STEELE SECRETS by Andi Cumbo-Floyd
Fiction, YA, Paranormal Mystery
5*****

Blurb: Ghosts just don’t show up for anybody. So when I meet the spirit of a former slave named Moses, I know he needs my help. But I didn’t expect to be taking on half of my town, or the powerful men who seem to run everything and have done so for years. Secrets are being uncovered, and some people would do anything to keep them buried, no matter who gets hurt. I’ll need the help of history and friends I can trust if I want to save Moses’ graveyard and protect his legacy. If only everyone believed it was one worth protecting…

THOUGHTS: This is a story about a teenage girl (17) who is transported from her home garden one evening to an old graveyard not far from her home where she meets a ghost. At first, I thought it a bit odd that she wouldn’t be freaked out about this, but as you read on and learn about Mary, you’ll come to understand her better and it makes sense. The ghost she meets is a man named Moses, who she discovers after time, was a slave. There’s also a real man, Isaiah, who had the same transport thing happen to him. Mary and Isaiah meet one Friday night but just as they’re getting to know each other and what happened to them, a man driving a bulldozer comes along, ready to “bury” the cemetery. And this is where we get the first hints of the story behind the story.

As Mary goes forward to fight the man who wants to destroy the cemetery, she learns that there are many secrets in the town that some people want to keep “buried”. As she digs into the history of the cemetery, she is confronted with racism and social injustice. Rather than fight evil with anger, she turns the tables and fights it with good – and with the power of the community (most of it) behind her.

I will say one thing about this story and that’s about the ending. It’s not your usual HEA style ending. It’s rough and not at all happy, but it is realistic. And that’s even better.

Recommended.