If the Haunting Fits, Wear It

Rose Pressey

Jun 2017 · A Haunted Vintage Mystery Book 5 · Kensington Cozies

About this ebook

As fashion maven Cookie Chanel tracks a murderer at the Kentucky Derby, all bets are off...

When Cookie Chanel lands a dream assignment of providing vintage hats for a high-society Kentucky Derby party, she’s brimming with excitement. Leaving her mother and best friend to mind the store at It’s Vintage Y’All, Cookie packs up her psychic cat and races to Kentucky. But before she can hang her hat, her enthusiasm is dampened when the rider of the potential Derby-winning horse is put out to pasture. Now she’s saddled with the jockey’s ghost, who insists she find his killer. With suspects ranging from an odds-on favorite to a dark horse, Cookie may just find herself in a dead heat before the photo finish...

Don’t Miss Cookie Chanel’s Fashion Tips

Praise for the Haunted Vintage Mysteries

“A delightful protagonist, intriguing twists, and a fashionista ghost combine in a hauntingly fun tale.” —Carolyn Hart

“Snappy dialogue and well-drawn characters in a lovely small town setting." —Jenn McKinlay

“An appealing protagonist who is as sweet as a Southern accent . . . The designer name-dropping and shopping tips add allure for shopaholics.” – Library Journal

Ratings and reviews

If the Haunting Fits, Wear It by Rose Pressey is the fifth book in A Haunted Vintage Mystery series. Cookie Chanel owns It’s Vintage Y’all in Sugar Creek, Georgia. Cookie is getting ready to go to the Kentucky Derby with her client, Danielle Elston (she is styling her outfits). Cookie is at an estate sale looking for hats and discovers Maureen Weber in the attic (and she is very protective of her hats). She needs Cookie’s help and now Cookie has two ghosts tagging along—just what she does not need. Cookie packs up her car and heads to Kentucky along with Maureen, Charlotte, and her cat, Wind Song/Grandma Pearl (it’s complicated). Cookie is at an event at the Kentucky Derby Museum when she finds the body of jockey, Ramon Gooden. Ramon was murdered and he would like Cookie’s assistance in tracking down his killer (he is rather insistent). Cookie now has three ghosts tailing her and a B&B hostess who resembles a house mother. The killer is not happy with Cookie’s involvement and tries to take her out (more than once). Cookie will need to up her game if she is going to solve this crime and cross over Ramon. It does not help that Cookie’s two beau’s, Ken and Dylan arrive in town and provide pleasant distraction. Cookie’s mini-vacation in Kentucky is not quite what she had in mind. If the Haunting Fits, Wear It is not up to Rose Pressey’s usual standard. I found details repeated frequently throughout the book (I am not talking just once or twice either). The dialogue became confusing with three ghosts. It was hard to keep straight which ghost was talking. I did like the different setting in this book. We get a behind the scenes look at events surrounding the Kentucky Derby. There are numerous detailed dress, hat and accessory descriptions provided in If the Haunting Fits, Wear It. I thought the book was easy to read, had a nice pace, and entertaining characters. This may be the fifth book in the series, but it can easily be read alone. Cookie’s background and information from previous books is included in this story. My rating for If the Haunting Fits, Wear It is 3 out of 5 stars. Ramon’s murder was not complex and the killer is easily identified (sigh). Maureen’s situation was solved back home in Sugar Creek by Heather and Cookie’s mother (readers do not get a chance to figure this one out). The romance element is a love triangle (big sigh) that takes up a good portion of the book. I do not understand Cookie’s hesitancy to have a Ouija board around for Wind Song’s use (she never has one when the cat wishes to communicate with her). She states she is afraid of inviting in bad spirits, but the cat is only using it to give her a message by using the letters on the board (no summoning of spirits involved). I wish this paranormal mystery novel had more content (less wackiness). I found it lacking. Instead of being entertained by the book, I ended up being irritated. I felt If the Haunting Fits, Wear It needed editing and some rewriting. It did not need three ghosts, the cat that contains the spirit of Grandma Pearl, two suitors, a rude and controlling B&B owner, special outfits for every outing—you see what I mean. I sincerely hope that Ms. Pressey will be back on her game in the next A Haunted Vintage Mystery.

Title: If the Haunting Fits, Wear It - A Haunted Vintage Mystery Book 5 Author: Rose Pressey Publisher: Kensington Books Published: 6-27-2017 Pages: 304 Genre: Mystery, Thrillers & Suspense Sub-Genre: Amateur Sleuths, Cozy Mystery, Suspense, Women Sleuths, Supernatural, Ghost ISBN: 9781496705556 ASIN: B01LZOO99I Reviewed For NetGalley and Kensington Books Reviewer: DelAnne Rating: 4.25 Stars As fashion maven Cookie Chanel tracks a murderer at the Kentucky Derby, all bets are off... When Cookie Chanel lands a dream assignment of providing vintage hats for a high-society Kentucky Derby party, she’s brimming with excitement. Leaving her mother and best friend to mind the store at It’s Vintage Y’All, Cookie packs up her psychic cat and races to Kentucky. But before she can hang her hat, her enthusiasm is dampened when the rider of the potential Derby-winning horse is put out to pasture. Now she’s saddled with the jockey’s ghost, who insists she find his killer. With suspects ranging from an odds-on favorite to a dark horse, Cookie may just find herself in a dead heat before the photo finish... Don’t Miss Cookie Chanel’s Fashion Tips Cookie Channel is the type of protagonist you can't help but fall in love with. She has charm and charisma, with her psychic cat make an unusual, but formidable combination. The story moves quickly from scene to scene and pulls you into the story from the very star. I truly enjoyed Cookie's ability to see and communicate with ghost. My rating of "If the Haunting Fits, Wear It - A Haunted Vintage Mystery Book 5" is 4.25 out of 5 stars.

AudioBook Review: Stars: Overall: 5 Narration 4 Story 5 I have to admit that these are super-fun, occasionally twisty, always humorous stories that feature a vintage boutique owner who happens to be a bit of a ghost magnet, her cat who translates messages from the ‘other side’ via a Ouija board and plenty of fashion of the vintage style – well described, defined and detailed. In this installment, Cookie has been asked to provide hats for a society party in celebration of the Kentucky Derby. Cookie makes arrangements with her best friend and her mother to manage the shop, and with her friend and first ghostly encounter Charlotte, along with a new ghostly friend Maureen who needs help bringing her murderer to justice head off to Kentucky with a car full of hats for a party. But, as often happens with Cookie – things don’t go smoothly….. the jockey for the favorite is found dead – and his ghost has come to Cookie as he also hopes, as with Maureen, she’ll investigate his death and bring the murderer to justice. Cookie isn’t just investigating in a strange city though, along with the hats she brought (all vintage) she’s also helping the women to work more vintage into their lives with outfits and tips for dressing for the derby and other occasions. In the midst of it all, someone is making it very clear to Cookie that her asking questions about dead people is not welcome, and that things could get a bit dicey for her as well. Of course, in the tradition of the other titles I’ve read in this series, there is fun and laughter, plenty of heart and some truly clever revelations – all which lead to Cookie being able to answer questions of both the fashion and murder variety. Narration for this story is provided by Angie Hickman and she’s managed to present the characters with voices that felt appropriate for what I know of them. My first in this series in audio format, it was also my first encounter with Angie Hickman’s work and I was pleasantly surprised. With several characters in various states of existence, plenty of action and movement, descriptions and elements, she managed to present the story with flair and clarity and held my interest throughout. 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.

About the author

Rose Pressey is a USA Today bestselling author. She enjoys writing quirky and fun novels with a paranormal twist. When she’s not writing about ghosts and other supernatural creatures, she loves eating cupcakes with sprinkles, reading, spending time with family, and listening to oldies from the fifties. Rose lives near Louisville, Kentucky, with her husband, son, and three sassy Chihuahuas. Visit her on Facebook, at www.rosepressey.com, or at www.itsvintageyall.blogspot.com.