Ghastly Mistake by Byrd Nash - Book Review

Series: Madame Chalamet Ghost Mysteries #6 (Not a Standalone)

Publication Date: 24th April 2024

Genre: Gaslamp Paranormal Mystery, Romance 

3.5 stars (rounded up) 

One Liner: Mixed feelings 

Elinor is accused of a murder she didn’t commit. Someone is out to get rid of her, and she must do everything possible to save herself and find the culprit. Tristan is by her side throughout, but the fight is not easy. The King’s life is at risk, Twyla is missing, and past truths are revealed. Elinor’s world turns upside down as they dig deeper. 

What will it take to save her dear ones and stay alive? 

The story comes in Elinor’s first-person POV. 

My Thoughts: 

This is the last book in the series and provides answers to many questions. It cannot and should not read as a standalone. Reviewing the book is hard, as I have to be careful about spoilers for the entire series! 

I was excited to read this, knowing that the stakes would be high. Some of my guesses were right (yippee!), which always makes me happy. 

The tension is well done. Elinor is snapping and losing her calm. Tristan is terrific, of course. Marcus is one of my favorite characters. That kid will go places! Twyla is another favorite, and I would 1000% love a spin-off with her in the lead role. 

The pacing is on the slower side, or so it seems since there’s more planning and waiting. When the action comes, it does deliver to a good extent. I liked some of it but wanted more at other times. That oomph was largely missing this time. 

However, the biggest issue is the misalignment between my expectations and the content in the last quarter. Let’s say that some developments were not appealing. Oh, they perfectly align with the character arcs. But did they have to occur that way? Dunno. 

When I read the last page of the final book in a series, I want to feel satisfied with how things ended. Here, I can’t really say I am. It feels more like we stopped a few pages away from the kind of HEA I like. Of course, it’s a personal thing, so this could be right up your alley. Still, I’ll add that a spin-off is even more necessary in this case. The end has to be on a high note. 

Nevertheless, the book has many good moments and brings everything together nicely. The truth (in various forms) is revealed, and the masks are off. 

To summarize, Ghastly Mistake is the finale of the series and brings together the various threads left loose in the previous books. The setting and paranormal elements seamlessly blend as they do throughout. This may not be how I wanted the series to end, but it is a worthy read. 

My many thanks to the author for eARC.