Ghosts, Graveyards, and a Mystery OH MY!
593513
Peculiar incident reads like a modern day Coraline meets Nancy Drew. Reading this took me back to my youth binge reading Goosebumps and sleeping with the lights on.

Lindsay Currie weaves a wonderful tale filled with the paranormal, friendship and what is truly means to be brave. Tessa Woodward finds herself the new girl in school. Its hard enough being new, but once she spills in homeroom that her house is haunted, the rest of her classmates think she is to be avoided. Luckily for Tessa, she makes two very great friends and who are just as honest and un-apologetically themselves.

Navigating your early teen years can be brutal, even more so for Tessa, who has free spirited parents that are definitely not the norm. I admire Tessas drive and focus, her artistic abilities and yet she still feels like a normal 12 year old. Its not something I see a lot of in other mg or ya books. I truly love that this book reads true for the characters age group, much like Rowlings Sorcerers Stone. Everything is at their level and not too scary or gory. Although RENO IS DOWN RIGHT CREEPY OKAY. Ventriloquist puppets will never not be disturbing, but I digress.

It is fast paced and the mystery really puts Tessa and her friends in their element. They each learn their own strengths and what it means to support each other. Overall an amazing read! I highly recommend this anyone who loves a great mystery with a lot of heart.
2085853
If you like mystery, history, and ghost tales don't miss this book.  The whole series is great, cant wait for more (hopefully)!
2323711
I really love a good ghost story, and I found one, plus it is a series!  Who doesn't like a good scare when reading a scary book, with this book you will get some!  I like how the main character, Taryn, is in to painting on canvas, old historic mansions and just old big houses to their former glory before time and neglect took their toll or before they are torn down.  But what can come along with old historic mansions or big old houses, GHOSTS!  Taryn has been a sensitive since she was a young child, she saw her first ghost of a young child in a house she and friend snuck into after the family moved out suddenly, hiding in the basement of the house in a crawl way.  (Years later it was found out the young ghost child was murdered and buried in the basement of her parents).  Taryn avoided ghosts most of her life or interacting with ghosts as much as she could, but after her fiance was killed in a car accident she started experiencing ghost again at the places she went to to paint, now she wants to know how to interact with them and to find out what they are trying to tell her.  An old farm house, she is painting in the town is what gets her started when she starts experiencing a big scary black figure in the house and loud screamings coming from the house.  She always starts taking pictures before she starts a painting on her camera, the pictures show in the viewfinder her the way the house used to be furnished!  That starts Taryn's interest in what happened in this old farm house and the history behind it.  She starts questioning the town's old timers about who lived there and what happened to them, but someone doesn't want the story of this old spooky house to be told.  Now Tarny's life is being threatened  and she needs to find out quickly by whom or she may not leave this town alive!
288816
Benhamins Ghosts is a refreshing change from most mysteries.  Librarian Enid Gilchrist and her close friend Chief of Police Patrick Mulhaney must solve murders by digging into the ancestors of various local residents.  If youve guessed that Enid is a genealogist, you're right.  And while the murders are happening right now, clues go back many generations.  The first victim was not a pleasant man, so suspects abound. Author Sylvia Nash has crafted an interesting mystery. I found it a little difficult to get into at first.  Sometimes it wasn't clear who was speaking. And I must admit, Im not into genealogy. Still, once Ms. Nash got it moving, it was an interesting read.  Cozy mystery fans will like it and I expect well see other Enid Gilcrest Mysteries.
1037200
Adele and two of her friends, Maddie, and Harper, live in a small town in California. It's two claims to fame are the wine and the Paranormal Museum. What happens one night when they're out drinking at a bar and Adele asks her friend for $1.00? What does she hand her friend for the $1.00? When Adele takes them over to see the home of her soon to be (hopefully) new business in town and the Paranormal museum, what do they find? Intrigue, murder, and a really weird museum are a very interesting opening for the start of this book. I love a good mystery book, but this one is just weird in some aspects. We have the paranormal museum where the items inside are supposed to be haunted. There is a cat that supposedly sees ghosts. Then of course, there's the murder. Who killed the person and why? Who was the person arguing with? What were they arguing about? Why do they keep trying to throw suspicion on specific people as to them being the person that did the murdering? This is definitely NOT your normal mystery book. You're going to have to read it to find out what is going on. It's fun.

RECEIVED THIS BOOK AS A GIFT FOR A FAIR/HONEST REVIEW and REVIEWER FOR Bloggin' With M.Brennan.
1329053
THIS IS ANOTHER IN THE SERIES THAT I LIKED BUT DON'T KNOW WHY.  THE SERIES CENTERS AROUND A HUGE PET CEMETERY.  WE HAVE GHOSTS & OTHER THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT. THIS SERIES IS DIFFERENT THAT OUR USUAL.
1243356
I was in the mood for a good ghost story and this turned out to be a perfect comfort read. The author makes good use of both setting and weather. We're introduced to the historic port city of Wilmington, North Carolina, basking in a fine Indian summer even as Hurricane Nancy gears up for a run at the Outer Banks.

The characters enjoy real places and events -- Riverfest, the Ghost Walk tour, Airlie Gardens, Thalian Hall, the Cape Fear Crime Festival. The author doesn't simply dump all that on the reader but uses it to move the story along.

In one lovely scene, the protagonist and a handsome cop have dinner at the Bridge Tender Restaurant, Maryland Crab Cakes for her, Herb Crusted Grouper for him. "Our table overlooked the marina where yacht lights twinkled in the darkness like a swarm of lightning bugs. Across the channel, Blue Water Restaurant was lit up like a cruise ship." I'm there, with my mouth watering.

The protagonist, Ashley Wilkes, is a historic preservationist who oversees projects like a site supervisor and does a lot of design work. Her older sister, Melanie, is the town's star realtor, attractive and sophisticated.

Their current project is the old Campbell house, a sterling example of late-Federal architecture built in 1840, now abandoned and decaying. The previous owners, Reggie and Shelby Campbell, left six years earlier and as far as anyone knows they bought a villa in Tuscany and settled there.

Once the scene of lively parties thrown by the high-living Campbells, the house is on Wilmington's popular Ghost Walk Tour because of ghostly organ music coming from the long- deserted ballroom.

Melanie buys the house at a foreclosure sale and sells it to the disagreeable Mirabelle Morgan, a TV star with her own cooking show. Ashley lands the restoration job for Mirabelle, who plans to syndicate her show, broadcasting from the kitchen of her new home.

When a restoration worker accidentally knocks a hole in a wall, revealing a hidden closet, Ashley pokes around in the closet and uncovers two skeletons.  These are just the first two in a series of murders that has half the town under suspicion and a local true-crime writer dusting off her keyboard to write a book.

Ashley stumbles across more than her share of dead bodies, sometimes foolishly ignoring the risk, but she's a trouper when it counts in a nail-biting denouement. The author wraps up the ghost story with a sly twist.
3055093
This was so good. There is a little bit of romance and a lot of talking to ghosts and figuring out who killed someone twenty years ago. There are appearances by zombies and ghouls and an attack by murderers. There is even a reasonable amount of angst with a mother who can't accept her daughter's talk of ghosts. I really loved the heroine. I wish the romance had come together a bit more, but that isn't a complaint. It looks like it could all come together in the next book. It ends with a setup for a continuing story.
3608136
Whats it About?
The Cirque Somniatus almost reminded her of fairs and carnivals growing up, but it was far more elegant, more majestic, than the fairgrounds of her childhood. The colors were primarily those of gemstones: garnets and amethysts, with touches of sunlight and moonlight embellishments. It was like stepping through the door to wonderland.
When Michael Sinclair is offered three free weekend passes to The Circus of Dreams, he invites his girlfriend Kate, and ghost-hunter friend, Luke Rainer along for the ride.
They find themselves in a haunted circus, at the mercy of a lost soul who interferes with Michael and Kates relationship; a Ringmaster who may have an ulterior motive for inviting them; an extravagant psychic who warns them off; and even worse, Lukes rival  who lives to stir up trouble for the three!
This fun, relaxing weekend quickly turns into a disaster
Will the three land on their feet?
My Thoughts
After Death, by Author Jacqueline E. Smith is nightmarishly awesome! I loved this installment of the Cemetery Tours book series. Im curious if there *might* be a Cemetery Tours book 4, based on the way CT book 3 ended! Eeep! A girl can dream, right?!
The world building is phenomenal. I really enjoyed the haunted circus setting as well as all of the extravagant secondary characters. The author truly can paint a scene with her words. Reading this book was such an enjoyable experience.
Speaking of the characters, I loved it when Chance McDermott stepped into the novel. Lukes reaction to Chance was priceless! My favorite character, (other than Michael, Kate, and Luke, of course,) was Claire. She added a different twist to After Death, and in the end, her interference strengthened Michael and Kates relationship. I just love a well-written paranormal romance. <3
Like a good mystery, every character had me guessing  are they the villain of the story? When all was revealed I was delightfully surprised.
I would recommend this series to fans of ghost-hunting shows, and to people who enjoy the paranormal in general. You won't be disappointed!
FULL BOOK REVIEW:[...]
747450
Sweet Teas and Spirits
Southern Ghost Hunter, Book #5
Angie Fox
5 Stars

Synopsis:

The latest in the USA Today bestselling Southern Ghost Hunter series! Sweet Tea and Spirits
S

Southern girl Verity Long is about as high society as her pet skunk. Which is why shes surprised as anyone when the new head of the Sugarland social set invites her to join the "it" girls. But this is no social call. Veritys new client needs her to go in undercover and investigate strange happenings at the groups historic headquarters.

But while spirits are whispering hints of murder, the socialites are more focused on Veritys 1978, avocado-green Cadillac. And when Verity stumbles upon a fresh body, she's going to need the long-dead citizens of Sugarland to help her solve the crime. Good thing she has the handsome deputy sheriff Ellis Wydell on hand, as well as her ghostly sidekick Frankie. The bad thing is, the ghosts are now whispering about the end of a certain ghost hunter. (Goodreads)

Review:

The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read.  The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and through much of the book I felt like I was right there, watching all the ghostly action around me and listening in on conversations.  The mystery carried on well throughout the entire book.  There was plenty of action and suspense that kept me turning pages to find out what was going to happen next.  With all the twists and turns and red herrings tossed in, I did not figure out the killer until it was revealed at the end.

The characters are well rounded, well developed and three dimensional.  Verity is a smart, brave and determined woman and she wants to make sure her ghost hunting business is a success.  With Frankie, her resident ghost, helping her, she is sure she can do it.  But Frankie has his own set of problems to deal with, and he is not always available to help Verity.  Ellis, her boyfriend, helps her whenever he can.  And she has some otherworldly acquaintances that help her out when she needs it most.  And what can I say about Lucy, Veritys pet skunk, except that I love her.

 I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy.  If you enjoy paranormal ghostly cozies, you will want to read this entire series.  This is a must read series (and author) for me.  The books just keep getting better and better.

I received a complimentary advance copy of this book and chose voluntarily to leave this honest review.
1654939
In RUINED by Paula Morris, Rebecca feels out of place and homesick when she is suddenly shipped off to stay with an "aunt" in New Orleans while her dad travels to China.  She doesn't make friends at school, but she does make a friend in the most unexpected place- the cemetery that her aunt has forbidden her to go to.

The only catch is that her friend, Lisette, is a ghost.  Once Rebecca finds out why Lisette is still haunting the city, she's determined to figure out her murder.  But she soon finds out that her own past is one of secrets and that her life may be in danger.

I think my favorite part of the story was reading all about New Orleans.  I loved reading some of the history of the city and of Mardi Gras.  I went there last spring so it was neat to read about things I have learned.

This was a fun ghost story.  There were several big twists at the end.  Two of them were complete surprises and one I saw coming.  I really liked the characters of Rebecca and Aurelia.  I found them both believable and Aurelia seemed so cute.  This is a fun paranormal read.

Reviewed by:  Andrea
1362555
After reviewing the first book in this series, I wanted to read the second book. I wasn't dissapointed. This was a creepy ghost mystery, along with time travel, excellent settings (like Versailles!) and great characters. The author did a good job on the French history. I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
3934827
Somewhere in the city that forgot to stay clean (on Almers Way to be exact) a plague has broken out. All the men, even the young have fallen ill, but when a homeless man and a boy come to town the surviving women must learn their secret. What happens next can only described as a Miyazaki like mystery. This eerie story kept me guessing all the way to the very end. Whispering ghosts?! Double jointed monsters?! Haunted houses?! When it was over, not only was I glad the lights were still on, but I wanted more!

I love the world of the Distinct Poplar (the city that forgot to stay clean). If what happens on Almers Way is any indication as to how bizarre and creepy this city can be, then please draw me a road map, cause I cannot wait to explore every street and back alley this city has to offer.
3409149
This is a well written ghostly story that will keep you up at night, you will be watching your closet door for sure.

A new author for me, Jennifer McMahon has written a block buster novel that I hope will become a movie.  This ghostly story takes place in West Hall, Vermont at a very remote farm house that is owned by Martin and Sara Harrison Shea.  Sara has written a diary that contains the rituals and secrets on how to bring back the dead to the living for a period of 7 days.  These ghostly beings are called "sleepers."  The present day story children, Ruthie and Fawn, find the hidden diary in the farm house in a secret hiding place beneath some floor boards.

The author cleverly swings chapters between the winter of 1908 and present day and interestingly ties the two together at the end of the novel.  I thought the author was crafty in writing the book this way.  As a reader, you could not wait to read the continuance of the 1908 or present day story.

A common denominator in both time lines is a desolate area within reach of the old farm house,  the Devil's Hand.  Five large vertical rocks rise out of the ground that look like the devils hand and are known as such.  You never want to wander into this area, those that have never have been seen since.

I loved everything about the book, its prose, plots and characters; especially the two time lines.  This book got a wonderful review in a library tabloid and was recommend by the publication's librarians.  I am sure you will enjoy the read!
1893549
I enjoyed this book and the characters in it. There were ghosts and mystery and old murders were solved in the end.
4469945
Having enjoyed the blend of fun and flirty southern small town charm mixed with a paranormal mystery that began this series, I've continued on for more ghostly adventures with the Southern gal, Verity Long and her irascible ghost pal gangster, Frankie.

In this installment, Verity and the rest of the town are gearing up for the big celebration and festival of the year.  The town's big claim to fame was a Civil War battle fought on it's doorstep and the townspeople and the militia repelled the invaders.  Founding families- the Wydells and the Jacksons are feuding over the historical displays and Verity is annoyed when her ex-fiance' Beau Wydell starts wooing her again, but things really get interesting when a historical society volunteer is found murdered just after she calls Verity's sister and shares she found something important when going through the historical display items.

Verity and Melanie are under suspicion, but Verity suspects the Wydell matron, Beau's mother, who also happens to be new flame, Ellis' mother, too.  Ghostly encounters have revealed a secret worth killing for.  Verity and Frankie are forced to press forward to solve the murder even as Verity makes another go at freeing Frankie's ashes so he can leave her property.  Meanwhile, things get somewhat strained between her and Ellis when the current case places their relationship in jeopardy and a vengeful poltergeist isn't keen on them investigating a certain haunted house.

I love the light-hearted moments blended with a solid mystery and a ghost haunting situation.  Fun to get the historical angle through the ghosts Verity and Frankie meet.  It's also sweet about the romance building with Verity and Ellis and the fun rivalry of the small town figures.

Tavia Gilbert remains a fantastic narrator of the series and hers is the voice of Verity and Frankie for me.

Again, I recommend this series to those who enjoy a blend of light romance, paranormal, and cozy mystery set in the small town South.
3342494
At first I wasn't sure whether or not I would like this. But, after getting into it I was hooked.
Sarah adds some interesting details to the general ghost lore that at least I'm not familiar with. Every time you think you've read all the stuff people could write on ghosts, you go and learn more.
There were a couple fuzzy parts that made me go back a couple pages to make certain what she was getting at. Sort of like missing the antecedent that the pronoun needed. But I was able to find what I was looking for.
I'm also looking forward to her next book in this series. Darn you, Sarah, for enticing us like that!