Book Review: Southern Spirits by Angie Fox

Title:  Southern Spirits (Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries, Book 1)
Author:  Angie Fox
Genre:  Cozy Mystery, Paranormal
Release Date:  January 18, 2015

From the Back Cover:

One simple mistake…
For a girl who is about to lose her family home,
Releases the ghost of a long-dead gangster,
And opens Verity Long’s eyes to a whole new world.

When out of work graphic designer Verity Long accidentally traps a ghost on her property, she’s saddled with more than a supernatural sidekick—she gains the ability see spirits. It leads to an offer she can’t refuse from the town’s bad boy, the brother of her ex and the last man she should ever partner with.

Ellis Wydell is in possession of a stunning historic property haunted by some of Sugarland Tennessee’s finest former citizens. Only some of them are growing restless—and destructive. He hires Verity to put an end to the disturbances. But soon, Verity learns there’s more to the mysterious estate than floating specters, secret passageways, and hidden rooms.

There’s a modern day mystery afoot, one that hinges on a decades-old murder. Verity isn't above questioning the living, or the dead. But can she discover the truth before the killer finds her?

Buy Links: Amazon | Barn
es & Noble

My Review:

For fans of cozy mysteries and paranormal books, this is a great, quick, and fun read. Verity Long has been having a run of bad luck... only to made slightly worse by getting stuck with a supernatural sidekick. With her new ability to see ghosts, she finds herself stuck in the middle of a mystery of strange happenings at her ex's brother's property.

The book moves at a great pace, with lots of action, mystery, and even a touch of humor to keep things entertaining. The characters (and especially ghosts) have a lot of personality and are quite memorable... each with their own stories and idiosyncrasies. There's even a little hint of romance to keep things even more fun.

If you're looking for a quick, fun read.... I definitely recommend this book. I think it would probably be a great book on audio to listen to while you're on a roadtrip. I'm interested in checking out the rest of the series to see how Verity's talents progress and if her "sidekick" manages to disentangle himself from the rosebushes.

*Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy provided by NetGalley with the sole purpose of an honest review.  All thoughts, comments and ratings are my own.

My Rating:

About the Author:

New York Times bestselling author Angie Fox writes sweet, fun, action-packed paranormal mystery and romance. Her characters are clever and fearless, but in real life, Angie is afraid of basements, bees, and going up stairs when it is dark behind her. Let's face it. Angie wouldn't last five minutes in one of her books.

Angie is best known for her Southern Ghost Hunter mysteries and for her Accidental Demon Slayer books. She lives in St. Louis, with her football-addicted husband, two kids, and Moxie the dog.

Sign up here: http://eepurl.com/bUrBDT to find out when her next release is coming out.

Author Links:

   

Southern Spirits (Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries Book 1) by Angie Fox

Southern Spirits - Amazon Buy Link

From the Back Cover:

**USA TODAY Bestselling Series!**

From New York Times bestselling author Angie Fox, the first book in the new Southern Ghost Hunter mysteries

One simple mistake…
For a girl who is about to lose her family home,
Releases the ghost of a long-dead gangster,
And opens Verity Long’s eyes to a whole new world.

When out of work graphic designer Verity Long accidentally traps a ghost on her property, she’s saddled with more than a supernatural sidekick—she gains the ability see spirits. It leads to an offer she can’t refuse from the town’s bad boy, the brother of her ex and the last man she should ever partner with.

Ellis Wydell is in possession of a stunning historic property haunted by some of Sugarland Tennessee’s finest former citizens. Only some of them are growing restless—and destructive. He hires Verity to put an end to the disturbances. But soon, Verity learns there’s more to the mysterious estate than floating specters, secret passageways, and hidden rooms. 

There’s a modern day mystery afoot, one that hinges on a decades-old murder. Verity isn't above questioning the living, or the dead. But can she discover the truth before the killer finds her?

My Thoughts:

I had planned to read this book on my Kindle during a trip to Miami, but when my husband wanted me to do the driving, I opted for the Audible version for the trip.  (Not sure how long the promotion will last but as of right now, the Kindle version is free and you can add the Audible version for only $1.99).  Tavia Gilbert was the narrator and I must say that she did an excellent job with changing voices for the different characters and adding in that sweet southern accent when necessary.  I loved it!  But since I didn't "read" the book, I can't comment on lack of editing as some other reviewers had mentioned.  This appears to be a self-published book, so that may be true, but I can't really say more on that.

As for the storyline... I loved it!  Verity starts out in a tight spot, having to sell most of the furnishings in her home due to a lawsuit after she left her philandering fiance at the alter.  But she still needs another $20,000 or she will lose her family home.  While wallowing in self pity with her friend Lauralee and a bottle of wine, they start joking about an ugly vase that wasn't sold.  When Verity starts to clean up the vase she notices there is dirt inside.  After dumping the dirt under her rose bushes and hosing down the vase, the ghost of a gangster from the 1920's named Frankie appears to her, terribly upset that she has dumped his ashes and washed them down, trapping his spirit to her house.  Oops!  It was an urn!  When her nerves calm down a wee bit after seeing a ghost standing in front of her, Verity explains to Frankie that it won't be HER house much longer if she doesn't come up with $20,000. So Frankie comes up with a scheme to help her raise the money.  Although the scheme didn't exactly work as planned, it did open the door to a new adventure with police officer Ellis Wydell, the hunky big brother of her former fiance.

More ghosts, adventure, murder and mayhem... with a bit of romance, too!  I loved this and I will definitely be reading more in this series!

My Rating: