Haunted Heist

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  I hope all of you are having a fun day! The reason for St. Patrick's Day (also known as The Feast of St. Patrick) is that on March 17 in 461 Patrick, Irish Bishop and Christian missionary passed away.  St. Patrick is the primary patron saint of Ireland.

The Haunted Heist by Angie Fox is the third book in the Southern Ghost Hunter Mystery series.  Verity Long is trying to get an honest job and stay away from spirits (ghosts, poltergeists).  Reggie Thompson, President of First Bank of Sugarland, might have work for Verity.  He wants to update all of the banks printed materials.  Verity borrows business type clothes from her sister (Verity’s wardrobe is minimal since she had to sell everything to pay Mrs. Wydell) for the appointment.  Verity gets the job but is hanging around the bank waiting for Frankie (who is visiting his friend, Suds who died while digging a tunnel into the vault and is still digging).  Verity hears a scream and goes running.  Carla, Vice President, has found Reggie is dead in the vault.  He was killed in the manner of the gangster, Handsome Henry Hagar, who died in 1933.  Reggie even had the gangster’s pocket watch on him (which does not make Handsome Henry happy).  Did the ghost come back for revenge?  Can a ghost kill?  Verity wanted to let the police handle the case, but she is the only person who can interview the dead (lucky Verity).  Ellis Wydell (deputy and Verity’s sort-of boyfriend) set off to interview gangsters with Frankie’s assistance (who is quite happy to visit his old friends and he wants to find his missing gun).  Will Verity be able to find the killer?  And will the killer be a living person or ghost?  Verity also has to deal with her relationship with Ellis?  Ellis’ mother (a real hoyden) does not want Verity seeing any of her precious sons (since she already left one at the altar), but Ellis wants to be with Verity (you cannot help who you love)?  Is Verity up for the challenge?

The Haunted Heist was just delightful.  It has mystery, romance, humor, and ghosts!  What more could you want in a book.  The only downfall was the mystery was so simple and extremely easy to solve.  The Haunted Heist is easy to read and can read finished in a couple of hours.  Angie Fox did a wonderful job writing this novel (combining all the elements).  The characters are interesting (especially the ghosts) and quirky (like Verity owning a skunk for a pet).  I give The Haunted Heist 4.5 out of 5 stars (which means I liked it, but I downgraded because the mystery was a snap).  In order to understand everything that is happening in The Haunted Heist, you will need to read the previous books in the series (they are equally delightful).  My favorite character is Frankie.   Frankie continues to be delightful.  He is still obsessed with getting himself free of his urn.  I think he is going to keep Verity very busy. 

The first two books in Southern Ghost Hunter Mystery series are Southern Spirits and The Skeleton in the Closet. A Ghostly Gift is a novella in the series.  I received a complimentary copy of The Haunted Heist from NetGalley and the author in exchange for an honest evaluation of the novel.

Thank you for visiting.  I hope all of you have a bonny day!  Take care not to overindulge today (or at least have a designated driver).  I am off to feed the cats and dogs (they start getting testy when I am late).  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader