HAUNTING AND HOMICIDE (A Ghost Tour Mystery #1) by Ava Burke will be released on January 21, 2025, by Crooked Lane Books.
Tallulah “Lou” Thatcher can see and communicate with ghosts. This is the perfect skill to have since she hosts haunted tours in her native New Orleans’s Garden District. Lately, Lou has been having issues with rival tour guide Adam Brandt. Adam has accused her of faking ghostly encounters and stealing away his customers. When Adam is murdered, Lou jumps to the top of the police’s suspect list not only because of her recent issues with the victim, but because she’s the person who found the body b=not long after Adam was murdered. The murder weapon also came from her gift shop. Hoping to clear her name—and help Adam’s ghost find some peace with his new existence—Lou conducts an amateur investigation into the murder.
The mystery aspect of HAUNTING AND HOMCIDE was intriguing. A ghostly tour guide who can interact with ghosts was entertaining—though I personally thought Lou’s interactions with the ghosts were a little over the top and ridiculous at times. The identity of the murderer was a bit of a surprise since that character made few appearances in the novel and never really seemed like much of a suspect. Overall, a fast and fun read for anyone who enjoys the paranormal or New Orleans.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.