4 out of 5 stars.
Thanks to new Amazon rules I am rewording my opening lines. I was gifted a free copy of this book by the author. I am not being forced to post a review; I am doing it of my own free will as I enjoy reviewing and am a fan of her books. So, thank you Ms Fox.
As stated in an email from Amazon themselves I can assure you – “My review is voluntarily and the Author does not require a review in exchange or attempt to influence my review.”
Yeah, that whole new thing about not mentioning things while having to disclose where you got the book from is… insane. But I digress!
‘Deader Homes and Gardens’ is book four in the Southern Ghost Hunters Mysteries series (well, I see it as book six as I count the short stories too but that’s just me). That doesn’t change how good it is though, as it was a great read.
Verity is back, it’s her first public and official ghost hunting job and there is a mystery to solve. And it’s a good one too. Had me guessing to its source the whole way through and the conclusion and explanation fitted together nicely and made me go – uhhh, of course!
I do like a mystery book that keeps me guessing while not throwing so many red herrings at me it starts to smell fishy. And so that is why I love this series. It keeps me guessing, has me on tender hooks at just that right level to keep on reading into the wee small hours and being grumpy the next day as I am tired and still haven’t finished reading it. 😉
As always with this series, there is a good mixture of character interaction – between the usual cast and some new comers – scary spooky stuff, ghostly hijinks and that oh so cute little skunk!
Though I will add now it is not a stand-alone story… I mean, you COULD read it like that, but you’d have missed out on all the fun of the previous books and short stories. So don’t traumatise yourself – go get the other stories and read them first! You will thank me for it!
Would I recommend this book to others?
Yes I would. Especially if you had read other books in this series. Though if you haven’t, I’d be recommending you read them all, including this one. Lovers of fast-paced quirky supernatural mysteries will really enjoy not only this book, but the whole Southern Ghost Hunter Mystery series. It has ghosts, it has a witty, strong willed protagonist, it has the hunky other half, it has that touch of scary stuff and it has that good old southern charm… what more could you want?
Would I buy this book for myself?
Well, as I’ve bought copies of all the rest of this series, what do you think? 😉 Of course I’m going to be buying a copy for myself. As I believe if you enjoy a book you should thank the author and actually buy it.
In summary: A great next adventure in a totally enjoyable cosy/ mystery of a supernatural nature. I highly recommend!
Until next time,
Janis.
Janis's Journal 