If the Haunting Fits, Wear It (A Haunted Vintage Mystery #5)

Author:  Rose Pressey
Genre:  Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book
#9781496705556
Kensington Publishing
304 Pages
$7.99; $5.99 Amazon
June 27, 2017

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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...

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Cookie Chanel has landed a plum gig - she’s attending the Kentucky Derby with her rich friend Danielle, and all she has to do is help Danielle choose outfits and hats.  Because of this, she’s in the attic of a home recently purchased, and the owner said she could take whatever she wanted.  Before she’s able to do so, however, she’s confronted by a ghost named Maureen who informs her that the hats belong to her and Cookie can’t have them.  But after a confrontation with Cookie and her resident spirit Charlotte, Maureen agrees if Cookie will find out who murdered her.

So Cookie, Charlotte, Maureen and Wind Song, Cookie’s cat/grandmother, have been booked into a very odd B&B with a nasty-tempered host, but other than that, she’s looking forward to spending time there.  However, during her first event with Danielle, she finds the body of Ramon Gooden, a jockey.  Now Cookie has three spirits hanging out with her, because Ramon expects her to help find his murderer too.  

But not knowing anyone in Kentucky, Cookie might find things more difficult - especially since the B&B owner is giving her such a hard time.  Still, she manages to catch bits of conversation here and there, and is pleasantly surprised when Detective Dylan Valentine shows up; she knows he can get information from the police she’s not able to do.  Unfortunately, Attorney Ken Harrison shows up also; both men are worried about her when they hear she’s found a body so hightailed it to Kentucky to see if she's alright.

So now Cookie has three ghosts to contend with, two men wanting to occupy her time, and one unhappy B&B owner who's suspicious of her.  At least she's able to delegate somewhat - she has her friend Heather and her mother back in Sugar Creek looking into Maureen's death, but trying to find a killer at the Derby isn't easy, especially when she doesn't know anything about the victim - and he won't say much at all.  It's going to take all her sleuthing skills to find out the truth and keep herself from permanently joining her temporary trio of ghosts...

I found this to be an entertaining read, and this time around she has two ghosts who need to find out who murdered them.  I always enjoy reading Rose Pressey's books, and this one was no different, but I did wonder why the ghosts didn't help out more.  As an example, she was trying to solve Ramon's murder, so why couldn't he go into the black truck and see if he recognized the driver?  Ramon appeared to be hindering instead of being helpful to Cookie's investigation by not being truthful.

Aside from that, it was a quick read and engaging enough to keep me reading it in one sitting.  This is the fifth book in the Haunted Vintage Mysteries, a cute paranormal series that has a little romance in it, too.  I look forward to reading the next in the series.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Haunting-Fits-Haunted-Vintage-Mystery/dp/1496705556/

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2189979801

More on Rose Pressey's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/p/rose-pressey/