Loose Ends - A Mary O'Reilly Paranormal Mystery (Book 1) [Kindle Edition]

Terri Reid (Author)

Book Description

Dying is what changed Mary O’Reilly’s life. Well, actually, coming back from the dead and having the ability to communicate with ghosts is really what did it.
Now, a private investigator in rural Freeport, Illinois, Mary’s trying to learn how to incorporate her experience as a Chicago cop and new-found talent into a real job. Her challenge is to solve the mysteries, get real evidence (a ghost’s word just doesn’t hold up in court), and be sure the folks in town, especially the handsome new police chief, doesn’t think she’s nuts.
Twenty-four years ago, a young woman drowned in the swimming pool of a newly elected State Senator. It was ruled an accident. But now, as the Senator prepares to move on to higher positions, the ghost of the woman is appearing to the Senator’s wife.
Mary is hired to discover the truth behind the death. She unearths a connection between the murder and the disappearance of five little girls whose cases, twenty-four years later, are still all unsolved. As she digs further she becomes the next target for serial killers’ quest to tie up all his loose ends.

Product Details

• File Size: 383 KB
• Print Length: 278 pages
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B003Y5H8IK
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,257 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • #16 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Horror > Ghosts
  • #16 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Romance > Paranormal > Ghosts
  • #17 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Horror > Ghosts

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

93 of 95 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars 'Loose Ends' is Spooky, Funny, and Left Me Wanting More! August 8, 2010

By Kathleen

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

This Mary O'Reilly Mystery is both scarey and funny, with wonderful characters and lots of action. I was not certain 'who done it' until the very end, and I couldn't put it down until it was all over! AND it ended with a twist, the perfect set up for the next book.

Mary and Bradley are just plain fun together - can't help but laugh out loud - but I found the characters of Rosie and Stanley to be a terrific foil to Mary's dry quips. They are the kind of pals we all wish we had: delightfully honest and totally on your side. Lucky Mary!

Gimme more, Ms. Reid - don't keep us wondering about where 'you-know-who' has been for so long! Alive or...???

Loose Ends is a hit!

73 of 77 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A very good read! August 15, 2010

By Michele Ferrette

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I saw a tweet about this book which had a link to an article that was written about the author and how she got her first book published through Amazon and I decided to give the book a try. I am all for giving new authors a try and boy am I glad I did! I really enjoyed this book and the characters in it. I found the flow to be very fluid. And even though it is a paranormal mystery, there's no vampires or werewolf anywhere to be seen... THANK GOODNESS! I am going to put Terri Reid on my authors to watch list. It will be fun to see how she develops Mary and Bradley's relationship; there is obvious more that can be written there.

58 of 62 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful start to an interesting series August 3, 2010

By Rustin C. Ellefson

Format:Kindle Edition

A very enjoyable read. Very likable characters, and an interesting plot.
I really enjoyed Mary's interaction with Stanley and Rosie.
I am interested in seeing what is next for Mary and Bradley.
It had a very satisfying ending, and I can't wait for future installments.
All in all, a great mystery!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Mystery, suspense, romance and ghosts! What a treat. April 12, 2011

By A Book a Day TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I don't know if you tend to have lower expectations when you spend .99 cents on a book, but this is no bargain story. I was absolutely hooked from beginning to end and the length is actually perfect and portrayed everything I was looking for. There's all the elements for a great paranormal mystery romance thriller with a perfect cast of characters and wonderful humor that's easy to keep up with and perfect with its pace.

Mary O'Reilly is an ex-cop who was shot in the line of duty and died. When she came back, she had a unique ability. She could see and speak to ghosts. Meshing her skills with her new talent, she becomes and private investigator for paranormal activities and lives a fairly reclusive life since the town thinks she's crazy. She has two wonderful friends, Rosie and Stanley, the town old gossipers, and a mystery hunk that she runs with but doesn't speak to at the park.

When a senator and his wife start seeing the ghost of a young woman who died at their home 24 years earlier, Mary is called in to investigate. Mary quickly learns that not only was the young woman murdered, but it is somehow tied in with a case of missing girls from 24 years prior as well. None of the cases were ever solved, so as Mary questions the history of these events, she finds herself the target of a murderer trying to cover his tracks. When her life becomes endangered, she also discovers herself the unwilling ward of protection from the new Chief of Police, Bradley Alden, aka her mystery hunk. From there, Mary and a skeptical Bradley work together to catch a killer.

The story line is fantastic and the dialogue is witty and fun. Although its not hard to figure out who the murderer is, you really don't mind since the story keeps a great suspenseful pace.... It would be nice if Mary were perhaps a little more kickass with her excop skills, but it really works that she's not a superhero. She bleeds, she's afraid of death, especially after having done that before, and ultimately she's human. This is a great intro to a series that I will definitely continue. Read more ›

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great New Find August 4, 2010

By gaylewigg

Format:Kindle Edition

I read Terri Reids' notice on one of the Kindle Community postings and decided to try her book. Boy am I glad I did. It grabbed me from the beginning and I couldn't put it down until I finished it. It was fun, exciting and challenging. Her characters were believable and I wanted more. Hopefully, we'll be seeing new adventures for Mary and et.al. soon. Try this mystery, it's different and enjoyable.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Just a fun read August 18, 2010

By Lorenzo De Leon

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I have to confess that Terri is a dear friend that I've known for too many years for either of us to admit. I didn't really know what to expect. "Loose Ends" was such a fun read and I heard her voice as I read it. She is a wonderful storyteller in person and her talent is very much in evidence here. Fans of the Dresden books will also enjoy her book. I agree with an earlier reviewer that said that this is a great start to an addictive book series. I also see it as a TV show on the Syfy channel.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Oh my January 1, 2012

By lisakp71

Format:Kindle Edition

I enjoyed the idea of the story, lets start there. I think an ex-cop who sees dead people is a great premise, and the mystery to be solved is a pretty decent one.

There is just so much visible effort in the writing that it's a little distracting, as are the odd editorial choices. The author is a fan of the hyphen, in places I've not seen them before: week-end, pick-up truck. I would get stuck on it for a second instead of continuing with the story. Other inconsistencies like a ghost who breaks doors, but is then reminded not to fade through a wall, or two mysteries that have ZERO reason to be linked together in the main characters' heads just suddenly are (simply because the author needs them to be...but give me a reason to believe why the characters went there!) also draw attention to the structure rather than furthering the story. Just two examples of many.

I think this might sound more critical than intended. I read the story and liked the characters, but found it slightly frustrating to spend energy ignoring the distractions and inconsistent logic. I'd like to see more by this author as experience is gained.

More About the Author

Terri Reid has been telling ghosts stories since she was a toddler. Her mother tells of a time when two-year old Terri would sit in her highchair, look past her mother into the dark back porch and say, "Look. Man." When her mother would turn in horror, Terri would laugh delightedly.
Terri lives in the same area of the United States as her Mary O'Reilly character, Northwest Illinois. She lives on five acres of rolling land in a 100 year-old farmhouse, with her husband, children, dogs, cats and several dozen chickens (well, the chickens live in the barn.)
Her background is in marketing and public relations, but she has always enjoyed telling stories. For a while, she worked as a freelance journalist for the local paper and wrote the Halloween feature for many years, collecting as many local ghost stories as she could. She gave her collection of local ghost stories to the local historical society to use as a fundraiser, they are now in their third printing.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#43 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Horror

#50 in Books > Romance > Fantasy & Futuristic

#100 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers > Mystery

#43 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Horror

#50 in Books > Romance > Fantasy & Futuristic

#100 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers > Mystery