We are back in Lilly Dale where everyone is a psychic and speaks to Spirit (dead people) or at least that is expect Bella because she doesn't believe in all that. She runs a bed and breakfast and on the eve of the festival a stranger comes pounding on her door late at night. Dressed in old fashioned clothes she reluctantly rents him a room for the night letting him know he will have to check out the next day. In the morning he is gone and didn't pay for his room but left his belongings. Did he room and dash? Some speculate he was a ghost. When they investigate his bag they find a diary that was dated from many years ago and brings to light things that could bring down the prominent member of town who is launching a campaign for congress. So many mysteries in this one man. Oh, and then another man checks in and is just as mysterious. What is going on? If you are new to this series, you can read this one as it could be read as a standalone. I do recommend this series though. It is fun, just pure fun.

Full disclosure: I requested this book from NetGalley solely based on the fact that the cat on the cover looks like my sisters cat Mystic. I didn’t even read the title. I said “ooo it’s Mystic!”, and slammed that request button. After approval, I saw it was part of a series, but this one at least can be read as a stand-alone so that was helpful!

This is a series I’d not heard of previously so I was worried jumping in that I’d be confused. I’m happy to report that while this is part of a series, it’s easy to follow without prior knowledge. It’s fun and mysterious but not creepy about it. I’d definitely consider it a cozy mystery.

Is it something I’m sucked into and dying to read again? No. Will I force it on everyone I meet? Also no. But if you want a cozy mystery with cats and ghosts then you should absolutely pick this up.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a cute, cozy mystery set in the town of Lilydale - which is what hooked me. I attended college at SUNY Fredonia so when I recognized some familiar town names I had to pick this one up. I was disappointed when I realized I realized this was apart of a series but was happy when I read some reviews that indicated you didn't need to read the rest of the series to enjoy this one as a standalone novel. I really liked the characters in this and found this setting to be so idyllic and peaceful.

Bella Jordan and her son live in the hamlet of Lily Dale, an enclave of spiritualists and mediums. Bella does not have the Sight, she runs a charming little B and B. One night, she checks in a guest, very late and the the next day, the man has vanished. Some residents of the town insist she saw a spirit, others insists she has a deadbeat who stiffed her on the bill. But Bella isn’t sure, the man left behind his pack and a strange little book. Does the stranger’s arrival have anything to do with the day he appeared, Juneteenth? A warning from her next door neighbor, a spiritualist, tells Bella to beware of Barry, but who is that? This is the latest entry in the Lily Dale series and it’s just as enjoyable as the others. The books do not have to be read in order, but readers may find it helpful to establish a character base

A quick read with an interesting hook. I haven’t read the previous novels in the series and like that I was able to understand and get involved in Bella’s life without issue. This was an audiobook courtesy of @netgalley . The narrator took a bit getting used to because although she has a good reading voice, she mixes up the voices for characters in the first half and she pauses at odd spots.
The story was interesting and the ending wasn’t obvious which is pretty uncommon (from my recent reads at least).

The Stranger Vanishes takes place in the small town of Lily Dale. Lily Dale is not your typical town, it's a town where the residents speak with the dead. All residents except for Bella Jordan. Bella Jordan is a skeptic, the main reason is her husband passed away and she would give anything to talk to him again. Everything has its way of reminding her of him but she never gets the chance to see or talk with him.

Bella has a stranger come late and night to check into the Inn she is running. Something seemed a little off to her but she has always felt that she is a good judge of character and in the end, she thought he was harmless. When morning comes she never sees the stranger come out of their room. After checkout time passes Bella goes to his room to check on him. She doesn’t find him but she does find his bag that was left behind.

In a town full of mediums and people who believe in ghosts they feel that this late-night stranger was actually a spirit, not a ghost, a spirit.

There is a mystery to solve involving the stranger dating back to the 1800s. With the help of the residents and some spirits, the race is on to solve a mystery over a century old. This book will have you going back and forth trying to figure out if the stranger was real or a spirit. When it all comes together you will be left smiling. This was a fun book that I definitely recommend.

Book Title: The Stranger Vanishes
Series: Lily Dale Mystery #5
Author: Wendy Corsi Staub
Audiobook Narrator: Avery May
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Genre: Cozy Mystery/Historical Fiction
Pub Date: October 4, 2022
My Rating: 5 Stars!

I read "Prose and Cons' which was my first Lily Dale Mystery and I loved it!

If you are new to this series I am started with some background ~
Bella Jordan, our protagonist was very happy married to Sam, the love of her life. However, when you are young you don’t think of dying from an illness nor consider the importance of having life and medical insurance. When Sam died, Bella’s world was turned upside down; she was in such a state of grief that she didn’t notice that her landlord was selling their rental, she was financially in a hole. To top off all of this she lost her teaching job due to District Budget cuts. She is friends with Pandora who lives in Lily Dale and suggests Bella and her now seven year-old son Max move to Lily Dale where she is able to get a job running the beautiful Valley View Guesthouse.

Now after being in Lily Dale for 2 years, Bella’s friendship with Drew Bailey the veterinarian continues, however, Bella still worries that she is betraying Sam.

Lily Dale is a charming lakeside village in New York and the home of Spiritualism. The residences are unique and yes speak to spirits.
Bella is a non-believe but is becoming more receptive to the idea as she has experienced several unusual events.

On the evening of Juneteenth, Lemuel a young black man shows up at the Guesthouse and asks for a room. He doesn’t have a car or luggage but is carrying a satchel and is dressed in clothes from the turn of the century ~ hmmm - however, in Lily Dale nothing is really all that strange.
The next day, Lemuel has disappeared or as the title indicates the stranger has vanished! The only thing left in his room is the satchel he was carrying.
When he doesn’t return Belle looks in the satchel for clues. She finds a diary dated 1863. This diary is written during the Civil War by a Lollie, a young woman married to a man she calls Mr. F who is hiding slaves in their barn.

As Bella and friends read the diary they are wondering if Lemuel is an apparition from the late 1800s. Since he arrived on Juneteenth, she wonders if he may have something to do with the Emancipation of Slaves in 1865 as Juneteenth is the national commemoration. Or perhaps as the diary indicates he was part of the Underground Railroad which as we known was the secret organization that helped escaped slaves travel from the South to Canada.

Bella’s next door neighbor Odelia, who is a Medium. warns Bella that the spirits have given her a message: Beware of . . . Barry?
Hmmm

Certainly has me curious!

I enjoy reading cozy mysteries! I find they usually follow a bit of a formula:
 ~Fun entertaining - character based
 ~The crime-solver is usually a woman who is well liked, has a dog or a cat, and of course, is an amateur
sleuth
 ~Love Interest ~ usually they don’t like each other at first.
 ~All the residence know each other and are likeable
 ~Mystery but no blood and gore

SO yes this cozy has some familiar “coziness” however; it is different than others I have read.

I found this story very enjoyable!! The characters are such a delight ~ and . . .
I am looking forward to #6!

BTW: Audiobook narrator Avery May does a great job in performing the characters!

Want to thank NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this awesome early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for October 4, 2022

The Stranger Vanishes by Wendy Corsi Staub
Narrator Avery May
I enjoyed this book about the Spiritualist town of Lily Dale but I did not realize this is book 5 in the Lily Dale series. I got the audiobook from Netgalley and it was an enjoyable quick listen. The narrator did a good job differentiating the characters. She did have some mispronunciations but nothing too glaring.
Just one complaint about Juneteenth and its meaning. June 19, 1865 was the date that slaves in Texas were finally informed about the emancipation proclamation which actually occurred April 1, 1863. It has been celebrated in Texas ever since and it has been a legal state holiday here in Texas since 1980.