The prodigal father returns—but this ghost is no holy spiritWhen she runs into her friend’s deadbeat dad at the local deli, undertaker Emma Lee Raines can’t wait to tell Mary Anna Hardy that he’s back in Sleepy Hollow, Kentucky, after five long years. Cephus Hardy may have been the town drunk, but he didn’t disappear on an epic bender like everyone thought: He was murdered. And he’s heard that … heard that Emma Lee’s been helping lost souls move on to that great big party in the sky.
Why do ghosts always bother Emma Lee at the worst times? Her granny’s mayoral campaign is in high gear, a carnival is taking over the town square, and her hunky boyfriend, Sheriff Jack Henry Ross, is stuck wrestling runaway goats. Besides, Cephus has no clue whodunit…unless it was one of Mrs. Hardy’s not-so-secret admirers. All roads lead Emma Lee to that carnival—and a killer who isn’t clowning around.
more
I love this series! This is the third book in the Ghostly Southern Mystery series. I love Emma Lee, Granny and the rest of the folks in Sleepy Hollow, Kentucky. In this one it is up to Emma to solve the mystery of what happened to a resident that disappeared from Sleepy Hollow five years earlier. We also find out if Granny wins the mayors race. Of course there is the continued romance blooming between Emma Lee and Jack Henry.
This book can be read alone or out of order. I think it is more fun in order but that is my opinion. Emma Lee explains about her Funeral Trauma and, really, if you want the full story on that you need to read A Ghostly Undertaking. There is mention of the mystery in A Ghostly Grave but nothing to spoil it, if you haven’t read it first. There isn’t any graphic sex, gory details of violence, (there is a murder just not the blow by blow, blood and guts descriptions), and only minor swearing, (minor for me means less than 10 times for the whole book. I can only recall one time from Charlotte Rae).
If you are looking for a good time, a murder or two, political shenanigans and light romance this book is definitely for you.
So here we are, back in Sleepy Hollow, Kentucky. And yes, Emma Lee still sees and hears ghosts. It’s a side affect of having a giant plastic Santa fall on her and knock her out cold.
Her doctor calls it ‘funeral trauma’, not believing she really communicates with ghosts. Appropriate name as she and her sister run Eternal Slumber Funeral Home.
Emma is shocked and pleased to run into Cephus Hardy. He just up and vanished 5 years ago, leaving his wife and daughter to fend for themselves. It’s only after Doc Clyde starts talking to her that she realizes Cephus is a ghost. Drat, now Doc will tell her grandmother, Zula Fae, and soon the whole town will know she still suffers from funeral trauma.
Cephus tells her he didn’t abandon his family. Says he never left Sleepy Hollow. Adamant that he was murdered. But, he can’t tell her where his body is or who killed him. Emma Lee takes this info to her boyfriend, Sheriff Jack Henry. Yep, they are now officially boyfriend and girlfriend.
There’s not much to go on, but Jack Henry starts digging. So does Emma Lee, much to his consternation. With two murder cases under her belt, Emma dives back in with no regard to danger. Business as usual, think Jack Henry.
You never know who you;re going to meet in this series. each book introduces new characters, new ghosts. They all have such fun names.
In the south, lots of people go by their first and middle name. You’ll be bumping into Zula Fae again. Emma’s grandmother is following through on her plans to run for mayor, and she’s taking her campaign to a whole new level. She’s such a pistol.
There’s also Mable Claire, Beulah Paige, Hettie Bell, and Cheryl Lynne. to mention a few more. I keep waiting for a Bubba to pop up.
So, the skinny is, someone murdered Cephus. Emma Lee has to solve the case, the whole town thinks she’s still whacko, and her granny is taxing her last nerve. So much fun.
About twenty-five percent into the book, I found my first clue. But, knowing this author, I couldn’t count on that leading me anywhere but down the garden path. So I pressed on, and tripped over a few more clues. Yep, they led all over the place.
I’ll leave you here. Don’t want to spoil anything. Grab it. Read it. Find out for yourself who did what. A good thing is, you don’t have to have read the other books to jump into this series. The author fills you in on past events quickly and in just the right places.