Ghost Talkers

Today's post is on Ghost Talkers by Mary Robinette Kowal. It is a stand alone novel best I can tell. It is 299 pages long and is published by TOR. The cover multicolored with the main character in the center and a dead man at her feet. The intended reader is someone who likes historical novels with something extra, interesting worlds, and plots that keep you guessing. There is some mild foul language, no sex, and violence in this novel. The story is told from third person close of the main character. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- Ginger Stuyvesant, an American heiress living in London during World War I, is engaged to Captain Benjamin Harford, an intelligence officer. Ginger is a medium for the Spirit Corps, a special Spiritualist force.
Each soldier heading for the front is conditioned to report to the mediums of the Spirit Corps when they die so the Corps can pass instant information about troop movements to military intelligence.
Ginger and her fellow mediums contribute a great deal to the war efforts, so long as they pass the information through appropriate channels. While Ben is away at the front, Ginger discovers the presence of a traitor. Without the presence of her fiance to validate her findings, the top brass thinks she's just imagining things. Even worse, it is clear that the Spirit Corps is now being directly targeted by the German war effort. Left to her own devices, Ginger has to find out how the Germans are targeting the Spirit Corps and stop them. This is a difficult and dangerous task for a woman of that era, but this time both the spirit and the flesh are willing…

Review- This is one of the best books I have read last year. The plot is wonderful with just enough mystery to keep moving, the characters are interesting with lots of personality, and the world building is fantastic. The war is in the background of the story, it is something that is everywhere but it is not overwhelming. Ginger is a good heroine. She is interesting, she is curious, and she is brave. She does what needs to be done because it is right and if she doesn't do it who will? Kowal builds a very real world of people who can talk to ghosts. I wonder is she is going to continue in this world and what other magic may exist in it.

I give this novel a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.