If the Haunting Fits, Wear It: A Haunted Vintage Mystery

Adorable and eye-catching cover!

I hope everyone had a delightful Fourth of July.  Rose Pressey is the author of A Haunted Vintage Mystery series (and many others).  The books contained in this series are If You've Got it, Haunt It; All Dressed Up and No Place to Haunt; Haunt Couture and Ghosts Galore; Haunted is Always in Fashion; and If the Haunting Fits, Wear It which came out on June 27.  Readers can follow Rose Pressey on Amazon, Goodreads, and Facebook.

If the Haunting Fits, Wear It by Rose Pressey is the fifth book in A Haunted Vintage Mystery series.  Cookie Chanel owns It’s Vintage Y’all in Sugar Creek, Georgia.  Cookie is getting ready to go to the Kentucky Derby with her client, Danielle Elston (she is styling her outfits).  Cookie is at an estate sale looking for hats and discovers Maureen Weber in the attic (and she is very protective of her hats).  She needs Cookie’s help and now Cookie has two ghosts tagging along—just what she does not need.  Cookie packs up her car and heads to Kentucky along with Maureen, Charlotte, and her cat, Wind Song/Grandma Pearl (it’s complicated).  Cookie is at an event at the Kentucky Derby Museum when she finds the body of jockey, Ramon Gooden.  Ramon was murdered and he would like Cookie’s assistance in tracking down his killer (he is rather insistent).  Cookie now has three ghosts tailing her and a B&B hostess who resembles a house mother.  The killer is not happy with Cookie’s involvement and tries to take her out (more than once).  Cookie will need to up her game if she is going to solve this crime and cross over Ramon.  It does not help that Cookie’s two beau’s, Ken and Dylan arrive in town and provide pleasant distraction.  Cookie’s mini-vacation in Kentucky is not quite what she had in mind. 

If the Haunting Fits, Wear It is not up to Rose Pressey’s usual standard.  I found details repeated frequently throughout the book (I am not talking just once or twice either).  The dialogue became confusing with three ghosts.  It was hard to keep straight which ghost was talking.  I did like the different setting in this book.  We get a behind the scenes look at events surrounding the Kentucky Derby.  There are numerous detailed dress, hat and accessory descriptions provided in If the Haunting Fits, Wear It.  I thought the book was easy to read, had a nice pace, and entertaining characters.  This may be the fifth book in the series, but it can easily be read alone.  Cookie’s background and information from previous books is included in this story.  My rating for If the Haunting Fits, Wear It is 3 out of 5 stars.  Ramon’s murder was not complex and the killer is easily identified (sigh).  Maureen’s situation was solved back home in Sugar Creek by Heather and Cookie’s mother (readers do not get a chance to figure this one out).  The romance element is a love triangle (big sigh) that takes up a good portion of the book.  I do not understand Cookie’s hesitancy to have a Ouija board around for Wind Song’s use (she never has one when the cat wishes to communicate with her).  She states she is afraid of inviting in bad spirits, but the cat is only using it to give her a message by using the letters on the board (no summoning of spirits involved).  I wish this paranormal mystery novel had more content (less wackiness).  I found it lacking.  I felt If the Haunting Fits, Wear It needed editing and some rewriting. It did not need three ghosts, the cat that contains the spirit of Grandma Pearl, two suitors, a rude and controlling B&B owner, special outfits for every outing—you see what I mean.  I sincerely hope that Ms. Pressey will be back on her game in the next A Haunted Vintage Mystery.

I do appreciate you visiting.  If you enjoy my reviews, consider signing up for the email (upper right hand side).  I will be reviewing Sowed to Death by Peg Cochran on Thursday.  May you have a day filled with as little stress as possible! I am off to work on our vacuum.  My mother decided to help me with the sweeping and now the sweeper is not working properly (she did mention taking a few things apart).  Wish me luck (I will need it).  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris
The Avid Reader