Lowcountry Bordello - A Review

Lowcountry Bordello

by

Susan M. Boyer

A Review

"A bordello plus a ghost makes for an interesting plot." That was my Facebook post a week ago after reading only 30% of the book - having finished it this past weekend, my thoughts have not changed.

First, let me make it clear that though the central setting is a bordello, it contains absolutely no sex. It is a fun read where multiple murders over several years provide the additional backdrop for an intense and entertaining story.

Liz Talbot, who, with her fiance, is getting married at the end of the week; but before the nuptials can take place, a bridesmaid stumbles onto a murder, a murder that must be solved if the wedding ceremony can go off without a hitch. With the help of her best friend, Colleen, a Guardian Spirit, Liz, her finance, Nate, and the local police department would need to put the puzzle pieces together.  And that would need to be done without getting Aunt Dean, Olivia, or the borders at the bordello killed. Oh, and don't forget the Christmas wedding to which the whole dysfunctional crew is invited.

For the reader looking for a satisfying murder mystery as they prepare for the holidays, light enough to make one smile, but intense enough to hold the reader's interest, Lowcountry Bordello might just fit nicely on the night table.

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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review.  The opinions expressed are my own.

Lowcountry Boneyard - A Review

Lowcountry Boneyard

by

Susan M. Boyer

A Review

An interesting take on the cozy mystery genre.  Liz Talbot, a licensed Private Investigator, is asked to find Kent, the daughter of well-off Colton and Virginia Heyward. The police were convinced that she had chosen to leave home for personal reasons.  However, not having provided any clues prior to or following her departure, that scenario was not a done deal.  

Liz has lots of help - Kent’s father and mother, her grandmother, her fiance, her roommate from college all have thoughts - nobody seems to know the truth.  The most interesting source of help comes from Colleen, a guardian spirit.  There is a clear distinction between ghosts and guardian spirits.  

“The distinction, according to Colleen, was that guardian spirits had passed to the next world and been sent back with work to do.  Ghosts were the lingering spirits of the dead who had yet to cross over to the next life.”  

I felt like I was reading the memoirs of the 2005-2010 TV drama, Ghost Whisperer.”  Colleen adds little to the story itself, though she occasionally steps into the open to help Liz with some brainstorming or to serendipitously keep her or her family from finding themselves in serious danger.

Though this is the third book in what is (currently) scheduled to be a four-book set, the lack of having read the previous two novels did not seem to distract from my enjoyment of this book.  I would not recommend this book to the committed Christian, but if one is willing to set aside a small bit of reality, the reader might find enjoyment in this book as a late night read around the fireplace.  After all, Colleen is not a scary ghost, but she is a ghost.  

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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review.  The opinions expressed are my own.