Ghostly Tours
by Wendy Meadows
Series: Sweetfern Harbor Mystery #4
Series Rating:
Published by Majestic Owl Publishing LLC on October 18, 2017
Genres: Cozy Holiday Mystery
Pages: 146
Format: Kindle
Goodreads
Get Your Copy at: Amazon
Also in this series: Posies and Poison , Dead in Bed, Captain Dead Man, Turkey, Pies and Alibis
Sweetfern Harbor Bed and Breakfast Cozy Mysteries can be read in one to two hours. It is perfect for those moments when you are waiting at an appointment or want to enjoy a quick read.Halloween draws closer and each day brings more imaginative ghost stories to Brenda Sheffield’s attention. She is well aware that the Sheffield Bed and Breakfast is conducive to the notions the place is haunted. When her young Reservationist Allie Williams asks her if she believes the inn is haunted, Brenda brushes it off. Just thoughts along those lines, causes her dread. She adamantly assures the young woman there are no ghosts roaming the hallways. Allie and Housekeeper Phyllis Lindsey come up with the idea to give candlelight tours during Sweetfern Harbor’s Halloween festivities. First, Brenda must find out all she can about her bed and breakfast from the local library.
When she meets with Mrs. Perch, Librarian, she is horrified to discover the sinister side of Sheffield Bed and Breakfast. She has no idea so many disturbing events occurred over the years in her beloved inn. Brenda finally decides to agree to the tours and excitement grows. Even Brenda is willing to partake as a Guide the first night. She easily gets into her role until foreboding washes over her outside the Eddy Room where a guest was found murdered not so long ago. She collapses when she spots something unexpected stretched across the bed. Detective Bryce Jones, a member of her tour group, takes command of the situation. The Halloween decoration is in fact a dead body wrapped as a mummy.
The next day when Brenda recovers from her shock, she meets with William Pendleton, lifetime resident of Sweetfern Harbor and historian. She needs more details regarding the history of the bed and breakfast. During their lunch together at the Pendleton home, more mysterious events unfold. William’s long-time Chef has mysteriously disappeared, as has his Chauffeur. Their disappearances add to the mystery of the identity of the mummy-like figure which Brenda feels sure are connected. If Brenda can discover what has happened to them, she may solve how a mummy ended up on one of her beds during a Halloween tour. There are no ghosts roaming throughout the stately Sheffield Bed and Breakfast, or so she hopes.
Who is the ghost?
Ghostly Tours by Wendy Meadows is a mystery perfect for Halloween reading, complete with murder, ghosts, and bad guys.
This book is my first of Wendy Meadows. Karen asked me to read Halloween themed books for her blog this month. I picked this one up from Kindle Unlimited, and it didn’t disappoint. Ghostly Tours is the fourth book in the Sweetfern Harbor Mystery series.
Brenda Sheffield
Brenda is our main character and town sleuth. She runs the Sheffield Bed and Breakfast. I would love to stay at this B&B. Remember, this is my first book in the series. There was a murder in the Captain’s Room on the second floor in a previous book. In this installment, the room seems to be haunted by a ghost or ghosts. Brenda’s staff want to do tours about the spirit in that room.
Brenda decides she needs to check the history of the house before going forward. I liked Brenda’s intelligence, inquisitive and compassion. She thinks things through before making snap decisions. Also, a big plus for a small business owner and sleuth. She is kind to her employees and honest with her fiancée.
The supporting cast
Mac Rivers is Brenda’s fiancee and a member of the police force, which is not surprising since this is a cozy mystery. I liked Mac. Mac truly loves Brenda and looks out for her welfare. I can see them as a lovely couple, deeply rooted in the community.
Phyllis Lindsey works at the Bed and Breakfast. She and Brenda are good friends. Phyllis helps with the Halloween Tours. Phyllis is the first member of the staff to be scared by the ghost.
“What has frightened you so?” he asked. She took several gasps of air and finally a deep breath. “I was cleaning when I swear I heard a moan. It was in that room. The room where Ellen was murdered. The room where the others…” she shuddered, unable to complete her sentence. “There was no one there except me. I had the door open, and no one came or went while I was in there.” She looked at Brenda for support.
Meadows, Wendy. Ghostly Tours (Sweetfern Harbor Mystery Book 4) (p. 31). Majestic Owl Publishing LLC. Kindle Edition.
William Pendleton is the Phyllis’ boyfriend and a good friend of Brenda. William owns a nearby mansion, and he assists Brenda with the ghost tours. I like William. He is charming, caring and sophisticated. I enjoyed the conservations between him and Brenda.
Allie Williams is another member of the Bed and Breakfast staff. She is sixteen years old, and she loves the spooky. The tours were her idea. Allie is artistic and sweet. She seems to want to well in her job. I think she is a great character with so much potential. I look forward to seeing Allie’s part in the next book.
5 Stars for Ghostly Tours by Wendy Meadows
My rating for Ghostly Tours by Wendy Meadows is five stars. The cast is entertaining, the setting is delightful, and the mystery was terrific. It is like an adult version of Scooby Doo.
In November, Karen has asked me to read Thanksgiving themed books and the next book in this series is Turkey, Pie, and Alibis, which works out perfectly. So, look for my review next month.
This Guest Review is for Baroness’ Book Trove. Thank you for the opportunity to review this book on your site.
About Wendy Meadows
Wendy Meadows is a USA Today best-selling author whose meticulously crafted stories showcase witty women sleuths and engaging plots. Her primary influences include but are not limited to mystery genre greats Joanne Fluke, Ellery Adams, and James Patterson. To date, she has published dozens of books, which include her popular Sweetfern Harbor Series, Maple Hill Series, and Alaska Cozy Series, to name a few.
In a previous life, Wendy worked as a Graphic Designer, earning her Graphic Design Certification at the prestigious New York based Sessions School of Design. With this valuable artistic background, she designs her own book covers. In fact, she began writing fiction soon after designing numerous book covers for other fiction authors.
When she isn’t writing about female detectives and their tactful crime solving, you can find Wendy either tending to her hobby farm, playing video games, relaxing on her back porch, or coloring in her growing collection of adult coloring books. She also loves spending quality time with her husband, two sons, two cats, and one adorable Labradoodle. Together, they call “The Granite State” home sweet home.
The bio above and picture were taken from the author’s website.
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