The characters that populate its pages are vibrant, bursting with personality, and their interactions are nothing short of terrific. The writing was done so well and the author truly possesses such great descriptive prowess — as many have mentioned.

It also felt like a Scooby Doo episode where the bad guy, having the characters dead to rights, pauses to dialogue about their plan, conveniently giving the characters a chance to regroup and thwart the plan. I feel it’s important to give an honest review and include a few content warnings to help parents decide if their child should read this as the intended age range feels like 13+. When the police tell her the investigation into her parents' murder has hit a brick wall, she knows the only way she will ever know peace is to solve the mystery herself. Author Shawn Warner was looking a little defeated during a book signing waiting to autograph copies of his new debut novel “Leigh Howard and the Ghosts of Simmons-Pierce Manor” when a TikToker named Red walked over to give him some support — and it shot to No. I had many other books to get through before this one, yet I started the book right away and on my, this book is brilliant.Well, my dear readers, let me tell you that the book I stumbled upon delivered that and so much more! It was a compelling (almost short) story that involved mystery, suspense, ghosts, tragedy and trauma as a result of organized crime and betrayal. I loved that Leigh had her to lean on as Myra’s support contributed largely to Leigh feeling safe and comfortable. My comment is about where the murder “mystery” leads, this was my least favourite part, it was more complicated than the rest of the book and not as interesting, it didn’t fit with the book vibe in my opinion.

While TikTok may have helped Leigh Howard jump to the top of the charts, its reviews are keeping it there. From first glance the cover was a little misleading, I see a woman with curves leaning over a bike - that was one of the biggest issues for me while reading this book. As a fellow Veteran it was easy to support your passion for writing and just zest for how you continue to expand who you are (Veteran, engineer, therapist, and now author). The plot twists, the revelations, and the characters' deepening involvement in the mystery had me flipping the pages with an insatiable hunger for more. Enlisting as an infantryman out of high school, Warner served in the 82nd Airborne Division as a paratrooper.With new family and friends, which includes a ghost with multiple personality issues, Leigh risks everything to find her answers. Even if all the purchases were on Kindle, not everyone can speed read through 265 pages, especially people who don't seem to read much in the first place. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Warner was there to promote his debut novel, Leigh Howard and the Ghosts of Simmons-Pierce Manor, but, as Swearenjin describes, he seemed “super defeated” from the lack of interest in his display.

It was just supposed to be, ‘Hey, here’s a fellow neighbor who’s just struggling and I wanted to help him out,’” Swearenjin later told Dallas’s WFAA. It's as if they've taken a brush and created a world that exists solely between the pages of this book. This book is a gem, a well-thought-out tale that weaves suspense, laughter, and a dash of the unexpected into an unforgettable narrative.However, after the TikTok creator posted a video of Warner's book signing on his page, sales went through the roof. Swearengin approached Warner, who was sitting alone with a stack of his books on a table, and recorded the author describing his debut novel, Leigh Howard and the Ghosts of Simmons-Pierce Manor ( Black Rose Writing).