The Haunted Heist

I love the relationship between Verity and Frankie!

I adore cozy mysteries, love gripping suspense and totally addicted to anything supernatural but throw in a little sweet romance and I'm totally smitten! Sadly, it's often difficult to find all four elements in one book but fortunately, I've found an author that brilliantly combines them all into one exceptional story. Angie Fox has delighted her readers yet again with The Haunted Heist, the third standalone release in the Southern Ghost Hunters Mysteries Series and I totally loved it! This story is imaginative, unique, exciting, cute, sweet, heartwarming, well crafted and well edited with a beautiful, eye-catching cover. The narrative is exceptionally well written in the first person from the perspective of the heroine Verity Long. The dialogue is smart, well executed and flows effortlessly. I love all the components of this story but it's the characters that completely steal the show. They are fascinating, captivating, realistic, engaging, relatable and humorous. Fox skillfully combines these elements to craft a deliciously cute and delightfully entertaining whodunit filled to the brim with danger, drama, action, mystery, suspense, humor, ghosts and even a little heartbreaking angst and heartwarming romance. Life has been nothing but difficult during the last several months for beautiful aspiring graphic designer Verity Long. She's lost absolutely everything after breaking off her engagement with her cheating, now ex-fiance Beau Wydell, youngest and favored son of wealthy, influential town aristocrat Virginia Wydell. Her graphic design services had been in demand until her almost mother-in-law used her influence to ruin her and her business. Now it seems no one in Sugarland other than her best friend Lauralee, and her almost, still-figuring-it-out, sort-of boyfriend, Ellis Wydell wants to have anything to do with her. And yes, Ellis and Beau are related - they're brothers! Huh? Oh yes, brothers! And let's not forget her sweet little pet skunk Lucy and her very dead, black and white gangster ghost housemate, Frankie. Yup, I said ghost who has become trapped on Verity's property when she unknowingly dumped the ashes from his urn onto the roots of her rose bush. Oh my! After all, she had no idea what they were and what would happen. And now, she's stuck with a not so nice criminal from the flapper era, no money, no job and no prospects - until her bestie, Lauralee rides to the rescue with a potential job offer from her Uncle Reggie Thompson, the new president of the First Sugarland Bank. Maybe things are finally looking up for Verity. Or not! Just when it looks like she may have the job in the bag, Reggie Thompson is called away and murdered in the vault right in the middle of his meeting with Verity! Oh no! Oh yes! And Verity may be a suspect since this is the second murder scene at which she has been present in the same number of months. Last time, her involvement almost cost her life and would have, had it not been for help from her ghost pal, Frankie and handsome law enforcement officer, Ellis Wydell. Nope, she's not getting involved - not again! But it is her best and only friend's uncle and naturally, she'd do anything for sweet Lauralee. But Verity's luck maymay finally have run out this time when a killer sets their deadly sights on her - again. Oh goodness! Will Verity be able to discover the identity of the murderer before it's too late? We'll see!

Hard to follow storyline and characters. Too many misleading details! I usually really enjoy cozy mysteries but…