Review: The Haunted Homecoming

 

Verity Long eagerly anticipates her hometown’s homecoming weekend. She cannot wait to see her mother again – who returns home to watch the opening of the time capsule her class buried in 1986. The unveiling reveals more than what the community expects. Verity decides to use her ghostly expertise to help solve the case. However, her mother and her ghostly partner makes things difficult. Can Verity find the killer before the end of homecoming? Or will she find more than what she bargained for?

Sheriff Ellis Wydell expects more than the usual trouble during Sugarland, Tennessee’s homecoming weekend. The opening of a time capsule buried in 1986 brings even more people to his hometown. However, no one expects a dead body to be among the buried contents. Ellis knows that he cannot keep Verity, or her mother, from investigating the case. Can Ellis trust Verity to be vigilant and careful in her ghostly investigation?

I like the emergence of this new side of Verity’s personality. She is done with people taking advantage of her niceness and kindness. Verity no longer allows people to push her around but holds her own ground, thanks to a certain gangster’s influence.  I adore how Verity refuses to use her relationship with Ellis as a shield or weapon. She prefers to fight her own battles. What I like the most about Verity is her relationship with her mother. The two do not have the cookie-cutter perfect relationship. They have their fair share of problems.

The only complaint I have is that Ellis did not have much “show time” in this novel. He seemed to be mostly in the background, only to appear here or there. The danger element of Verity’s ghost career still concerns Ellis, but he is making the effort to work through that. I adore that about him. What I love the most about Ellis is his protectiveness towards Verity and Lucy. He adores Verity’s pet skunk.

Frankie has shown incredible growth in this book. He is at a crossroads in his afterlife. Frankie cannot help but feel inadequate when compared to his late brother and sister-in-law’s romance, and that feeling stands in the way of his relationship with Molly. It is uncharted territory for the snarky gangster. What I love the most about Frankie is his concern towards Lucy. He and the skunk have always had a tenuous relationship. However, when someone threatens Lucy, he quickly forgets his woes and wants to protect her.

THE HAUNTED HOMECOMING is book ten in Angie Fox’s comical paranormal romance series, SOUTHERN GHOST HUNTER MYSTERIES. The story can easily stand alone. However, I highly suggest reading the prior nine books and novellas to understand both Verity and Frankie’s gradual evolution. I approve of the direction the author went with side characters, Melody and Duranja.

THE HAUNTED HOMECOMING is an entertaining, quirky and light-hearted mystery tale. I never grow bored reading this series. I am on pins-and-needles for the next installment!