The Keeper of Lonely Spirits

December 1, 2024

Anderson (The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fisher) makes a big-publisher debut with this queer cozy fantasy, which receives a 75K-copy first printing. Immortal ghost hunter Peter is cursed to wander far from home forever, but his search for a vengeful spirit in Harrington, OH, offers him an unexpected chance at love and family again. Prepub Alert.

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December 16, 2024
Anderson (The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fisher) explores loneliness in old age in this refreshing gothic romantasy. Ghost hunter Peter Shaughnessy, 70, is cursed to live forever. His 200-year search for an evasive vengeful spirit takes him from town to town. He doesn’t get attached to anyone along the way, because he knows that he’ll inevitably outlive them. When his hunt takes him to Harrington, Ohio, he accepts a gig as the groundskeeper of Harrington Public Cemetery, responsible for sending away angry spirits that haunt the grounds. Lovable curmudgeon Peter still just wants to find the spirit he’s spent so long chasing, get rid of it, and move on to the next town, but as he spends more time in Harrington, he can’t help but grow closer to some of the residents—especially septuagenarian historian David Schwertner, with whom he develops a slow-burning romance. But to pursue a future together, Peter must confront his own past. The love story is moving and has just the right level of spice. Meanwhile, the search for the ancient ghost delivers enough horror-inflected moments to keep readers on the edge of their seats. TJ Klune fans will want to check out this heartfelt queer romp. Agent: Keir Alekseii, Azantian Literary. (Mar.)Correction: A previous version of this review misstated the name of the cemetery where the main character takes a job.

February 1, 2025
The groundskeeper, unnamed for several chapters, is cursed to wander eternally far from home. With the curse comes the ability to see ghosts; he travels between places releasing angry spirits from the areas they haunt. When he follows a ghost story to Harrington, Ohio, he finds himself getting attached to the people there: cemetery directory Nevaeh, whose father's ghost lingers protectively at the cemetery; neighborhood children Sayid and Samira, young enough to possibly still see ghosts; and the disbelieving museum director, David, whose deceased husband guards the museum. The groundskeeper's instant connection with David startles him into revealing his name for the first time in almost a century. The mission gets deeply personal as Harrington's angry ghost becomes more active and the groundskeeper communicates with both the living and dead to determine the source of the ghost's anger and its resting place before it does more damage to the town and the people the groundskeeper is coming to love. This riveting story combines an older protagonist, queer romance, and family connections with delightfully surprising twists.

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