Book Review: The Ghosts of Misty Hollow by Sue Ann Jaffarian (Ghost of Granny Apples #6)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Strong characters, fun story

Cons: Pacing of the plot is a little off

The Bottom Line:

A trip out of state

Finds Emma with local ghosts

Fun book as always

Ghostly Mission

It’s always fun when a mystery series goes to a new location, and no series has done that more than the Ghost of Granny Apples series.  After all, you have to go to where the ghosts are.  The Ghosts of Misty Hollow takes us to Massachusetts for another fun read.

Emma Whitecastle and her fiancée Phil Bowers head there at the invitation of Gino Costello, a bestselling mystery author.  He’s planning to include ghosts in his new book, and he wants to get the details right.  While Emma’s daughter, Kelly, and Gino’s daughter, Tanisha, are good friends, this is the first time the adults have met.

Gino is a warm and friendly man; however, his wife Vanessa is cold, and the tension between the two makes Emma and Phil uncomfortable.  Meanwhile, Emma can tell that the place they are staying is filled with a bunch of ghosts – ghosts who are asking for Emma’s help.  Suddenly, this trip is looking like it will be anything but relaxing.

And yes, I’m being even more vague than usual because this is a book you really need to read to watch the plot unfold for yourself.  I did feel the pacing was uneven, but the story itself is very fun and takes a different approach to things.  The closer I got to the end, the harder it was the put down.

Because this book finds Emma and Phil outside of their normal Southern California stomping grounds, they are the only two living regulars we get to spend much time with.  (This being the downside of a book in a series that goes on the road.)  They are their usual strong selves, and they get some nice development here.  Of course, Granny, the ghost of Emma’s great-great-great grandmother, is around and her usual fun self.  And we get a cameo by another series regular before everything is over.

That leaves us with a cast of new characters, both living and ghostly.  They are a strong lot, which is no surprise since author Sue Ann Jaffarian always creates strong characters.

I don’t tend to read paranormal cozies, but I make an exception for this series, and I have never regretted it.  While I don’t believe in ghosts, that is only a part of what happens in each book.  And they are just plain fun.

It’s hard to go wrong with one of Sue Ann Jaffarian’s books, and The Ghosts of Misty Hollow is no exception.  You’ll be delighted to find yourself back in the presence of Emma, Phil, and Granny on another fun ride.

If you need to catch up, here are the rest of the Ghost of Granny Apples Mysteries in order.

NOTE: I received a copy of this book

Giveaway!

Thanks to the publisher, I have one copy of this book to give away.  Because it is a physical book, the contest is limited to residence of the US.

Just leave me a comment with your e-mail address so I can get in touch with you if you win.  I will pick the winner next Tuesday, December 13th, so please leave your comment before 12:01AM Pacific Time on 12/13.  You will have until midnight on 12/18 to get back to me, or I will choose a new winner on 12/19.