Author: Sue Ann Jaffarian
ISBN: 9780738713809
Publisher: Midnight Ink, 2009
Paperback, 312 pages
Genre: Cozy, Amateur Sleuth, #1 Ghost of Granny Apples mystery
Rating: A
Source: Purchased from Bookmans.
First Line: "Mom went to a séance last night."
It's not been a good year for 44-year-old Emma Whitecastle. Her television celebrity jerk of a husband decided to trade her in for a newer model who's more compliant about plastic surgery, and now he's dragging out the divorce. Her beloved Aunt Kitty has died. To top it all off, Emma goes to a séance as a favor to her friend, and the psychic insists that there's a spirit trying to get in touch with her. Come to find out, the psychic is right. You see, Emma discovers that she can see and hear spirits, and Granny Apples is demanding her help.
Tiny Granny Apples is the ghost of 42-year-old Ish Reynolds, Emma's great-great-great-grandmother, and the woman was hung because she was believed to be the murderer of her husband. Granny Apples emphatically proclaims her innocence and insists that Emma help her. Once Emma decides that she hasn't lost her last marble, she finds herself packing her bags and going to Julian, California-- a small town that came to being during the Gold Rush and the home of Granny Apples. It doesn't take her long to stir up the natives-- both living and dead.
It was refreshing to read a book about a woman in her forties who's intelligent, funny, and full of common sense. Not only that, but she's surrounded by a loving family and close friends. Even though she's going through a nasty divorce and not at all sure about the whole seeing ghosts thing, this is not an angst-filled character, so the reader can just relax and have a fun and very enjoyable read.
Emma's journey to the acceptance of her "gift" is a good one for anyone who's not enamored of a lot of "woo-woo" in the books they read, and the cast of supporting characters are very well drawn-- especially feisty little Granny Apples and lawyer/rancher Phil Bowers. There's even a bit of history thrown in for good measure, and this all adds up to a very good read.
Now I have to get my hands on the next book in the series,
Ghost in the Polka Dot Bikini. Something tells me that Granny Apples will be keeping Emma busy!
Cathy - What an interesting-sounding book! I'm not normally one for a lot of, as you put it (and very well, too), woo-woo in what I read, but this one sounds refreshingly different. I'm glad you liked it.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like Emma's having a tough time, which would make for a fun book!
ReplyDeleteSince I like feisty old ladies in mysteries, maybe I would like a feisty old lady ghost too.
ReplyDeleteI read this one last year and liked it a lot. I'll have to look for the next one. Love the title about the polka dot bikini.
ReplyDeleteGlad to see you enjoyed this one, I borrowed it from my Mom awhile ago and still haven't read it. Sounds like I need to move it up on the TBR stack though.
ReplyDeleteDuring the recent dust-up at Blogger, three folks tried to comment. Let me resurrect their words....
ReplyDeleteBARBARA said: "Since I like feisty old ladies in mysteries, maybe I would like a feisty old lady ghost too."
KATHY said: "It sounds like Emma's having a tough time, which would make for a fun book!"
MARGOT KINBERG said: "Cathy - What an interesting-sounding book! I'm not normally one for a lot of, as you put it (and very well, too), woo-woo in what I read, but this one sounds refreshingly different. I'm glad you liked it."
Kay-- How could you have missed it? It was sitting right on that shelf at the Poisoned Pen? I didn't add it to my stack so you would have a chance at it! LOL
ReplyDeleteKris-- If only we could read a dozen books at the exact same time, enjoy each one as much, and retain everything we'd read....
Barbara-- You just might!
Kathy-- What's fun is that she gets down to business and doesn't hold regular, prolonged pity parties!
Margot-- So am I!