Thank you for stopping by today. A Song Unheard by Roseanna M. White will be published on January 2. It is the second book in Shadows Over England series. Willa Forsythe is tasked with getting a cypher key from Lukas De Wilde, a Belgium violinist and refugee. Lukas is worried about his mother and sister who are still in Belgium. He wants to find a way to get them out of the country and to safety. But German officials wants the work done by Lukas' father and they believe he has the answers they need.
Better Dead by Pamela Kopfler is
the first A B&B Spirits Mystery.
Holly Davis owns Holly Grove Plantation in Delta Ridge, Louisiana which she
turned into a bed and breakfast three years prior. Holly’s husband, Burl passed away three
months ago just before he was served with divorce papers for his cheating ways
(and so much more). Holly is celebrating
the end of her mourning with champagne and raises a toast to Burl. The next thing she knows he is there before
her (then chaos ensues). The next morning
Holly wakes up on the floor with white powder all around her (long story) and
the Deltas are peering at her through the window. Burl was not a drunken
hallucination and he cannot move on until Holly helps with his unfinished
business. He only has until midnight on
Halloween to make things right or he will be stuck at Holly Grove forever (Holly’s
worst nightmare). Holly is the only
person who can see and hear Burl. Before
his death, Burl was involved in smuggling drugs through Holly Grove and he believes
busting up the ring is his unfinished business. Holly agrees to help Burl in exchange for him
haunting the house during the Haunted Pilgrimage Tour of Homes. Holly needs to turn a profit, or she is in
danger of losing Holly Grove (thanks to Burl).
Then Holly’s old high school flame, Jake McCann returns to town and wishes
to stay at Holly Grove. Unknown to Holly,
Jake is an ICE agent trying to stop the drugs being smuggled through the
plantation. He is as handsome as ever
and Holly is still attracted to him.
However, it is hard to flirt with your deceased husband in the room. Can Holly discover who is behind the drug
smuggling and put a stop to it? Why has
Jake returned to town? Watch Holly
juggle her duties at the B&B along with Burl, Jake, the Deltas, and a
housekeeper who wants the ghost out of the house.
Better Dead is a Southern cozy
mystery with paranormal elements. The
story is told from Holly and Jake’s POV. I prefer stories that are written from one
viewpoint (preferably third person). It
allows readers to stay immersed in the story and not be distracted by the
changing voice. Better Dead is a
humorous story with one zany antic after another throughout the whole
book. While I do not enjoy reading these
type of stories, many other readers find them delightful. I prefer intelligent, strong female
characters. I was never drawn into
Better Dead. I read it, but just found
it unbelievable. Some examples are: The Deltas believing fire hydrant foam dust
to be cocaine and that Holly has a drug issue (the gossip quickly spread
throughout the whole town); the gold sex toy that Holly breaks and then needs
fixed (because she is snooping through her guests luggage); the housekeeper who
brings in a priest and a medium to get rid of the ghost; housekeeper and Holly wearing garlic to keep
the ghost at bay; Holly runs a B&B, but she cannot cook (or reheat) without
destroying food (which happens in the book). I was curious why the B&B served
dinner? Especially since the housekeeper
cooks the food in advance (she does not stay until dinner) and then Holly has
to reheat it (would you pay for this service).
Like I mentioned before, many people will find these things hilarious (I
am just not one of them). There was too
much of it along with the bickering between Holly and Burl (tiresome and repetitive)
and Holly ogling Jake (and thinking about him).
I believe the author was trying for screwball comedy type humor (but did
not pull it off). The mystery is in
there among all the zaniness. The
culprit can be identified before the reveal (do not let the crazy distract you).
Holly gets herself into one dangerous
situation after another since she refuses to listen to anyone (which gets her
into trouble and then she needs rescuing).
The characters lacked development and Burl was annoying. Better Dead was too long (I did not think the
book would ever end). Better Dead was
not my cup of tea. Downright Dead is the next book in the series and will be released on September 25, 2018.
Please remember that my review is just my personal thoughts regarding the book. While a book may not appeal to me, other readers will find it wonderful. That is the beauty of books. There is something for everyone! I will return tomorrow on the last day of 2017 with my review of Kappy King and the Puppy Kaper by Amy Lillard. Have an enchanting day. Take care and Happy Reading!
Kris
The Avid Reader
No comments:
Post a Comment