Southern girl Verity Long is about as high society as her pet skunk. Which is why she’s surprised as anyone when the new head of the Sugarland social set invites her to join the “it” girls. But this is no social call. Verity’s new client needs her to go in undercover and investigate strange happenings at the group’s historic headquarters.
But while spirits are whispering hints of murder, the socialites are more focused on Verity’s 1978, avocado-green Cadillac. And when Verity stumbles upon a fresh body, she’s going to need the long-dead citizens of Sugarland to help her solve the crime. Good thing she has the handsome deputy sheriff Ellis Wydell on hand, as well as her ghostly sidekick Frankie. The bad thing is, the ghosts are now whispering about the end of a certain ghost hunter.
This book picks up immediately where Deader Houses and Gardens left off. Verity is enjoying an evening with Ellis, Lucy, and the ghosts when a mysterious caller informs her that there has been a murder. I liked the way the books lined up and even how Verity gets pulled into her job of solving the ghost issue at the Sugarland Heritage Society. Because when Ellis and the cops arrive, there’s been an attempted break-in, but there’s no murder.
This storyline pushes Verity further into the world of Virginia Wydell and I can’t help but wonder if the point of these stories will be to continue to bring Virginia down. Not that I could really blame anyone, after all Virginia is the reason Verity is living in a near empty house with little money to survive on. But still, if this is going to be the pattern of the books, I fear I will become bored quite quickly. Retribution is great, but it doesn’t need to be the entire focus of the books.
One thing I’ve noticed with these books is that Frankie is becoming increasingly more distant from each of Verity’s job. While the gangster never really approved of her using his powers, these books don’t work if he’s not involved. Hopefully this will work itself out as I can see the author is attempting to create an “afterlife” for Frankie. He’s reconnected with friends and his old gang and in this book he may have found love. I don’t dislike these developments. If anything, they help to further develop the ghostly side of Sugarland and these books. But I repeat, these books don’t work if Frankie is not helping Verity.
Overall I enjoyed this book. I may have begun to notice somethings like Frankie’s distance or the increasing need of the author to stick it to Virginia Wydell, but I’m guessing that’s because I have read this entire series in about a week’s worth of time. If I had the time between books that I have with some of my other series, facts like this wouldn’t catch my attention. Books blur over time and details fade away. But, I can say that I have become a bigger fan of this series with each book and I’m sad that I only have one more book to finish. I want more!
Rating
![herbert-west-reanimator-and-kindred-night-spawn-vol14-hardcover-by-h_p_-lovecraft-[3]-4328-p](/ai/136/955/136955.jpg)