The Ghost Women: A Novel by Jennifer Murphy

Detective Lola Germany knew that there had been a body found at the prestigious--and secretive--school St. Luke’s Institute of the Arts. What she had not prepared herself for was that the body of Abel Montague had been hanged from a tree upside down in the pose of the Hanged Man tarot card that was also in his back pocket.

When Lola learns that Abel's girlfriend Pearl--whom he constantly cheated on--referred to her friend group as a coven, the investigation turns to Pearl and her friends.

But then, more bodies begin to pile up with each posed in the style of a different tarot card and Lola feels like she is in a race against time and, perhaps, something that persists throughout or even in spite of time.

When I spotted The Ghost Women: A Novel by Jennifer Murphy at a bookstore, I was immediately intrigued by both its title and cover. Once I began reading it, Murphy immediately sucked me into this complex tapestry of women who had been wronged (or worse) throughout the months, decades, and even centuries.

Murphy does an intriguing job of toeing the line between the reality as we know it and a potential fantastical one that the characters may or may not have crafted for their own purposes. Eventually, Murphy does show her cards (so to speak), but readers will have enjoyed the journey to the ultimate conclusion.

Ultimately, the ending of The Ghost Women (as well as the novel as a whole) is ethereal and satisfying without losing all of its grounding.

The Ghost Women: A Novel by Jennifer Murphy, Dutton