When Boulder City is inundated with strange occurrences, the local, state, and federal authorities come up emptyhanded. Motivated by heart-wrenching appeals on Sue’s blog, Ellen and her friends offer to help. But the pressure’s on like never before when their paranormal investigation is met with scrutiny at every turn, especially when they discover, with the help of a one-hundred-year-old ghost, … ghost, a sickening coverup from the days of the building of the Hoover Dam.
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They died to make the desert bloom!
In this 5th installment of the Mystery House Series, author Eva Pohler, once again weaves her unique blend of literary magic to produce a spellbinding story incorporating historical fact, clean romance, and paranormal intrigue. While the story could be enjoyed as a standalone, I think the fullest appreciation will be had by those who have read the whole series. The delightful main characters, Ellen, Sue, and Tanya evolve throughout the course of the series in terms of their personal lives as well as their professional endeavors as paranormal investigators and ghost healers. This story has them traveling to the Silver State (Nevada) to probe the possible paranormal etiology of a mysterious illness that has left medical experts baffled. Their research uncovers a link to the Hoover dam and those who died during its construction. While the dam represents an amazing architectural achievement, the working conditions and corporate greed cast an ugly shadow over the project. Our intrepid heroines commit themselves to uncovering the whole truth behind the deaths of the many workers who “died to make the desert bloom”. The story is captivating, the characters are fun and relatable, and the underlying mission of these wonderful ladies to help all people to the best of their abilities, regardless of whether they are living or long dead, is uplifting. I will definitely be on board for their next adventure.
I would be remiss if I did not mention that the narrator, Debbie Andreen, gives an excellent performance in the audiobook version of this story. She has a wonderfully pleasing voice and the ability to make the characters and the story come alive.
I was provided with a copy of the audiobook version of this story by the author and I am voluntarily offering my honest and unbiased review.
This is another great cozy mystery/ghost story with Ellen, Sue, and Tanya, the trio of women at the centre of the Mystery House Series. When a phantom flu epidemic and ghostly occurrences strikes Boulder City, our three ghost hunting sleuths are called in to see if they can help solve the mystery. This one is not so much about a house (though there is a building involved) but more about occurrences that happened during the building of the Hover Dam itself. This story hooks you from the very start and the relationship between the women is both humorous and endearing. Their personalities compliment one another, and you can see their bond grow stronger with each book. This story entertains you with humour, mystery, suspense, a touch of very interesting history and a splash of supernatural too. The narrator did a great job of bringing out the suspense and humour and kept the women’s voices consistent and recognizable from one audiobook to the next. This is a very enjoyable story and I look forward to seeing what adventures the girls get into in the next book.
I really enjoyed listening to this audio book! This is book 5 in the series, and can be read as a stand alone, but you will get so much more if you read them in order!
Ellen and her friends never have a dull moment. Uncovering secrets of the past is what these ladies seem to do best! The history aspect is great and keeps my interest.
I absolutely loved this series. The trio of women, Tanya, Sue, and Ellen. In the fifth installment of this series the ladies are called upon to help solve a phantom flu epidemic that’s going on in Boulder City. Strange things are happening in the town and the ladies are on a mission to solve the mystery. I was hooked from the beginning and I found the history of the Hoover Dam to be very interesting. The author does a fabulous job to add some spooky stuff in her writing as well as weaving history into her story and make it all a very interesting read. I highly recommend this series if you enjoy a mixture of paranormal activity with a hint of history. The author does a beautiful job telling the story.
I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator, Debbie Andreen did a fabulous job!! Patiently waiting for the next audiobook to see what trouble the girls get themselves into next!!
I really liked this book but it was really dissapointing though.