Book 57, 2020

[chez_jae]

A Walk on the Haunted Side by Rose Pressey

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Last night, I finished reading A Walk on the Haunted Side by Rose Pressey. It's the second part of her "Haunted Tour Guide" mystery series, told in first person pov by the main character Ripley "Rip" van Raden: librarian by day, haunted tour guide by night.

Ripley is excited when a famous author, Hank Key, agrees to come to the library in Devil's Moon, KY, for a book signing. The event is more exciting than she had planned, however, when both a stalkerish fan and the author's ex-wife show up and cause drama. Later, after Hank expresses interest in some of the haunted locations in Devil's Moon, Ripley takes him and his assistant, Cady, to an allegedly haunted house, which everyone believes is cursed.

When Hank is murdered after visiting the house, Ripley isn't sure if the curse is real or if Hank was killed by an actual person. Unable to resist looking into it, Rip is aided by her BFF, Tammy, and Annie, the ghost who haunts the library. Hunky police officer and paranormal investigator, Brannon, would rather Ripley stay out of it, but once a shadow figure attaches itself to her, there's no going back.

As with other books by this author, it was in need of editing. The narrative caromed here and there, and it focused mainly on Ripley's ham-handed investigation. It was mostly fluffy and light, with a bit of creepiness thrown in.

Favorite line: What would the patrons of my haunted tour think if they saw me run out of the house like Shaggy minus Scooby?

The story wasn't bad; it simply wasn't good, either. Average score.