Old Haunts

Fun!

Read/Listened for Fun (Kindle/Audible)
Overall Rating: 3.75
Story Rating: 3.50
Character Rating: 4.00

Audio Rating: 4.50 (Not part of the overall rating)

First Thought when Finished: An Uninvited Ghost by E.J. Copperman was a fun entry into the series. The characters are just fantastic!

Story Thoughts: Oh My! What do you do when you turn your house into a B&B and then someone ends up dead? Well if you are Alison you try not to investigate but with pesky ghosts bugging you too, you end up doing it anyway! The mystery was fun in An Uninvited Ghost. You could mostly tell who was responsible about half way though but watching the story play out was still entertaining. One of the things I love about this series is the police are involved. Alison does work with them and even tries to stay out of the way. Things never quite go that well for her but at least she tries. I think most cozy mystery lovers will like the mystery and how it plays out!

Character Thoughts: Let's talk ghosts! I don't think there is a better duo of ghosts than Paul and Maxie. They both bring such life to the series. Neither has been dead very long so you get some "growing" pains and adjustments that just make you laugh (and sometimes tear up). Ali is a kick butt leading lady. She is a single mother to a very smart kid and has a mother that is supportive (and yet a little off). Of course, all 3 can see ghosts so that plays into their personalities as well. The "Off The Shore" cast that was in this book was hilarious and the "Old Folks Vacationers" were delight too. EJ Cooperman just writes good characters!

Audio Thoughts:

Narrated by: Amanda Ronconi /Length: 9 hrs and 31 mins


I almost sound like a broken record where Amanda's narration is concerned but I have never heard her do a bad job--EVER! Seriously she just does quirky better than anyone. She has great pacing and just the right amount of "snark" in her voice. I adore her narration.

Final Thoughts: I am off to get the 3rd book in the series :)

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

great start to series

this is a light whodunit with a dash of the paranormal and heroine who isn't--her coming to grips with sharing a home with ghosts as a single mother is an enjoyable listen. The narrator is wonderful and doesn't overplay the new jersey. There's little back story, it all unfolds in the present.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

This is a great book

This might be the best in the series. I love the character development of the ghost and the rest of the characters. The story was well paced and funny. I can't wait to read the next book.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

More of the same.

I did enjoy the book and did move on to the fourth in the series, but overall I found the character's growth in this book a little lacking. Amanda Ronconi still delivers, but even she seemed tired in places. If you enjoyed the first two, I believe much like I did, you will overall enjoy this installment.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Interesting concept

What did you love best about Old Haunts?

I listened to the 1st book in this series a few months ago and was pulled into the story line and so far have enjoyed this series. I listen to the books often on road trips and husband enjoyed listening to this one as well and when it completed asked do you have anymore of those stories? It captured his and my attention and had some "different concepts" of how someone may think about those who have passed on "miss" certain aspects...

Any additional comments?

Love this series and enjoy listening with husband with this series.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Guest Houses with Ghost are the Best

If you could sum up Old Haunts in three words, what would they be?

Fun, funny, Funniest.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Absolutely, between the Paul and Maxie's constant interference and nagging of Alison Kerby, to trying to raise a preteen daughter, and a mother who smothers her in love, there is no end to the antics and situations to keep one interested.

Have you listened to any of Amanda Ronconi’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Love all of the narrations by Amanda Ronconi,

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

A Haunted Guest House

Any additional comments?

Such a fun series, I promise you will not be disappointed.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Cute

Nice little cozy. Kind of predictable but an OK listen. I'll probably continue with the series. Maybe it'll get better.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Excellent book! I really enjoyed it.

Where does Old Haunts rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It's definitely at the top of my list.

What did you like best about this story?

I liked how the ghosts seemed so real as people and how they interact with Alison and her daughter.

What about Amanda Ronconi’s performance did you like?

I really like her sarcastic, witty style of reading, as in the first book, "Night of the Living Deed." She brings a special theatrical theme to the book's story line.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made me laugh because parts are so entertainingly funny.

Any additional comments?

I just ordered three more E.J. Copperman books!! I guess that speaks for itself.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Fun!

supernatural, family-dynamics, ghosts, private-investigators, murder-investigation, law-enforcement, snarky

Alison can't get rid of her visiting ex husband, Maxie wants to know who killed her sort of ex husband, and Paul needs to know what has happened to the woman he loved. But everything goes sideways and twisty. Still a fun book.
Amanda Ronconi continues to be excellent as narrator!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

The Exes-Factor

I’m addicted to this series and I have to say, this one has been my favorite thus far.

Here’s what’s going on. Alison’s resident ghosts are hoping to convince Alison to snoop around in their past. Maxie wants help investigating the murder of her ex-husband Big Bob, which happens to coincide with Luther Mason hiring her for the same reason. Paul wants help finding Julia McKenzie, the woman he nearly proposed to. And Alison has her own problems. Her ex, she calls ‘The Swine’, just showed up at her door looking for a place to stay. To top it all off, she still has the senior tour group to entertain.

There’s so much going on in this one yet it was all handled brilliantly without feeling like a jumbled mess.

Alison is starting to get more comfortable with her skills as a private investigator. She’s taking on cases, other than the ones her ghosts brings her and finally starting to hone her own skills as an investigator yet she’s smart enough to know when to bring in help. As she’s searching for clues into Big Bob’s death, we see venturing out a bit more piecing things together.

I liked that I was finally able to see who Maxie is, both when she was alive and now that she is a ghost. Maxie’s not going to be for everyone. She’s a bit childish and annoying, yet I find that I always end up liking her. So, it was nice to see more about how she was when she was alive.

It was a bit disappointing that I didn’t get to see more of Paul. I was able to learn more about the woman he was in love with, yet Paul it still a bit of a mystery. Hopefully, more will be revealed about him as the series progresses.

The Swine, Alison’s ex-husband, finally made a lengthy appearance. He was trying to convince Alison to give him another chance and using their daughter to do it, so he wasn’t very likable. I was waiting to see the real reason for his visit.

There is a slight love-interest thrown in with Luther, Alison’s client. He’s a biker, he owns his own bike shop. He’s not really Alison’s type, but since he hired her to look into Big Bob’s death, they grow closer as they investigate different leads.
I loved the mystery in this one. I had a feeling who it was about half-way through but I still enjoyed watching it unfold. I also loved that the investigation pulled Alison into the world of bikers. It was also entertaining to watch Alison deal with another town’s police force. There was a few red herrings thrown in and an arrest of an innocent party so Alison really did have her hands full.

There’s also a side investigation where Alison is searching for Paul’s former love. Surprisingly it didn’t take away from the overall plot but added an extra bit of depth.

Overall, I loved this one. It showed character growth and the mystery was entertaining. And some of the questions book one left me with were finally answered, even though this is book three.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful