Verity is expecting nice romantic moments with Ellis, but before she knows it, She's thrown into another dangerous adventure where she is running from ghostly killers, while hunting a real-life baddie.

Sounds like a typical Southern Ghost Hunter book, right?
Well, I'm leaving out a few key ingredients that make this book, on the one hand, an old school Verity Long but, on the other, a book that needed to happen to prevent an annoyed readership.

Alec Duranja hasn't just been a thorn in Verity's side, but one in mine as well. I truly loathed the guy, and thought he was a little too over the top in his disregard for her, knowing a friend & partner on the force ( Ellis) trusted her, and Verity solving several crimes no less. He became somewhat of a caricature.

What's more, Malory lost some major "cute sister points" when she actually started a relationship with him. Dating the dude who considers your big sis, the one with whom you have a strong bond, a crazy, attention seeking murderer you're going to throw in jail one day... Really Malory? It felt a bit too out of character. Weird.

I understand the introduction of Duranja. Or 'A' Duranja. Seeing as Ellis is 100% on her side it isn't strange to have a police officer in Sugarland who doesn't trust Verity, as she's always at scenes of crimes, and talks to thin air in the eyes of others. I can even understand an author wanting to create some extra tension - with Ellis' momma being a tad less hateful nowadays, which had to be coming one day - in the story.
But...I can't imagine I was the only one with the feelings I described above.

And thus Angie Fox decided - whether influenced by public opinion, or just being the good writer she is - that something needed to change, and has Malory inviting Verity and Ellis to a weekend hotelling on an island for her birthday. Surprise! Not only is it a double date with serious boyfriend Alec Duranja, but they're going to reside on, and hunting for treasure on Phantom Island, the former residence and hiding place of Pirate Captain Bill, his bride and his hoard.

Of course, the simple hunt for hidden doublouns against others to win a 10K cheque from the hotel owner soon turns dangerous as it becomes obvious some of the other Hunters aren't out to win the cheque, but find Pirate Bill's treasure hoard.
When Ellis and Malory end up hurt it is Verity who needs to team up with Duranja to find the perpetrators - and we can all guess that a Pirate island is full of the ghosts he thinks she's making up!

The book felt a bit like one of those in-betweens. Not an information dump to further a series arc, for example, but in this case a very necessary cease fire to make sure Verity can go back to her old school Ghost Hunter days without a police officer slash almost brother-in-law breathing down her neck.

Angie Fox manages to create this cease fire without readers thinking "Aaah, come on!". We all know Verity is quite forgiving, and a loving person to begin with, and their working together amidst betrayal, Frankie's antics - more of that later - and the resident ghosts is done well and believable. In that regard the book is surely well written and any new characters involved I could envision easily and enjoy to like or dislike - whether they're alive or spooks. The mystery was fun - though a bit too weak on the whodunit as I figured that out way too fast. I'm used to better work from Fox.

Because the book focuses so much on Malory's - and in a lesser way Ellis's - wish for her sister and boyfriend to get along, Dread and Buried does miss something of the usual lightness, cuteness and crazy antics we normally find ourselves in. It also really delve in to, nor pick up any of the new, or older plot points from previous books (like her granny). With regular characters missing the spotlight and no real furthering of the series arc* it almost had the feeling of a larger novella, say a #11.5, instead of the 12th installment.

Frankie can be incredibly frustrating at times, but he's also comic relief and a great cause for strife and trouble, ones Verity often needs to fix with a deadline and (ghostly) gun against her head. His role is quite small in Dread and Buried, and I've missed the wayward gangster here. But - fair is fair - he still manages to create trouble for her when he ís there, so I guess that definitely rings true as a SGH title eh? One big surprise for us Frankie lovers: his journey from criminal to good guy in order to move on takes an unexpected step into the right direction, and at very opportune moments (* the one, small, exception).

If you don't care for romantic moments, you might not care Ellis is barely present at all in the majority of pages in Dread and Buried. However, his steady, loving personality is what Verity often needs when things go crazy. Not to mention, they make a great team in dangerous situations. Suddenly she needs to put her safety in the hands of a man who considers her only slightly above 'crazy axe murderer'.

Despite missing both Ellis and Frankie, and the spark they give the SGH novels in general, it wasn't all bad that our resident Ghost Hunter had to rely on a different officer of the law. Due to the way everything was written, it worked out well. The Duranja-Verity team up gave the story, the mystery, a bit of extra oomph and scariness - and it needed that.

I mean, Verity against Pirate ghosts with a partner who can't see them, nor believes in them.... yeah, picture thàt! I had hoped Duranja had had to fight or dodge some breathing challenged characters himself, actually feeling the danger - as we've seen Ellis do in the past - and I consider it somewhat of a missed chance he doesn't. But what he does experience obviously makes him wonder if he was completely wrong about Verity.

Dread and Buried is definitely a good book - I read it in a day and wanted more Angie Fox after it - that needed to be written to get the nasty Duranja-taste out of readers' mouths. That does mean, however, this particular Southern Ghost Hunter novel has a different flavour.

Whether you really appreciate the aroma of it, and offer a Michelin star (or 5) is subjective, of course. For me it's an "amazing to try once, but please back to my regular menu" kind of deal. Yes, I did like this book, not taking my disappointment by the reveal of the whodunit into account. As all SGH novels I read through it as if I needed to catch the last bus home: really fast, without breaks. Fox only slows down the pace for the funny and sweet moments that are always present. The rest of the time your brain is running, fighting and trying to solve mysteries like a maniac.

In that regard Dread and Buried is like all her other great books. But...I guess when an author has made you thoroughly dislike a character and really love others, a major dose of the first and tiny sprinklings of the latter just leaves it short of a perfect bookworm's meal.

Southern Ghost Hunter fans still can't miss out, though!

Four stars.

Another amazing story from Angie. I love a cozy mystery and she writes some of the absolute best there are. A birthday weekend away turns treacherous. Verity, with the help of unlikely allies, must unravel a mystery hundreds of years in the making. The story has everything, pirates, treasure, and lost love. A wonderful story you won’t want to put down.

I enjoyed this book. I have read all.other books of this series but I was skeptical about this one whether I will like it or not as I am not a fan of pirate stories. But to my surprise I enjoyed it though not as much as some other books of this series.
I missed three of my favourite characters namely Ellis, Lucy and Frankie. Though Ellis and Frankie were there yet I missed their working together with Verity as the story focussed mostly on how Alec and Verity solved the mystery as team. Frankie did helped yet I missed the trio as Ellis was not much part of this and Lucy was not there at all. Lucy always reminded me of my cat. I missed her a lot.
I am not a fan of Alec so couldn't enjoy much but loved the way story of Captain Bill unfolded.
My special thanks to Netgalley for giving me chance to explore the world of pirates with Verity through the imagination and beautiful narrative of Angie Fox.

I was given Dread and Buried by Angie Fox in exchange for an honest review from Net Galley. This book is such a fun mystery! It has humor, adventure, and the supernatural. We find Verity on a birthday weekend getaway for her sister, Melody. They have their respective boyfriends, Ellis and Alec, along as well. The weekend is about celebrating Melody’s birthday, but also being bridge to help Verity and Alec get along. The story revolves around a haunted island and a hidden treasure. I really enjoyed this book!

Any book in the Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries series is a pleasure to read. Dread and Buried is just the same. Grab a drink and some snacks, find a comfy spot and be prepared to be immersed in Verity's world. Dread and Buried finds us on a double date weekend at a haunted island. Poor Verity isnt looking forward to a weekend with her sisters boyfriend and arch nemisis Alec. Unfortunately Melody has arrange a treasure hunt this weekend and she is determined to get her boyfriend and sister to work together. Of course Frankie has come along for the weekend. What starts of as a fun treasure hunt for pirate gold, soon starts to turn more sinister. When participants of the hunt start getting hurt. Verity realises she has to get to the bottom of whats going on. I seriously couldnt put this book down. Frankie is as funny as ever and even becomes an honoury pirate. Dread and Buried can be read as a stand alone. Once you have read one book in this series you will want to read more .
Highly recommended for fans of cozy mysteries. Five star read. Cant wait for the next one.

Dread & Buried is the twelfth book in the Southern Ghost Hunter series. The main character, Verity, takes a weekend trip to an island. She winds up participating in a planned treasure hunt teamed up with her friends while trying to outwit other teams. There are lots of clues to follow, which the author keeps up with very well. There is some family drama as her sister is dating Verity’s nemesis, who is part of the team. There are enough people to make it interesting, but not too many teams to follow so it doesn’t get confusing. As with other books, Verity does some ghost healing along the way. Verity is a smart character who is always trying to do the right thing. It’s a fun book (and series). I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Thank you NetGalley and Moose Island Books for this ARC. I’m submitting my honest review and opinion. I will post this review to my blog, Goodreads, Bookbub, & Amazon accounts.

This book takes the four main characters out of their normal small Southern town and into a totally different setting, which is always a smart thing to do in a long-running series. Verity is less than thrilled when her adored sister, Melody inexplicably falls for Alec Duranja, who regards her talent as an attention-seeking menace. Or simply deranged. He simply won’t accept that she can see and communicate with ghosts, despite her evident success in solving crimes.

This time around, everyone is out of their comfort zone. A former actor has inherited a tiny island, purported to have been a pirate hideout years ago – and the place is pretty much a living museum, stuffed full of valuable artefacts that Pirate Bill is using in a real treasure hunt. Melody has arranged for the four of them – Alec, Verity and her long-time boyfriend Ellis to take part as her birthday treat to herself. Of course, what she’s really trying to do is heal the rift between Alec and Verity on the grounds that if they just spend time in each other’s company, they’ll see how much they have in common… I enjoyed this dynamic, which added an extra emotional twist to the inevitable murder mystery. Verity is struggling to control her sense of hurt at seeing her sister being so cosy with a man she regards as an enemy and it leads to some amusing interchanges. Though not too much so as to overshadow the ongoing mystery.

The pirate tale of buried treasure, star-crossed lovers and ongoing vengeance unfolds with lots of atmosphere and is vividly told. I always enjoy these stories because Verity is such an engaging, likeable character. While the ornery ghost she accidentally trapped, Frankie, is sufficiently grumpy and awkward to prevent it all becoming too sweet. In fact – there is a really grisly story at the heart of this one that had me a bit shocked at the ferocity of the ongoing vengeance. However, as is the case in these sorts of cosy mysteries, all is put right and the denouement sorts out the villains from those who have been unjustly punished. As for Verity and Alec – does Melody’s ploy work? Well… that would be telling! Highly recommended for fans of cosy murder mysteries – though my firm advice is to go back to the first book to get the best from this entertaining series, even if dipping into this one wouldn’t leave you floundering. While I obtained an arc of Dread and Buried from the publishers via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
8/10

I'm a fan of the series, and while I liked the setting and contest storyline, I didn;t like this as much as others in the series. The Verity and Duranja negative interactions, which I guess replace Verity's and Ellis' mom's fighting, wore on me. Duranja's continued disbelief irritated me to no end and detracted from my enjoyment.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

This is another great addition to the Southern Ghost Hunter series! I so love this book, I love Frankie and Verity! This book kept my attention the whole time, the storyline is well done with characters you just so love! I would highly recommend this book to everyone!!

This southern spirts mystery is a treasure hunt! How fun. Verity and Duranja are forced to get along for Melody’s birthday weekend. While this could be read as a standalone to really understand their relationship I would recommend reading in order.
This felt less ghost oriented for most of the book. Don’t worry there is still a ton of ghostly fun with ghost pirates and a duel. The ghost part really ties into the treasure hunt. I love how it all comes together in the end bringing the past to the present.
Another fun read! Ready for the next.

What could be more fun than Verity, Frankie, and the gang meeting ghost pirates and participating in a treasure hunt? I dove in with enthusiasm to this latest of a sassy fun series that entertains and delights each time.

Dread and Buried is book twelve of the Southern Ghost Hunter series. Most books work well as standalone mysteries, but the last few have contained strong ties to earlier books making them work better knowing how matters came to be. In Dread and Buried, the focus is on Verity learning to look with acceptance on her sister’s relationship with Verity’s long-time nemesis, Detective Alex Duranja. Duranja thinks she’s loo loo when it comes to the ghosts and gets in his way on murder cases and she doesn’t think much of him for her sister, either.

For her birthday, Melanie takes matters into her own hands and plans a double date to an island known for pirate history to participate as one team in a treasure hunt game. She and Ellis decide that close proximity will give Verity and Duranja a chance to get over the past. Plus, they would all like to win.

There are three other teams of people who have strong skills to bring to the hunt, but from the get-go, someone is working to sabotage the teams or the whole pirate-themed getaway. With the aid of Frankie’s ghostly power, Verity also learns that the ghosts of the island are not happy they are there. Slowly, the danger increases and Verity, Ellis, Melanie, and Alec realize that the treasure might prove to be a real one and someone wants it badly enough to kill.

At first, I was not into Verity and Alec Duranja sniping at each other like two siblings, but as the treasure hunt and ghostly mysteries kicked into gear, I was pulled more into the story. I did end up enjoy seeing if Verity and Alec could get past their issues. There were some good surprise twists in both mysteries.

Always a good time with this series and Dread and Buried was no exception. I can heartily recommend this series for those who love paranormal cozy mysteries.

Angie Fox manages to pack so much into her stories and this one is no different, treasure, ghost pirates, suicidal brides, attack pirates, and murder all for Verity and the gang. What's not to love?

Verity Long is headed to an adventure island on a double-date weekend with boyfriend, her sister’s and her long-time nemesis, Alec Duranja.

But with pirate ghosts threatening her and no Frankie appearing to turn the power off. A game of treasure hunt just became a bit more deadly.

This novel is a bit of a refresh for the series, pulling the characters into a whole new context...and allowing us a reprieve from the god-awful Virginia and Beau.

Another great novel by Angie Fox.

I LOVE Angie Fox books.
This was a great book but honestly not one of my favorites only because it was a "complex" story.
I'm used to "lighter" stories from this writer and this was just a little more difficult to follow with the story line.when I"m laying in bed. You had to pay more attention to every detailed description of the storyline in order to follow it.
It was a really good book and I definitely would recommend it.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. I have read other books from this series, not all of them but hopefully soon I will!
This was absolutely amazing fun ghost story! I loved the attention to detail and I felt like the author did such a good job researching this one. I love all these characters so much and I just honestly never want this series to end!

Overall Vibe: Cosy Mystery with a touch of paranormal
I really enjoyed this as a fluffy palette cleanser read. Also if you pirates, a bit of a folk lore and a mystery. Then this is 100% for you.
Although the book can be read as a standalone, I do wish I had read the entire series. As I missed a lot of context and had a lot of questions as the who, what and where. Mostly because I’m nosey so I will be going back to the 1st book.
If you’re looking for any spice, this isn’t for you.

Overall a quick, fun read with a bit of suspense and hatred for the sisters boyfriend. (I’m really not a fan of him at all. He’s so rude gah)

I was lucky enough to receive a copy through NetGalley in exchange for a review, which I am happy to provide.
The series is so much fun and I especially enjoyed this haunted treasure hunt, after all who does not like some Pirates and a grumpy and vicious Parrot. I like the characters and the storyline, it has plenty of suspense, action and of course ghosts. I would recommend reading the series in order since the storyline continues throughout the books, however you could still enjoy the read on its own. I have the series on my list of books that I love to re-read. Definitely recommend it.

Dread and Buried
Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries, Book #12
Angie Fox
5 Stars

Synopsis:

Dead men tell no tales.
Until they meet ghost hunter Verity Long.


Verity Long is proud to say she gets along with just about anybody—dead or alive. But she’s put to the test when her well-meaning boyfriend and her sweet-as-pie sister con her into a remote island “double date” weekend with her sister’s new flame and Verity’s long-time nemesis, Alec Duranja.


Her plans to avoid the uptight police officer go up in smoke when the four of them team up for a weekend treasure hunt competition based on the island’s legendary pirate past. And it doesn’t take long for Verity and her team to discover more than game clues. Someone is using the game to dig up real pirate gold...and they’re willing to kill to keep it.


There’s no escaping the island or the game. And when the killer targets someone Verity loves, she realizes she’s the only one who can uncover the truth behind the legend. She must stay one step ahead of the dangers of the island and two steps ahead of Frankie’s new ghostly pirate buddies—all in a race against time to solve a centuries-old puzzle and take down a real live killer before he strikes again. (Amazon)


Review:


I have read all of the books in this series and I have liked them all. But I think this one is my favorite one so far. It has everything I look for in a cozy: great characters, a spooky setting and an intriguing mystery.


It is Melody’s birthday and she wants to spend time with her boyfriend, her sister Verity and Verity’s boyfriend, Ellis. They are going to participate in a weekend treasure hunt, and they will all have to work together to win. But Verity and her sister’s boyfriend do not get along at all, but Verity is going to try her best to put aside their differences. During the treasure hunt, there are mishaps that occur and then a murder. Now Verity will have to find the killer before the killer strikes again.


The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and these descriptions helped me to get engaged in the story from the very beginning. There were a lot of mini-mysteries in the story as well as the murder and you will need to be wearing your detective hat when you read this book.


I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. I really enjoyed this book and I am sure you will too.


I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Moose Island Books, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.

Ugh! A whole weekend with Alec Duranja? Not on Verity's top ten list of things she wants to do with her life. But her boyfriend Ellis and her sister Melody just want everyone to get along. I mean, it's a fabulous weekend on an island. What could go wrong?
Ghost pirates. Ghost pirates could contribute to things going wrong. And a murder mystery weekend that gets all too real. Especially when Verity and Alec, who most decidedly does not believe that Verity can see ghosts, have to work together. But the ghosts are out and Verity doesn't want to join them in the afterlife.
An okay story but there was too much Alec and Verity in this book. Reading about so much fighting just got tiring after a while.

Three stars
This book comes out April 18, 2023
Follows Give Up the Ghost
Followed by Death at the Drive-In
ARC kindly provided by Moose Island Books and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Verity's sister Melody plans a pirate treasure hunt for her birthday with her boyfriend Duranja, Verity and Ellis. Verity and Duranja do not get along. I blame Duranja because he is constantly disrespectful and dismissive to Verity. Frankly, I didn't see what Melody saw in him. There's plenty of mystery, intrigue and ghosts in this book, as faithful readers expect. The competition forces Verity to work with Duranja and their relationship starts to change. I was saddened to see Melody and Duranja's short courtship moving faster than Verity and Ellis's, which has moved very slowly. A visit with Verity is always a pleasure. I read this book on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.