Josephine and Gabriel are the talk of their little town and all of France. Defeating art thieves and enabling the return of priceless artworks thought to be lost forever has them in the spotlight and the villains in jail. Appearing on TV and being the toast of the art world, they are also surprised to receive a reward that will change their lives forever.

Life quickly returns to normal with Josephine looking forward to her best friend coming to stay, her crush deepening with local boy Gabriel, and her friendship with Louis the ghost of French royalty stronger every day.

Louis is a little jealous of Gabriel. Josephine loves spending time with them both, but Gabriel is finding Josephine’s behaviour more strange every day, and she considers telling him about the ghost that follows them everywhere. Will he think she’s mad?

The reward money has helped speed up the renovations of their chateau, just in time for Josephine’s bestie, Hattie to arrive, and they are all soon enjoying the countryside of the town. A discovery of possible huge national significance has them excited, along with more clues about Josephine’s mother surfacing.

All the while, Josephine feels as if she is being followed. The police assure her family that the art thieves are in jail, but news of the leader’s escape has Josephine jumpy. Is she being paranoid?

Another great episode in this thrilling series. It is perfect for tween readers looking for a little romance mixed in with a ghost, a mystery and the beautiful country of France.

Historical fact is effortlessly threaded through the story and more about it is in the back of the book. Josephine’s worries about being followed builds the tension deliciously, as the key villain in the first book escapes from custody.

Clues to her mother’s life in the area begin to emerge with equally heartbreaking and wonderful results.

Definitely looking forward to reading more of The Girl and the Ghost series.

Author – Jacqueline Harvey

Illustrator – A Yi

Age – 10+

Find the first in the series here

Publisher – Penguin Books Aust

Set – France (present)

Viewpoint – 3rd person

Violence – No

Real Life – Yes

Fantasy – Yes – Ghost

Blend – Real Life fiction / Ghost / Historical Fact/ Mystery

(2025, Family, Humour, Ghost, Crime, Friendship, Romance, Ghost, Mystery, Crush, France, French Chateau, Refurbishing, Building, Prize, Paranoia, Belief in ghosts, Series)