Tuesday, December 6, 2016

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.

24 comments:

  1. A new series for me but it sounds terrific. Thanks, Mark.
    kpbarnett1941[at]aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love this series Mark. This is the series that introduced me to Sue Ann Jaffarian's books. Thanks for the giveaway.
    lhxp73@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love this series Mark. This is the series that introduced me to Sue Ann Jaffarian's books. Thanks for the giveaway.
    lhxp73@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. I love her books. I was introduced to her books by my local librarian now I have introduced her books to my family and friends. Cant wait to read the new one.
    Fasen18@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love this series and I am really excited for this book. Would love to win it. Thanks Mark

    ReplyDelete
  6. Sounds wonderful, thanks! Cbalevre@ptd.net

    ReplyDelete
  7. sounds great. janngrogan@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  8. I would love to get started on this series. Thanks for the chance to win. doward1952@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  9. sounds wonderful I would love to start on this series. Also to read and review on a few sites thanks for the chance ptclayton2@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  10. This looks like a fun read. Thanks for the chance. mbradeen@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  11. I find this series delightful...Thank you for hosting a giveaway opportunity. I am a fan and have been enjoying this Ghost of Granny Apples series and Sue Ann's Odelia Grey series, too.
    kat8762@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  12. LOVE the series.
    Lwkzbarker@suddenlink.net

    ReplyDelete
  13. LOVE the series.
    Lwkzbarker@suddenlink.net

    ReplyDelete
  14. This is a fun series. TY for the review

    gibsonbk at hiwaay dot net

    ReplyDelete
  15. Thank you for your review and give away.mercyk1114@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  16. This series sounds fun. I would to read it. Thank you for this opportunity.
    mommomsworld(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  17. Love this series and her Odelia series. Thanks for the contest! Dianeherr(at)cox(dot)net

    ReplyDelete
  18. This sounds like a fun series. Thanks for a chance to win a copy. elainehroberson at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  19. I love Ms. Jaffarian. Thanks for the contest. robing34 at gmail.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I've enjoyed previous books in this series and am looking forward to reading this one! pennyt at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  21. Hi,

    My name is Natalie, and I learned about Sue Ann Jaffarian through Great Escape Book Tours. I was really excited to learn about this website because I learned about it from Mrs. Laura Childs. Anyway, I am always looking for a new book series to read, and I would love to start reading books by Sue Ann Jaffarian. Thanks for the opportunity! Take Care 😊 ❤📘📗📕.

    ReplyDelete
  22. SueAnn Jaffarian is my new best friend; well, sort of! I haven't met her, but I feel I know her through her books and her blog. I love her writing!

    I read all of the books in this series and Odelia Grey except for this newest on in "Ghost of Granny Apples" and the last two in Odelia Grey.

    I would love to win this book, Mark. I have a USA-based shipping address (I live in Canada) so the USA address may make me eligible for this contest.

    My e-mail address is seriescollectorcanada@outlook.com

    Thanks, Mark.

    Cheers,
    William
    aka seriescollectorcanada

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for stopping by. In order to combat spam, I moderate most comments. I'll get to your comment as soon as I can.