Ghost Image is the second book in the Sophie Medina series written by Ellen Crosby, whose twelve-book Wine Country series I've also read and enjoyed. Set mostly in Washington DC, Ghost image revolves around photographer Sophie Medina who gets pulled into a murder after working at a wedding for a friend. Through a cast of politicians, businessmen, clergy, and scientists, Sophie discovers that Thomas Jefferson's lost seeds have been found, but the person who finds them is murdered before he can reveal the truth. While her husband is away in Russia, Sophie investigates her friend's death and learns a lot about history.

Crosby is an excellent storyteller. She weaves some magic in her descriptions and plots, and there's an element of historical fiction and thriller between the pages to keep readers fascinated and intrigued. A lot of background is necessary, but that's what draws you into the complexity of the story and the nuances of our Founding Fathers. Traveling to London sets the stage too, since so much of America was born from Great Britain. As always, the drama is at a high, and Sophie almost dies herself. But this isn't a light mystery; it's fully developed and contains multiple sub-plots that eventually come together. Looking forward to the third book's release in 2023.1-fiction 3-multi-book-series33 s Aditi920 1,443

“A picture is a secret about a secret, the more it tells you the less you know.”

----Diane Arbus, an American photographer


Ellen Crosby, an American authors, pens her new book in the Sophie Medina series, Ghost Image, where Sophie Media, a photo journalist, finds her best friend-cum-Franciscan dead in the middle of a holy church, followed by the revelation behind an age old mystery related to a particular kind of seed and plant which is believed to be very extinct, little did she knew that her friend's discovery would even shake up the whole political world and other beneficiaries from D.C to London.


Synopsis:

When international photojournalist Sophie Medina finds Brother Kevin Boyle, a Franciscan friar and controversial environmentalist, dead in the magnificent gardens of a Washington, DC monastery, she is sure her friend was murdered. Shortly before he died, Kevin told Sophie he was being stalked, possibly because he uncovered a botanic discovery potentially worth millions of dollars. Left with few clues to his secret, Sophie is determined to figure out who killed Kevin.

Beginning with a key that leads to a priceless original seventeenth-century encyclopedia of plants, Sophie leaps into an international treasure hunt following a trail that begins in the US Capitol and eventually leads to London and the English countryside. Before long Sophie suspects Kevin's murderer may have been someone who knew him well. With time running out and a suspect list that includes the world's leading botanical experts and political royalty from both sides of the Atlantic, can Sophie solve the two-hundred-year-old mystery before Kevin's killer finds her?

A tale of greed and betrayal involving politicians, diplomats, European royalty, and a century-old monastery, Ghost Image is filled with political intrigue, history, and an international high-stakes race against a killer that will keep you guessing until the very last page.


Sophie Media is a professional photographer who is hired by a common friend of hers to shoot his engagement as well as the wedding, which happens to be the wedding of Washington D.C's ambassador's daughter, Yasmin. On the night of the wedding party, Sophie was invited by the ambassador to photograph all the guests belonging from high political ranks to billionaires. Sophie learns from her friend, Kevin, a Franciscan, that he has unlocked a great mystery about a 200 year old encyclopedia of plants. Unfortunately, on the very next day of the party, Sophie finds him dead on the holy grounds of the monastery, followed by Sophie's journey from D.C to London where she finds this book and the original one too and some rare and extinct species of seeds, little did she knew knew that many high profile people are after that encyclopedia, and if they find any hurdle on their way to find that book, they have the power to kill.


The writing is polished and certainly the author knows how to spin her mystery with webs of misdirection and twists and danger. One best thing of this book is that the author introduces her readers with all the key characters briefly right in the begining of the first chapter, and these characters' definitely sticks to the readers minds when they start playing their respective roles. The prose is very articulate and the narrative is kept engaging to the very core.

The pacing is also very good and the way she have sketched the characters by drawing in with a bit of realism, helps the readers to immediately connect with them even though some are layered with lots of confusion and grey shades. The main character, Sophie, is a strong heroine, who is very independent and immediately jumps into action when she finds Kevin's dead body. Since this is the second book in this series, it still can be read as a standalone, as the author pours the back story of Sophie's previous life in London and about her marital life once again through this story. Sophie's POV leaves a lot of room for readers' own perspective and judgement.

The mystery that starts spinning it's web right from the very first page of the book which seeps through the minds of readers a drug. Moreover, the author skillfully layered the mystery with lots of adrenaline-rushing actions that easily keeps the readers on their edges. The theory or the concept that the author used to build up her mystery is quite enlightening to read about, especially it proves to be very captivating to read about 200 year old mystery behind plants, herbs and their behaviors dating back almost to the 17th century.

The background of the story is vividly captured in the storyline be it the cold gardens of DC or the posh streets of London. Overall, it's a packed, tight and gripping mystery that somehow managed to unravel my mind.

Verdict: Mystery lovers will appeal to this book very much!

Courtesy: Thanks to the author, Ellen Crosby, for giving me an opportunity to read and review her book. family friends london-england ...more20 s Sue Em1,390 100

Both of Ellen Crosby's series are set around the DC area, although one is mostly set on the wine and horse areas of Virginia. And both contain elements that are tied to interesting facts, often not well known, of American history. Sophie Medina, a world renown photographer, agreed to take wedding photos as a personal favor to the groom. While at a pre-wedding event, she noticed a friend of hers arguing with someone. The next day her friend told her he was being stalked and that he was on the verge of proving something of historical impact. Later that day, she discovers his body. The plot is complex and totally fascinating.
Rounding up from 4.5 ⭐4 s Becky Hutchison84 2

GHOST IMAGE, by Ellen Crosby, the intriguing and suspenseful second novel in the Sophie Medina Mystery Series, begins in Washington DC and spans the Atlantic Ocean into London and the English countryside. Trying to solve the death of a friend, Franciscan friar and controversial environmentalist Kevin Boyle, leads freelance photographer, Sophie Medina, into a 200-year-old mystery involving a priceless 17th century encyclopedia of plants. Not only is she trying to locate the rare, original botanical book as quickly as possible, but she needs to identify her friend's murderer before she becomes the next victim.

Important characters are introduced at the start of the story as party attendees at the Austrian ambassador's posh Kalorama neighborhood residence in DC. What could have been a very confusing lead in to the characters and their high political and royal status is handled very smoothly by the author. The main characters are given unique traits and personalities to help the reader identify them throughout the book, and there are plenty of suspects who have plausible motivations for killing Brother Kevin. With the plant of good clues and red herrings, the identity of the murderer is masked until the end of the story.

The author's use of a rare plant encyclopedia as a link to the suspects and sites in GHOST IMAGE is fairly unique, and the hunt for this treasure provides the catalyst for action and suspense in the story. It's a satisfying book for the mystery enthusiast and, as a bonus, lets the reader in on life rarely seen behind the photo ops and human interest stories arranged by politicians and royalty for positive press.

Crosby knows what it's to be a journalist in media bureaus throughout the world and interjects that knowledge and enthusiasm into Sophie's investigation in Washington, DC and England. One of my favorite things about this story are the parts set in Washington, DC. The author knows the places that she uses in her books and gives the reader an insider's view of life in and around DC. She offers glimpses of life in the halls of Congress and behind the scenes at both the Smithsonian and the Library of Congress and shares information about interesting sights and overlooked gardens in DC.

I've lived in this region for a fairly long time, but I've never seen the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America, which offers various tours and has a wealth of information on its website. And though I've walked the Mall between the Smithsonian buildings umpteen times, I've never paid attention to the small sensory garden alongside the second oldest museum building. Now I want to visit the little known places mentioned in this book.

I recommend this five-star mystery for those who a good whodunit and for readers who prefer a side of history and political intrigue in their books. GHOST IMAGE would be a great book for a beach vacation or even a rainy weekend, and it's suitable for most ages.

If You This, You May Also --- WINE COUNTRY MYSTERIES by Ellen Crosby, WHITE HOUSE CHEF MYSTERIES by Julie Hyzy, FBI THRILLER SERIES by Catherine Coulter, A BRIT IN THE FBI MYSTERIES by Catherine Coulter and JT Ellison

* Read my other on the Blue Moon Mystery Saloon blog.
** An ARC was provided by Simon & Schuster and Edelweiss for an honest review. mystery suspense3 s Hannah124 12

They say the best writers write what they know. That is certainly true with Ms. Crosby. Ghost Image is set in Washington, D.C. and London,England. Both place where Ellen Crosby has lived and spent quite a bit of time. She uses her knowledge of both cities to set a very believable stage for the second novel in her Sophie Medina series. And does so very well.
Sophie Medina, an international photo journalist, is back home in D.C., her ex-CIA husband is now in a "safer" career, and she is thinking life has calmed down a bit when suddenly a Franciscan friend is found dead in the monastery gardens. Sophie can't help but become involved when she discovers Kevin dead, just after he has confided in her that he is being stalked and leaves behind a mysterious key.
Fast paced and filled with details, not only of D.C. but of the Smithsonian and history, this novel holds the reader's attention right through the final chapter. The storyline will keep you guessing!
I recently discovered Ellen Crosby when she agreed to participate in our Evening with a Writer series. I am so glad I did! Her writing is clear, well researched and interesting! Ellen Crosby is one of those mystery writers with whom you will want to become acquainted. Her stories are riveting and both the Sophie Medina and the Virginia wine country series leave you anxious for the next novel!

2 s Cathy Cole2,118 60

I was very impressed with the first book in this series, Multiple Exposure, and now after reading Ghost Image, Ellen Crosby's series has become one of my favorites. Why? It's due in large part to the main character. Sophie is strong, talented, intelligent, and she doesn't panic when she's in danger-- and she can be in danger often. She thinks on her feet extremely well and seldom makes a wrong move. She's also got a first-rate support system of friends and family, although she is cursed with Evil Mother Syndrome (a bane of my reading life).

Crosby's pacing is swift and sure, and she definitely has a knack for fascinating plots. In Multiple Exposure it was Fabergé Imperial Easter eggs, this time it's a botanical plot that goes all the way back to our Founding Fathers. I loved both of them. I also loved Sophie's London holiday at the Connaught (wish I could save up for one of my own), and I soaked up the historical information about Washington, DC that the author provides.

If you're looking for a smart, sophisticated mystery series with an appealing heroine, a bit of hair-raising action, and wonderful plots, then I have one suggestion for you: Ellen Crosby's Sophie Medina novels. You won't be able to turn the pages fast enough.
3 s Teressa500 6

Sophie Medina, a down-to-earth photographer who rides a Vespa, lives in Washington DC, and married to a CIA spook. Totally cool right?

GHOST IMAGE was an exciting non-stop adventure set in DC and London where Sophie’s friend, Brother Kevin Boyle, a resident at the Mt. St. Sepulchre monastery and an environmental conservationist with a PhD in Botany has stumbled upon something that could change the future of modern medicine. He has an original copy of an antique book entitled “Adam in Eden” and when he turns up dead, Sophie learns the truth about more than just the book. It not only has apparent connections to the Lewis and Clark Expedition but also was the handbook of another important person involved in the building of America. The one thing Sophie has that can lead her to the book and the person that possibly murdered Kevin is a key with the number 58 on it.

A breathtaking picturesque trope through the gardens of the byzantine style Church and the vivid Romanesque view of Monticello, one can almost see and smell the flowery scent of the sun streaked misty gardens and the cherry blossoms lining the walkways of the libraries and museums.

With many wonderful characters, including a sprinkling of a few bad seeds, this is a very well-written mystery that was not only exciting but had a good bit of historical fiction as well. This is the second book in a series however it can be listened to as a stand alone. I enjoyed it and haven’t listened to the first one yet but plan to as I the writing style of Ellen Crosby paired with the ultra smooth narrating skills of Caroline Shaffer.

The narration was exceptional. She glided through the story with ease using natural voice inflections which enhanced the story. Her character differentiation was excellent with wonderful accents. There were many players to work with and she handled them all with finesse. She made this an overall delightful listen and I look forward to the next in the series while I go back and check out the first one.

Review copy of this audiobook received from: http://audiobookjukebox.squarespace.c...
© 2015 crystalzen © Teresa W.

audiobook-2 s Debbie1,751 103

Wow, this was my first book by Ellen Crosby and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I've got to catch my breath before I can even write this review, that's how good it was.

It started off a little slow introducing the characters. However, after a couple of chapters the story took off and led me on a fast paced race to find a very old book and the secrets it was talking about. Two people are killed, two people barely miss being murdered and two people have their possessions ransacked in the search for this book.

There are plenty of bad guys and girls in this story, so finding the suspect or suspects becomes tricky. Plus the main character has a tough time believing pretty much everyone she meets. How do you find a book when you don't know who to trust? This led me to several false assumptions with a big surprise in the end.

I spent a very pleasant afternoon in beautiful weather being entertained by this book and I definitely recommend it!

Thanks Scribner and Net Galley for this free e-galley in exchange for an honest review.ebooks net-galley-books2 s Gillian276

Good mystery. I especially loved the London scenes and the fact that she walked across the Millenium Bridge and escaped into St. Paul's. I walked across the bridge during my last time in London and could imagine the scene exactly as described.2 s Margaret Pagnotta412 2

The individual characters are sympathetic, although a few were shallow and not well formed, and it seemed the book went off in too many different directions. 1 Steve565 4

d it...then I didn't. Lots of plot holes.1 Rhonda931 10

I d this story better than the first book. I Ellen Crosby. This series felt she just wasn't into the story. While it was good, it wasn't great. audio-books1 Anne, Unfinished Woman1,223

SPOILER ALERT

I really the character of Sophia, and these adventures of hers are fascinating. Brother Kevin Boyle is a good friend of Sophia's and invites her to share his recent find of a rare, 350-year-old book, "Adam in Eden: or Nature's Paradise. The History of Plants, Fruits, Herbs and Flowers by William Coles, Herbalist." With hand-colored plates and notations throughout, it also has a name at the bottom indicating it was owned by Sir Isaac Newton. 1657. Accompanying the book, enclosed in a Solander box, is an 1807 letter from John Fairbairn, curator of the Chelsea Physic Garden, in London, to Dr. Francis Pembroke regarding a water hyssop, that may have powers to restore memory. Pembroke was a cousin to Meriwether Lewis of the Lewis and Clark expedition, from which new plants were collected. Brother Boyle has a sister who is in the first stages of Alzheimer's and he is especially interested for that reason. He believes that there were seeds belonging to Thomas Jefferson, that were saved from the White House during the War of 1812. This story follows his attempt to find the seeds, and he is murdered while he is searching. Sophie then takes up the task, as others interested in the book which is very valuable, and the seeds which could be worth billions. She secures the book with Bram Asquith, expert in rare books and owner of the Asquith Auction House.

She finds a small key at the Tidal Basin where she and Kevin were talking and goes to the Fransiscan Monastery to ask him, where she finds him dead in the Grotto of Gethsemane. She finds the book in a locker at the Natural History Museum. She follows Kevin's search at the Science and Business Reading Room at the Library of Congress, asking Thea Stavros questions, searching through the various books and documents he had accumulated in his room. She talks to Ryan Velis of Monticello. She travels to London, and meets Will Tennant and Zara Remington, curator of the Chelsea Physic Garden. Then to the Millennium Seed Bank at Royal Botanic Gardens, at Kew. She tours the immense facility and views the vast collection of seeds collected and being collected to prevent extinction of their species. She and her host, Dr. Alastair Innes, the man in charge of the department of seed conservation are locked into one of the storage areas that is kept at minus twenty degrees Celius. They barely find a way out. Later after Sophie has returned to the States, Dr. Innes is killed, his car having been sabotaged.

She is followed several times. The book is taken from Asquith's by a women who has stolen the receipt from Sophie's. During this time Sophie has been contracted to photograph the wedding and other events associated with it, for Archduke Victor Haupt von Vessey and Yasmin Gilberti, the daughter of Senator Ursula Gilberti. Ursula tries to get Sophia to go pro bono on her services. Yasmin flirts with various other men, and Father Jack O'Hara, a friend of Sophies's and Kevin's and Kevin were warning to call off the wedding if she could not keep from becoming involved with other men. One of those men was David Arista, a marketing rep for C-Cubed his company that is in trouble. His family owns a pharmaceutical company. He realizes the value of the book and the seeds, and is the person who is behind the death of Kevin and others. He finds Sophie at the grave of Pierre L'Enfant, designer of Washington, where she has figured the seeds are buried. She finds a small vault in the ground. Arista hauls her off intending to kill her. She gets away. Later the seeds are found at the vault.

It is disappointing that this appears to be the last of this series. I would more.This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.Show full reviewauthor-american genre-fiction murder ...more Carlos Mock804 8

Ghost Image (A Sophie Medina Mystery Book 2) by Ellen Crosby (Hardcover)

This is a stand-alone book. However, I strongly recommend you read the books in the order they were written.

The book opens with our narrator and protagonist, Sophie Medina - a freelance photojournalist who used to work for The International Press Service (IPS) finding her friend, Franciscan Brother Kevin Boyle, a Knight of the Saint Sepulcher, dead at his monastery gardens of Gethseminy Grotto.

Apparently, the night before, she was taking pictures for the engagement of Archduke Victor Hampton Véssey to Yasmin Gilberty, daughter of Senator Ursula Gilberty from West Virginia. Sophie had heard Brother Kevin arguing with someone the night before and had told Sophie that he was on the verge of a great discovery but he feared for his life as he thought he was being followed.

Sophie is sure Brother Kevin was murdered possibly because he uncovered a botanic discovery potentially worth millions of dollars. Left with few clues to his secret, Sophie is determined to figure out who killed Kevin.

Beginning with a key that leads to a priceless original seventeenth-century encyclopedia of plants, Sophie leaps into an international treasure hunt following a trail that begins in the US Capitol and eventually leads to London and the English countryside. Before long Sophie suspects Kevin's murderer may have been someone who knew him well. With time running out and a suspect list that includes the world's leading botanical experts and political royalty from both sides of the Atlantic, can Sophie solve the two-hundred-year-old mystery before Kevin's killer finds her?

Narrated from Sophie's first-person point of view this is a fast-paced, hard-to-put-down, fun, and witty read. The plot has many twists and turns and will keep you guessing until the last page. The characters are alive and come out of the page. You can't help rooting for Sophie all the way.

I enjoyed the first book in the series a lot more. Jenny WheelerAuthor 50 books79

Ellen Crosby conjures up a great sense of place in her books and Ghost Image is no exception. I enjoyed tagging along as a voyeur as international photojournalist Sophie trekked around Washington and London investigating her Franciscan friend Father Jack O'Hara's death while avoiding a similar fate herself. A grand reception in the Austrian ambassdor's residence in Washington, a luxurious stay at London's Connaught Hotel - Crosby takes her readers places they will probably never to get to see any other way.

Her fascination for Founding Father Thomas Jefferson - reflected in the Wine Country series in his passion for wine - plays out here in a plot revolving around his intense interest in horticulture and the mystery of seeds missing for centuries which may suddenly have gained pharmaceutical value as a potential Alzheimer's treatment. (I would have actually d one of Crosby's characteristic Endnotes on water hyssop's supposed value, but that part of the plotline was left a bit vague in the end.) A good enthralling read for a long night. Elise Kind159 8

Ghost Image is the second book in the Sophie Medina photography mystery series. When Sophie’s friend Brother Kevin Boyle, a Franciscan Friar, is murdered Sophie tries to untangle the reason someone would want the Friar dead.
As Sophie searches for clues to Kevin’s murder she begins to understand that this murderer is a friend of the Friar. Kevin was being stalked by someone searching for an ancient botanical encyclopedia. Could this be part of the reason Kevin was killed?
An interesting mystery that moves quickly through the exciting plot. I think there are three of these fast paced Sophie Medina mysteries. Ghost Image is the second of the series that is fast paced and exciting to read.
Kristi327

This was awful. and it had such potential. It could have been very cool with the historical significance. but it was so unbelievable how nice to just happen to be invited ot london. how nice the killer just happens to arrive right when you solve the mystery .. how timely your grandpa is sick with ....the very same illness.... but how lucky he really isn't.. I mean come on...

and please married to a spy... how does that really work... I was hoping her hubby was part of the intregie, but no.. just poppy by to say he loves her.. how..."lucky"

andAND A N D the title really doesnt' fit..

will not be reading these again.. at least not on purposeThis entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.Show full review Lynn Neilson54

Another gripping Sophie Medina - set in Washington, D.C., Ghost Image combines compelling characters with a cross between the lifestyles of the rich and famous and the search for what could be a breakthrough discovery. Sophie, as in Multiple Exposures, is on it, camera in hand, putting herself in danger as she races to solve the question of what Brother Kevin had discovered. While one can read this book without having read Multiple Exposures, it's helpful to read them in order since several of the main characters carry over from one book to the next. Michele Frazier234

Sophie Medina is still in D.C. and has friends at a Franciscan monastery. When she is asked to photograph the gardens, she arrives to find Brother Kevin "murdered" at the bottom of some steps. Brother Kevin had shared with Sophie, that he felt he was on to a botanical discovery and was being followed. In search of a leather pouch containing precious seeds from a long gone era, she begins the tedious task to find, not only the pouch, but the person who killed her friend. Another lovely mystery from Ellen Crosby. agents anglophiles crime ...more Amy683 4

Easy read. Love these the history lesson that accompanied the book. Could have done without the obligatory contrived sex scene in the middle that had NOTHING to do with the plot... Seriously?! And, some of the events were a long stretch from reality (no jet lag, gal with NO research skills finding all the missing clues, murderer lacking a plan at the end..) but it was still a good original story! Who was the editor here?! She needs to hire someone new. Vontel2,313 10

Captivating action thriller & mystery. I enjoyed the historical & current botanical elements to the book, both the Lewis & Clark expedition and London's Kew Gardens references, as well as the Millennium Seed Bank.

I have requested the first book in the series, which I'll read to get more of the back story, which sounds intriguing. I hope the author continues writing more books in the series. This second one was published in 2015, & I can't find any references to further volumes.

I'm not familiar with the wine country series, of which the author has written many. Dan Sibbet97

Excellent mystery that keeps the reader wonder who the bad guys are throughout. Crosby provides plenty of suspects. But only once the convoluted plot starts to peek through to the reader, does the field of suspects narrow. My only fault with the book is that the author pulls a sort of "this just in" last minute fact...a character who we saw along along has this one detail about him, not revealed until almost the end, that gives motive, means, and explanation.finished Ricki1,021 12

The book reads young. That said it did state that Brother Kevin was 55 so I am gathering that Sophie is older than I originally thought.

A number of people are murdered both in the US and England so the murderer has a long reach and the money to pull it off. There are only a few candidates on that list so it's easy to figure who the bad guy (s) are. There is a side story about Alzheimers that's stuck in there and ruins the flow of the main storyline. Anne Kremidas127

A fantastic mystery involving centuries-old seeds and their location. Lots of interesting background on medicinal plants and the preservation of the world’s seeds to stave off extinction and more. Really well written and those who have loved or loved in London and/or London will love the detailed descriptions of those cities.
Can’t wait for the next Sophie Medina mystery!! Kathy54 2

I always appreciate Ellen's research and familiarity with interesting factoids about DC landmarks as well as the character development in this series. Looking forward to the next release in the series.
favorite-authors Anna11 1 follower

Overall, not a bad book. Much more of a mystery book than a thriller. Kathy38 1 follower

Really enjoyed. Great for the gardener as well as the photographer. London and Washington DC locale. Margaret Butler303 1 follower

It was an interesting enough mystery, set in both DC and London. Good escape. Sally Turner4

Very good Carol779

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