In "Finding Esta," Shah Wharton introduces Luna, a young reporter beset by abusive parents, Shadows, and a seeming slew of physical infirmities ... yet armed with an innate goodness and an inexhaustible well of determination.

Prompted by her hairdresser--of all people! some might say ... but we all know how persuasive people brandishing sharp objects can be--Luna plunges headfirst into a decades-old missing person case. Little does she know that the case will have a far reaching impact on her own life. It's a great tale that's part Nancy Drew, part Harry Dresden, and part Underworld, with a dash of Weapon X thrown in for good measure.

Does Luna gain more than she loses along the way? You be the judge. I couldn't help but laugh as she struggled with questions that have stymied great minds throughout history, like: "Why is it all the good girls love a bad boy?" and "Why can't I just be a journalist and have hot sex with hot guys and get drunk on the weekends?"

I've been asking myself questions just like that for a long time. Sigh. Still, I loved the nod to Mary Poppins and seeing "gutted" used as an adjective instead of a verb. Such a cool word. But my favorite line was, "The ego of a God, the wit of a goldfish," and I loved how Luna resolved her differences with her parents. Call me ... maybe? ... No! Call me cruel, but I found that part particularly satisfying.

Overall, "Finding Esta" is an enjoyable, creative read that manages to satisfy, while tantalizing just enough to leave you wanting more. I recommend it to fans of YA, PNR, and the like.

Finding Esta is an urban fantasy tale with a riveting plot that hooked me from the very first page. It is the first installment of Shah Wharton's Supes series and cleverly weaves both mystery novel and supernatural tale together.

Luna is a single, twenty-year-old woman with social inabilities that leave her lonely and awkward. Surviving as a journalist in North Yorkshire, England, Luna is viewed as a perpetual teenager; uncomfortable in her own body and out-of-sync with reality. Her inability to function normally has landed her in and out of psychiatric hospitals enduring shock therapy and a myriad of mind numbing drugs. Referred to as `rat' by her disgustingly abusive parents, Luna's only companions are Flo and Ada... but they're dead.

As a Shadow Host, Luna is a safe haven to the restless Shadows who are otherwise destined to wander for eternity. The burdens of seeing the dead and painful psychic touch is further complicated when a strange, ghostly man begins following her. She quickly realizes that her b-movie life isn't all it has seemed.

The depth and intrigue of this debut novel surprised me. It is not the average, predictable paranormal tale. Wharton's vivid language creates a delicious piece of fiction I could really sink my teeth into. The twists and turns held my attention but I did not find it at all hard to follow as another reviewer remarked.

I also found it easy to connect with Luna as she wrestled with both the desire for change and the fear of walking away from the familiar. Though her new, vampire-like qualities repulsed her she could not deny the urges that surfaced in her dreams and visions.

I appreciate that Shah Wharton is able to tell such an intricate tale without a lot of lofty jargon. She also ends it in a way that makes me anxious for the next book, but not such an intense cliff hanger that I felt frustrated. It's tricky to leave a series story open-ended without cutting it mid thought and I thought she did a brilliant job.

Shah Wharton has created a cast of characters that will draw you in [...].
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The writing in "Finding Esta" is really good with a flow to the story that really works. Everything that happens with Luna as things crumble, [..] is gradual and I like that. There were some twists that I did not see coming which I enjoyed.
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I was sad when this book ended, and I wanted to stay with Luna and her story longer. I cannot wait for the next one to come out. If you enjoy a deep adventure with characters who are not perfect, you will enjoy Shah Wharton's "Finding Esta".
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Be ready for things you will not expect.