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theavidreaderandbibliophile's review against another edition
3.0
High Spirits by Carol J. Perry is a cute cozy mystery. It is the second A Haunted Haven Mystery and it can be read as a standalone. The author provides all the necessary background information for new readers. I found High Spirits easy to read thanks to the author’s conversational writing style. The book moved along at a good clip. I like Maureen Doherty and her darling dog, Finn. I also like Ted, Lorna, Gert, and the other seniors who work at the inn. I enjoyed the descriptions of the inn Maureen inherited. I wanted to steal some of her Christmas decorations (I love vintage ornaments). I can relate to Maureen’s thoughts about Christmas in Florida. It is challenging to channel Christmas when you are wearing shorts and t-shirts with the sand and surf nearby. There are two mysteries in High Spirits. There is a cold case that Officer Frank Hubbard is determined to solve. A man was shot in the Paramount Theater while watching Animal House in the 1970s. In the present day, the projectionist hired by the owners of the Paramount Theater ends up shot in the projectionist booth. Officer Hubbard believes Maureen has information on the cold case and he is stalking her (stakes out her house, follows her while she walks the dog, and much more). I am not a fan of Officer Hubbard. I believe he crossed the line in this book. I enjoyed the two mysteries that tie into the local movie theater. There are several suspects in the cold case, and they happen to be in town. It was fun following Maureen as she set out to gather information to solve the cases. She gets help from Lorna the inn’s resident ghost who loves to borrow from Maureen’s wardrobe. Maureen assembles her clues and puts the pieces together to solve the puzzles. I did feel, though, that the reveal was anticlimactic (it was ho hum). For those who are avid armchair sleuths, you will not find the mysteries challenging. I quickly grew tired of all the repetitive details (every time Maureen walks the dog, goes in the side door, what she is wearing down to the shoes, goes out the side door, passes the soda machines and guest laundry area, the type of car she drives). There was romance in the story as Maureen gets to know her head chef. Plus, Lorna has a beau to squire her about town. I love the ghosts in the story and would like to see more of this element. High Spirits is a spirited story with a friendly Finn, Christmas centerpieces, appealing paintings, a cold case, pricey purses, and festive embellishments for trimming the palm tree.
smalltownbookmom's review against another edition
3.0
An entertaining, cozy mystery book in the Haunted Haven series. I really enjoyed this Florida Inn series that features an amateur detective, her golden retriever and ghosts who inhabit her inherited inn. Great on audio and a perfect #SpookySeason read. This book is also a great balance of ghosts with a Holiday setting and has a well-written classic Hollywood movie mystery. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!!
3mst3w's review against another edition
4.0
•High Spirits by Carol J. Perry
•Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️4/4.5
•This is a prequel to her Be My Ghost book, (which I loved) they are both cozy murder/mystery books and quick reads! High Spirits is kinda like the other one, where the main character ends up finding a dead body in the movie theater down the street, from the inn that she inherited from the first book. This book was set around Christmas, the first one was set around Halloween. I was hoping this was set around Halloween too cause I’m not a big Christmas fan but, I just glossed over those mentions. I kept trying to figure out who the murder was throughout reading and I ended up being right! I really enjoyed this series and part of me hopes there might be more, if not that’s okay!
•If anyone else read it, what were your thoughts?
#highspirits #book #books #bookstagram #caroljperry #ghosts #mystery #murder #cozyvibes #cozy #cozyreading #halloween #christmas #bemyghost
•Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️4/4.5
•This is a prequel to her Be My Ghost book, (which I loved) they are both cozy murder/mystery books and quick reads! High Spirits is kinda like the other one, where the main character ends up finding a dead body in the movie theater down the street, from the inn that she inherited from the first book. This book was set around Christmas, the first one was set around Halloween. I was hoping this was set around Halloween too cause I’m not a big Christmas fan but, I just glossed over those mentions. I kept trying to figure out who the murder was throughout reading and I ended up being right! I really enjoyed this series and part of me hopes there might be more, if not that’s okay!
•If anyone else read it, what were your thoughts?
#highspirits #book #books #bookstagram #caroljperry #ghosts #mystery #murder #cozyvibes #cozy #cozyreading #halloween #christmas #bemyghost
ironikal's review
4.0
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.
If you like a fun cozy mystery, the Haunted Haven series is a winner! This is the second book in the series, featuring Maureen and her golden retriever, who have inherited a haunted inn on the Florida coast. Don't worry, though, if you find ghosts scary. These ghosts are more like fun roomies who you need to keep an eye on. This is a classic cozy mystery with a holiday background and a little bit of Hollywood movie mystery thrown in. Recommended read for a cozy fan!
If you like a fun cozy mystery, the Haunted Haven series is a winner! This is the second book in the series, featuring Maureen and her golden retriever, who have inherited a haunted inn on the Florida coast. Don't worry, though, if you find ghosts scary. These ghosts are more like fun roomies who you need to keep an eye on. This is a classic cozy mystery with a holiday background and a little bit of Hollywood movie mystery thrown in. Recommended read for a cozy fan!
jellykellybean's review
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.25
rebeccasreadingrambles's review against another edition
4.0
This is such a fun series. I do love a good ghost story and the fact that there are resident ghosts that interact just like all the other characters adds such a fun flair. I enjoyed the combination of a cold case and a new murder (are they linked or not?!) and how it leads the investigation. The idea of a dinner and an old-time movie as a holiday promotion is lovely and I wish I could visit and go myself. The way that Maureen has jumped into revitalizing the inn and the town with both feet even though she was just transplanted there with no prior knowledge in just the last book is admirable and makes me root for her even more. The ending was surprising, especially in the way everything was revealed and played out in such an unsettling and unique way had me on the edge of my seat. I'm hoping there will be more books in this series!
skivins08's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75