Simply Angela : Audiobook Review: Old Haunts by E.J. Copperman

Thursday, June 23, 2016

Audiobook Review: Old Haunts by E.J. Copperman

The ghosts haunting Alison Kerby's Jersey Shore guesthouse are sad. Maxie wants to know who murdered her ex-husband, and Paul pines for his still-living almost-fiancee. The only one who isn't missing her ex is Alison-because The Swine just arrived on her doorstep...

Series: Haunted Guesthouse Mystery #3| Narrator: Amanda Ronconi |Publisher: Audible | Length: 10 hours 1 minute | Genre: Paranormal Cozy Mystery| Source: Publisher | Rating: Performance and Story 4.5 Cups

Challenges Read For: Pick Your Own Genre: Contemporary

I’m addicted to this series and I have to say, this one has been my favorite thus far.

Here’s what’s going on. Alison’s resident ghosts are hoping to convince Alison to snoop around in their past. Maxie wants help investigating the murder of her ex-husband Big Bob, which happens to coincide with Luther Mason hiring her for the same reason. Paul wants help finding Julia McKenzie, the woman he nearly proposed to. And Alison has her own problems. Her ex, she calls ‘The Swine’, just showed up at her door looking for a place to stay. To top it all off, she still has the senior tour group to entertain.

There’s so much going on in this one yet it was all handled brilliantly without feeling like a jumbled mess.

Alison is starting to get more comfortable with her skills as a private investigator. She’s taking on cases, other than the ones her ghosts bring her and finally starting to hone her own skills as an investigator yet she’s smart enough to know when to bring in help. As she’s searching for clues into Big Bob’s death, we see her venturing out a bit more piecing things together.

I liked that I was finally able to see who Maxie is, both when she was alive and now that she is a ghost. Maxie’s not going to be for everyone. She’s a bit childish and annoying, yet I find that I always end up liking her. So, it was nice to see more about how she was when she was alive.

It was a bit disappointing that I didn’t get to see more of Paul. I was able to learn more about the woman he was in love with, yet Paul it still a bit of a mystery. Hopefully, more will be revealed about him as the series progresses.

The Swine, Alison’s ex-husband, finally made a lengthy appearance. He was trying to convince Alison to give him another chance and using their daughter to do it, so he wasn’t very likable. I was waiting to see the real reason for his visit.

There is a slight love-interest thrown in with Luther, Alison’s client. He’s a biker, he owns his own bike shop. He’s not really Alison’s type, but since he hired her to look into Big Bob’s death, they grow closer as they investigate different leads.

I loved the mystery in this one. I had a feeling who it was about half-way through but I still enjoyed watching it unfold. I also loved that the investigation pulled Alison into the world of bikers. It was also entertaining to watch Alison deal with another town’s police force. There were a few red herrings thrown in and an arrest of an innocent party so Alison really did have her hands full.

There’s also a side investigation where Alison is searching for Paul’s former love. Surprisingly it didn’t take away from the overall plot but added an extra bit of depth.

Once again, Amanda Ronconi does a brilliant job narrating this book. She knows how to add just the right amount of snark to each of the characters while bringing them to life.

Overall, I loved this one. It showed character growth and the mystery was entertaining. And some of the questions book one left me with were finally answered, even though this is book three.