Carol J. Perry is the author of the Witch City mysteries, but I’m a fan of her other series. The Haunted Haven books are just charming if you enjoy cozy mysteries with a touch of paranormal. The second one, High Spirits, takes readers back to Haven, Florida and the Haven House Inn with owner/manager Maureen Doherty.
Maureen Doherty is about to celebrate her first Christmas at the inn. She still has no idea how or why she inherited the inn, but she’s making slight improvements as she can with her slim budget. She can afford centerpieces for all the tables in the dining room. Petals and Kettles, the tearoom/florist run by Leslie and Warren Brown is just perfect for arrangements. But, before she even has time to get back to the inn, Maureen is followed by Officer Frank Hubbard who has questions for her. Why was she spending time at the Paramount Theater? Why is she meeting with the Browns?
Maureen actually has legitimate reasons to visit the theater and the florist. She’s planning a series of dinners at the inn in conjunction with the theater’s “Twelve Days of Christmas” showing of old Christmas movies. But, Lorna Dubois, the long-deceased movie starlet who lives at the inn has a few stories to tell about connections to several of the town’s visitors.
It seems Officer Hubbard is digging into a cold case, a murder that happened before Maureen was even born. A small town hood, Buddy Putnam, was shot in the theater in 1975. The new projectionist at the theater, Decklin Monroe, was in town when Buddy was killed, as was Leslie Brown’s father, Harry Henshaw. And, Hubbard knows Maureen sometimes gets a “feeling” about an investigation. He suspects Monroe or Henshaw shot Buddy. And, Lorna knew of the trio of mobsters who might have been laundering money in town. But, a second shooting shakes up Officer Hubbard’s ideas about the past murder.
Perry has managed to combine a fun mystery (I did guess the killer long before the amateur sleuth did), and a quirky cast of characters. There are a few ghosts, just a touch of romance, and a dog. Add that Florida Gulf Coast setting, and it’s a formula for an engaging cozy mystery.
Carol J. Perry’s website is https://caroljperry.com/
High Spirits by Carol J. Perry. Kensington Books, 2022. ISBN 9781496731371 (paperback), 320p.
FTC Full Disclosure – I received a galley to review for a journal.
