Ava Burke launches a new cozy mystery series set in New Orleans with Haunting and Homicide.
Tallulah “Lou” Thatcher always wanted to combine a gift shop with a haunted tour of the Garden District in New Orleans. She’s been able to see ghosts since she was a child, and she works with a ghost who enjoys supplying occasional special effects of orbs during some of the tours. But, Adam Brandt, another tour operator, is watching. He accuses Lou of stealing his territory and lying about the ghosts. He even tries to get her license repealed.
So, of course, when Lou stumbles over Adam’s body, she’s the primary suspect, even though the lead detective is her best friend’s brother. She knows she’s not qualified to conduct an investigation. She bumbles through interviews, but she’s determined to prove she didn’t kill Adam. And, Brandt is the one pushing her. The angry dead man wants to know who killed him, and insists Lou find his killer.
There’s a lot happening in this cozy, especially for the first in a new series. Lou has to cope with the investigation, threats, her sixteen-year-old brother who flees from his home after he’s bullied, and her grandmother who has a car accident and a new beau. There are a lot of personal issues, along with the ghosts and the case. My favorite part of the book? The ghosts, who at times seemed to be out of a Heather Graham Krewe of Hunters novel rather than a cozy mystery. My least favorite part? The solution that seemed to be a little out of left field.
Fans of mysteries set in New Orleans, and cozies featuring the paranormal, might want to try Haunting and Homicide.
Haunting and Homicide by Ava Burke. Crooked Lane Books, 2025. ISBN 9781639109289 (hardcover), 272p.
FTC Full Disclosure – I received a galley through NetGalley in order to review the book for a journal.
