Gaele Hi
AudioBook Review: Stars: Overall 4 Narration 4 Story 4 We’re back in Sugar Creek, Georgia and Cookie and her Vintage Y’All brand have been chosen to style a fashion shoot for the October issue of a magazine, and the shoot is in the cemetery for the “ambiance”. That’s no problem for Cookie, because she’s got a long history of communing with the dead, and with Charlotte always about helping her style the vintage looks, there’s enough to keep her busy. But the photographer is more difficult than expected, there’s a new (to Cookie) ghost decked out in vintage 1920’s style, and a gunshot leaves the grumpy photographer dead and all of the models more than a bit upset. There are plenty of options for the suspects, and with the new ghost, Minnie Lynn teaming up with Charlotte, Cookie has plenty of clues to follow, and she’s able to sift through the clues with an amazing (to those who don’t know the ghostly-assistants) speed and knowing bits that, well, she just couldn’t. When a new to the scene black cat arrives, claiming to be the spirit of the dead photographer, it’s a dueling cat-off – as Cookie’s grandmother speaks through her own cat, Wind Song, and soon the trail heats up. Clever for the character development and friendships (corporeal and not) that Cookie has with the ghostly contingent, there are plenty of moments where development of situations and characters just adds to the story. Of course, the reveal is clever, and while the mystery of the who dun it isn’t foremost (for me) it’s always fun to see how Cookie & Company manage to bring the culprit to life. Narration for this story is provided by Angie Hickman who manages to keep the voices consistent, clear and engaging. Her ability to switch between characters, with listeners never getting lost, as well as introducing new characters, taking the time to allow reveals and clues to present themselves fully, and keeping a tone that is a mix of light for the fun moments, reverential for the sad ones, and clearly ‘all business’ when ferreting out clues is a nice addition to the context for a listener. You can’t go wrong with audio or written version of this fun and lighthearted take on a cozy murder mystery series, although you are best served starting at the beginning to understand the cast of characters that are in Cookie’s life and to truly appreciate them. I received an AudioBook copy of the title from Tantor Audio for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.