The Ghost Women by Jennifer Murphy

The Ghost Women

A Novel

Jennifer Murphy

Penguin Publishing Group · Print & ebook · February 24, 2026

A mysterious art academy in the woods, a deck of ancient tarot cards, a centuries-old secret On a hot August morning in 1972, the body of Abel Montague, a student at St.

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Genres
Supernatural Thrillers, Historical Mystery, Supernatural Horror
Published
Penguin Publishing Group, February 24, 2026
Readers
245 ratings on Goodreads

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About this book

A mysterious art academy in the woods, a deck of ancient tarot cards, a centuries-old secret On a hot August morning in 1972, the body of Abel Montague, a student at St. Luke’s Institute of the Arts, is found hanging from a tree in the forest. An ancient Hanged Man tarot card is found in the back pocket of his pants and his body has been positioned into the exact pose illustrated on the card.

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When Detective Lola Germany arrives at St. Luke’s—a former monastery that once housed a secret order of monks who carried out witch trials and executions—she believes they are dealing with a ritualistic murder. While interviewing school administrators and Abel’s classmates, Lola discovers Abel’s live-in girlfriend, Pearl, seems shaken but also might be hiding something—along with her group of friends who call themselves witches. When more students are found dead, each body arranged like a tarot card, Lola realizes she is trapped in a web of power and ambition that spans centuries. Soon the lines between past and present, spiritual and tangible, begin to blur, and the only way to survive is to seek answers from places she never imagined.

Haunted Tension

Come here for

  • gothic chill, supernatural tension
  • book-club friction with a dark streak

Expect

  • YA-leaning stakes with a serious edge
  • a sustained, atmospheric read

Where it sits

Supernatural Horror33%
Supernatural Thrillers29%
Historical Mystery18%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • Literary Fiction
  • Mystery
  • Psychological Thrillers
Authors
Jennifer Murphy
Publisher
Penguin Publishing Group
Published
February 24, 2026
Format
Print & ebook
Reading lane
Literary Fiction