Saint Delilah by Isabelle Spotts

 Creepy.

 I'm really not into tragic horror stories.  When I read the small blurb about a new book being published August 11, 2026 by Berkeley Publishing I saw the description tag of paranormal but for some reason I focussed on paranormal as perhaps timetravel or other forms of paranormal. 

Nope.

Saint Delilah by Isabelle Spotts is not that. It's a good ole' horror story dealing with murder, ghosts, psychics and poltergeists.  Think...."Sixth Sense" with more of an adult flair of evil murder and trauma.  

Delilah, an exotic dancer at the club, "Night Faces" , owned by her longtime friend and protector Magda is violently murdered. Magda also happens to be a psychic who can contact spirits who have not yet crossed over to the afterlife.  Some spirits Magda can help move on towards their destiny.  But violent deaths becken the "keepers", those evil entities that feed on the trauma and consume the souls to turn the ghosts into evil poltergeists. 

Delilah is inherently good, yet the keepers are preying on her in much the same way her killer did, trying to take the last part of her humanity, her soul. Magda enlists a young man, Cross, to help find and kill Delilah's murderer so that Delilah's soul will be released to crossover.  Cross just happens to have psychic abilities also, he can see the physical bodies of ghosts and he falls in love with the enchanting Delilah's spiritual form.  They create an unholy love affair, man and ghost.  Magda's job just got more complicated to save her beloved friend and child of her heart. 

When I first began reading the book and grasped the true content of the story I must say I was turned off.  I just don't enjoy paranormal ghost stories.  However, the further I read into the story I saw several themes emerge.  Mourning loved ones and living through a healthy grief process was one.  In this story many of the characters did not do this, but Magda attempts to help them process and let go.  Embracing a person's life and memories while coming to terms with the loss is essential and the book Saint Delilah illustrates this theme in a complicated thought provoking  way.  Another theme I identified was "actions and consequences."  Every action in life can have a positive and negative consequence and a person must own their response to those actions.  

Spotts is a gifted writer, her characters are intense and well developed. Her writing is compelling, obviously, to hook me into a horror story which is a genre I do not enjoy.  She has a strong voice and excellent plotting skills.  

I hope she explores other genres because I'd like to read more of her writing, but probably won't be choosing another paranormal book.  Saint Delilah publishes August 11th, but I think Halloween would be the time to read this one if you are into creepy, scary literature.  I give Saint Delilah four stars.  It is well done. 

Thank you to Berkeley Publishing group, NetGalley, and Isabelle Spotts for the Advanced Reader's Copy of Saint Delilah in exchange for this honest review. 

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