I love the premise of this book - the thought of having ghosts around to help solve the mystery in your newly inherited hotel right on the beach gives you plenty of opportunities for great storylines. The ghosts aren't very present in this book. Sure, she has some conversations with them but it almost feels like they were added in later to keep the whole haunted inn thing working. The main character herself is kinda boring, as evidenced by the mundane tasks that she performs that are detailed in this book, such as feeding the dog, cleaning up poop, and the numerous runs she goes on every day. The story itself was also kind of just there. It wasn't interesting. I love this author's other series but I think I am done with this one.

When you own a haunted Inn and have a resident ghost - who has ghostly friends, you're ready for anything. However, a murder during a Christmas "dinner with a movie package", turns Maureen's world upside down and brings her closer to discovering exactly why she inherited Haven House Inn.

I enjoyed the mystery and the blossoming relationship between Maureen and Ted. What makes this series so much fun, is seeing Maureen 's life grow in ways she never expected. The new friends and staff she has made add to the book. The continuing mystery of why Maureen inherited the Inn keeps me guessing and I love a "mystery within a mystery".

If you're looking for a cozy Christmas mystery, High Spirits is perfect!

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is a cute cozy mystery! I love the characters and setting and really enjoyed this series.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

I like the characters and the setting. I find it fun that some folks in the town believe in the ghosts, some do not and some deny it so they don't get over run by ghost hunters. I guessed who did it, but not why. This didn't diminish my enjoyment of the book however.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a Cozy Mystery, and this is the second book in the Haunted Haven Mystery series. I have read and reviewed the first book in this series before picking up this book. I do think this book can be read as a standalone, but I feel it would be better if you had read the first book before this book. I love the ghosts in this book, and I wished the ghosts would show up more in this book. I enjoyed the mystery parts in this book, but I did guess some of the reveal not all. The ending was really good. The Christmas parts of this book were cute, and throughout this book. This is a great cozy mystery series, and I am really enjoying it. I really love the characters in this series. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Kensington) or author (Carol J. Perry) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

Thank you to @netgalley for ARC of High Spirits, book 2 in A Haunted Haven Mystery series by Carol J. Perry! I was so excited to read this since I enjoyed book 1, Be My Ghost so much. There’s so much to like in this series–setting, characters, a blossoming romance, a golden retriever, and of course, mystery!

This entry is set at Christmas time and there is something so appealing about a Florida Christmas–at least to this Midwesterner. Maureen is a delightful main character – independent and creative, stretching every dollar to make her inn, Haven House, a success. I love her relationship with the inn’s ghost and her determination to get to the bottom of a cold case and a recent case. I loved the resolution and the epilogue and am looking forward to further entries. I was sorry to leave Maureen and Haven House when I finished.

High Spirits  is #2 in the Haunted Haven series, and follows Be My Ghost. We find Maureen settling into the Inn that she has inherited rather mysteriously. She has plans for it's development and they seem to be going well. Ted the chef, and herself also seem to be getting along well and are a great team, along with the rest of the staff.

A fund raiser that involves old movies at the Paramount, leads to a murder. Who killed the victim? Frank Hubbard the local police officer is out to find out, and he does believe that Maureen knows more than she is telling. It's a weird set up really and his consulting her all the time I found a bit strange. One thing Maureen is though is observant and knowledgeable about fashion and this is an asset in this murder. As well the present day murder seems linked to a long ago one.

I enjoyed the story but found it rather slow paced. There is the murder, and the mystery of who funds the Haven Inn and how did Maureen become chosen to take up as the owner. This isn't solved yet and no doubt will be a thread going through the series. I will certainly want to read the next one but I am certainly hoping it will have a faster pace to it.

The second in a series, a department store buyer loses her job and moves from Boston to Florida. Maureen Doherty was on a downer until she received news of an inheritance from an unknown benefactor - in the form of an Inn in a place called Haven on the Gulf of Mexico. She moved with her golden retriever, Finn. She is now in a position to promote the Inn, Haven House but doesn't have much cash. With Christmas just around the corner, The Paramount theatre has come up with a great “Twelve Days of Christmas” idea, and Mareen spots an opportunity to strike a deal with them. She gets talking to Decklin Munroe, the projectionist and they come up with a plan. Munroe shows her around the theatre and he mentions that it’s haunted by a man who was shot and killed while watching a movie in the seventies. However, the local copper, Officer Frank Hubbard has it in his head that Maureen knows something about the murder and he’s stalking her. But then another death occurs in the theatre.

This is a charming mix of ghostliness, furry friends and mystery, set in a pet-loving place. Maureen is a great, independent, smart, driven protagonist and her loving Finn is one of her main focuses. There are some nice moments with Maureen and Ted, her chef, bartender, and romantic interest. Witty and endearing, I shall be continuing with this humorous series and hope to read more about Maureen's Inn, Haunted Haven and her capers.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Kensington Books via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

If you like a fun cozy mystery, the Haunted Haven series is a winner! This is the second book in the series, featuring Maureen and her golden retriever, who have inherited a haunted inn on the Florida coast. Don't worry, though, if you find ghosts scary. These ghosts are more like fun roomies who you need to keep an eye on. This is a classic cozy mystery with a holiday background and a little bit of Hollywood movie mystery thrown in. Recommended read for a cozy fan!

An entertaining, cozy mystery book in the Haunted Haven series. I really enjoyed this Florida Inn series that features an amateur detective, her golden retriever and ghosts who inhabit her inherited inn. Great on audio and a perfect #SpookySeason read. This book is also a great balance of ghosts with a Holiday setting and has a well-written classic Hollywood movie mystery. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!!

High Spirits by Carol J. Perry is a cute cozy mystery. It is the second A Haunted Haven Mystery and it can be read as a standalone. The author provides all the necessary background information for new readers. I found High Spirits easy to read thanks to the author’s conversational writing style. The book moved along at a good clip. I like Maureen Doherty and her darling dog, Finn. I also like Ted, Lorna, Gert, and the other seniors who work at the inn. I enjoyed the descriptions of the inn Maureen inherited. I wanted to steal some of her Christmas decorations (I love vintage ornaments). I can relate to Maureen’s thoughts about Christmas in Florida. It is challenging to channel Christmas when you are wearing shorts and t-shirts with the sand and surf nearby. There are two mysteries in High Spirits. There is a cold case that Officer Frank Hubbard is determined to solve. A man was shot in the Paramount Theater while watching Animal House in the 1970s. In the present day, the projectionist hired by the owners of the Paramount Theater ends up shot in the projectionist booth. Officer Hubbard believes Maureen has information on the cold case and he is stalking her (stakes out her house, follows her while she walks the dog, and much more). I am not a fan of Officer Hubbard. I believe he crossed the line in this book. I enjoyed the two mysteries that tie into the local movie theater. There are several suspects in the cold case, and they happen to be in town. It was fun following Maureen as she set out to gather information to solve the cases. She gets help from Lorna the inn’s resident ghost who loves to borrow from Maureen’s wardrobe. Maureen assembles her clues and puts the pieces together to solve the puzzles. I did feel, though, that the reveal was anticlimactic (it was ho hum). For those who are avid armchair sleuths, you will not find the mysteries challenging. I quickly grew tired of all the repetitive details (every time Maureen walks the dog, goes in the side door, what she is wearing down to the shoes, goes out the side door, passes the soda machines and guest laundry area, the type of car she drives). There was romance in the story as Maureen gets to know her head chef. Plus, Lorna has a beau to squire her about town. I love the ghosts in the story and would like to see more of this element. High Spirits is a spirited story with a friendly Finn, Christmas centerpieces, appealing paintings, a cold case, pricey purses, and festive embellishments for trimming the palm tree.

I just read the first book in the series for my book club so this was perfect timing for the arc! Loved this one as much as the first. The author’s writing style is fun and the characters are all interesting. The mystery is entertaining and had a couple of good twists. I can’t wait for the next one!

It was fun visiting the Haven House Inn again. The resident ghost Lorna just cracks me up--and now she's got a boyfriend ghost! I think Maureen had fun 'lending' her clothes to her since the ghost is able to just assume the image of them on her. A win-win situation since Lorna looked great in anything and Maureen's outfits were safe from any accidents. Maureen's dog was quite a fan of Lorna's too since she kept him occupied during the day by reading books about dogs to him.

Ted and Maureen made the cutest couple as they worked and sleuthed together on the latest murder that was almost getting impossible to figure out. But Officer Hubbard seemed to think Maureen had some type of inner vision or something because he insisted she could help solve this. I got a kick out of him having to haul his mom and Aster to a couple of the Dinner and a Movie nights.

I enjoyed the sleuthing for clues and liked that the showdown wasn't as dangerous as it could've been. The perp was caught and now onto the business of more inn renovations. It was cool how the epilogue spanned a little bit longer and told various things that happened along with wrapping up the case nicely. I sure hope there's more of these books planned. While it didn't end with questions exactly, I'd still like to read more in this fun little Florida world and maybe get to know more of the ghosts there too.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Kensington Cozies via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

It’s Christmas time in Haven Florida. Maureen Doherty is preparing Haven House Inn for the holidays.
High Spirits is the second book in the series that highlights small town Florida, ghosts and an old time hotel.
I enjoy the characters - Maureen, new hotel owner; Ted, head chef; Lorna, resident starlet ghost; Gert, Molly, George and Sam - long time residents.
The 12 days of Christmas classic movies at the Paramount Theater in Haven is a fun idea. I enjoyed how the story wove around the event.
I enjoyed learning the history (made up) of Haven and the inn. It added a depth to the story.
There is a cold case murder and a new murder to unravel.
I figured out who was responsible and was a little surprised Maureen didn’t consider it in her contemplation of the case.
I happily recommend High Spirits as a fun cozy mystery and holiday read.
Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington for the opportunity to review this book.

Christmas is just around the corner and Maureen has a great idea to help increase her sparse income. The Haven House needs some sprucing up but that costs more money than she has. The local movie house is also in the same boat and that gives her a great idea. The theater is doing twelve movies over twelve nights and she adds dinner at Haven House and a ticket to a movie, twelve in all for a special price. It looks like a winner until an old murder is joined by a fresh one at the theater and Maureen becomes part of the investigation. After all she can see and communicate with the local ghosts who are willing to share what they know. With the help of the residents of Haven House (some ghostly), the staff and assorted others, she sets out to unmask the killer.
I have enjoyed all of Carol J. Perry's ghostly books (two series) and I hope there will be many more This was a nice getaway to a small town with lots of character. The mystery was well developed and the recurring characters were like old friends. I have to say that Finn, Maureen's Golden retriever, a failed service dog and the pair of cats she inherited named Bogart and Bacall add a special touch.
My thanks to the publisher Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

While I enjoyed this book I didn't find it to be quite as strong as the first book. The pacing was a bit slow and there was just a bit too much going on with restoring the inn, Maureen's personal relationships, and solving the mystery all while dealing with other guests and running a pretty sizable holiday event for the hotel. While I did enjoy all of these it did slow the pacing and at times felt a bit disjointed.

I think this suffered a bit from second book syndrome. The foundations for the series and the characters were well explained in the first book and there is clearly going to be a deeper dive investigation into the history of the inn in later books which I am so excited about. Unfortunately, that left this book feeling a bit influx so several future plot points were hinted at that I'm really looking forward to seeing come to fruition.

I enjoyed the mystery. How did the murder of an elderly victim connect to the murder of a low level criminal 50 years before in the same theater? I liked that the relationship between Detective Hubbard and Maureen is less contentious and borders on working towards a partnerships but doesn't magically flip to all unicorns and rainbows. There's a strong cast of side characters from the other employees of the inn, to the resident ghosts, and most especially Maureen's Golden Retriever Finn.

While I didn't enjoy this book as much as the first one I did enjoy the read and am super excited for the third book.

High Spirits is the second book of the Haunted Haven series. However, this works well as a standalone. I went in having no knowledge of the series and really enjoyed this book.

This was a perfect mystery novel with an adorable golden retriever. It is set during Christmas time, however, the mystery is definitely perfect for the spooky season as well.

The story follows Maureen who inherits an inn in Florida. She moves to take on the responsibility of running the inn. Maureen is determined to renovate it since it is really run down. She keeps all the staff which is great because they seem like a tight knit family.

The local movie theater is pretty run down as well but they are trying to draw people in with their Twelve days of Christmas promo, they run one Christmas movie a night. Maureen comes up with a great deal where you get dinner at the inn and a movie ticket at a great price. The idea is a hit and sparks new life into both the inn and the theater.

On the first night of playing the Christmas movie, the movie stops halfway through. It turns out there was a murder in the movie theater.

Frank Hubbard, a local cop is determined to find out what happened. Even if it means bothering Maureen all the time.

I loved Maureen's character and how great she is handling the inn. Oh, and did I mention the inn is haunted? The ghosts are friendly and Maureen is able to talk and ask them questions about the inn and the town's past. It was definitely a fun inclusion and this really was a perfect mystery novel.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is one of my favourite paranormal series.
It grabbed me from the get go and kept me entertained from start to finish.
It was a really well crafted whodunit with characters I cannot wait to read more about.
This is a stellar example of a great paranormal cozy!
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

In book #2 of the Haunted Haven Mystery Series, Maureen and her beloved golden retriever, Finn, are getting ready for Christmas at the Haven House. In trying to come up with ways to promote the Inn, she collaborates with Haven’s vintage movie theater, the Paramount, to incorporate a “Twelve Days of Christmas” idea. They’ll feature an impressive list of the best classic Christmas movies ever made—shown by one-time movie actor-turned-projectionist Decklin Monroe, and she will offer the tickets to the inn guests. But nobody bothered to tell Maureen that the Paramount is haunted by the ghost of a man who was murdered a few years back. Haven’s top cop Frank Hubbard doesn’t believe in ghosts but, believing that Decklin Monroe was somehow involved, he wants a reluctant Maureen’s help solving that cold case. That plan is derailed when, on the first day of the festival, a fresh murder victim is found at the theater. Now Maureen has to help solve this new murder before the entire Christmas season is ruined

I enjoyed this book, although I did feel like the pace was a bit slow at times. It had a good cast of characters and several resident ghosts that made the story enjoyable. Overall, this was a light fun read, great for anyone who is a fan of paranormal mysteries.

I really disliked the first book [I knew the killer early on and disliked the MC], but as the bestie pointed out, I often don't like a first [or second or third] book and end up reading the second and loving it and the resulting series, so in that light, I got this book and settled in to read.

Sigh.

This book was slightly better than the first one [for me], but only slightly. I DID like the MC better this round, which helped. I liked the renovations she has done with the hotel. I loved the idea of the local movie theater getting renovated and reused [and the fun retro candy!!]. I really liked how the MC has embraced the people who live [and often work] at the hotel and have adopted them as her family - the real love and caring amongst them is really lovely to see. And I REALLY love that she does her job [mostly] before sleuthing. That is very refreshing as apparently it is the "IN thing" in new cozies to have the MC ignore their jobs and livelihoods just to put their nose in where it doesn't belong. In the case of Maureen, being in a hotel, often information comes her way and while she doesn't like Detective Hubbard, she respects the job he has and tries to work within his parameters [and for his part, he recognizes that she can be of help occasionally, even though he truly comes close to crossing the line and is really a creeping creeper in this one].

Unfortunately, none of this was enough to truly keep me engaged in this book. It is just so...bland. You'd think a book where there are supposed to be ghosts and murder and intrigue that there would be more excitement, but alas, that is a no. Actually that isn't true - there are about 2-3 chapters towards the end that had some excitement and then the reveal happens [really? THAT was the ending we got? R E A L L Y?] and it is back to bland [and also rather unbelievable] and don't even get me started on the slap-dash epilogue that leaves one very, very, unsatisfied. It is like it was written at the last moment and just slapped at the end of the book. Meh. I knew who the killer was pretty early on [though I tried to convince myself otherwise with a character that I am still on the fence about] and again, the reveal was just so anticlimactic that I may or may not have rolled my eyes. Also, I cannot even begin to talk about how much you get beat upside the head with the SAME INFORMATION over and over. Do we really need to know that E V E R Y time Maureen goes out the side door [or comes in the side door for that matter] that she passes the guest laundry and soda machines? Do we need to be reminded that there are money problems and that reno's need to be done? IF one contracts a contractor to building something, does the MC need to call and confirm this more than once? Over, and over, and over again. This seems to be another trope that some writers are investing in and I need to say it again apparently; the readers are NOT five years old, we don't need the same info over and over and it is just wasted filler. There were also some weird, stilted conversations and ideas that didn't seem fully fleshed out that left some of the story very disjointed and left me feeling off-balance in the story. It was both off-putting and weird.

I am pretty sure I won't read anymore of these [should there be any more] as I have many other books that hold more appeal and action than these have. What a disappointment.

Thank you to NetGalley, Carol J. Perry, and Kensington Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.