'm glad angus revealed the truth to franks and it was really nice that he took it well.

i liked the ghosts we got to meet because of this case and i'm kind of sad most of them decided to leave. it really felt like lance made a ghost family!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lance and Angus are back this time hunting a serial killer. They are joined by even more ghosts.
A really enjoyable series that I hope will have more books in.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting escalation of the ghost detectives roles

This is a very interesting follow up to book one and a natural progression of things. We’ve got a mass grave and more ghosts and greater involvement of those ghosts in the investigation.

It’s intriguing the way the author is world building here in terms of what ghosts can and can’t do and how they function in our world. It’s a different take than usual but makes you think.

Looking forward to the next book.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

ok

This was interesting at times, a little boring at others. I kept expecting some kind of twist or danger that didn’t ever happen. The romance is ultra slow burn - although more slow toasting; there wasn’t really any heat at all.

[BeckieLouLou · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. Audiobook. Paranormal cozy mystery with a touch of romance, zero spice, contemporary setting, series of 9 books following the same couple. Police homicide detective and medical examiner that can see ghosts. I would not say this is a buying-level series, but if you can get it from the library or part of a subscription service, then go for it. Maybe a good pallet cleanser after something super emotional since there is very little drama, angst or action.

The stories were well written and I eventually warmed to the characters, but the series overall was somewhat bland. It was too light in too many areas and needed a bump-up somewhere. No spice, little to no romance and sweetness, lack luster bad-guys, average investigating, no extra quirky parents, no nosy but endearing neighbors, no sassy friends or snarky ghosts, no obnoxious but lovable siblings/boss, no crass BFF or fun-loving crazy aunt. We don’t even get any decent hurt/comfort. At book 5, the MCs are a couple but still going home alone and spending so much time separate, even when they are dealing with some sad stuff and only a short drive away. There was some cuddle scenes and sweetness, but it’s really far into the series and sparse. I feel a bit unfair in my assessment because these books are fine, I’ve just read so many that are similar but way more than fine.

[Ashley D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lance is a medical examiner who can also see ghosts. When the spirit of a serial killer approaches him about a mass grave, Lance and his detective boyfriend Angus start to investigate the mass grave of bodies that they are led to by the ghost. They slowly begin to piece together what happened to all the victims; now, they just need to figure out who the killer is and how to stop them before they kill again.

Lance has a hard time understanding why he was gifted with this ability to see the dead, but he is slowly becoming used to know with the help of Angus' mom, who also has the power. Lance and Angus are adorable together and make for a great investigative team. The mystery was nicely done and not predictable as to who is the killer, at least for me.

[Lois - Who Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am really enjoying this series, but this story is darker than the first. When a ghost leads Lance and Angus to her body, they find a very large body dump and the race is on to find a very evil person. Lots of ghost show up to help solve the case and the stories they tell are very disturbing. With everyone throwing in their expertise, even a reluctant artist and a surprised passerby, they begin to put together a path to find the murderer. What happens to the murder victims is really awful, but somehow because the facts of what happened are coming from the ghosts it is not so nightmarish. Lance and Angus are so good together and I and looking forward to reading the next book.

[Tony Williamson,jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

An awesome murder mystery

I am loving the slower build up of the relationship between the MC's. The murder case was Weinberg very well. Involving the ghosts was perfect. I will continue to read this series as it is released

[maqita:3 · Rating 4 out of 5]

lo terminé hace un minuto y ya los extraño

[DeeNeez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Better than the first book! This was so much more exciting hunting down the serial killer, and a lot more interaction with the ghosts and their personalities. Overall, great!

[Caipi · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far I'm loving this series! 😊

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am enjoying this series immensely.

[Jude · Rating 3 out of 5]

An okay read - nothing exciting. The editing issues I ran into in #1 were, for the most part, reduced. Still written in an awkward third-person style with a lot of telling and very little showing. Decent characters with a little bit of chemistry. For those who need the sex element - still not appearing. The world-building is not outstanding, but the author has not included anything that shakes it. The plot is simple and the mystery would probably never have been discovered let alone solved without the ghosts leading the detectives every step of the way.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

a haunting great story, wonderful characters

Rating: 4.5🌈

Ghostly Findings finds ME Lance and his boyfriend, Detective Angus Young, soon involved in a horrific case of murder and a hunt for a serial killer who might have victims waiting to be found.

I thought this was a great case, one which added quite a few new ghosts to the paranormal family existing at Lance’s house, and maybe even more interesting tidbits about the life after each passes. Author Laya is building out to their already established ghostly foundation as well as the earthly one with each new book.

The crimes are heinous but have happened off page. The ghosts are no longer traumatized by the crimes and events they’ve endured.

Lance and Angus are trying to find time to work on their own relationship and romance but their jobs and workload realistically interferes. Plus we get a better look at Angus and Lance’s work situations and coworkers. This includes Angus’ partner Franks, a character we get to know well and become invested in too.

The determination, the investigation, the manner in which the ghostly details must be shared or threaded into their reports feels about right. Even the ending. Did I wish for more high drama? Yes. But was the way it unfolded probably more in keeping with the story? Yes.

I’m absolutely enjoying these stories and characters. The mysteries and the relationships are amazing.

So it’s onto Ghostly Envy and new murders, and obviously new ghosts. Can’t wait.

Definitely recommending the Ghostly series for all lovers of the paranormal romance trope with the elements of mystery and murder thrown in.

Ghostly series:

- [x] Ghostly Awakening #1
- [x] Ghostly Findings #2
- [x] Ghostly Envy #3
- [ ] Ghostly Claus #4 - TBD

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Am Loving These Books💜

I am loving these books!

Lance the Medical Examiner and Angus the Homicide Detective, a match made in heaven. In this book their relationship is starting to take off but as in the first book every time they have some alone time, if you don’t count the ghosts who tactfully go to the back yard, another gruesome murder(s) takes place!

This story starts with a ghost wandering around trying to find someone to tell that she has been murdered. She happens upon Angus’ mom and realising that she can see and speak to her, tells her story. Lizzie takes Bethany, the ghost, round to see Angus and Lance to tell them how she was murdered and informs them that she was one of a large number of bodies thrown into a ravine. They are looking for another serial killer, a very prolific one!

Like the first book this is both gruesome and funny. Lance is beginning to collect ghosts at his house and Ray has become his best friend, who is addicted to audio books. He loves books but being dead for over one hundred years he had to read over people’s shoulders and never got to finish a book. When Lance introduced him to audio books he was hooked. Bethany and Ray have become very close and some of the other victims turn up to help Angus and Lance solve their murders. Lance is not only coming to terms with his new gift, he’s embracing it.

I love the relationship and banter between Angus and his work partner Franks but I think he is going to have to bite the bullet soon and try to explain just how he is solving murders so quickly. I think the “gut feeling” is wearing a bit thin and Franks is getting suspicious.

I’m hooked and strongly recommend this series.

[El · Rating 2 out of 5]

Despite this book being about a serial killer with a literal canyon of bodies, the worst crime here is how unbelievably boring it was. I was so, so disappointed and also truly baffled by how an author can have such a great plot idea and then also execute it so poorly.

Considering how highly rated this series is, I was really looking forward to reading it. However, I keep being disappointed. Lance is nice, but boring. Angus is nice, a little more interesting than Lance, but still boring. The author also keeps reiterating points that have been made repeatedly and have no real merit. Like, how many times does it need to be clarified that Harold is retired but still has licensing?? Harold never even shows up!!

Oh, god. And then there is a whole scene at the police station where Angus and his partner are watching security tapes and figure out who the murderer is, and then the ENTIRE scene is explained to Lance when Angus goes over for dinner in the evening. One scene for the price of two!!

Also there is literally no way that everyone in this universe has business cards. It’s absurd.

I think I figured out what throws me off so much about these books: the crimes are gruesome and clearly meant for an adult audience, but the relationship between Angus and Lance is handled in a way that is appropriate for middle schoolers. Like, the author writes on one page that the victims were starved and assaulted before being thrown in a pit to die and on the next has Lance offering Angus his spare guest bedroom to spend the night. This might be harsh, but the vibes I get from this series is of an author who wanted to get into the MLM genre bc of its increasing popularity but was never actually that comfortable with MLM couples.

[Lee Blane · Rating 2 out of 5]

Repetitive, clunky but ok

I don’t normally do reviews if I don’t like books as it’s a subjective opinion not bad writing. In this case though I had to mention a few things.

Although the characters are nice and likeable they are only surface deep. There is little interaction that doesn’t involve a case or the ghosts, but even this is just polite (some clunky language with an unnatural way of speaking). No really new information was added.

This is the second book I read just to make sure, but can honestly say I know as much about the main characters now as I did close to the start of the first book.

There was no tension, no surprises, and no danger for the main characters. It may build in the next couple of books but I can’t continue.

The explanations for seeing ghosts, or working late and needing to eat then go home, were continual, repeated and tedious. Each character who had to be told something was given the full explanation meaning we get to read it again! A lot of the conversations or narrative just seemed like filler.

The subject matter was interesting, and I like ghosts, but it feels like an unfinished sketch without the shading and character development needed to be worth reading for me.

I don’t think it’s easy to write a thrilling book at all, but this one could have been so much better given the subject matter and the bare bones of it. Many authors have done similar books so much better.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

**********Contains Spoilers**********

I’m I’m new to EM Leya’s work and I’m looking forward to reading more. I really enjoyed this book and thought that it was a good addition to the Ghostly Series. I think that Assistant Medical Examiner Lance & Detective Angus Young make a good team but I wish that there was some forward movement in their relationship. Yes, they’ve agreed to take things slow but since they’ve been so busy with the current case that Angus is working on they haven’t spent much time together. I’m hoping that when they have some downtime to actually spend together that things will move forward. Please note that the murder victims in Angus’s current case explain in detail the hell they went through before they were dumped in a mass grave, which one of the victims Bethany lead Angus and Lance to.

I’ve read dark romances before so it didn’t bother me to much, but others may find it hard to read. All I can say is Bethany was so brave approaching Angus’s mum Lizzy when she realised that she could see her to get in touch with the police. A serial killer was extremely active in the area and they had no idea. I liked that Angus finally let his partner Detective Franks in on what his gut feeling actually is. I think Franks dealt with it very well. It made me laugh what Lance told him away from the others so that Lizzy would have to repeat it once one of the ghosts told her, as Franks wanted some proof. I’m looking forward to reading Ghostly Envy next, as well as reading more books by EM Leya in the future. I’d definitely recommend this book, series and author to others.  

[Shannon Boote · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read every book in this series, except for the last one. (Ghostly Awakening, Ghostly Findings, Ghostly Envy, Ghostly Claus, Ghostly Target, Ghostly Hostage, Ghostly Death, and Ghostly Dilemma) The entire series are 4-4.25 stars all day long. If you are looking for sexy times on page that stem up your reading glasses, this is not that at all. All sexy times are off page and that doesn't distract from the stories at all but adds to its charm. It actually feels sweet. This is a soft, slow burn, low angst, story with two cinnamon rolls for main characters that both give me a toothache. This is seriously a great palate cleanser and while there are some stakes the story is not about that.

Lance, an assistance medical examiner is on his first day back at work after a bad car accident almost killed him. His only family is his brother, who is away in the Navy. Lance leads a quiet life very alone in his daily life with few friends he has at work. One his first day back, the ghost of one of the corpses on his table starts to talk to him and Lance thinks it is a side effect of the head injury he sustained, he feels crazy and is freaking out about what it means for his future. In comes Angus a homicide detective that inadvertently sees Lance interact with a ghost for the first time. Growing up with a mother who can speak to the dead, Angus feels compelled to help Lance understand what is happening to him.

What comes after is Lance finding friendship and love in both the living and the dead. Finding family, friends, and love has never been so sweet. The respect and care Lance and Angus show each other is top tier relationship goals. The books are not action packed, there are no explosions, no hanging by one finger off the edge of a cliff moments. But these stories carry a lot of heart and are just sweet. Definitely going to check out E.M. Leya's other series.

[Kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the series. For some reason I liked it more than the first one. So in the first book, Lance is in a car accident and suffers a head injury. After this happens, he can see ghosts and communicate with them. This is very convenient because he happens to be a medical examiner. So Lance learns he has this ability and thinks he might be going crazy until he meets Angus. Angus recognizes Lance’s ability when he sees him talking to himself because Angus’ mother can also talk to ghosts. Angus is a homicide detective. So with the help of a bunch of ghosts and Angus’ mother, Lance and Angus solve mysteries. In this second book they meet a ghost that leads them to a mass grave, and Lance and Angus have to catch a serial killer. What I liked more about this second book is that Lance is now more comfortable with his ability to talk to ghosts. It also helps that the ghosts we’ve met so far are somewhat gentle souls who want their murderer caught. Lance and Angus are also officially in a relationship. Lance meets Angus’ father in this book. My only complaint at this point is that the romance is very slow going.

[Joelle Mendes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm loving this series! I started this book immediately after finishing Ghostly Awakening. I wanted more of Lance, Angus and their ghostly friends. If I didn't have other books to read for a challenge, I'd jump right into book 3. They are really entertaining. Things are still moving very slowly between Lance and Angus but they're definitely moving in the right direction and both of them are very much interested in a long term thing. Hopefully, that happens in the next book.

This mystery was intense. I did find myself hoping that Angus would come clean with his partner about his "helpers." There was too much here to classify as "gut instinct." The scenes with Franks were very entertaining and once again, Angus's mom had me laughing out loud.

I love how the cast of ghosts is growing and look forward to see who we'll meet in the next book.

[Jewell Moreno · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a new series for me and I'm liking it. This time a ghost named Bethany gets in touch with Angus' mother Lizzie, to tell him about her murder. She was dumped in a dump site with several other bodies, all in a state of decomposition. With Lance's ability to talk to the ghosts and his mother helping they discover the dump site, and realize there is a serial killer. An extremely deranged serial killer with no specific type, which makes finding him that much harder. Using all available information including what the ghosts can provide, they attempt to solve the crime. I love the ghosts in these stories. I love the description of the after life, that ghosts can choose to stay, or move into the light. That there are limitations to their movement, and that even as ghosts there is some peace. Great writing, and fun characters.

[Fay MMBookworm]

Not for the soft hearted reader.

Lance was a medical examiner who started to see ghosts as a result of a bad car accident 2 months ago. He had the company of Ray 👻who loved to catch up on reading via Lance’s audiobooks.
Detective Angus met Lance and the two had started dating as well as solving murders with Lances talents.
A new mystery of a murder of 👻Bethany who asks for help herself with others.
Her story wasn’t pretty (understatement) and includes a mass grave from the killer. Other ghost victims comes are found and their hostage situations and deaths are included.
Sorry I gave up after reading some horrible scenes in this book.

#DNF #triggers #ghost #murder

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I enjoyed this story, I will admit that it has gone from "snail's" pace to "sloth's" pace. After reading the 1st book, if you had asked me can the storyline or Angus and Lance's relationship move any slower, I would have said that there's NO way... but, I would have been WRONG! 🤷‍♀️

I am probably going to finish this series because I am invested in Ray! What can I say? I find him fascinating! As for Lance and Angus? We shall see...

Moving on to Ghostly Envy...

[Fernanda Fatio · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit dry considering what they were investigating. Even though there was lots of death and suffering there’s a detachment here that makes hard to connect with the characters.
One thing that is bothering me is the lack of intimacy. We have 2 people in their 30s in a stable relationship where even the idea of sleeping over in the guest room seems too much. They are not virgins and don’t have an actual reason for not going beyond kisses, especially when they’ve been dating for a few months already. There’s no heat or even a mention of being aroused by each other. It’s simply not realistic considering both are sexually active adults.
There’s “taking things slow” and there’s this.