Ghosts of Tsavo

Society for Paranormals, Book 1

By: Vered Ehsani

Narrated by: Alison Larkin

Length: 6 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

Where African myth meets Victorian manners

Armed with Victorian etiquette, a fully loaded walking stick, and a dead husband, Beatrice Knight arrives in colonial Kenya desperate for a pot of tea and a pinch of cinnamon. But she'll need more than that if she's to unravel the mystery of the Ghosts of Tsavo without being eaten in the process. All this while surviving the machinations of her best friend's dashing godfather and the efforts of her safari guide to feed her to any lion willing to drag her away. What is a ghost-chasing widow to do?

Ghosts of Tsavo is the first case in Society for Paranormals, in which a paranormal detective refuses to let danger, death, and unwanted suitors inconvenience her in colonial Kenya. Welcome to a cozy mystery series concerning Victorian etiquette, African mythology, and the search for a perfect spot of tea. If you enjoy historical mysteries, adore Victorian steampunk, appreciate British humor, or would love to experience adventure in colonial Africa, download Ghosts of Tsavo to start your supernatural safari today.

©2015 Vered Ehsani (P)2017 Vered Ehsani

Critic reviews

"A quirky and lovely spin through sweltering Nairobi, this story will have readers cheering.... The use of Victorian English is probably the best example ever, outside actual Victorian texts. Beatrice is a spunky, determined woman, but at the same time wholly a model of Victorian females. Every character is fleshed out. Fans of historicals and paranormal will love every minute of this story!" ( InD'tale Magazine)

"A novel rich in imagination, detail, and surprises requires a narrator who can embrace every element of the story--Alison Larkin is that narrator. She is spot-on in her portrayal of Beatrice Knight, a member of the Society for Paranormals, and her spectacular ghost-hunting adventures in colonial Nigeria with her dead husband in tow. Though it may take a moment for listeners to acclimate to Larkin's thoroughly posh tones, her dedication pays off, and Bee's dry humor and quick wit shine through, making listeners feel as if they're chatting with an old friend. Her accents are consistent, and her sympathetic portrayal of each member of the diverse and zany cast rounds out a stellar series opener." (AudioFile)

A highly entertaining urban fantasy. I am hooked!

Paranormal investigation, humor, Victorian manners, and African mythology: what an absolutely brilliant combination! I am now hooked on this fantastic historical urban fantasy series. It is extremely well written and superbly narrated. The book is so funny!

It starts in 1899 London, and then most of the novel moves to 1899 colonial Nairobi, Kenya. I love the exotic location. I learned that the author actually lives in Nairobi, and this comes across in the book with the sensory descriptions of the landscape, flora, and fauna. FYI, don’t expect much mystery, but you could sort of call it a cozy mystery as well as an urban fantasy.

At first I thought that the narrator sounded too stodgy, but soon I realized that it really fit the character of the overly proper Beatrice Knight, 23-year-old widow and secret paranormal investigator. Please try this audiobook, because I absolutely love it, and the second book is even better. Unfortunately, Books #3 through 7 in this series have not been made into audiobooks.

#Clever #Funny #Magical #Quirky #Witty #Colonial #Victorian #Kenya #FemaleProtagonist #tagsgiving #sweepstakes

Paranormal Cozy Mystery

Ghosts of Tsavo is a great first in series. It is a great story that mixes many genres includig steampunk, supernatural and historical in a fantasticly seamless manner. The narrator brings the story and characters to life fabulously. I look forward to more in this series

I love it and wish all of them were available!

It was such a refreshing story with this setting and time period. I just wish the zebra had survived.

Extremely Entertaining

If you like dry english humor and story telling you will love this book. The narrator is exceptional. I loved this story and the fact and fiction part at the end is an added bonus!

Glad I took a chance!

I normally just use my credits on books by writers I know and reserve any risk-taking for books from the public library. However, a friend at work, who frequently gives me book recommendations, suggested this one about three times. I finally bought it and I'm glad I did. I enjoyed it so much, I bought the second one (also highly recommended by my friend).

Fun and were-lions

Africa, supernatural, lore, fantasy, steampunk, cozy-mystery, humor

Weirdly good. Set in time around the turn of the 20th century, yet filled with fantastic creatures and more. The characters are great fun and the lore of the continent of Africa is fascinating. There's plenty of subtle and overt humor, and the situational humor is guaranteed to have any reader snorting their caffeine. The publisher's blurb gives hints and there is no need for spoilers, just enjoy the unraveling of the mystery.

Right Kind of Ridiculous

Summary: Due to a change in financial fortunes, Beatrice Knight travels with her uncle and his family to Nairobi and becomes embroiled in a paranormal mystery. She’s an investigator for a society that seeks to study paranormals while at the same time keeping their existence a secret. As fate would have it, she’s also got the ghost of her dead husband Gideon following her.

Additional Comments:
Neutral:
- I’m guessing the way Bee speaks as a story narrator will evoke strong emotions. She’s hilarious, yet she comments on everything.
- There are some plot threads that aren’t resolved. This didn’t bother me as much as it does in some books. It’s balanced by the overarching fact that this episode of sorts wraps up nicely. There’s definite lead into a new story but I got enough of a sense of closure to satisfy my need for it here.
- Fact vs fiction thing at the end. This one was good, but those bother me in general.

What I didn’t like:
- Breaking the fourth wall – There’s no reason to address the readers! It busts that nice little bubble of fantasy the author’s weaving and yanks you out of the story.

What I liked:
- The narrator fit the story perfectly. This is definitely one of those stories where I believe the audiobook version is vastly superior to the written word. That’s akin to book blasphemy I know.
- It’s actually a rather simple story. What makes it funny is Bee’s commentary. The story’s the same brand of ridiculous as Pride, Prejudice, and Zombies. It’s probably less gory than that book, but it’s got the same obsession with old school British society and manners. (She points out things like how rude it is for ghosts to come through walls instead of using doors. Just because you’re dead doesn’t excuse one from having bad manners.)

Conclusion: If you can handle weird, then you will likely enjoy this book.