GUEST REVIEWER
Hi everyone, i'd like to take this opportunity to introduce a fellow Veily, Niki Hadden to The great British Book Off. Niki will be a featured guest reviewer on my blog in the future, giving her thoughts and views on books that she has read and enjoyed. I'm sure we can give her a very warm welcome. Now, the first review from Niki is on a book that i have read myself and throughly enjoyed! So here it is, NIki's first review, The Skeletons of Scarborough House by Kitty French. (formerly published as Melody Bittersweet and The Girls Ghostbusting Agency)
The synopsis:
Welcome to Chapelwick, a leafy English town in the hills of Shropshire, where chocolate fudge cake comes served with a side of murder. Scarborough House is haunted, and it’s not doing much for Donovan Scarborough’s investment portfolio. No one wants to buy a place with levitating crockery, or (the wrong kind of) rhythmic pounding throughout the night. Luckily, Melody “I-See-Dead-People” Bittersweet has just launched her own ghostbusting agency with best friend Marina, geeky, keen Arthur, and a one-eared pug called Lestat. They’re quick to take the case, even if it has already sort of (definitely) been given to Leo Dark, Melody’s rakish, despicable ex. Melody soon discovers the resident phantoms are three brothers, one who was murdered at twenty, while the others lived to old age. But did the family exile the right person, or did the true killer get away with it? Donovan Scarborough doesn’t care who solves the case. Whoever gets rid of the ghosts gets paid. Can Melody and her new crew untangle the mystery, and bring the brothers peace, before Leo? Or will his distracting sexiness and Melody’s bonkers family cause the agency to fall at its first hurdle?
Niki's musings:
Meet Melody Bittersweet...
She's a young woman who lives in the picturesque town of Chapelwick, a quaint little village in the english countryside, with her romance obsessed mum and her champagne drinking gran who is better at yoga than most people half her age.
But Melody is unlike most women her age: she sees ghosts and sets about starting her own business - The Girls Ghostbusting Agency. Along with her best friend Marina who keeps the sugar fixes high and geeky but loveable Artie, not forgetting Lestat, their one eared pug mascot, they set out to solve any case of supernatural phenomenon.
Only Leo Dark, Melody's brooding ex and fellow I See Dead People Too, has beaten them to it on their first assignment at Scarborough House.
The owner doesn't care who solves the case, he just wants the noisy and disruptive spirits gone. So whoever cleanses the house and gets the ghosts to move on will get paid. Alot.
The ghosts don't want to move, Leo wants to get it all on film for his TV show, and throw in the distraction of sexy reporter Fletcher Gunn who makes it his job to distract Melody at every turn, while at the same time debunking her abilities, and Melody has got her work cut out for her.
Can she and her gang solve the twisted mystery and set the ghosts free? Can she put her tangled past with Leo behind her? Can she resist flirty Fletch?
A real laugh out loud that should be read after lights out with a glass of wine and a slice of chocolate cake ... okay 2 slices...better make it a bottle and 3 slices!
Keep a look out for more from Niki very soon!
