I enjoyed this story which draws on "A Christmas Carol" as the main character, Verity, is visited by three ghosts.
Fun and enjoyable read!

THE GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PAST is the twelfth release in the Southern Ghost Hunter series. Each is a stand-alone, clean, cozy mystery.

This one is set at Christmas with a strong vibe of Dicken’s A CHRISTMAS CAROL – a personal Christmas favorite. This is every bit as sentimental and meaningful as the Dicken’s tale, only this one includes a skunk, a mama bear and her cubs, and pear pandowdy, along with the ghosts.

This is a wonderful Christmas read, whether you’ve read the series or not.

Note: While I received this book as a gifted ARC via NetGalley, my opinions are my own and are given freely.

Title: THE GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PAST
Series: Southern Ghost Hunter #8.5
Category /Genre: Cozy Mystery, Christmas
Recommended for: 12+ due to vocabulary
Grammar/editing: received as an unedited ARC / errors excused
Received from: Angie Fox

Love the Southern Ghost hunter Mysteries, and this Novella is absolutely amazing!
Filled with the Christmas Spirit, it shows what this holiday is all about.
The importance of family gatherings and the joy of spending time together.

As the title suggests this is Angie Fox’s take on A Christmas Carol, only instead of Scrooge we get Verity, with Frankie along for the ride and her own personal Wydell ghosts of past, present and future.

The ghosts are popping in to help Verity find her place in the Wydell family after she finally stands up to Veronica her evil sort-of-mother-in-law.

I always love Verity’s adventures and this novella captured the Christmas spirit perfectly.

Frankie showed his soft side and Verity learnt that she could stand up to Veronica without loosing herself. All in all a delightful little Christmas tale.

Angie Fox's latest paranormal romance dashed with humor is here! The Ghost of Christmas Past is just as crazy good as the previous novels before it. This book is to die for! I love the rush of humor, action, and mystery that is packed into this fabulous read. Angie Fox has a way of capturing my attention from page one and keeping it. I also enjoyed the mixture of paranormal activity with the cozy romance mystery genre. It works well.

In this read, I followed Verity (the sleuthing detective) as she prepares to dine with a family that dislikes her. She is not just a typical sleuth but a ghost hunter. She is one unusual sleuth due to having a pet skunk. I like Verity's southern ways and mannerisms. They go perfectly hand-in-hand with her side kick, the gangster ghost.

Frankie is the gangster ghost that ended up stuck wherever Verity goes. She has to carry his ashes with her when they leave the house. He adds humor and character to the story. He's a bad guy. A notorious robber and gangster, but he does have a soft side. Frankie also has a ghost girlfriend, Molly. Between her and Verity, Frankie stays out of trouble or as much of it as possible.

Then, there's the deputy, Ellis. He's part of the rich family that doesn't take well with Verity. Ellis and Verity are dating. Verity used to date his brother who did wrong by Verity. Ellis's mother dislikes Verity dating Ellis. But there's room for his mom and Verity to get along.

As usual they were plenty of things that could go wrong, some did, and another mystery to solve. Th whole cast makes this story rich. I enjoy these characters and their journeys. Suspense, intrigue, romance, and ghosts are found in this enchanting book.

Verity Long is getting pretty good with this ghost stuff, but can't predict their visits or needs. This last one helped rescue an animal that Verity is still caring for and requests help with another animal she sees in serious danger. Verity reluctantly agrees.

Getting ready for a Christmas party at her boyfriend's house, Verity receives a rather shocking gift. The Wydell's have been a long established family in the area and she's sweet on the middle son Ellis but feels it's time to draw a line with his mother. Hopefully, it's not the equivalent of burning the bridge to her sweety, but that's the rub, huh?

Perhaps having it out with Virginia Wydell was not the best way to handle the situation on Christmas Eve as she opts out of the party. She'll go instead to rescue the endangered animal. It's there she gets another shocker that'll force her to rethink her handling of the former situation.

I really enjoyed the way in which the situation was handled, making for a sweet resolution. This is a shorty, meant to augment between full novels and is simple and easy enough to read as a standalone. Fast, fun delightful read for the season with the theme of friendship, family, reconciliation, and that touch of romance. Frankie, as a former ghost, is a great support character, and Virginia, the bitter, nasty, crotchety antagonist is appropriately hateful.

I was given this digital download by the publisher through NetGalley and appreciated the opportunity to read and review. Recommended to any who enjoys a modern take on a beloved classic.

Angie Fox does not disappoint. In addition to the paranormal mystery we’ve come to expect, Ms. Fox weaves a Christmas tale of hope and forgiveness reminding us that we alone chose our path and the ultimate consequences.

In this book, the author tackles the idea of relatives who just do not act the way we think relatives should. Verity is getting ready for Christmas, and part of that preparation is going to a family affair at his uncle’s estate with her boyfriend Ellis. Just as she is about ready to leave, she receives an expensive fruit basket compliments of her soon-to-be-mother-in-law—only Verity has to pay the high cost of the basket because her prospective mother-in-law is sticking her nose into things and thinks this will make the perfect hostess gift for Verity to take to the affair. Needless to say, Verity is stretched to come up with the money for the basket, which she does not really like anyway. What follows is a confrontation between Verity and Virginia, her prospective mother-in-law, which does not go all that well. Verity ends up not going to the family affair. Next a surprise event happens, as often does in cases like this. Can help from a long-ago ghost who appears at her door, some baby bears and, of course, the ever present ghost Frankie, help her understand and realize the true meaning of the holiday, and especially of families, whether they get along well or not or whether you can “take” them or not?

This is obviously a take off on Dickens, A Christmas Carol. The settings allow Verity to get across and realize her points, while providing revelations and lessons. Frankie and Verity’s pet skunk, as usual figure prominently in the story—and, in many ways take the story to new heights. This is a short but interesting holiday novella that readers of the series will enjoy and that others who may be new to the series will likewise enjoy. You don’t have to have read other books in the series, but that might help if you have. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.

You have to love a woman who shares her home with a 1920s gangster ghost and a pet skunk!

A Ghost of Christmas Past is a modern spin on Dickens' A Christmas Carol, in the form of a southern cozy mystery. The story is fun and, yes, a little sappy, but it's Christmas and sappy is expected.

This is a short read, at only about 150 pages, and yet a lot is packed into those pages. Verity is tasked with rescuing some animals from a scary situation, while also dealing with troublesome ghosts and difficult living family members. The mystery aspect is light, but the story is engaging and totally enjoyable.

The Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries is one of my go-to series when I need a light, feel-good story. Verity is a great character, and I absolutely love Frankie the ghost. While this book is part of the ongoing series, I think it works well as a stand-alone.

Always a fun time with her books! Ghosts and Christmas are a perfect pair. Keep the stories coming. Verity is always a fun read.

Small confession: I have the first of the Southern Ghost Hunter mysteries on my Kindle, but haven’t gotten around to reading it yet. Then I saw this “between the books” holiday story and decided it was a perfect way to get a taste of the series. The Ghost of Christmas Past is not actually a mystery, but it works as a stand-alone and let me get to know Verity and some of her crew.

As you can tell from the title, The Ghost of Christmas Past is a retelling of the Charles Dickens tale. A few ghosts decide Verity needs to learn a lesson. This is a feel-good story, a bit sentimental in a good way. Verity is sweet and caring and I love her pet skunk. We don’t really get to see her solve a mystery, but she does have a problem or two that she solves. She’s clearly brave and resourceful, and Frankie, her ghostly sidekick is interesting, a criminal with a soft heart. I think I’ll go back and read the first in the series soon.

Angie fox never disappoints. This was a great Holiday read and actually made you think about how important family is. Not only was it a great read but the book came with a lesson...try to be kind to people no matter what.

The latest in the Southern Ghost Hunter series does not disappoint. This time the ghosts are more personal to Verity. Another one not to be missed.

I love this series and I love Christmas stories so, I’m in heaven. Verity stands her ground against Ellis’s mother and learns that her actions impact much more than she imagined. A sweet and enlightening story!

Princess Fuzzypants here: I have enjoyed each and every one of Verity’s stories since the beginning of the series. She is a ghost investigator aided by a dead gangster who became attached to her when she accidentally spread his ashes over her rose bed. We first meet her when her fiancé has hit on her sister, causing Verity to call off the wedding. Her future mother-in-law will go to any lengths to make her life miserable including trying to break her financially. So when a second son and Verity hook up, along with a great guy and a promising romance, she has an unforgiving and unrepentant nemesis.
Verity’s prowess in helping ghosts resolve issues has spread throughout the spectral world so when a deceased friend shows up, right after a blow up with the wicked mother, Verity and Frankie swing into action to save a momma bear and her three cubs from a haunted property. Little does she realize it is almost a ruse to get her to do a far more important job.
With obvious similarities to A Christmas Carol, three ghosts show Verity what she needs to do to save her beau and his family in spite of his nasty mother. It is a great story, highly entertaining and filled with great characters including her pet skunk, Lucy. You would have to be the old Scrooge not to delight in it.
Five purrs and two paws up. Princess Fuzzypants here: I have enjoyed each and every one of Verity’s stories since the beginning of the series. She is a ghost investigator aided by a dead gangster who became attached to her when she accidentally spread his ashes over her rose bed. We first meet her when her fiancé has hit on her sister, causing Verity to call off the wedding. Her future mother-in-law will go to any lengths to make her life miserable including trying to break her financially. So when a second son and Verity hook up, along with a great guy and a promising romance, she has an unforgiving and unrepentant nemesis.
Verity’s prowess in helping ghosts resolve issues has spread throughout the spectral world so when a deceased friend shows up, right after a blow up with the wicked mother, Verity and Frankie swing into action to save a momma bear and her three cubs from a haunted property. Little does she realize it is almost a ruse to get her to do a far more important job.
With obvious similarities to A Christmas Carole, three ghosts show Verity what she needs to do to save her beau and his family in spite of his nasty mother. It is a great story, highly entertaining and filled with great characters including her pet skunk, Lucy. You would have to be the old Scrooge not to delight in this story.
Five purrs and two paws up.

This was adorable. I loved the spin on the classic A Christmas Carol. Instead of the “Scrooge” being shown the past, present and future, it was kind of an outsider who realizes she is the one who can do something.
I loved the way the ghosts were incorporated into it, they were already part of the bigger series so this was the perfect retelling.
The ending was just so heartwarming and wonderful, really the perfect book to read around Christmas time.

Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by the Author and Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an fair and honest review.

I love this series filled with quirky characters including Frankie the Gangster Ghost. This Story evokes Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol and puts a Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries spin on it.

It all starts with Verity finally standing up to Ellis' mother, Virginia, and telling her off. When that ends with Verity alone on Christmas Eve, she gets a surprise ghost visitor which take her and Frankie to the Wydell Family Orchard and an abandoned cider mill. Old, spooky and definitely haunted, the cider mill is home to more than ghosts and Verity must work with them all. With help from the ghosts of past, present and future, Verity has some serious decisions to make that will affect the entire Wydell family.

Another fun read in this series! Shorter than most but just as packed with action and humor. The only thing I didn’t care for was how weak her ‘fiancé’ truly is when it comes to his family but our main character has it together

The Ghost of Christmas Past is a “between the books” holiday story in Angie Fox’s Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries series. This fast-paced book is well-plotted with an interesting storyline. The story flows smoothly, and the characters are well developed.

Verity Long can see and communicate with ghosts, but only with the help of Frankie, the ghost of a 1920s gangster who she managed to ground to her property in Sugarland, Tennessee when she dumped his ashes which she thought was dirt in her yard. Frankie is unable to leave the property unless Verity has his urn with her. Verity is a caring person who wants to help everyone, living or dead. She’s dating Ellis Wydell, the Deputy Sheriff and her ex-fiancé’s brother; Ellis’ mother, Virginia, doesn’t like Verity. Verity is getting ready to attend the Wydell family’s Christmas Eve celebration when she’s finally had all she can take of Virginia’s obnoxious behavior and tells her off, and Verity decides it would be best if Ellis attended the party without her. The ghost of an old friend appears at Verity’s door, asking for her help rescuing a mother bear and her three babies. She drags a reluctant Frankie with her to a haunted cider mill, and while attempting to save them, three ghosts show her the Wydell family’s Christmas past, present, and future, forcing her to reevaluate her life.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

I loved this novella. I admit I grabbed it because I love A Christmas Carol and I get a real kick out of Verity. The book didn't disappoint, 3 ghosts, a skunk and plenty of family drama. This is a quick, fun holiday read.