Book: Unalive on Air by Jemma Croft
Reviewed by ErikaWasReading
Rating: 5/5
When Gary Runcorn’s 2 am radio show is canceled, he takes a chance on a random letter directing him to The Paragon Hotel in Cornwall to solve the decades-old murder of actress Imogen Savona and stay on air. And it seems like a job opening with the ExorSquad is the perfect way for him to go undercover and investigate.
When Gary wakes up dead after the first night, he is determined to continue working on the case with the help of his new ghostie friends. As he connects with the other folks who have fallen victim to The Paragon’s curse, especially Trystan, the ridiculously hot surfer who died in the 90s, Gary learns that there may be more to live for in the afterlife.
I’ve been curious about Gary’s story ever since he and Charlie had their ExorSquad “training” together. Gary’s story, being a whodunnit mystery with a large cast of characters, was perfect!
I loved that, even in death, Gary didn’t lose his sense of justice or his need to give voice to overlooked and untold stories. And I loved that for these cases, Gary wasn’t alone in gathering evidence or sharing the case. In the afterlife, Gary gains confidence, finds a circle of friends who care deeply about him, solves a series of murders, and falls in love. I guess it turns out there is a lot of life after death. But more importantly, I liked that Gary didn’t really change; he just came to appreciate himself.
The slow-burn romance between Gary and Trystan is perfect. The Gary who died wasn’t ready to be a partner, but the Gary who figured out how to ghost-radio his way back on air could meet Trystan halfway.
Finally, I really enjoyed all The Youngscares (even Stove). I am a huge fan of found family books, and it was so much fun reading about the group of ghosties. The discussion of unfinished business and choosing when/if to move on added a unique component to this entry in the series.
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I received an advance copy of this book from the author at no charge. This is my honest, voluntary review.