Welcome to Cozy Wednesday!
I am happy to share my thoughts today about Haunting and Homicide: A Ghost Tour Mystery by Ava Burke!
Haunting and Homicide: A Ghost Tour Mystery
Cozy Ghost Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Louisiana
Publisher : Crooked Lane Books (January 21, 2025)
Hardcover : 272 pages
ISBN-10 : 1639109285
ISBN-13 : 978-1639109289
Kindle ASIN : B0D2C54943
Audiobook ASIN B0DH5B3GK2
Audio CD ASIN : B0DKBCBNDC
Lou Thatcher is haunted by ghosts–friendly ghosts–but when she finds herself involved in a murder investigation, she’s in for the fright of a lifetime in this new cozy mystery, perfect for fans of Amanda Flower and Ellen Byron.
Tallulah “Lou” Thatcher has a gift: she can see dead people. But in New Orleans, Louisiana, this is not a drawback. On the contrary, her ability to see ghosts helps her host viral ghost tours through the historic Garden District. When rival tour guide Adam Brandt–who accused her of faking her encounters to undercut his business–is found murdered, Lou is the only one who can see him . . . his ghost, that is.
It’s no secret Adam and Lou were feuding and with the absence of a suspect, she’s the only one with a clear motive. After detective Dylan Finch, Lou’s longtime crush, reveals the murder weapon was a ceremonial dagger from Lou’s shop, she’s officially declared the prime suspect. Determined to prove her innocence, Lou starts investigating right away.
Weaving her way through Adam’s business partnerships, friendships, and kinships, Lou must uncover who wished to see him dead before the killer tries to silence her forever.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Tallulah “Lou” Thatcher hosts ghost tours in the New Orleans Garden District and her tours are going viral because Lou has a gift. She can actually see and communicate with the area ghosts and one ghost loves to show off and watch the viral videos with Lou.
Adam Brandt also hosts ghost tours but he doesn’t have a gift and he believes Lou’s tours are complete shams until he is murdered and has his own encounter with Lou. He wants her to find his killer but she is the police’s prime suspect due to their prior discord and that the murder weapon came from her store. He doesn’t know who killed him but he knows it wasn’t Lou so she starts to dig into his past to see who wanted him dead and is framing her for his murder. She just hopes she can find the killer before they have her haunting the Garden District with all the other ghosts.
Tallulah “Lou” Thatcher is a wonderful protagonist with an interesting gift – a gift she has had her whole life. She doesn’t know why the ghosts are stuck where they are and would love to help them pass to the next realm. Until then she enjoys visiting with them and showing off their talents. We also meet her loving grandmother, her grandmother’s significant other Ronald, her best friend Cady, Cady’s brother Detective Dylan Finch, Lou’s part-time employee Tess, and Lou’s teenage brother Bryce. For the first book in the series, the characters were well fleshed out while leaving room for growth as the series continues.
There are also some cool ghosts in this story and I loved how cleverly they were created. They had distinct talents and were there when Lou needed them most.
We follow Lou through her busy daily life as she works in questioning the living and the dead in her quest to find Adam’s killer. She did get herself into some sticky situations but none more so than when the killer is revealed. I truly was on the edge of my seat for the chase that occurred in the final chapters and found the takedown was especially delightful. Adam makes a request of Lou after everyone is safe. It was truly heartwarming.
A subplot deals with Lou’s dysfunctional family and I appreciated the way Ms. Burke handled the situation. I am sure there will be issues that arise in future stories as there would in real life. What occurred gives us insight into Lou’s past which makes her even more genuine.
A unique plot set in New Orleans with complicated relationships, family drama, ghosts, and more has set this series off to a terrific start. It was very easy to get invested in these characters with the interesting and entertaining mystery the author has penned. I highly recommend Haunting and Homicide and can’t wait for the next Ghost Tour Mystery!
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.
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