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A Ghoul's Gotta Do: A Ghost Hunter Mystery by Victoria Laurie

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


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I stayed up half an hour past bedtime last night to finish reading A Ghoul’s Gotta Do by Victoria Laurie. It’s the 11th installment in her “Ghost Hunter” mystery series, starring medium MJ Holliday.

MJ, her husband Heath, and their friend Gilley retired from the ghost hunting business nearly a decade ago. MJ and Heath now live in New Mexico with their children. On one of Gilley’s visits, a demon attacks MJ and her family in their home. It seemed to have emerged from a portrait of Heath’s grandfather, Sam Whitefeather. They barely escape with their lives, and they soon learn that other portraits are acting as portals for demons, resulting in several deaths among prominent members of the Tribal Council. Now it’s up to the old Ghoul Getters crew to dust off their equipment and their skills to send these demons back to hell before anyone else is killed.

Once upon a time, the author said book 10 in the series would be the last, which was disappointing. I was thrilled, therefore, when this one came out. I thought it would be make for good “Halloween lite” reading. It was not. It was creepy and brutal and had me on tenterhooks. I enjoyed reconnecting with the “gang” and meeting new characters. I don’t recall so many F-bombs dropped in the original series, although it’s been awhile, so maybe? It was a bit disconcerting. The story was fast-paced and engrossing. I do feel, however, that the ending was somewhat anti-climactic, considering the terrifying lead-up.

Favorite lines:
♦ My sons were in the house with that demon who’d just nearly killed my husband, and not even Satan himself was going to keep me from getting them out.
♦ “Why Netflix isn’t knocking down your door begging you to host your own comedy special, I’ll never understand.”
♦ “Whistles?” I asked. // “One short toot for all clear, two short toots for unsure, three short toots for possible demon at your location, and one long toot for, ‘Help! Help me! Oh God! It’s on top of me! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”
♦ “Welcome to the find-out phase of all that fuckin’ around.”
♦ I didn’t know if we should knock or simply barge in. What was the protocol when on the doorstep to hell?
♦ “Calm down, Kraken. Eat something to take the edge off that hangry temper.

Much anticipated and very good. I’m giving it 4.5 stars.

Mrs. Morris and the Day of the Dead by Traci Wilton

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


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Last night I finished reading Mrs Morris and the Day of the Dead by Traci Wilton. It’s the 10th installment of the “Salem B&B” series of cozy, paranormal mysteries. The main character is widowed Charlene Morris, who runs a haunted B&B in Salem.

As Halloween nears, Charlene has a full house at her bed and breakfast, including beautiful Isabella Perez. Isabella has come to Salem in an effort to contact her sister, Marisol, who disappeared two years prior. Isabella believes Marisol is dead, which is why she wants to reach out to her sister now, when the veil between worlds is at its thinnest. If Marisol is, indeed, dead, there is no shortage of suspects who may have wished her harm, from a creepy stalker to a rival witch, and even Marisol’s fiancé, Rico. Charlene is moved by Isabella’s plight and vows to help however she can. Even her ghostly house guest, Jack, is eager to assist. With the help of other witches in Salem, Charlene and Isabella are determined to find out what happened to Marisol.

First up, I knew that this series initially had two authors collaborating on it. The author note in this one indicated that one of them had retired, leaving the other to carry on. I knew it! I had remarked before that there seemed to have been an abrupt shift (for the better) in both Charlene (not as nosy) and Jack (not such a jerk). The setting of this story was fun—not just Salem, but at Halloween, as well. The guests were a riot, too. There was no murder mystery to solve (for the most part). It was more trying to find out what happened to Marisol. The story was lively with twists and turns. It left me confused, however. The author’s note did not indicate this was to be the final book in the series, but she sure wrapped it up that way.

Favorite lines:
♦ “Sister Abbott still crusades like it’s sixteen ninety-nine.”
♦ “I love pizza. I could eat it for every meal.”
♦ “This time on earth is short. Be happy, be kind, and dream.”
♦ “Halloween in Salem jumps everyone up from zero to a thousand on the wacko scale.”

Very good, and I’ll be disappointed if there are no more in the series. Four stars.

( Cozy Clichés )

Hiss Me Deadly by Miranda James

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


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Finished my latest book last night: Hiss Me Deadly by Miranda James. This is the 15th book in the “Cat in the Stacks” mystery. The main characters are librarian Charlie Harris and his Maine Coon, Diesel.

When Wil Threadgill returns to Athena after making a name for himself in the Hollywood music scene, Charlie’s friend Melba is over the moon. She had a crush on Wil in school, and she’s eager to see him again. However, it seems that not everyone in Athena is as happy to see Wil again. Members of both his past and current bands are ending up dead or injured, and Melba wants Charlie to look into things. Charlie knows that Wil is at the epicenter of everything, but he’s not sure if Wil is an unwitting victim or the mastermind behind the misfortune.

For the most part, this was an entertaining read, but I’ve mentioned before and will do so again: once upon a time, Charlie was a reluctant sleuth. Lately, he’s turned into a Nosy Ned who can’t stand not investigating things on his own. It’s an unappealing character shift. Based on how many people ended up dead, I had to double-check to be sure this wasn’t a “Mrs Murphy” novel, written by Rita Mae Brown. Will there be anyone left alive in Athena before the killer is brought to justice? I was pleased to suss out the killer less than halfway through the book, although it was mostly speculation on my part. The author did drop some subtle hints that let me know I was on the right track. Some things remained unanswered, and therefore vexing: how were the original letters to Wil postmarked from LA? Did Chelsea commit suicide, or was she murdered? Don’t leave loose ends dangling, please!

Favorite lines:
♦ “Cats always know when they meet a cat lover.”
♦ “You can come home again, no matter what some people might say.”
♦ “Nightmares are probably terrified of her.”

I’m waffling here. I’d like to award four stars, but the aggravation factor was high in this one. Hm. Since the main character didn’t find any bodies, I’ll give it a four.

( Cozy Clichés )