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David Bussell
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Spectral Detective: A Three-Book Collection, Volume 1: Books 1-3 (Spectral Detective: Collected Volume) Kindle Edition

by David Bussell (Author), M.V. Stott (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 out of 5 stars 69 ratings

A ghost turned private investigator must rescue the souls of murder victims to atone for his mortal sins.



Jake Fletcher is an ex-exorcist. No, that wasn’t a stutter.

Once upon a time he evicted ghosts for a living, at least until he got killed and became one. Now he works as a phantom detective, offering his services to lost souls trapped between this world and the next.

But will his good deeds buy him a ticket to the good place, or is Jake destined to walk the streets of London as a phantom for all eternity?


Mystery, the macabre, and caustic wit collide in this bizarre noir. Fans of Jim Butcher, Ben Aaronovitch, and Benedict Jacka will love these page-turning detective stories with a supernatural twist. This collection combines the first three books in the continuing Spectral Detective series:

Spectral Detective,

Corpse Reviver,

Twice Damned.


Praise for the Spectral Detective Collection:

“Urban fantasy that hits all the right spots. Quick-paced story [and] wonderfully quirky characters. 5 stars without a single hesitation.” ★★★★★

“Amazingly well written, with a great cast of characters, this book was unputdownable for me.” ★★★★★

“Mystery, mayhem and facetiousness. Can't wait for the next instalment.” ★★★★★

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  1. Book 1 of 2
    Spectral Detective: Collected Volume
  2. Print length
    616 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    August 21, 2017
  5. File size
    5.7 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"If you're looking for a really fun read, give this a try!" ~ Shadows in Wonderland

From the Inside Flap

Experience The Uncanny and explore more from the Uncanny Kingdom Urban Fantasy Universe:

Spectral Detective
  • Deathday (exclusive mini-story)
  • Spectral Detective
  • Corpse Reviver
  • Twice Damned
  • Necessary Evil
  • Deadly Departed
  • Dread Spectre
Hexed Detective
  • Hexed Detective
  • Fatal Moon
  • Night Terrors
Dark Lakes
  • Magic Eater
  • Blood Stones
  • Past Sins
Branded
  • Sanctified
  • Turned
  • Bloodline
Uncanny Ink
  • Bad Soul
  • Bad Blood
  • Bad Justice
  • Bad Intention
  • Bad Thoughts
  • Bad Memories
London Coven
  • Underground Magic (exclusive mini-story)
  • Familiar Magic
  • Nightmare Realm
  • Deadly Portent
  • Other London
  • Darkly Dreaming
Receive EXCLUSIVE titles and never miss a new release by heading to uncannykingdom.com

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0751H1HVS
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Uncanny Kingdom
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 21, 2017
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ 3rd
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 5.7 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 616 pages
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 1 of 2 ‏ : ‎ Spectral Detective: Collected Volume
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 69 ratings

About the author

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David Bussell

David Bussell

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​David Bussell is a best-selling British author renowned for his contributions to the urban fantasy genre. He is the co-creator of the Uncanny Kingdom, a series that explores a secret Britain teeming with paranormal suspense stories. His notable works include the "Spectral Detective" series. David's writing prowess has been recognized with the P.G. Wodehouse New Comic Writer Award. Beyond his literary achievements, he is an avid fencer, a lover of synthwave music, and a committed comic book fan.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
69 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book collection enjoyable and appreciate its humor.

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3 customers mention "Enjoyment"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book enjoyable, with one mentioning they love the adventures.

"I love the adventures, and finding out how Jack gets himself out of the messes he gets himself into and love the humor." Read more

"...as a ghost solving other ghosts murders are clever, funny, and addicting...." Read more

"I found these books good entertainment and enjoyable...." Read more

3 customers mention "Humor"3 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the humor in the book, with one specifically appreciating the snarky dialogue.

"...how Jack gets himself out of the messes he gets himself into and love the humor." Read more

"...'s adventures as a ghost solving other ghosts murders are clever, funny, and addicting...." Read more

"Love the snark of the man and those he works with to solve the murders" Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Kathy
    5.0 out of 5 stars You get what's coming to you.
    Reviewed in the United States on July 17, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    I love the adventures, and finding out how Jack gets himself out of the messes he gets himself into and love the humor.
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  • Corliss Hudson
    4.0 out of 5 stars Just good fun
    Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    I read straight through all 3 books like chewing through a gourmet meal. Not to be a spoiler here but it would have been 5 stars, except I got a bit bogged down with the maggot. You will just have to me read for yourself to check that out. I will be looking for more from Mr Bissell in the future.
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  • Beth Daniels
    5.0 out of 5 stars MORE GHOST WRITING
    Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Confession -- I snapped up this series and marathoned it. It all began with laughing through the origin story/prequel novella discovered at Instafreebie. Author David Bussell is a master at the comedic turn of phrase. I believe he snagged a P.G. Wodehouse prize and I love Wodehouse for those lines that make a reader bark with laughter -- out loud. Jake Fletcher's adventures as a ghost solving other ghosts murders are clever, funny, and addicting. I'm not stopping with Jake's stories but going on to read the other series Bussell pens. But I'll really be looking forward to Jake's next case.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Georgia McNabb
    4.0 out of 5 stars 3 books in 1 Good Entertainment!!
    Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    I found these books good entertainment and enjoyable. The main character is a interesting mix of street wise and naive, kind of a (Ha Ha) lost soul sort to speak. I thought the Narrator did a good job ( like the various accents).
    worth the $ or credit again 3 books for price of 1!
    One person found this helpful
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  • Connie L. Lazenby
    5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining
    Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    The lead character was good; the supporting characters good/bad? I’m not sure what the author wants sometimes. How far am I being dragged, here, you know?
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  • The Mysterious Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars You can't go wrong with this collection
    Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2017
    This is a great collection of the first three novels in the Ghosted series. I frankly adore that series and highly recommend it. If you haven't started it yet you can't go wrong by doing it with this massive savings bargain of a collection.

    Here are my book by book reviews.

    Fresh Hell

    Fresh Hell, the first book in the Ghosted series (though it actually follows the excellent prequel Deathday which you can get free from the author), is set in David Bussell and MV Stott's wonderful "Uncanny Kingdom" urban fantasy universe. I'm just coming off a reading-high from books in a related series, the London Coven books (by MV Stott), so I expected good things. Boy oh boy was that expectation met.

    I love the whole concept of an ex-exorcist phantom, providing PI services to lost souls with the aim of solving their cases so that they can "pass on to the other side". Jake Fletcher is a fantastic (if nicely flawed) character and Fresh Hell easily passes what I call my "Dresden Test" both as a book (is it as good as the average Dresden book) and in terms of the starring character (how does that lead stack up against Harry D). I think my key word here is "top notch" as that describes the overall writing quality, the lead and supporting characters (and I love the snarky dialogue deployed at times), plot (fast paced and with appropriate thrills and adventure, twists and turns) and, as mentioned, the Uncanny Kingdom world built for the characters to play in (including the magic system that allows Jake to occasionally take over of other bodies - at times with pretty funny consequences).

    Bottom line is that this book is wonderfully written true snarky fun, and highly recommended.

    Something Rotten

    "When the dead start killing the living, the only person who can stop them is a man stuck between life and death."

    Darn catchy line - for a darn good book. I love the whole idea of Jake Fletcher the ghost PI. Every book in this series, from the prequel Death Day to this book, has been superb. Here our intrepid detective learns that someone is reviving corpses and using them as assassins. Not your ordinary case, but for a guy who outclasses Dresden (sorti Jim Butcher) you just know he has what it will take. Sure enough we get there, bit boy oh boy is the trip time o'fun.

    Highly recommended.

    Twice Damned

    Let me start by noting that I've loved the prior two books in David Bussell's Ghosted series and think that the story universe he and his partner in crime have created to share for their loosely linked Uncanny Universe stories (which also includes Stott's wonderful Dark Lakes and London Coven series, is the ideal platform for urban fantasy tales.

    As for Twice Damned, David Bussell has once again hit a home run. I'm not going to summarize the well done and wonderfully written plot, as the kindle blurb and others do so well (and I don't want to accidentally spoil anything) but I will say that this book (and series) easily exceeds what I call my Dresden Test, i.e. is it as good or better than Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files stories? There are some other authors who pass this test (Simon R.Green’s Nightside tales come to mind) but it's hard to think of others who excel like the Uncanny Universe duo do so consistently, and Twice Damned is perfect evidence of that. Jake, the lead here, is the perfect urban fantasy noire detective, and I love his empathetic, snarky, naive, brilliant and overly trusting soul. While a ghost, he's more "human" than many among the living and you have to love him for that. Wonderful series and a wonderful addition to it. Highly recommended.
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  • Lisa
    4.0 out of 5 stars He is a wonderfully snarky ghost using live bodies to solve mysteries
    Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Love the snark of the man and those he works with to solve the murders
    One person found this helpful
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  • Stan Hutchings
    5.0 out of 5 stars Uncanny goings-on in Camden - ghosts, demons, familiars, interdimensional pubs
    Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2018
    This is a great trilogy, full of hilarious prose, descriptions, similes and amazing uncanny denizens.
    The Spectral Detective Book 1 of 3 in the The Ghosted Series by David Bussell
    Jake Fletcher AKA The Polterguy. Now that he's dead, decides to atone for his sins as an exorcist while alive by helping souls find release from their earthly bonds as ghosts. This entails finding the murderers, and helping the police solve the crime. Which frees the soul. Jake should be so lucky! His murderer was found, but Jake still has to "clear his record" by helping souls in need, before he dare face Him for judgment. The prequel, "Deathday", introduces Jake Fletcher and his unique detective skills as a resident of the Uncanny Kingdom, which is congruent to Camden, but invisible to (most) humans. "Spectral Detective" takes place five years later, so it would be good to have read "Deathday" first to understand how Jake got to his present spectral state. There are references to his previous adventures as a ghost, and further interactions with DCI Kat Stronge and her partner DI Maddox while embodied in (as 'in possession of') his former tormenter and all-around bad guy Mark Ryan (how else could a ghost communicate with the mortal realm?). In his investigation of brutal murders, Jake comes up against a demon, and almost dies for a second time. The action is fast-paced, the dialog is humorous, liberally sprinkled with wit and fun to read.

    Corpse Reviver Book 2 of 3 in the The Ghosted Series by David Bussell
    Jake Fletcher continues to redeem his soul.
    Jake Fletcher says, "I help my clients find their way to the spirit world. Why? to offset some of my own bad mojo." His allies: Stella, made out of magic and spit about sixty-years ago as an enforcer to knock seven bells out of London’s Uncanny bad guys; DCI Stronge, his human connection to the police, and Jazz Hands, his source of magical accessories. Jake has a fairly ordinary complement of ghost powers—invisibility, intangibility, translocation, able to possess the living. Now, an exsanguinated corpse is a murder suspect, but had already died two days BEFORE the murder. Vampires? Zombies? No, worse! Jake finds out who is reviving corpses, and why. But bringing the murderer to justice might be "out of Jakes pay-grade". A fun read, lots of hilarious dialog, descriptions and similes; interesting characters, very imaginative plot.

    Twice Damned Book 3 of 3 in the The Ghosted Series by David Bussell
    Jake Fletcher, the Spectral Detective, would be damned to Hell for obliterating souls instead of freeing them, if he were to be judged by Him. In this investigation, his quest for Brownie points and his good intentions lead him literally to Hell for his second damnation. It's not anything like he expected. While there, his investigation figuratively 'goes to hell' as he tries to rescue an 'innocent lad'. Can he escape from the Pit and its denizens? And somehow remedy the mess he's made of the investigation? YES! Lots of very vivid and colorful imagery in descriptions of characters (I can't limit it to people), places and things. The writing is smooth, and flows from one situation to the next.
    One person found this helpful
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