Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Diamonds are a Ghost's Best Friend by Danielle Garrett Narrator: Amanda Ronconi
Series: Beechwood Harbor Ghost Mystery #5
Published by Tantor Audio on January 16, 2020
Genres: Cozy Mystery, Paranormal
Length: 4 hours, 54 minutes
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
Amazon, Audible, Libro.fm
Going to the chapel and we’re gonna get … haunted?
I’ve got a ring on my finger and a date circled on the calendar, let the wedding planning begin!
As luck would have it, the little wooded chapel I’ve got my heart set on, is plagued by the not-so-nice spirit of a former bride. She died on what was meant to be her wedding day and isn’t going to step aside to let anyone else take her place at the altar. She claims the chapel is cursed and points to her own murder as a sure sign, but I’m not convinced.
I’ll have to keep my new reaper powers in check and solve this case the old-fashioned way if Lucas and I have any shot at starting our happily ever after underneath the majestic pines.
I have been reviewing the books in the Beechwood Harbor Ghost Mysteries as they are released. The previous series is the Beechwood Harbor Magic Mysteries which I have now caught up to current. The books of both series are in Kindle Unlimited.
Diamonds are a Ghost’s Best Friend continues the style I prefer where the personal and mystery story lines are intermixed throughout the book. Scarlet and Lucas are planning their wedding and futures. Of course, there is a ghost at the location where they want to hold the wedding. Some of the ghosts have different ideas about her future. To top it off there is a ghost hunter in town.
The ghost story is a more classic cozy mystery which relies on looking at the evidence and talking to people. Of course, Scarlet has the assistance of her ghost friends in gathering evidence. Other than hearing some evidence from them, Scarlet just has to act like Miss Marple and figure out the human nature aspects.
The wedding planning and house-hunting and future plans are only barely mentioned. We don’t know all the results on those fronts or what Scarlet plans to do (for work) after she is married. There is also no further development of her “reaper” skills or the ability with plants. I sort of hoped we would get more on her talents. I don’t know if this is the end or if there will be more with answers to some of these lingering questions.
Narration:
Amanda Ronconi is a well-loved narrator with lots of experience in this paranormal genre. Scarlet, Lucas, Flapjack, Gwen and Hayward all have unique voices and are now familiar to me. I enjoyed her performance, listening at my normal 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip: HERE
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:
- COYER Friends
Yeah it was a good one, but I was curious about the same stuff you were when it got to the end. Oh, good news, her newsletter from yesterday announced a new release for this series so we get more. I wasn’t sure either.
Thanks for the update Sophia!
Thanks Sophia – I checked her website and FB after finishing this one, thinking maybe it was over. Glad to know there will be more!
I would listen to this just for the narrator ALONE!! I love Amanda Ronconi, she is one of my favorites. So lovely to listen to her.
She’s a favorite of mine too. She does a nice job with this series.
I enjoyed this too and wondered if it was the end.
Sophia Rose said her newsletter announced another book so there will be more. I’m glad because there are some things I want to know yet which were started here but we don’t get the end result.
I am going to have to give this series a try. I love this kind of story and Amanda Ronconi is an amazing narrator! Great review!
I like this ghost series best but if you want to go in order you start with the Magic series with Holly the witch. The books are in KU but not the audios.
It does sound fun and I’ve not tried this author before.
This is a well-written and fun paranormal cozy. It is great on audio with Amanda Ronconi. The beginning is really the magic series but I like this ghost series the best.
Well, I was going to say, this certainly felt like the final book to me, but after reading Sophia’s comments – I guess not! I enjoyed this one. I really like the evolving and progressing romantic relationship side story – how it doesn’t dominate and how they work together, trusting one another. (In contrast especially to Holly’s situation). I was also a bit happy that we didn’t go down the demon / reaper aspects of her powers. I wasn’t a big fan of the idea of demons in this world. But we’ll see what happens. Nice review!
Thank you! I am glad there is another one because there are a few loose ends and I want answers. This is my favorite of her series too.