Customer Reviews

An Angel to Die For (Augusta Goodnight Mysteries)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Prentice Dobson wonders how life can get any crueler for herself and her mother. She still mourns her father's death from a heart attack when her sister Maggie died in a car crash. Between the deaths Prentice loses her job when the Atlanta-based magazine she worked for folded. She has come home to bury her younger sister Maggie. However, Prentice cannot even grieve in peace. Someone knocked aside the stone of her long dead Uncle Faris and dug a hole where the coffin had been buried. Prentice wonders if her Aunt Zorah might not say something like that is just like "That Fool."

The next day, Prentice meets Augusta Goodnight making hot chocolate in her mother's kitchen. Augusta claims to be Prentice's temporary guardian angel sent from heaven to help her. Prentice is in for one more shock when the body inside of Faris' coffin is someone else. As Prentice, assisted by Augusta begins to look into her sister's death, she begins to learn about herself, her family, and her sister's family by marriage.

AN ANGEL TO DIE FOR is a captivating southern mystery with a pinch of whimsical heavenly magic. Readers who relish humor in their tales will fully delight in amusing story line. Prentice is a warm character struggling with several of life's toughest hooks and Augusta is an intriguing temp who will send readers searching for the previous novel (see ANGEL AT TROUBLESOME CREEK). Mignon F. Ballard writes a lighthearted romp that leaves the audience happily entertained.

Harriet Klausner

Cozy fans, if you haven't read these "angel" books by Mignon F. Ballard, don't wait any longer! Temporary guardian angel Augusta Goodnight returns in this second book in the series, though this time we see a gentler and kinder Augusta than the one we saw first in ANGEL AT TROUBLESOME CREEK. Augusta's assignment this time is to watch over recently bereaved Prentice Dobson until she is assigned a new guardian angel (Prentice's previous guardian angel was just promoted to the heavenly choir). From the moment Prentice discovers her Uncle Faris' vandalized grave, things start going downhill. Prentice is sure she's being watched, but why?

There are lots of delightful moments in AN ANGEL TO DIE FOR. I wish I had a guardian angel who cleaned house silently during the night and cooked like a dream! What's more, the mystery remained a mystery to me until the end of the book--a definite plus for me! Be sure to read this series.

The author, Mignon Ballard, has a wonderful imagination and a great premise for a new series of cozy mysteries. A guardian angel by the name of Augusta Goodnight appears from above to help Prentice Dobson solve a mystery. Prentice is on to something and she is not sure what that might be. Will Augusta keep her safe and solve the mystery?

I would have enjoyed learning more about Augusta Goodnight, and to see more of her. Prentice does most of the sleuthing. There is not much of Augusta in this mystery. The back cover of the book calls Augusta a "baggage-toting, wisecracking, guardian angel". This statement must have come from the previous mystery. I did not see this side of her. The mystery would have been more entertaining if there had been more character development in the guardian angel. There were also several "sub-plots" throughout the book which were enjoyable. It just needed more of Augusta Goodnight.

Prentice Dobson is spending time at the old family house. Her father and sister have died recently, her mother has moved away to the city,her reporter boyfriend has moved to London, and she's lost her job at a magazine in Atlanta. She has lots of time to reflect on how her life is going. On a routine visit to the family cemetery, she finds that her Uncle Faris' grave has been dug up and a strange corpse is in it's place. Fill in Guardian Angel Augusta Goodnight arrives to assist her with her troubles, when she finds out that her deceased sister may have had a child, and the child's crazy grandfather will do anything to find him.

There is alot going on in this book, and the various mysteries are not necessarily connected. I read this one from start to finish in one night. The characters are wonderful and quirky, and the angel isn't too angelic. Good, fast, read!!!

Prentice Dobson's life is falling apart. She just lost her sister, father, boyfriend, found out that someone has taken her Uncle Faris's body out of his grave and replaced it with a woman, and she just found out that her sister had a baby with the man she married and the baby was still alive. Along comes the savior of the day, Augusta Goodnight, guardian angel. She advises Prentice with the best advice and she always carries around a heavenly strawberry smell. With Augusta to help her, all of Prentice's problems add up to one big mystery! (With plenty of humor sparks!)

Prentice Dobson didn't think she had anything left to lose. Unemployed and abandoned by her boyfriend, who refused to say "I love you," Prentice returns to her family's home to mourn the recent deaths of her father and estranged sister. Trying to deal with big questions about her future, the last thing Prentice needed was more questions. But, when she stumbles upon an empty grave and an unidentified corpse, a ton of them are dumped into her lap. The gaping hole in the ground, once inhabited by an uncle who died in disgrace, sends Prentice on an enlightening search for answers to questions about her family's past and the secret life her sister lived before her untimely death. As she delves further into the mysteries, Prentice is confronted by a malicious family intent on robbing her of the small hope she discovers that she has left. Unable to cope with these challenges alone, Prentice needs someone to guide her. Her own mother is absent and her family members are no help, so it's a good thing that she's got a sassy, perky guardian angel with a penchant for beautiful clothes and a talent for cooking to watch over her. With Augusta Goodnight at her side, Prentice is able to unravel the mystery of her uncle's disappearance and her sister's life. Augusta's strawberry scented presence fills her with the courage and strength to set the foundations for a promising future after coming to grips with the past she's leaving behind.

This book is just right for a quick, cozy read. It has a homey feel that's charming and is sprinkled with delightful bits of humor and whimsy. The combination of two unconnected mysteries would be daunting for many others, but Ballard pulls it off well. Augusta doesn't play quite as big a role in this installment, which I actually liked. By focusing on the character development of the main actors, the author enriches the novel in a way that doesn't work as well when Augusta's presence fills every page. Overall, this was a delightful and quick read for someone who likes magic and Southern living but doesn't like the darker paranormal mysteries that are so popular now.

I enjoyed Angel at Troublesome Creek as a light cozy, and was looking forward to the second installment.
Unfortunately it is disappointing. There is not enough of the charming angel, and not enough mystery.
Clues appear without effort on the part of the heroine. She just follows the path laid out before her. Her reactions to learning secrets about her sister seem unreal. There is no grief, no discovery, just rotely following the clues where they lead.
The basic plot is OK, but it is great need of a rewrite to fill in the characters, the emotions, the people we are supposed to care about.

The concept is brilliant (an angel helping out) and the book was entertaining however I just wished there was a bit more of the otherwordly included in the book. So much is made about the angel when in actuality you hear or see very little of her or her powers. She doesn't seem all that angelic.Phila

I loved the idea of this book and was hoping for good things. Unfortunately they weren't forthcoming. The plot was too elaborate, the 'angel' of the title was actually very little in evidence throughout, and I rapidly became bored with the characters. I won't be looking for the other book in the series.