Haunting and Homicide

October 1, 2024

DEBUT Burke's first mystery stars Tallulah "Lou" Thatcher, who leads ghost tours and runs a gift shop in New Orleans's Garden District. She's seen ghosts since she was a child, and now her tours even include one specter who cooperates and occasionally produces orbs for astonished visitors. Adam Brandt, a rival tour guide, has accused her of faking the apparitions, and even tried to have her license revoked. When Lou stumbles over Adam's body, she's the prime murder suspect. She wants to clear her name, but she's also under pressure from Adam's angry ghost. Investigating a murder is almost too much for a business owner juggling a complicated personal life. A suspect even attacks her, and she's on the wrong track looking for the killer. She bumbles through the investigation, though she has no idea how to conduct one, and continues to irritate suspects, as well as the lead detective on the case (who happens to be her best friend's brother, Lou's longtime crush). VERDICT Fans of Ellen Byron's cozies will appreciate this new series centered on an atmospheric, haunted New Orleans.--Lesa Holstine

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January 1, 2025
In New Orleans, a first-time sleuth gets a bit of ghostly help in solving a murder. Tallulah "Lou" Thatcher runs her tourism business from her home, a cottage behind her grandmother's house on Camp Street. Her ability to see and talk to ghosts is a talent that gives her such a distinct advantage in conducting ghost tours in the Garden District that a competitor, Adam Brandt, is determined to prove she's faking paranormal activity. While visiting with Mamie, the ghost who produces marvelous orbs for her tour, Lou stumbles on Adam's body and his ghostly form standing beside it. When the police arrive, Dylan Finch, her best friend Cady's brother, is in charge. Lou's had a crush on Dylan forever, so she's extra upset when he puts her first on the suspect list. Adam's ghost screams whenever he sees her, and she realizes she must investigate his possible enemies in order to prove she's not the only suspect. In the meantime, Lou's younger brother, Bryce, has run away from home after being viciously bullied and getting no support from his mother and stepfather. Juggling detective work, her brother's problems, her business, and taking care of a puppy her Nan rescued is a tough act. Since Adam had both a business partner and a wife, Lou starts by looking into their possible motives. The partner is rude and nasty, and Adam's wife had cheated on him. Whoever the killer is, it's clear that Lou is his next target. An engrossing combination of twisty mystery, ghost lore, and tales of the beautiful Garden District.

COPYRIGHT(2025) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

December 1, 2024
Lou Thatcher, who can see and talk to ghosts, runs ghost tours in New Orleans. Adam Brandt, a rival tour-company owner, tried to get Lou's business shut down, accusing her of fakery. When Lou stumbles on Adam's body by a famous cemetery, she quickly becomes the chief suspect in his murder. Adam's ghost, enraged but also lost and confused, appeals to Lou to make sure his case gets solved. To help him and clear herself, Lou investigates, interviewing both the living and the dead. Complicating matters, for years Lou has had a crush on the lead police detective, Dylan Finch. In addition, her teenaged half-brother, Bryce, appears at her home after running away from his indifferent parents. Lou is threatened, then attacked while solving the murder. Plot twists, well-drawn characters--both corporeal and ghostly--details of running a ghost-tour business, and the spooky New Orleans setting add up to a satisfying series starter that will appeal to fans of Cleo Coyle's supernatural Haunted Bookshop cozies.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.