Ghost Seer series — by Robin D. Owens
Genres and Sub-Genres[]
Light Urban Fantasy / PNR
Series Description or Overview[]
Straight-laced Clare has to come to terms with the fact that she can now see ghosts and keep her fingers crossed that her new love interest doesn’t think she’s completely nuts when he finds out. ~ Dark Faerie Tales
The story follows Clare's acceptance of her new paranormal "gift" passed down from her aunt, and Zach's acceptance of his new life as a disabled person, after being shot through the shin in the line of duty. ~ Goodreads Reader
This series is as lightweight as a Harlequin novel and as cozy as a Miss Marple whodunit, combining romance, mystery, and spiritualism with just a soupçon of angst, sex, and danger. ~ Fang-tastic
Lead's Species[]
- human who sees ghosts
Primary Supe[]
- ghosts
What Sets it Apart[]
Narrative Type and Narrators[]
- Told in the third-person voice from the alternating perspectives of ghost-seeing heroine Clare and recently ex-police officer Zach.
Books in Series[]
Ghost Seer series:
- Ghost Seer (2014)
- Ghost Layer (2014)
- Ghost Killer (Feb 3, 2015)
Shorts, Novellas, Anthologies and Guides[]
none yet
World Building[]
Setting[]
Denver
Places:
- Curly Wolf: ghost town—Dennis Laurentine moved an entire ghost town onto his huge ranch in South Park County.
- Creede, Colorado:
Supernatural Elements[]
✥ Ghost seer, Ghosts, talking ghost dog, crows, killer ghost, Magic Knife,
Glossary:[]
- Magic Knife:
World[]
- "…ghosts float or haunt so they need to be laid to rest. Ghost layers." — Enzo
The heroine is Clare Cermak, who has just inherited her eccentric great-aunt's multimillion-dollar estate. That should make her happy, but what comes along with the money scares her to death. Grant-Aunt Sandra aways claimed to be a medium, insisting that she could see ghosts and communicate with the dead. Although her family always thought that she was a fraud, Aunt Sandra accumulated her wealth by charging large sums of money to people who wanted to speak with their dead relatives or friends. As soon as Clare returns to her home in Denver after clearing up Sandra's estate business in Chicago, she begins seeing and hearing ghosts…everywhere she goes. She also discovers that Aunt Sandra had a ghost dog, a Labrador named Enzo, who insists that he will be living with Clare from now on. Clare is an accountant—a logical, down-to-earth CPA—and she absolutely does not believe in ghosts, so she believes that she is beginning to go crazy.
Aunt Sandra saw and heard only the ghosts of people who died in Chicago and New York City in the 1920s and 1930s, but the ones Clare sees are Old West phantoms who lived between 1850 and 1900 (e.g., cowboys, gold miners, gun fighters, saloon girls). As her ghostly dog explains to her, "The human mind can only comprehend ghosts from one slice of history." (p. 27)
A recurring element in the novels is "Counting Crows," a folk poem about crows, and every time Zach sees a certain number of crows, a related line in the poem comes true in some fashion. I found several versions of this poem, but none is an exact match to this one, which the author includes just before chapter 1:
- One for sorrow,
- Two for luck
- Three for a wedding,
- Four for death;
- Five for silver,
- Six for gold;
- Seven for a secret,
- Not to be told;
- Eight for heaven,
- Nine for [hell]
- And ten for the devil's own sell!
In the first two novels, the author uses legendary people from the Old West as the ghosts at the center of the plots: Jack Slade, the infamous gunfighter, in book one; and J. Dawson Hidgepath, the amorous miner, in book two. ~ Fang-tastic
Protagonists[]
Clare Cermac’s life has certainly taken a turn for the unexpected. First, her aunt dies, leaving the majority of her fortune and estate to Clare. Suddenly a millionaire, Clare has to decide what direction her life should take. Then the ghost of her aunt’s dog shows up, telling her that she’s inherited her aunt’s gift for seeing the dead, and that she needs to take on the responsibility of helping ghosts find peace. As any person would do, Clare immediately makes an appointment with a therapist. Soon though, she begins to find it harder and harder to ignore the fact that something supernatural is certainly happening to her. ~ ?
Zach Slade is a man with a chip on his shoulder, having recently retired as a police officer due to an injury suffered in the line of duty. Now back in Colorado, he’s trying to start his life over. When he runs into Clare one day, he feels his life is finally starting to look up. Little does he know that Clare is going to make him question what is real and what’s not. Will he be able to accept her newfound gift, or will he write her off as crazy ~ ?
Clare's love interest is Jackson Zachary Slade (Zach), a former deputy sheriff who is forced to end his 13 years in law enforcement after being shot by a drunk driver. The bullet severed the peroneal nerve in his lower leg that controls his ankle and foot movements, so he now has a condition called foot drop, causing him to limp along using a cane to hold himself steady. Zach is still in denial about his disability, and he sorely misses his previous career. As the series opens, he leaves the Montana town where he was a deputy sheriff and moves back to Denver. ~ Fang-tastic
Sidekick[]
- Name: Enzo / What: Ghost Dog / Sidekick-to: Clare Cermak / About: mix of wise spirit guide and playful canine / Book First Seen: Ghost Seer
Characters Chart[]
Ghost Seer Series ~ Shelfari
Characters | What | About |
---|---|---|
Clare Cermak | human | just inherited her aunts gift to see ghosts |
Zach Slade;,on Zachary Slade | PI, ex-cop | has a bit of Second Sight; love interest; injured leg; formerly a deputy sheriff till he was shot in the leg; |
Enzo | Ghost dog | ghost of a talking dog; mix of wise spirit guide and playful canine companion; belonged to Clare's aunt; may be more than he seems; |
Jack Slade | ghost, | notorious since his death, begs Clare to help him find something to finally pass into the afterlife; |
Tony Rickman | PI firm owner | Zach's new boss; hires Clare for a case |
Aunt Sandra | ghost seer | deceased; left Clare her estate, her gift for seeing ghosts and a ghost dog; |
Dennis Laurentine | PI client | ghost problem |
J. Dawson Hidgepath | ghost | ghost of a legendary Colorado gold miner who died violently in 1865 |
Desiree Rickman | Tony's wife | Tony's attractive, irrepressible wife |
Harry Rossi | ex-military guy | does bodyguard work for Rickman Security |
Caden LuCette | seven-year-old great-grandson of Zach Slade's landlady, Barbara Flinton | |
Barbara Flinton | Zach's landlady | |
To expand the table, in Edit–Visual mode, right-press on a Row of the table or Column (Control-press on a Mac)—choose add Row or Column. Or, in Source Mode: copy-paste rows.
Author[]
Robin D. Owens
- Website: Home | Robin D. Owens
- Genres: Fantasy, Fantasy-Romance, PNR-Paranormal Romance, romantic adventure, Urban Fantasy,
Bio: Robin D. Owens has been writing longer than she cares to recall. Her fantasy/futuristic romances finally found a home at Berkley with the issuance of HeartMate in December 2001. She has been the librarian, contest co-chair, and President of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers. ~ FF
Contributors[]
Cover Artists[]
- Artist: Tony Mauro — Source: ISFdb Bibliography: Ghost Seer
Other Contributors[]
- Audio Book Narrator: — Source:
- Editor: — Source:
Publishing Information[]
- Publisher: Penguin,
- Author Page: Robin D. Owens - Penguin Books USA
- Bk-1:
Book Cover Blurbs[]
✤ BOOK ONE—Ghost Seer (2014): There’s just something about Clare. Apart from the ghosts…... When her eccentric aunt passes away, no-nonsense accountant Clare Cermac inherits more than just a small fortune. She receives the gift of communicating with ghosts. While Clare may not believe in spirits, it’s hard to overlook the shadowy talking dog appearing on her bed or spectral cowboys tipping their hats to her in the streets of Denver. And when she locks eyes with sexy—and living—Zach Slade, there’s certainly no ignoring him either. A former deputy sheriff, Zach is leaving a painful past behind in Montana for a new life in Denver as a private investigator, a job that has him crossing paths with beautiful Clare. Not that she minds. After the restless ghost of a Wild West gunman demands her assistance, Clare finds herself needing Zach more and more—and not just for help. ~ Goodreads | Ghost Seer (Ghost Seer, #1) by Robin D. Owens
✤ BOOK TWO—Ghost Layer (2014): Clare Cermak’s adjusting to a new man in her life—and a lot of ghosts. The passing of Clare’s aunt gave way to a sizeable inheritance of not only money, but also the ability to communicate with the dead. At the same time, she met Zach Slade, a private detective with a rough past, and just like Clare, he’s not yet ready to accept her gift—or his own. But Clare has another matter to look into. A multimillionaire needs her help after relocating an old ghost town to his mountain estate. The bones of a murdered prospector are making nightly appearances in his guests’ beds. When the gold miner’s ghost contacts Clare, she promises to help find the name of his killer—but someone doesn't want the past revealed and might find her first. ~ Goodreads | Ghost Layer (Ghost Seer, #2) by Robin D. Owens
✤ BOOK THREE—Ghost Killer (2015): When her aunt died, level-headed accountant Clare Cermak inherited a fortune—as well as a phantom dog and the power to help ghosts move on. Her new gift led her to Zach Slade, a sexy private investigator with a unique psychic gift of his own, and the man who’s slowly opening her heart. But as they work toward building a future together, a sinister threat emerges. An evil ghost is ravaging Creede, Colorado, threatening to devour the spirit of an innocent boy. Inexperienced in facing such a powerful ghost—and knowing her spirit, too, could be ripped away—Clare still can't refuse to help. With Zach’s support she uncovers the ghost’s identity, and the ancestral weapon required to slay it. But does Clare dare to use that weapon before the ghost destroys the man she loves—and her own spirit? (less) ~ Goodreads | Ghost Killer (Ghost Seer, #3) by Robin D. Owens
First Sentences[]
- Ghost Seer (2014) — The moment he walked through that door, Zach Slade's career, the one he loved, was over.
- Ghost Layer (2014) — Zach Slade's new cane had been delivered when he was gone.
- Ghost Killer (2015) — Danger comes. Enzo howled running through the door, not the doorway, the door.
Quotes[]
- Robin D. Owens Quotes (Author of Heart Mate) ~ Goodreads
- Ghost Seer Series ~ Shelfari
Read Alikes (similar elements)[]
- Greywalker series
- Downside Ghosts series
- Zoe Martinique series
- Cassandra Palmer series
- Alex Craft series
- Soul Screamers series
- Shade series
- Jensen Murphy, Ghost for Hire series
- Ghost Stories series
- Ghost Finders series
- Anya Kalinczyk series
~
See Category links at bottom of page
Awards[]
Trivia[]
- Lists That Contain Ghost Seer (Ghost Seer, #1) by Robin D. Owens
- Lists That Contain Ghost Layer (Ghost Seer, #2) by Robin D. Owens
- Lists That Contain Ghost Killer (Ghost Seer, #3) by Robin D. Owens
Notes[]
See Also[]
- UF Book Release Schedules
- List of Sidekicks
- List of Vampires of Urban Fantasy
- Characters (category)
- Lists and Articles - Category: Urban Fantasy Wiki
- Urban Fantasy Links
See Category links at bottom of this page
External References[]
Books:
- Ghost Seer Series | Robin D. Owens ~ Author
- Goodreads | Ghost Seer series by Robin D. Owens ~ Goodreads
- Robin D Owens ~ FF
- Ghost Seer - Series Bibliography ~ ISFdb
- Ghost Seer Series ~ Shelfari
- Ghost Seer | Series | LibraryThing ~ LibraryThing
- FictFact - Ghostlayer series by Robin D. Owens ~ FictFact
- Robin D. Owens - Summary Bibliography ~ ISFdb (author)
- Robin D. Owens - RomanceWiki
Freebies & Excerpts:
Summaries:
World, Characters, etc:
Content References:
- Second sight - Wikipedia
- J.D. Hidgepath, the most amorous ghost of the Rockies - Denver History | Examiner.com
- Buckskin Joe Colorado - Gone & Back & Gone Again
- Haunted Places: The National Directory: Ghostly Abodes, Sacred Sites, UFO ... - Dennis William Hauck - Google Books
Reviews:
- Ghost Seer by Robin D Owens #1 | Yummy Men and Kick Ass Chicks
- Review: Ghost Seer #1 by Robin D Owens | Rabid Reads
- Review: Ghost Seer #1 by Robin D. Owens | Dark Faerie Tales
- Review: Ghost Seer #1 by Robin D. Owens #1 | Vampire Book Club
- Between dreams and reality | Ghost Seer #1 by Robin D. Owens
- Fiction Book Review: Ghost Seer #1 by Robin D. Owens ~ PW
- REVIEW: Ghost Seer #1 by Robin D Owens | Harlequin Junkie
- Ghost Seer #2 by Robin D. Owens – a Review | The Reading Cafe
- Ghost Layer #2 by Robin D Owens #2 | Yummy Men and Kick Ass Chicks
- Ghost Layer by Robin D. Owens (Ghost Seer #2) |
- Joint Review – Ghost Killer (Ghost Seer #3) by Robin D. Owens | The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter
Interviews, Guest Posts, Author Commentary:
Artist:
Author:
- Home | Robin D. Owens
- Robin D. Owens (Author of Heart Mate) ~ gR
- On Writing & Publishing by Robin D. Owens
- Berkley/Jove Authors: Robin D. Owens
Community, Fan Sites: