Common Sense Media Review
By Lucinda Dyer
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Murder, ghosts, secrets make for a fun, twisty mystery.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
LEIGH HOWARD AND THE GHOSTS OF SIMMONS-PIERCE MANOR begins with the arrival of 16-year-old Leigh at the mansion of her wealthy distant cousins, the Simmons-Pierce family. After the murder of her parents and her suicide attempt, they've stepped forward and offered to become her guardians. What Leigh hasn't expected is how warm and genuine their welcome would be, especially from 19-year-old Myra, who Leigh senses is one of the kindest people she's ever known. It's Myra who tells her about the manor's two ghosts—Bodie and Little Bodie. Bodie is the mean and angry ghost of the adult Icabod "Bodie" Pierce, while Little Bodie is his sweet traumatized 11-year-old self. It's not long before Leigh discovers her parents' murder happened at a shipyard owned by the Simmons-Pierce family and that her parents had been targeted and executed. When the police decide their murders are now a cold case, Leigh's determined to continue the investigation on her own. As she does, a connection between the shipyard and drug smugglers comes to light, an attempt is made on Leigh's life, and there's a kidnapping at gunpoint before the person behind her parents' murder is finally revealed.
Is It Any Good?
The merging of storylines about ghosts and solving a murder is often awkward, but it's a good twisty read with a genuine never-saw-it-coming ending. Readers who are fans of intrepid teen girl detectives will surely be fans of Leigh Howard and the Ghosts of Simmons-Pierce Manor while teens looking for ghosts to be the center of the story could be a bit disappointed.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Leigh's actions in Leigh Howard and the Ghosts of Simmons-Pierce Manor were both courageous and sometimes reckless. Can you be brave without being just a little bit reckless?
What did Myra's relationship with Leigh show you about the healing power of friendship and kindness?
Do you believe in ghosts? Which Bodie would you want haunting your house?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Mystery
- Topics : Friendship , Fantasy
- Character Strengths : Courage , Perseverance
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Black Rose Writing
- Publication date : November 22, 2022
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 13 - 18
- Number of pages : 263
- Available on : Paperback, Audiobook (unabridged), Kindle
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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