Author: Darci Hannah
Genre: Mystery
Hardcover; Digital Book
ISBN #: 9781496747440
Kensington Cozies
320 Pages
$27.00; $12.99 Amazon
August 20, 2024
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It isn't how chef Bridget "Bunny" MacBride imagined her own cooking show unfolding. But, if preparing historic meals with a modern flair is what it takes to get her cooking on the air, she can deliver, even if her dinner guest is a ghost. That's the premise of the new reality TV show, Food & Spirits, where Chef Bunny teams up with ghost hunter Brett Bloom and psychic medium Giff McGrady to visit haunted locales around the world and tempt lingering spirits back to the table with a beloved meal. For their first episode, the Food & Spirits team sets off to investigate Bramsford Manor, a historic house turned famously haunted hotel. In picturesque Hampshire, England. The sprawling estate is said to be home to the Mistletoe Bride, a young woman who died in the 18th century, the victim of a tragic accident on her Christmas wedding night.
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Bridget "Bunny" MacBride is a Scottish chef who's come to live in the USA. She's part of a cooking show with a famous chef, having her own segment. But when she clashes with the woman, suddenly her life has changed. She's offered her own show -- Food & Spirits, -- and jumps at the chance. What she doesn't know until later is that the "spirits" part isn't about alcoholic beverages. It's about actual spirits. In other words, ghosts.
Bunny isn't happy about this, since she left Scotland to get away from ghosts of her old life. But soon enough she finds out that they're traveling to England to contact the Mistletoe Bride -- a woman who died on her wedding night at Christmas -- and there's no way out for her. What she really doesn't expect is to see the ghost of her white rabbit, Hopper, or to need the help of her grandma, who is an actual psychic. But here, the unexpected becomes reality, and she soon finds that reality isn't all what it's cracked up to be...
This is the first book in a new series by Darci Hannah, one of my favorite authors. It's a sort of a spin off from the Beacon Bakeshop Mysteries, in that Brett Bloom, who was a 'guest' ghosthunter in that series, and turns up again in this series, as part of the group. Saying that, let's get to the story without giving away any spoilers (if I can).
The crew is invited to the Manor by a historian who is chronicling the past of the manor and the tale of the Mistletoe Bride, and wants them to attempt to contact her. But on the night of the dinner -- being made magnificently by Bunny, and filmed by the ghosthunters, she sees the ghost of Hopper, and her life changes. Suddenly she's now a murder suspect, and calls her grandma for help. During the investigation, she doesn't know who believes her and who doesn't; but it doesn't matter anyway because she and grandma -- and the crew -- are trying to figure out who killed the person.
Unfortunately, it has to be someone who was at Bramsford Manor that night, which includes all of the staff, and even the owners. Can Bunny figure it out? But what's even more important, can she figure out what is going on with her, and can she stop running from herself at last?
I have to say that I just loved this book. It had all the elements of a good story -- a protagonist with a tragic background (explained in the book so no cliffhangers!); interesting characters all around, and the best, a little paranormal activity to keep you interested. And interested I was, finishing this book far too soon and wanting more! Giff is a hoot, and when he's with grandma, you have two hoots and a half...if I may say so (ha). Brett is a bit more skeptical, but being a ghosthunter, he'd better figure it out, and he does; but I think unwillingly, anyway. I also liked many of the secondary characters as well, which is a big plus.
When the ending comes and we finally figure out the murderer, I have to say that I was completely surprised by this. That's a good thing. I read far too many mysteries where I figure out the killer way before our protagonist does. But this also was intriguing in the fact that we find out more than the motive -- the killer gives us enough reasons to wonder how anyone in the manor couldn't even suspect them. They go to great lengths to keep it all hidden, and do so magnificently.
In the end, we are given a hint of what is to come in future books (which I hope will happen soon) and some truly delicious-looking recipes that I plan to try myself! Highly recommended.
I was given a copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.
More on Darci Hannah's Books: https://www.fantasticfiction.com/h/darci-hannah/
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