Not Quite Cold: A Lowcountry Mystery

Lyla Payne

Aug 2014 · Trisha Leigh Ziegenhorn

About this ebook

Graciela Harper thought that getting rid of Anne Bonny’s ghost would be the first step toward putting all of the problems of her past behind her. Maybe things would work out with Beauregard Drayton, Heron Creek’s charming mayor. Maybe she and her cousin Amelia, and their childhood friends Melanie and Will, could find a way back to the comfortable friendship that defined their lives. 

But when the ghost of Glinda Davis, the town’s longtime, quirky hairdresser, puts a stop to Gracie and Beau’s relationship consummation, Graciela knows her life has changed for good. The insistent ghost drags Graciela into a world she’s only seen on reality television shows—one filled with moonshiners and backwoods politics that are solved by burying bodies, not friendly conversations. 

Graciela needs to figure out exactly what Glinda’s spirit requires so she’ll get the heck out of dodge, but the further she digs into the woman’s past, the more dangers seep into the present. As Graciela gets closer to the answers she seeks, she starts to wonder if she’s going to solve a murder in the process—or die trying. 

Ratings and reviews

kept my interest so it was a quick read. I gave it 4 stars because even though I liked this book I enjoyed the first one in the series more

Gracie Anne, as Beau calls her, finds herself in yet another ghost caper as Glinda lurks nearby wanting Gracie to find answers. The mystery ghost in mixed garb remains a part of Gracie's long list of unanswered questions. Relationships are still a struggle for Gracie as she muddles through murky clues and the life Heron Creek has thrust upon her, but she's trying to remember how to let others in. She is forced to accept that unlikely alliances can sometimes save the day, things aren't always as they appear, and everyone has skeletons in their closet. I'm "Not Quite Patient" for the next in this series to come along because I'm dying to know where Gracie's penchant for trouble will lead her next. Beau, mixed garb ghost, Mrs. LaBadie … so many stories are waiting to unfold! It's unlikely Gracie's life will be dull. As Millie told her, "So you're being haunted. Deal with it." The author created yet another set of characters that make you want to know them personally. Her gift for story telling crosses genres and ages. I can't wait to see where she takes Gracie and the gang.

Love the characters, and the setting. I feel like I'm there.

About the author

 Lyla Payne has been publishing New Adult romance novels for a little over a year, starting with Broken at Love and continuing with the rest of the Whitman University series. She loves telling stories, discovering the little reasons people fall in love, and uncovering hidden truths in the world around us - past and present. In her spare time she cuddles her two dogs, pretends to enjoy exercising so that she can eat as much Chipotle as she wants, and harbors a deep and abiding hope that Zac Efron likes older women. She loves reading, of course, along with movies, traveling, and Irish whiskey. Lyla's hard at work, ALWAYS, and hopes to bring you more Whitman University antics and at least one more Lowcountry ghost tale before the end of the year. Lyla Payne is represented by Kathleen Rushall at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency. If you want to know more, please visit her at http://lylapayne.com If you're a fan of Young Adult fiction--science fiction or otherwise--please check out her work that's published under the name Trisha Leigh. http://trishaleigh.com.