I honestly loved this novel! It was such a fun and enjoyable read that it kept me engrossed throughout the journey! I was expecting a ghost story, something a bit more sinister. This novel was actually nothing like what I expected and that was the biggest surprise to me! There was this whole Hollywood-glam vibe associated with this story, with the traditional Willard's department store and the references to Hollywood classics. The world building was something I really enjoyed reading about it, and it made the story so much more unique! I loved all of the characters and their interactions; it was all very genuine. I think that the love angle that was part of this story was perhaps a bit too quickly developed; it would have been nicer for it to have a slower progression. But that's my only complaint. Overall, a marvelous entertaining read, and I can't wait to read the sequel!

I received this novel from NetGalley as an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

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This is an interesting read about young man who, after traveling around looking for answers to questions he is not really aware of, takes a job as a night security guard at a Manhattan department store, Willards. Willards is more traditional and elegant than most modern stores, though, like many other older, big locations, Willards has lots of rumors/stories associated with it. There are reportedly ghosts as well as other things that go bump in the night in Willards, and most night security guards do not last very long. In this book, the security guard, Danial, settles in easily and well to the job. As time goes on, Daniel begins to learn a lot about the many secrets Willards has, while coming to understand a lot about himself, his past and why and how he ticks.

The story is a bit different, but is not scary or horror-filled. The author does deserve credit for the basic idea behind the story, as it seems somewhat unique to me (though I seldom read stores in this genre, so it may not be all that unique). What I found troubling is the fact that a lot of the issues or things raised in the story are not resolved at the end. I am not sure I would call it a true cliff hanger, but it seems like the author is setting things up for subsequent books, which I usually find a bit difficult to take. For example, the issues of the inheritance Daniel receives, the complete back story/explanation about his mother, the gold bars mentioned, etc. all are not resolved in the end. I also found the ending flat, not really fulfilling. The story is well written and flows well, so I naturally expected a better ending. I suspect the author was setting things up for subsequent books, and I just expect things to be resolved at the end of the book I read. Finally, there are a lot of unnatural occurrences in the book, which the reader is expected to accept at face value, which is okay, as long as the reader knows and accepts this. I am not very used to this. Still, in closing, the book was interesting and well written, with well-developed characters. However, as I said, I found it a bit difficult to take as I read it. I received this from NetGalley to read and review. ( )