On this last day of 2017, I've just finished what has to be one of my favorite cozies of the year! Better Dead by Pamela Kopfler is a quick-paced southern cozy mystery - complete with a haunted plantation, a philandering (now dead) husband, drug smugglers, southern delicacies such as gumbo, pralines and mint juleps (recipes included), and a little bit of romance on the side. Holly Davis needs to save her family's plantation turned B&B after her good-for-nothing late husband Burl nearly bankrupted her, and has decided to use his ghostly return as a catalyst to drum up business. Unfortunately, with his return he brings news of the illegal drug smuggling he was conducting through the B&B, and it's up to Holly, and her former boyfriend (newly returned to town ICE agent Jake McCann) to expose the criminals before Holly Grove is lost forever. Hilarity ensues with the Deltas, the ghost hunters, and Holly's housekeeper, Nelda! I highly recommend Better Dead, the first book in the B&B Spirits Mystery series. A+++

I love the start of this new mystery series. Set in the south, what could be better than a haunted B&B? Unfortunately for Holly, the ghost is that of her cheating husband who she no longer loved. She is now left with trying to save her home and business because of the nefarious actions of Burl that she is slowly becoming aware of. Add to the mix, the return of an old flame. I felt for Holly and her trying to carry on while she discovers more and more about what the mess her ex created. I can't wait for the next book.

I received an arc in exchange for my opinion thru NetGalley

** spoiler alert ** Holly is struggling to run her family plantation as a B&B when her late husband's ghost appears. He took all of their money and then died before she could serve him with divorce papers. Holly is less than thrilled when he shows up to say she has to help him stop whoever is continuing with the drug smuggling operation he ran when alive. If she catches the drug smuggler his ghost will leave her alone. While waiting for the smuggler to show up, Holly decides to increase her B&B business by promoting the house as haunted. Predictably her old flame, Jake shows up, but they don't trust each other enough to work together or converse. Holly almost gets killed trying to catch the bad guys while Jake and his ICE team are staking out the operation. Fortunately the bad guys get caught, Holly is saved, the haunted B&B is a hit, and Jake makes his renewed interest in Holly quite clear.
This is a nice little romance with a touch of paranormal and mystery. Some of the situations attempt to be like screwball comedy, but they just fall flat. The ghost is super annoying, Holly is sometimes very ditzy and other times savvy. Jake looks good and even reconciles with his alcoholic father. Maybe there were too many moving parts for this story to really flourish; it just felt predictable and not that interesting. Glad Dog was ok. Ms. Alice and the Deltas were characters that should have been developed more.

I absolutely loved this book. It has humor and a quirky feel, that makes you call in love with Louisiana and Holly Davis. This book has personality and a mystery that will keep you guessing until the very end. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a well written cozy.

I give this book 5 out of 5 Fun-tastic Stars!Like most books I have read that have been published by Kensington Books this one was just awesome! I am so excited to see this author’s future works and just loved how fun and well written this book was. The author first pulled me into this book by the sweet and charming setting of a plantation B & B in Louisiana. There was even parts that described the different uses of different rooms and parts of the family owned plantation. The fictional history was fun and enticing. The plot of this story was solid and flowed perfectly together. I loved the characterisation in this book. Holly was a hot mess at times but so funny and relatable.

Her relationship and interactions with Burl were absolutely hilarious.

Even though he was a ghost it felt like a realistic relationship. Jake and Holly’s romance was sweet. I know the blurb says Jack but his name was Jake. That’s the only error and that was in the blurb so I don’t think that counts!😉 Nelda was my favorite! She was Laugh Out Loud hilarious. Her personality was original and just made Holly Grove that much better! Her reactions to Burl was just too funny!

The book focused more on the mystery of the story and the paranormal aspects.

This story surprised me when it kind of turned into a whodunit mystery and I just love a good whodunit. I mean a whodunit on a plantation and some supernatural fun involved! Heck yes!

Overall I couldn’t recommend this book enough if you’re looking for something fun or a nice cozy to cuddle up with this is the book for you. Better Dead had everything I was looking for plus more and can’t wait to find out what happens next!!!😄
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This is the first book in a new series titled B&B Spirits Mysteries. I have never read this author before, and I’m not sure she has any more books, but I am now a huge fan. I love mysteries, and I love paranormal books, and this series combines them both in a wonderful way. This author has written a great paranormal cozy mystery with a wonderful dose of humor, and I loved the characters in this book. From the cook running from the kitchen because of the ghost to the tour taker getting scared, the book was great fun from beginning to end! I did find Holly’s dead husband Burl a little exasperating at times, but I know he was supposed to be that way. I can’t wait to read more in this series, and I think I’ve found another favorite. If you like fun paranormal cozies, give this one a try as I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Highly recommend! Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the e-book which I voluntarily reviewed.

Even after his death, Holly Davis' cheating, philandering husband Burl won't get out of her life. Just as she is toasting his abrupt exit from her life following a plane crash, his ghost appears. Burl needs her help with some unfinished business so he can move on to the afterlife. St. Peter won't let him in the gate until he clears up his mess. She reluctantly agrees to investigate the drug smugglers her husband got involved with so that Burl can rest in peace and to save her beloved B&B from the damage he caused their finances. Holly is under the gun....she has 30 days to get Burl into heaven or be stuck with his ghost for the rest of her life. Throw in a touch of romance, some great one-liners and lots of zany antics, and you have a great start to a new cozy mystery series!

I like Holly as a main character. She is intelligent and driven. She loves her family's plantation home, Holly Grove, and is dedicated to keep it in the family by operating a B&B. She is intelligent, sarcastic and quirky...she can't cook, she's not above using feminine wiles to get her way and she's not about to take any more of Burl's crap, dead or alive. The banter between Holly and the ghost is cute, and added a lot of humor to the story. My favorite side character is Nelda, the B&B's housekeeper. I wish she had been developed a bit more, but I love her personality.

All in all, a great start to a new series. A second book, Downright Dead, will be out in September 2018. A third book, Hog Wild Dead, is in the works. I will definitely be reading more in this series!

For more information on the author and her books, check out her website: https://pamelakopfler.com/

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Kensington via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

Better Dead by Pamela Koplfer was interesting cozy read because it wasn't about murder but drug smuggling. I have mixed feelings about this book.

I liked Holly and how she was determined to keep Holly Grove. I also understood her angst and frustration when her almost ex-husband, Burl, showed up as a ghost and wouldn't leave. However, I was confused by her running a B & B that serves dinners. I have read other cozies where the owner didn't cook but never one that served the guests dinner. I also never felt that Nelda, the cook, was fully developed. She seemed to be more of a caricature of a southern African American domestic rather than a "real" person.

The plot moved quickly and Holly continued to get into many zany situations as she tried to help Jack uncover the drug smugglers on her beloved plantation. The resolution was quick and had quite a few twists. The ending wrapped up her and Burl's relationship nicely and kept the door open for her and Jack to have more mysteries to solve. All in all it was a good beginning to a new cozy series. My rating is 3.5 stars.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Kensington via NetGalley. All of the above opinions are my own.

Better Dead by Pamela Kopfler is the first book in A B&B Spirits Mystery series, and I loved it. Holly is the owner of Holly Grove a converted plantation which has been in her family for generations. Holly was in the process of divorcing her cheating husband Burl when he died. Next thing Holly knows Burl has returned as a ghost, and need her help to move on. Once I started this book I kept reading until I was done. It had many laugh out loud moments, which I always enjoy. Looking forward to the next book in the series. I strongly recommend this book for anyone who enjoy funny cozy mysteries.


I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This book is incredibly disrespectful. It’s set in an old plantation home with no mention of slavery but fawning praise for the protagonist’s ancestors - including one killed by a ‘rogue Yankee’. The only black character is a disgusting stereotype of a housekeeper who is mocked for her religious beliefs and loved for her cooking.

I’ve read half this book and that was all I could stomach. I find it hard to believe that someone could write such a tone deaf story and not even acknowledge the slavery or indentured servitude that built the house at the centre of it all, especially during when there are white supremacists marching in the South and running for office.

Shameful, disrespectful and utterly disgusting.

Great start to a new series! Holly Davis is busy running her family's plantation home as a B&B, if she can keep the taxes paid. When her cheating husband is killed in a plane crash before she can divorce him. One night she drinks a bit and hears and sees her husband, in ghost form. Rumors get started, she runs into an old love, finds out all sorts of secrets, gets herself into tight spots and things work out in the end.

I really enjoyed the paranormal aspect along with Holly's personality. Looking forward to more in this series.

I was given an eARC by the publisher through NetGalley.

Better Dead
A B&B Spirits Mystery, Book #1
Pamela Kopfler
5 Stars

Synopsis:

As the owner of a charming Louisiana bed and breakfast, Holly Davis believes in Southern hospitality--but she draws the line at welcoming the ghost of her cheating husband . . .

Burl Davis checked out of this life a little earlier than expected--before Holly could serve him with divorce papers over his extramarital flings. Unfortunately, it was not before he nearly bankrupted her beloved B&B, Holly Grove, a converted plantation that has been in her family for generations. Holly would never wish anyone dead, but three months later she's feeling a lot more relief than grief.
Until Burl's ghost appears as an unwelcome guest. Before his spirit can move on, her not-so-dearly departed needs Holly's human help to bust up the drug smuggling ring he was involved with. She has reservations, to say the least, but agrees to assist him if he'll make a show of haunting the B&B to draw in visitors. But when Holly's former love, Jack McCann, mysteriously resurfaces in town and checks in, she has to wonder if her B&B is big enough for the ghost of her husband and the very real physical presence of her old flame . . . (Goodreads)


Review:

Holly is a hardworking woman who is just trying to keep her bed and breakfast afloat. That is a difficult task after her dead husband, Burl, almost bankrupted it. And if that is not bad enough, his ghost has come back to Holly, with unfinished business. Holly will need the patience of a saint if she is going to survive having Burl around in ghost form all the time. And if that was not enough for her to handle, her old boyfriend, Jack, is back in town. When she finds out that Burl was involved in a drug smuggling ring that could cost Holly everything, she realizes she will have to do some sleuthing to find the drug smugglers.

The characters are well rounded and well developed. I enjoyed the bickering and banter between Holly and Burl, I thought it was very funny and added a lot of humor to the story. I really liked Nelda, Holly’s cook and friend, she was quirky and likeable. And I liked the fact that since Holly runs a bed and breakfast, there will be more characters to meet in each book. That should help the series to remain fresher.

The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and I enjoyed the community that she created. It had all the southern charm that I would expect and all of the nosiness that is found in such towns.

I enjoyed the fact that the mystery revolved around smugglers and not a found dead body. I found this refreshing and I appreciated it. There were still enough clues to sift through and suspects to consider. The twists and turns and red herrings made the mystery difficult to solve. I appreciated this.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted ghostly paranormal cozy. I am excited that this is the first book in the series and I think the author has a winner.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. I would like to thank NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Oh my gosh, that was absolutely hilarious. The mystery was great, with a lot of humor thrown in. The setting was beautiful, and the B&B was written about so vividly it almost felt like a character rather than a place.

A light quirky humorous cozy, with romance and the paranormal, this book was entertaining.

Holly Davis is struggling to run a Bed and Breakfast in an historic plantation when the ghost of her philandering, drug smuggling husband shows up in need of a favor. It seems he can't cross over until he takes care of some unfinished business. He has to break up the smuggling operation and he needs Holly's help to do it. When a love from Holly's past shows up at the B&B, things get complicated.
Better Dead is a fast paced, clever mystery, served up with just the right amount of Southern charm. An enjoyable read!

Better Dead by Pamela Kopfler is the first book in the new B&B Spirits Mystery series. The book would be best classified as a cozy mystery read but this one has touches of paranormal with a resident ghost and also felt a bit like a romantic suspense since the point of view does end up switching between Holly and Jack after the first few chapters with just Holly.

I did quite like the idea behind bringing in a ghost in this story. The book starts off with Holly toasting her late husband who was killed in a plane crash right before she was able to ask for a divorce after finding out he had been cheating. Needless to say Holly was not the grieving widow and quite happy to have him gone only to end up with his ghost showing up just after she’d said her final goodbyes. Then to rid herself of Burl completely she needs to help him solve a mystery that has prevented him from entering heaven and beginning his afterlife.

Now I would warn that one could say this one involves a bit of a love triangle if you count Holly’s ghost of an ex hanging around all the while Jack coming in to investigate the B&B who has a history with Holly. The book doesn’t concentrate too much on the romantic aspects though and more on solving Burl’s problems so it shouldn’t bother readers too much and I found it rather amusing myself.

Set in a lovely southern plantation turned into a B&B in Louisiana the author did a wonderful job bringing the setting to life during the story. There’s also a few recipes included at the end of the book for readers to enjoy. In the end this one is definitely starting off as quite a nice series and has me rather curious as to where the author will take the next book.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Burl was a rat for sure and even worse, he's now haunting Holly's bed and breakfast pestering her. Her old sweetie Jake is also back in town and he's staying at the B&B. There's bad guys, there's good guys, there's dogs- all in all elements of a good cozy. The ghosting is fun and quirky (although sometimes a bit much). I liked Holly a lot- she's no-nonsense- and I can see her as a character in future books. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is a fast, fun read.

A fun cozy mystery with a paranormal twist. Holly Davis is a likeable and relatable character who the reader will find him/herself rooting for. And the handsome, mysterious Jake provides the knight in shining armor that all women are secretly waiting for. The secondary characters are just as entertaining as the main characters. This book has a lot of twists and turns, as well as laughable moments, to keep the reader interested and guessing.

Better Dead is a quirky sometimes silly cozy mystery that will keep you guessing, laughing often and gritting your teeth on occasion. This is ultimately a story of second chances.
Holly is a young widow rather than divorcee because her despicable ex got himself blown up before she could serve him the papers. He was a lying, cheating scumbag and good riddance except he is still causing her problems even after death. He is back as a ghost and won’t leave Holly alone until she agrees to help him.
Holly's former love, Jack McCann, is back in town working at the newspaper such as it is. He has reparations to make with Holly and his father but that isn’t what brought him back.
I liked Holly, hated Burl her ex (what a slime job), and have reservations about Jack.
Can Holly help her ex move on, save her B&B, and heal old wounds? Read Better Dead and find out.

I loved it! A young widow who owns an historic Louisiana bed & breakfast must contend with the ghost of her philandering husband, a former (living) boyfriend who has mysteriously returned to town, and a drug smuggling ring that could jeopardize both the B&B and its owner. Oh, and there's also those nosy bridge club members from town. Equal parts mystery, cozy, romance, and downright fun, BETTER DEAD is a brilliant debut. I have high hopes for the rest of this series and Pamela Kopfler!