Book Review: The Last Carolina Summer by Karen White

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The Last Carolina Summer by Karen White is the story about Phoebe Manigault returning home to Mt. Pleasant, a suburb of Charleston, South Carolina, to help her sister with their ailing mother. When past memories resurface, Phoebe is thrown back into some childhood turmoil. I requested an Advanced Readers Copy ARC of The Last Carolina Summer from NetGalley, and I was ecstatic when the provided me with a copy for free in exchange for my honest review. So, a big thank you goes out to them! When I began reading this story, I just happened to be vacationing in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina. I loved hearing about the different places, including streets and a bridge called the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge, which I had to cross to get into Mt. Pleasant as well as Isle of Palms. It's always nice to be able to visualize the places and author writes about. With that being said, I'm not a fan of traveling over bridges, and one of the scenes of The Last Carolina Summer mentions a car going off ...
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Book Review: Haunting and Homicide (A Ghost Tour Mystery, #1) by Ava Burke

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NetGalley ARC Book Review of Haunting and Homicide (A Ghost Tour Mystery, #1) by Ava Burke
Haunting and Homicide (A Ghost Tour Mystery, #1) by Ava Burke opens with a little girl named Lou Thatcher talking with a ghost about how she doesn't want to move. Fast forward to several years later, Lou has moved back to the Garden District of New Orleans, Louisiana. She still can see and talk with ghosts and has opened her own business . . . a haunted history walking tour. When one of Lou's competitors dies just feet from her, she becomes the number one suspect in his death. Can Lou prove her innocence, or will she end up in jail?

A huge thank you goes out to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for approving me and providing me with an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Haunting and Homicide. When I read the synopsis of the book, I just knew I had to read it. I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for my honest review.

The beginning of this story didn't immediately pull me in, but after reading a few pages, I found myself engaged with the tale the author was weaving. Give me a paranormal setting in a city that I love to visit, and I'm all there for it. Having been on a haunted walking tour of the French Quarter a couple of times, having a book built around one of these just called my name. I'm not quite as familiar with the Garden District of New Orleans, but I have had lunch at restaurant there, and the area was quite nice from what I remember. There are a few locations mentioned in the story that I know I have to check out the next time I visit, and I will definitely want to do a tour of those locations if they are offered. 

I really enjoyed most of the characters in Haunting and Homicide, but of course, there were a few that I didn't care for, namely Lou's mom and stepfather. They were a piece of work, and unfortunately, there really are crappy people like them in the world. I didn't care for Adam, but he ended up growing on me. Then, there was Lou's crush . . . he seemed very uncaring and almost harsh. The reader does find out why he acts the way he does later on in the book, but I still didn't quite like him.

Ava Burke does a fantastic job of providing the reader with several suspects and their motives. I wasn't quite sure who the killer was going to end up being, and when they were revealed, I wasn't surprised about who it ended up being. Did I figure out who it was? That would be a big no! Should I have paid more attention to the clues the author gave me? That would be a resounding yes!

When it comes to cozy mysteries, I am particular on the ones I read and end up continuing with the series. Haunting and Homicide (A Ghost Tour Mystery, #1) by Ava Burke is definitely being added to my favorites list, and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series. Five out of five stars.

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