Southern Bred and Dead: A Paranormal Cozy Mystery Novel with Humor (Amateur Sleuth Southern Small Town Series Psychic with Animals Funny Witch Romance Story)

I enjoyed this book and learning more about Frankie and his family, however, it made the first part of this book move a bit slowly. Additionally, while inevitable, Verity's fighting with Ellis was a bit sad. I love this series and normally laugh through each book, but didn't do that this time. Yes, there were bits of humor, but not as much or as funny as the earlier books. Having said that, I really liked the ending and the way everything came together. If you're a fan of the series, you will want to read this for all of the characters' histories that are revealed. If you're new to the series, you would enjoy more if you've read the prior books. I'm giving this one 3.5 stars, but rounding up to 4 stars, mostly because, while an entertaining story, it was missing most of the humor the series is known for. I love this authors' work and she remains on my must read authors' list.

Southern Bred and Dead by Angie Fox is the 9th tale in The Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries. It can be read as a standalone if you are new this engaging paranormal series. Verity Long lives with her pet skunk, Lucy and her ghostly friend, Frankie “the German” Winkelmann. One day Verity accidentally dumped Frankie’s ashes out of the urn and onto a rose bush. That is the day she met her first ghost--Frankie and it has been a wild ride ever since. I thought Southern Bred and Dead was well-written with developed characters and steady pacing. Sugarland, Tennessee is a small Southern town full of quirky residents. We get to meet Maybelle Clemens who is quite a character. She comes from a family of ministers, so she likes to go out of her way to shock people with her behavior. I liked all the action in this book. Verity has her hands full in Southern Bred and Dead. She must find out who killed Jorie Davis, who was an old friend of her grandmother’s. Frankie wants to know why his brother, Lou killed him. To top it all off, Ellis is not happy with Verity’s ghost hunting business and it has caused a rift in their relationship. The mystery surrounding the death of Jorie was multifaceted. It was interesting and fun to solve (I love figuring out the guilty party before the reveal). I liked learning more about Frankie and his family. We finally learn why Frankie was killed. I found Southern Bred and Dead to be a more serious book than the others in this series. There are humorous moments especially with Maybelle, but it lacked that laugh-out-loud humor that is normally present. That did not hinder my reading enjoyment. I love visiting Sugarland with its unique residents, cozy small-town feel, plethora of specters, and Southern manners. Let us not forget the adorable Lucy. My favorite part of the book was Verity at the speakeasy. She gets to enjoy some jazz music, meet a new friend, and experience a felonious first courtesy of Frankie. Southern Bred and Dead is a delight with menacing mobsters, frightening phantoms, a deadly dagger, a bothered beau, a pious pastor, and a sweet skunk.

Southern Bred and Dead is the newest book in the Southern Ghost Hunters series. Verity has 2 deaths to solve this time and ends up solving a few other mysteries along the way. One of Verity's grandmothers friends dies at a fundraiser at an old church right before giving her some items from Verity's grandmother. Suspicious?? Frankie, Verity's business partner and gangster ghost, plans to finally solve his own murder and find out why it happened. Verity's boyfriend and local police officer Ellis, would prefer Verity let him solve all the murders and mysteries of the live residents (not happening!). Sometimes I find Ellis irritating in how he talks to Verity but I still think they're a cute couple and hopefully will continue to work things out in their relationship. I liked the characters in this book along with some of the new characters. Maybelle is a hoot and made me laugh. You also get to meet Frankie's brother Lou. Verity spends time visiting a bakery, floral shop, church and a speakeasy both in the present and past trying to solve the murders. I learned to like Verity's ex-boyfriend Beau a little more than I used to. As always I loved Verity's pet skunk Lucy. She sure loves her treats!! Good read for anyone and I highly recommend it.