Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
When Good Ghosts Get the Blues by Danielle Garrett Narrator: Amanda Ronconi
Series: Beechwood Harbor Ghost Mystery #3
Published by Tantor Audio on Apri 30, 2019
Genres: Cozy Mystery, Paranormal
Length: 5 hours, 2 minutes
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
Amazon, Audible, Libro.fm
Vacation goals…
I have them. Real life is not cooperating.
I don’t require poolside margaritas under a fancy cabana to have a good time. All I wanted was ten ghost-free days to enjoy sightseeing New Orleans with my boyfriend, to admire art galleries, listen to live music, and eat as many beignets as I can before my pants stop buttoning.
I might as well have asked Santa for a unicorn.
Within thirty-six hours of setting foot in the Big Easy, an ancient ghost warns me of a murderous spirit lurking in the city, a strip-mall psychic tells me I look pregnant (I blame the beignets) and, oh, yeah, a dead body shows up on the set of my boyfriend’s TV show and he lands himself at the top of the suspect list.
If this karma, I must have been an ax murderer in a previous life.
I recently reviewed Betwixt which has a variety of novellas set in the town, and is a bridge between Beechwood Harbor Magic Mysteries and the Beechwood Harbor Ghost Mysteries, and introduces Scarlet. Ghost Hunter Next Door is the first in her series. The books of both series are in Kindle Unlimited.
In When Good Ghosts Get the Blues, Scarlet continues her personal development. The setting is New Orleans where Lucas is working and she comes to vacation a week with him. Of course, something goes wrong on the mansion being rebuilt which is ghost related. We don’t get much of Beechwood Harbor, but Scarlet’s ghost friends do come to her rescue.
I feel even though she was on vacation and Lucas didn’t want her to get involved, I can’t believe she didn’t ask more questions of the ghosts faster, especially Gayle. Scarlet was slow on the uptake compared to usual. As previously, the real revelations are in the last chapter, after the mystery is solved, both for learning about Scarlet’s personal talents and her relationship growth. Somehow I wish this was slightly more interwoven with the story all along. It continues to be fun and I’ll be along for the ride.
Narration:
Amanda Ronconi is a well-loved narrator and handles this series well. Scarlet, Lucas, Flapjack, Gwen and Hayward are all unique and now familiar to me. I listened at my usual 1.5x speed. Her performance added to my enjoyment.
Listen to a clip:
About Amanda Ronconi
Amanda is an actress and narrator who divides her time between New York City and Upstate New York. She has a BFA from NYU where she studied at the Stella Adler Conservatory. She has performed in theaters around New York City and regionally at The Alley, Capital Rep and many productions at the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey.
Her Off-Broadway solo comedy, Shirley at the Tropicana, received critical acclaim and was subsequently featured in The New York Times. Film and TV credits include Daydream Believer (Slamdance 2001’s Best Dramatic Feature winner), The Understudy, Deadly Sins (ID Discovery), IFC’s Get Hit and Chasing Paradise. National network and regional commercials include Chase Bank, Sony and Blue Cross/Blue Shield. Her voiceover work encompasses nearly 100 audiobooks available on Audible.com. She is a member of SAG-AFTRA and Actors’ Equity.
Amanda’s new solo show, Kempner, will debut in 2016.
About Danielle Garrett
From a young age, Danielle Garrett was obsessed with fantastic places and the stories set in them. As a lifelong bookworm, she’s gone on hundreds of adventures through the eyes of wizards, princesses, elves, and some rather wonderful everyday people as well.
Danielle now lives in Oregon and while she travels as often as possible, she wouldn’t call anywhere else home. She shares her life with her husband and their house full of animals, and when not writing, spends her time being a house servant for three extremely spoiled cats.
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I read all types of books but my favorites are urban fantasy and romantic suspense.I like some romance and some action / adventure / mystery in everything.I like sex in my books but please, only between TWO people.Intimate conversation is equally important to the sex in a book.It lets me see the characters.The other thing I enjoy is humor.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2019 Audiobooks
- 2019 Releases
This one made me so hungry with all that eating they did in the beginning. Yeah, the reveals in the last chapter feel like a teaser for what comes next, but it doesn’t feel like a trick.
Love Amanda Ronconi as a narrator for this one. Her Flapjack’s droll voice cracks me up.
I’m enjoying the series. I don’t know if you call it pacing or what but I wish her personal conclusions were more layered in? But it is fun and Amanda Ronconi has it nailed.
Everyone is reading and enjoying her books and I know I need to try them too!
Well, if you enjoy cozy quirky mysteries. It’s not for everyone. I don’t venture into this genre very often anymore but these are fun.
Glad you enjoyed!
Thanks Angela!
Feel like this series is everywhere lately, I’m late to the bandwagon but I think when I finally pick it up I’ll enjoy it
There are several of us, who are enjoying the audiobooks as they are just being released. The books are in KU also.
Love the title! This series sounds like a lot of fun! Now I keep thinking about my vacation goals and how hopefully it will only be two more months before I can put them into action 🙂
Have a wonderful week!
Yay for vacation! This is a quirky and fun series.
Wonderful review, Anne! This sounds like a fun and charming series, and I love a New Orleans setting. I also want to check out this narrator’s other books!
Thank you! Amanda Ronconi also narrates almost all the books by Molly Harper and they are awesome.
i just got this one and look forward to listening to it while enjoying the pool. Sounds fun.
I hope you really enjoy it!!
YES! I felt the same about her not getting the ghosts involved. Thanks for pointing that out. I even wrote something about it in my notes. But… still really enjoying this one overall.
Yes I think she was just trying so hard to have a ghost free vacay. But really, once things hit the fan, but she was also emotionally distraught. Still.
There were a few things in the plot of this story that I wish was a bit better. Even with that, I still had a great time with the story. The characters are just so much fun. Great review.
Melanie @ Hot Listens & Books of My Heart
yes and I always enjoy Amanda Ronconi