Now for a change of pace. Ghost Ship by P.J. Alderman is a fun murder mystery. In fact multiple mysteries are solved as the main character Jordan also delves into the mysterious death of a ghost from times long past. This is the second book in the Port Chatham Mystery series.

Jordan is newly moved to the seaside town of Port Chatham in Washington State. With this move has come a large house she is renovating and a bunch of resident ghosts only Jordan seems to be able to see. Added to this already interesting character list is the resident hotty and pub owner Jase, close friend and Sheriff Darcy and the newest corpse… womanizer Holt Stillwell.

What I love about this series is that it alternates between the contemporary and historical mysteries. You not only get to know Jordan and her friends and townsfolk but the ghosts and their community. There is a rather interesting look into the opium trade of the 1890’s that connects to the murder in the current day.

The setting is lovely, characters vibrant and the romance a definite slow burn. I really enjoyed the fact that the book is not centered on people disbelieving the ability to see ghosts… in fact no one rails against it as hard as the woman herself! The mysteries were interesting right up until the end. I would definitely suggest this book and potentially this series to anyone who loves ghosts with their mysteries. I look forward to reading the first in this series as well as continuing on with the rest.

Every once in a while I come across a freebie for the Kindle that is absolutely worth stopping and reading. Death Comes to Town by K.J. Emrick was most definitely one of these. This cozy mystery definitely came with a dose of paranormal all based in the small town Misty Hollow. Darcy Sweet has inherited a bookstore: Sweet Read from her great-aunt Millie who haunts her from time to time in a rather friendly, sometimes helpful way. 

One of my favourite characters is Smudge the cat. There is the love interest… new cop in town Jon, the ex-husband Jeff… Darcy’s sister (cop) Grace and more. The murder is early in the novel and relatively low stress. The romance is a wee bit predictable but cute and keeps you interested. I do like the characters in the town. I am personally quite in love with the small town characters you find in cozies. 

There are 7 books in the Darcy Sweet Cozy Mystery series and I for one will be keeping an eye peeled to read more. While not a serious or deep read, Death Comes to Town is a terrific light read to enjoy in a sunny spot on a quiet afternoon. There is romance, mystery, a touch of divination or precognition AND of course the contemporary small town. I would definitely recommend it for a light read! 

A Tale of 3 Witches by Christiana Miller and Barbra Annino is a short story combination of their Toad Witch and Stacy Justice series. I have reviewed two of Barbra Annino’s Stacy Justice series… Opal Fire and Bloodstone. The Toad witch series is new to me and where the story starts with young mom Mara and her roommate Gus. With a ghostly Aunt Tillie and her ghost toad, her darling baby and the complicated back story (not really touched on in this short but … I am intrigued all the same) father of the child Paul we get off to a great start.

Samhain (Halloween) is on its way and a terrible trouble has been foretold. What is a witch to do but head to Amethyst, Illinois and the B&B Geraghty Girls Guest House. I don’t want to go too far into the story but I have to say, even without knowledge previous to this for one of the paranormal series I had a great afternoon reading this one! And now want to find the first in Christiana Miller’s series and dive right in! So watch for future reviews on BOTH of these authors as I get my hands on their works!

For now, check out A Tale of 3 Witches!!!

A Tale of 3 Witches