Bit of a mixed bag, I really enjoyed the book, the story and subplots are griping,and the characters well written and believable, but I would have liked a little more to do with the supernatural side of things.

That aside, it was a really good read, and I look forward to reading more in the series

A VERY cosy mystery, with not too much mystery (the murderer is quite obvious from early on, even before he is identified in his POV sections). Still, an easy and tolerably entertaining read - maybe best for the beach, or if the reader is sick, certainly for a time when one doesn't want to stretch the brain too much. The prose isn't too bad, and the characters reasonably well-drawn - or, at least, they suit the superficial nature of the whole thing. My only major quibble is the take on a historical phenomenon that was mostly exploitative of so many grieving people: in reality, the so-called spiritualists were mercenary and fake.
My thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Alma Timperley has inherited the Timperley Spiritualist Hotel in Falmouth from a family member of whom she had no prior knowledge until a meeting with the solicitor executing the will. The inheritance however comes with conditions and Alma quickly gives up her very quiet life in a London suburb to move into and manage her new business which, she soon discovers, involves offering a very unique service to its guests. This quirky hotel is staffed by an eclectic team of staff.

Set in 1915, the First World War provides the backdrop to events. During a zeppelin raid a murder victim is hidden among the bombs victims. Throw into the mix espionage and a traitor named Excalibur, sending messages from Falmouth to the German intelligence, and the scene is set for an intriguing story.

The historical details, for example the blackout procedures, the King’s Pipe at Falmouth and the underwater telegraph repeater station at Porthcurno, make this a fascinating and engaging read. The characters are well developed with good dialogue and interesting interactions. The two love rivals for Alma’s affections adds a nice dimension to the story. Although the identity of the spy is revealed quite early in the story the events that unfold retain a sense of mystery.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and look forward to more of Alma’s exploits. My only minor criticism is that the books title does not particularly match the story that unfolds.

"A Ghost Hunter's Guide to Solving a Murder: A brand-new utterly gripping and paranormal cozy crime murder mystery" by F. H. Petford advertises itself as a cozy mystery and something ghost hunter like. However, I would say that this doesn't really fit into cozy mystery territory and there was lots of mention of spiritualism in World War I England/Germany. However, I would classify this more as a historical fiction book.

There's really no mystery to solve on the reader's part. We know pretty quickly who the German spy and culprit is since we get a narrative from their perspective where they identify themselves. Also, the majority of the story is from one of the mens' perspective and not the supposed main character, Alma. If it had been her investigating rather than the police, then it at least would have been a bit truer to cozy mystery. However, again, no mystery to actually solve.

With all that being said. If you're interested in historical fiction stories set during World War II with a touch on the Spiritualist side, then you'll probably enjoy this book. It has lots of action, a touch of romance and some interesting information from that era.

First off, I have to say that the title of the book is misleading. There really is no ghost hunter.

Moving on, the book was very enjoyable and at times quite nerve-wracking. This is based on a historical period and that makes it a bit more "real" especially in today's political climate. While there are murders in this book, (including one before the beginning of the book) solving the murder is not the primary driving force in the book. There are several sub-plots that all work together to build the intensity of the story. The blurb mentions a German spy and the year 1914, That puts us in World War One. I must have slept through that section of History class, as I didn't know that Britain was bombed in WWI. I was very aware of the Blitz in WW2. What this means is that this delightful work of fiction also advanced my education on world history.
Back to the book! There are several plots including some possible romance (very tame due to the time and not overly mushy. ) I love that the author used the revival of Spiritualism in that period as an interesting part of the plot. The characters were well written and very believable. That is why I found myself worrying that X or Y would be killed.
This story reminds us of the horrors of war and the decisions that have to be made in such an event.
I am very happy to have read this book, and if you have read this far, know that I do recommend it to you.
(four stars because of the misleading title)

A historical novel with a large dose of paranormal. Thankfully, I was reading on my Kindle which prevented me from skipping to the end to see what happens! This is a very exciting book, difficult to put down. Don't read before bedtime or you'll stay up until the wee hours of the morning to finial.
An excellent, thrilling read with lots of good historical information. Highly recommend!

I'll be honest, I DNF'd this book about 1/3 of the way through. It took way too long to get to the murder (which is in the title) and almost immediately after the murderer is narrowed down to 2 possible suspects, which takes the fun out of a murder mystery. There is also no ghost hunter, more of a reluctant medium. I hate to rate an ARC so poorly, but hopefully this one will get more editing before it's released.

It sadly didn't do for me, and I honestly think the reason why is due to receiving an e-ARC perhaps too early? It felt like being in the early stage, maybe a first draft, with necessary changes to be done before the final draft.

Despite the title, there is no "ghost hunter" here, and no real investigation to "solve a murder" from Alma. And while the blurb makes you feel like you'll be following Alma in a historical cozy mystery with a dash of fantasy... it turns out to be too many different point of views, and I feel like the genre of this book is more like a World War I historical fiction with magical realism.

The idea was honestly really interesting! The idea to use ghosts, the communication with them, from both sides of the war was a really good thing, and I'd have really loved reading a book about that - if there were only one plot, instead of a lot going everywhere.

I also have to say the writing style is more matter-of-fact, without emotions - here again, I sincerely hope it's due to the e-ARC and therefor will be modified before the book is out. Because this book really has potential, if it changes its marketing (going from cosy mystery to historical fiction with magical realism), and more emotions put into all of the characters.

A GHOST HUNTER’S GUIDE TO SOLVING A MURDER is set in 1915 England during WWI. A mix between a cozy paranormal mystery and historical fiction, the story follows Alma Timperley, who discovers she not only had an aunt, but is now the owner of the aunt’s spiritualist hotel in Falmouth upon her death. A clairvoyant herself, Alma is ready to continue her aunt’s legacy.

There are two main plots in the story — the unexpected death of a maid in the hotel, and the infiltration of Falmouth by a Nazi spy. I’m not typically a fan of historical fiction, and the wartime plot was a bit more than I would have preferred. The paranormal element took a bit of a backseat, sadly, as the story continued.

There were a few twists, but Alma’s slowness at picking up on clues was frustrating to me. At least it ended well.

If you like your cozies mixed with historical fiction, this might be a good choice for you.

🌟Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.🌟

What I expected from the title and the description were wildly different than how the book read. Truthfully I probably would have liked it more if those two things weren’t so misleading.

Firstly, this read like a first draft. Thoughts were everywhere that the author wanted to include but I found them not in the right place. For instance, the original narrator would think of a question in her mind and in the next letter from her aunt was the answer. I understand that her aunt has passed and left her this hotel, but the fact that she has pre planned letters that somehow answer every question as soon as she has them is strange. To add, we get some of Alma’s back story randomly and terribly done, brief glimpses would have worked just as well and left more words for the actual plot.

We jump to so many characters and a lot of the information is honestly not relevant. I understand that this book is set during the war, but this book screams cozy mystery from the cover and title, not historical mystery. We spend so much time on war events and war happenings that, in my opinion, do nothing for the plot. Also, some scenes would just repeat exactly what the reader found out from the last narrator or scene. It was so repetitive. It read like the author wrote multiple scenes for specific clues only to leave them all in.

Not to dilute the above, but for there to be a German spy or German sympathizer, they aren’t that bright. As they have German binoculars just laying around for multiple people to find. Or a German book hidden that is immediately found by the main character? You’d think a spy on foreign soil would be a little more discreet.

Also, for it to be named a “ghost hunters guide to solving a murder” what I assumed was that she was, I don’t know, a GHOST HUNTER. This girl can see the dead, she talks with them, I wouldn’t call that hunting. And for the solving of the murder, the first half of the book she doesn’t even know a murder or two has happened. No idea how she’s solving a murder during those parts. When I see a title like that I’m expecting to read mostly in the POV of the “ghost hunter” as she tries to solve a murder. Instead I was thrown around into multiple povs, redundant “clues” and idiot of a German spy on British soil, and what felt barely like a mystery since we were so focused on the history of the war.

All in all, this book just felt like random scenes thrown together in an attempt to write a murder mystery.

This kept me engaged from the start and I had to get to the ending. It was easy to read and flowed well. Overall my definite type of book. Thank you for an arc of this.

While I'm not usually a huge fan of historical fiction, I had a lot of fun reading this one. The author did a wonderful job at making the historical aspects intriguing with the supernatural mystery aspect.

This book was so much better than the title suggested. Set at the start of the First World War at the Timperley Spiritualist Hotel in Falmouth caters for the rich and grieving from well to do society who wish to contact their lost loves from beyond the grave.


One of the key aspects of the book concerns the popular belief in Spiritualism which had a resurgence in popularity with the outbreak of war as grieving loved ones sought out any way they could find or reconnect with their lost relatives. I'm always concerned about this because of how much exploitation took place as a result, but the book deals with this in a sensitive way, leaving things open to interpretation for those who believe and those who don't and without judgement on those who gained comfort.

I was surprised how much I enjoyed the daring war time narrative of spies and espionage. It was unexpected and really pacy.

This is clearly the set up of first in a series of books and I'd be happy to see what happens next for Alma and her hotel.
Thanks Netgalley for letting me read in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. It’s a historical fiction with a paranormal twist so I was all up in that! It’s a unique book with great character development. It’s a mixer-mystery and is definitely suspenseful. If you like historical fiction and books with paranormal elements, you’ll really enjoy this book.

A Ghost Hunter’s Guide to Solving a Murder is by FH Petford. Mr. Petford is a new author for me and I really enjoyed this book that appears to be the beginning of a historical mystery series. It is set during WWI in England and involves the military, supernatural elements and spies. It was a really interesting book and I enjoyed the way it was written. It doesn’t take long for the author to reveal who the murderer is, but then we get to read and enjoy watching the characters in the book figure out who did it. It was enjoyable to sit back and read their reasoning when we already had a lot more knowledge than they did. The use of the supernatural in the book was also quite surprising and original and really added to the plot. I hope Alma will have more mysteries to solve, especially those that involve supernatural elements. I would love to read more about her and all the characters at her hotel and in Falmouth.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book — it’s a historical fiction mystery set at the beginning of WWI, with a paranormal twist that made it even more intriguing. It was different than what I normally read, which are fast-paced thrillers but the writing is smooth and well done, and the story balances mystery and suspense in a way that kept me interested. The characters are interesting and well-developed, which made me care about what happened to them. While it doesn’t focus on everyday life in a typical way, it does give a unique glimpse into the era, mixing historical details with supernatural elements. The murder mystery added just the right amount of suspense to keep me turning the pages. If you like historical fiction with a spooky vibe and a thoughtful mystery, this book is definitely worth a read.

Alma Timperley inherits a spiritualist hotel from her aunt – whom she has never met – and moves her life (what there is of it) to the Cornish coast. The hotel offers visitors a chance to communicate with the dead, and given it’s 1914, they’re doing very nicely, thank you very much. But is there trouble afoot in the hotel? A housemaid’s body is discovered and dismissed at the consequences of wartime, but is it? Alma and the police investigate the shady goings-on, some of which are so well described, it’s like the reader was there too. An interesting premise and characters who leap from the page.

A cosy crime murder mystery with a difference.
The premise - that certain people actually can contact those who have died - is a fun twist, adding an extra layer to the storytelling. Combine this with a German spy sending secrets to Berlin and the stage is set for twists and turns galore.
Light entertainment that definitely begs a sequel.

A Ghost Hunter’s Guide to Solving a Murder is pure paranormal fun with a clever mystery at its heart and just the right touch of spooky charm. F.H. Petford delivers a delightful mix of cozy crime, ghostly antics, and amateur sleuthing that had me smiling, guessing, and flipping pages well into the night.

The premise is irresistible—a ghost hunter gets pulled into a real murder case, with a little help (and a lot of sass) from the spirit world. The result is a warm, witty mystery that balances supernatural intrigue with grounded emotional stakes. I loved the main character’s voice: skeptical, smart, and just the right amount of snarky, especially when dealing with the dead.

Petford has a knack for worldbuilding too—every haunted location felt vivid and eerie, and the ghostly elements added flavor without overwhelming the core mystery. Best of all, the relationships—both living and spectral—had depth, heart, and humor.

If you're a fan of quirky murder mysteries with paranormal flair, A Ghost Hunter’s Guide to Solving a Murder is a total treat. Think Only Murders in the Building meets Ghosts (with a little bit of Scooby-Doo energy in the best way). I’m already hoping for a sequel.