Gaele Hi
AudioBook Review: Stars: Overall 4 Narration 5 Story 4 Scarlett has been managing her new business, and hoping that the ghosts in town will just all take a collective cleansing breath and give her a break. But, that’s apparently not to be – and when you add on the bride from Hell in Kimberly, Scarlett’s reserves are running on empty and her assistant causing more issues than she solves – things can’t get worse. Or can they? See, in Scarlett’s world, it’s never a safe bet to ask that question because it seems that “BAM” everything starts to go pear shaped: the bride turns up dead, Gwen the ghost has a new love interest which sends Scarlett’s ghostly gentleman companion into a huge case of the worries, Lucas the security guard is in town for a visit and if that’s not enough, she’s got a client’s dead wife to help cross over……. When you add in the fact that Lucas can help in the investigations, even as Flapjack (the ghostly cat) seems to exude snark and that certain ‘cat-like” dismissal of all the events as they unfold, the story is twisty, funny and clever – keeping everyone engaged and intrigued as the threads untangle and culprits and issues are found and sorted. When local community ghosts start to go missing, the tensions rise another few degrees, especially when Gwen’s new love interest is counted among the no longer there. A book that Scarlett was given has lingered unopened, and with the new dark twist with missing ghosts and some unspecified dangers, the story added levels of darkness and some intrigue that are sure to prove interesting as the series continues. A wonderful installment that builds more of the world and characters around Scarlett, and fits her into the small town of Beechwood Harbor like a puzzle piece. Narration for this series is provided by Amanda Ronconi, and she’s managed to carry a continuity of voices for each of the characters, allowing them to stand distinct and easily recognized, while not confusing the listener. Each character is distinct and unique, with tone, delivery and emotional range that fits both the story and the character, and shows both her understanding of the story and provides the listener with the sense that she is enjoying the twists and turns as much as you are. A lovely performance, Ronconi excels at these ‘quirky’ character stories that are action packed, laced with humor and some truly over the top characters. I received an AudioBook copy of the title from Tantor Audio for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.