The New York Times bestselling author of the Cat in the Stacks Mysteries and Digging Up the Dirt returns with the latest Southern Ladies Mystery…It’s autumn down south, and An’gel and Dickce Ducote are in Natchez, Mississippi, at the request of Mary Turner Catlin, the granddaughter of an old friend. Mary and her husband, Henry Howard, live in Cliffwood, one of the beautiful antebellum homes for … Cliffwood, one of the beautiful antebellum homes for which Natchez is famous.
Odd things have been happening in the house for years, and the French Room in particular has become the focal point for spooky sensations. The Ducotes suspect the ghostly goings-on are caused by the living, but when a relative of the Catlins is found dead in the room, An’gel and Dickce must sift through a haunted family history to catch a killer.
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What’s not to love about two elderly spinster sisters who are more spry than many fifty-year-olds I know? Between the amazing southern charm, the ghost-hunting, the family drama over an inheritance, and a potentially new line of relatives, the fourth saga in the Southern Ladies Mystery series by Miranda James, Fixing to Die, has it all. Kudos to this fantastic series and author… 4.5 stars for this latest edition published in 2017. I’m sad to say I’m all caught up on this series, and the author has put it on hold per the publisher for a few years (2020?) to focus on another series about a Cat in the Stacks… I’ve finished 2 of 8 in that series but will pick up the rest this fall and winter. I’m very excited for both.
So… ‘Fixing to’ anything is quite an expression. My family in Louisiana uses it all the time. I try to, but I fail given I can’t really claim southern roots just because I was born in Florida. Miranda James does not have to worry or extrapolate – it’s right on! These characters are fixing to do a lot of things that likely lead to murder. In this mystery, the Ducote sisters travel to Natchez to help the granddaughter of a friend who’s having some trouble in her bed and breakfast with objects moving around and mysterious temperature changes. Is there a ghost or a human causing all this drama? When her relatives show up trying to claim ownership over the house due to a long-lost will, it gets quite complicated. But then… a psychic randomly appears claiming the house is haunted. What do they all have to do with one another?
Miranda James excels at ambiance and captivating settings. The characters are also quite good, but in this one, it’s the ghost aspects that really pop. I really knew it was a human, as the series isn’t about ghosts, but there were quite a few characters who looked guilty. A major clue / red herring was thrown out about 50% thru and I thought for a moment, hmm… what’s going on here, why was this so easy. Well, I won’t give away any spoilers but there’s more going on across a few levels. It gets quite interesting and the pay-off in the end makes it worth it.
The addition of Benjy has been a fantastic story line. And the pets have such personality. It’s carefully woven into the story without any over-the-top aspects. A fine balance where it’s the story and the characters who keep drawing you back for more fun in this easy-to-picture world. I’m impressed by the variety in James’ world and look forward to reading more soon.
So love this series! Having lived in the South for over 30 years, I just loved the Ducote sisters and the southern properness (and not so proper) ways. This book has us traveling to Natchez, Mississippi, to assist a granddaughter of a old friend of weird happenings at the B & B she had inherited from her parents that had been in family for generations. Author does an excellent job of descriptions of people, locations, and objects. Awesome character interactions and the reader can feel as if they are right there in the midst of actions! Unfortunately, this was the last (so far) of this series. I really hope there will be more in the near future because the series is that good!
Great cozy mystery series
This is such a wonderful series. I loved this book. I didn’t even read the blurb so it was such a coincidence that it had ghosts in it and I started reading it three days before Halloween. The sisters are wonderful. I love the plot and characters. And thank you, Benjy, for taking such good care of your pets.
Sisters An’gel and Dickce Ducote are only too happy to help Mary Turner Catlin, the granddaughter of their friend. It seems the family house is haunted, and she wants them to help her figure out what is causing the problem. It isn’t too long after they arrive that they begin to experience some strange things, but it’s the uninvited guests who really up the tension. What are the sisters involved in now?
I love the main characters in this book, both human and four legged, so I was glad to get a chance to visit them again. They delight as always, and the new characters are strong as well. The pacing was a little off over all, but the haunted house aspect is a nice addition to the mystery. Fans of the author will enjoy this latest book.
I love this series
Fixing to Die by Miranda James is the fourth book in A Southern Ladies Mystery series. An’gel and Dickce Ducote have received a letter from Mary Turner Catlin about strange happening at her home, Cliffwood in Natchez, Mississippi. Mary Turner is at a loss and needs their help. The sisters along with their ward, Bengy (and the pets) pack up and head to Natchez (with Bengy driving so they make it without any speeding tickets and get to enjoy the scenery). Mary Turner was not kidding about the odd things occurring around the house—doors closing on their own, items moving around a room, cold spots, and strange shadows. Is there a ghost at Cliffwood or is someone trying to get the Catlin’s out of their home? The Ducote’s are just getting settled when a psychic shows up at the door saying she was drawn by a spirit who needs her help. But she is not the only unwanted guest. Two cousins and their lawyer descend on Cliffwood and insist upon staying for a few days (just what they need during their vacation time). The next day Nathan Gable (one of the cousins) is found dead in his bed with a frightened expression on his face. Did one of their unexpected guests kill Nathan or was it the spirit haunting Cliffwood? An’gel and Dickce want answers and set out to reveal the truth.
Fixing to Die has some lively characters and a beautiful old home for the setting (I would love to live in it). Miranda James did a wonderful job at portraying the accent of people who live in the South along with their characteristics. The story contains some nice writing, but it lacked an ease. I thought Fixing to Die was a slow starter. The murder did not occur until the 48% mark. The murder mystery was straightforward and the majority of readers will identify the perpetrator long before the reveal (it can be deciphered before Henry Howard finds Nathan’s cold body). The “hauntings” and who is behind them is equally unpuzzling. There was little investigation by the sisters. They never looked at the body or checked out the crime scene. Most sleuths would rush to check out both before the police arrive (the body would give them vital clues). An’gel and Dickce asked questions, examined walls (for secret passageways), and endlessly speculated what could have happened. The story is lacking in action and ending was anticlimactic. The author also left some threads dangling at the end of Fixing to Die. My rating for Fixing to Die is 3.5 out of 5 stars. I would not recommend starting with Fixing to Die. I have read the other books in A Southern Ladies Mystery series, and I felt a little lost in the beginning. I liked what was called the Nancy Drew effect (made me laugh). Who doesn’t want to find a secret passageway?
In this next book of the series a family friend named Mary asks the Ducote sisters to Natchez, Mississippi to help her find out just who or what is haunting the B&B that she owns and operates. The sisters immediately agree and pack up their pets and ward to see just what they can discover. As soon as they arrive strange things start happening. When Mary’s cousin comes to stay and ends up dead things take a turn for the worse. Did a ghost kill him or was it something more solid. The sisters believe that all that is happening is due to a live person and the haunting is just someones way of trying to cover up what is really going on. Will the sisters be able to find the culprit? Is there a ghost hanging around the B&B? Who would want to kill the cousin? Jump right in and tag along with the Ducote sisters as they try to answer these questions and more. I love that the sisters don’t let their age limit them to what they can do, and look forward to whatever exploits come their way.
Fall has come to Mississippi, and An’gel and Dickce Ducote are in Natchez at the B & B of Mary Turner Catlin, the granddaughter of an old friend. Mary Turner and Henry Howard, live in Cliffwood, one of the beautiful antebellum homes for which Natchez is famous.
Strange things have been going on in the house for many years. The French Room, in particular, has become the focal point for spooky sensations. An’gel and Dickce suspect the ghostly goings-on are caused by the living and not the dead. When Mary’s cousin, several times removed is found dead in the French Room, An’gel and Dickce must scrutinize the haunted family history to catch a killer.
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Series: A Southern Ladies Mystery – Book 4
Author: Miranda James
Genre: Paranormal/Ghost Cozy
Publisher: Berkley
Fixing to Die is a great addition to the “A Southern Ladies Mystery” series. It is intriguing and filled with great locations, characters and the odd ghost or two, sort of. Ms. James has crafted a thrilling who-done-it with plenty of clues to direct the reader to the killer’s identity.
This series is a delightful way to introduce characters that are not the average age for most cozies. An’gel and Dickce are not young by any means but are filled with a sense of adventure, a zest for life, and experiences that younger characters cannot convey. Sisters who argue as most siblings do, they still manage to work together, live together and care about each other. They will always have each other’s back, even when they do not agree on the issues.
Mary and her husband live in a charming old house filled with history and family antiques. But they come from different worlds and at times do not understand the other’s needs, or obsessions. It isn’t surprising that they differ on the cause of the odd things happening in their very old B&B, and enlist the Ducote sisters to help straighten things out.
Most of the suspects are easily distrustful without being too overt. It is easy to take a dislike to them and therefore jump to the conclusion that they are killers, one and all. The twists and turns are scattered throughout the story and have the reader jumping from one suspect to another seamlessly. There is no single clue that will lead the reader to the killer; they will need to adjust their perceptions as they read through to find the right suspect.
Natchez Mississippi is set on the Mississippi River. It is a wonderful old city known for antebellum mansions. These mansions predate the civil war such as Stanton Hall or Longwood. This makes for an ideal location and setting for this series. The history and possibly haunted mansion is a definite draw and will encourage readers to explore the city and history of this magical place.
This series including Fixing to Die are wonderful journeys through the old south with plenty of southern charm. There are colorful characters and beautiful old homes. This book is highly recommended to anyone who likes a story that will leave them smiling and looking forward to the next addition.