The Mint Julep Murders

The Mint Julep Murders may be the eighth story in The Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries, but it can be read as a standalone. Verity’s background and Frankie’s is included for new readers. The Mint Julep Murders is not as light as the previous books. It is darker and more intense (they are in an insane asylum). Angie Fox’s conversational writing style makes for a pleasurable reading experience. The story grabbed me right away and I kept reading to find out what would happen next. Verity, Ellis and Frankie know to be cautious, but this is beyond what they expected. This trip really opens Ellis’s eyes to the dangers of Verity’s job. The decrepit asylum was the perfect setting for this creepy whodunit. Add in an odd assortment of humans, unique spirits, creepy treatment rooms, strange noises and chill breezes. Verity, with her positive outlook on life, manages to put an upbeat spin on their situation. She is so sweet with her Southern manners and tries to befriend every being she encounters. Verity has a new gingham bag that sounds adorable. Lucy is not with Verity on this adventure, but she is mentioned. The lucky skunk is staying with Melody, Verity’s sister, and gets to visit the library for Take Your Pet to Work Day. The murder has Verity and Ellis wondering which of their companions could have committed the crime. Verity questions the ghostly inhabitants of the asylum. Levi with his room of books was my favorite. Two college ghost hunters have invented a ghost translator app (very clever of them) which leads to some humorous moments. Frankie adds levity with his witty retorts. At one point Frankie exclaims “shoot me now” and Verity replies “I would, but somebody beat me to it”. I loved the ending and I cannot wait to find out what Verity and Frankie get into next time. Come along with Verity, Frankie and Ellis on their latest spooky and chilling escapade in The Mint Julep Murders.

The Mint Julep Murders
Southern Ghost Hunter Mystery, Book #8
Angie Fox
5 Stars

Synopsis:

For Southern girl Verity Long, friendship means sitting down to stories and sweet tea on the front porch. For her gangster ghost housemate, it means dragging Verity out to a remote haunted asylum during a raging thunderstorm to do a favor for a long-dead mob boss.

But Verity is always ready to help out a friend, even one as eternally eccentric as Frankie. And in the case of Mint Julep Manor, the stakes are too high to refuse. The criminally insane mob boss holds a secret to Frankie’s past, one that might set Frankie free. Do the favor—survive the favor—and they might change Frankie’s afterlife for good. Fail, and they might never leave the asylum. (Goodreads)

Review:

The characters are well developed and well rounded. Verity is such a caring loving person, and she wants to help everyone, living or dead. Everyone should be as kind as her. Frankie likes to appear tough and gruff, but deep down he has feelings, although he would never admit it. Any time I get to spend with Verity and Frankie is time well spent. I love the bickering and banter between the two of them, it provides a lot of humor to the book. Verity would miss Frankie if he ever left.

The writing style flows smoothly and defines the characters very clearly by their actions and words. The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and creating the setting. Being in a remote haunted asylum was very scary and I could picture the torture devices and the eerie hallways in my mind. It was a scary place to be!!

There was plenty of action taking place within the pages of this book. The mystery was well plotted and although most of the action took place within the asylum, I think that added to the suspense. There were plenty of twists and turns and red herrings thrown in and it was not easily solved. And the ending left me wanting to read the next book immediately.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. And if you enjoy ghostly cozies, this book and series is for you.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book and provided my honest review.

Verity and Frankie have a love hate relationship, the problem is they are stuck with each other for better or worse, no pun intended. This is what happens to great girls like Verity that cares about her friends. Read this book, in fact start at the very beginning of the series to grasp the great heart this girl has with her Southern wit and passion, and then of course there are the haters of Verity Long Bless their Hearts

This is a wonderful series and I always look forward to the next in the series. mint Julep was fun and I enjoyed every minute reading it. It’s a great beach read. Well written and moves quickly. Can’t wait til I read the next one. Read in order for it to make sense.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

THE MINT JULEP MURDERS by Angie Fox is the eighth book in the Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries series. This is a cozy paranormal mystery series, but this novel was much darker than previous ones.

Our protagonist is Verity Long and she can see, converse, and interact with ghosts. Additionally she has a gangster ghost housemate (Frankie) and a boyfriend (Ellis) that is a police officer. Together they visit the Mint Julep Manor, a haunted asylum undergoing renovations. One of the resident ghosts supposedly is from Frankie’s past and possibly has information that would allow Frankie to regain his memory, discover who killed him, and therefore help him move on. However, events never go as planned. Add a storm, water over the bridge, lack of electricity, no cell phone coverage and murder and what do you get? A well-written novel with more depth and darkness than many books in this sub-genre.

The story is fast-paced and pulls the reader into the story. The characters are compelling and believable (within the context of a paranormal setting). Additionally the relationships between the characters do not come across as contrived. There are plenty of internal and external conflicts that are well defined for the main characters. There are many plot twists and red herrings. The scenes progressed in a realistic manner and the author did a great job of world-building that gives the reader a clear sense of the old asylum.

Underlying the fictional story there was an underlying theme of how different people in authority at old mental hospitals thought of and treated patients. Additionally, there was some information on the type of “treatments” used many years ago and even some bizarre reasons that patients were even admitted.

I recommend that those that are interested in this series read most of the books in order. This one can be read as a stand-alone but does refer back to occurrences in previous books. Additionally, the characters grow over the course of the series. If you like cozy paranormal mystery books, then this may be a series that you would enjoy.

Many thanks to Author Collective 20 – Moose Island Books and Angie Fox for a digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley and the opportunity to provide an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.

This book was great. I must say that it scared me to the point I couldn’t read it before bed. All good though. Just what you sometimes want. You know it is well written and you are sucked in when you can’t put it down during the day and at night you know it will play tricks with your mind. I was very sad with how it ended. I don’t know how Verity is going to handle her new problems.

The Mint Julep Murders is the eighth book in Angie Fox’s Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries. Ghost hunter Verity Long, her boyfriend, Sheriff Ellis Wydell, and her resident ghost, Frankie the German, are taking a long weekend to visit the Mint Julep Manor, better known as the Pikesville Sanatorium, a mental hospital built over a century ago and closed down in the middle of the last century. The hospital had been purchased a year earlier by Barbara Slater to turn into a haunted mansion. Verity’s group is traveling in the guise of Verity checking to see if actual ghosts are in residence.
The true reason they have made the trip is that the ghost of convicted psychopath Bruno Scalieri has asked Frankie there promising to tell him who had killed him.

In the initial contact Verity and Frankie make with Scalieri, the ghostly inmate insists Frankie help him escape, which Verity flat out refuses. As they make their way from where Scalieri is being held, the storm that had threatened all afternoon breaks loose and electricity in the haunted mansion is lost. But also lost, is a way out as there is a complete ghostly breakdown which makes all inhabitants prisoners.

In helping to get the generator going, Ellis and Verity accompany Barbara to the basement to find the generator. As they are looking for the generator, they are surprised by a presence and something then slams a chair into Ellis’s leg, perhaps breaking it. Verity guides an injured Ellis back to the main floor while Barbara continues to work on getting the generator going.

In a darkened asylum with both ghostly and menacing spirits roaming their domain, the mortals are determined to discover who murdered one of their own. This includes the couple who has paid big money to sleep on the third floor, the two young men who have broken in to rest their homemade sensors, and, of course, Verity. As they split up to cover more territory, it is ghost hunter Verity who is the one who encounters the other side. And while she does, it is others who pay the ultimate price from their encounters.

When there is a second fallen fellow, and Verity continues to try to figure their way out of the asylum, the paranormal players come in to play, leaving Verity in a dangerous predicament with ghostly power attempting to take her down. However, it is the forces who have been at play since the hospital’s closing that determine the real threat.

What an exciting edition in this premier series! These stories never disappoint! Rich characters, settings on two planes, and more twists and turns than a Sugarland country road. I did enjoy this book and I do recommend it,

I love the Southern Ghost book series and this book did not disappoint. I think it was by far the most action-packed of the series and gave you a well-rounded view from many people’s perspectives on the idea of ghosts. All of these opinions were expertly woven into the storyline and lives of the characters superbly. If you want a really great book to read this summer, then this book is a great choice.

Loved this book; great series to read if you want a funny cozy mystery full of attitude and character.

Angie Fox is back and just as good as ever with the newest in her Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries! Hers is the series that first introduced me to my now favorite genre and coming back for a new installment is like revisiting old friends.

The thing I like best about this series is that each book picks up a different classic horror or mystery trope. With the Mint Julep Murders, we find ourselves trapped in a haunted asylum with a killer on the loose. It was so scary, so suspenseful, and just all-around perfect. I can’t wait to see where Fox takes us–and especially our beloved gangster ghost, Frankie–in the next installment.

Highly recommend this and the entire series!