Ghost a la Mode (A Ghost of Granny Apples Mystery) [Paperback]

Sue Ann Jaffarian (Author)

Book Description

Series: A Ghost of Granny Apples Mystery | Publication Date: September 8, 2009

A new series debut from Odelia Grey mystery author Sue Ann Jaffarian!

Granny was famous for her award-winning apple pies-and notorious for murdering her husband Jacob at their homestead in Julian, California. The only trouble is, Granny was framed, then murdered. For more than one hundred years, Granny's spirit has been searching for someone to help her see that justice is served—and she hits pay dirt when she pops in to a séance attended by her great-great-great-granddaughter, modern-day divorced mom Emma Whitecastle. Together, Emma and Granny Apples solve mysteries of the past—starting with Granny's own unjust murder rap in the final days of the California Gold Rush.

Along with a sprinkling of history, this spirited new mystery series features the amateur sleuth team of Emma Whitecastle and the spirit of her pie-baking great-great-great-grandmother, Granny Apples.

"A charming tale, as appealing as apple pie. I predict a long life (and afterlife) for Sue Ann's latest series."—Harley Jane Kozak,
Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity award-winning author of Dating Dead Men

"Take colorful characters in a charming setting, mix in a dash of romance, add a pinch of the paranormal, and serve it up like one of Granny's famous pies.
I guarantee you'll be back for seconds."
—Deborah Sharp, author of Mama Rides Shotgun

 

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This delectable first in a new paranormal cozy series from Jaffarian (Booby Trap) introduces Ish Reynolds (aka Granny Apples), a charming turn-of-the-20th-century spirit and pie maker, who asks Emma Whitecastle, her great-great-great-granddaughter, to prove her innocent of murdering her husband, Jacob Reynolds. Strung up by vigilantes in retribution for the crime, Granny Apples first tried haunting Emma's mother, Elizabeth, who couldn't handle her visitations. Emma, who's in the midst of divorcing her obnoxious TV talk show husband, is ripe for a diversion. After getting advice about her new clairvoyant and clairaudient abilities from psychic Milo Ravenscroft, Emma goes to Julian, a former mining town near San Diego, Calif., to research Ish's story. Emma's fluttery feelings for Phil Bower, a crusty rancher and lawyer who owns Granny's old property, add zest to this appealing ghost story. (Sept.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Sue Ann Jaffarian is a full-time paralegal who lives and works in Los Angeles. A member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters In Crime, Sue Ann is the author of three mystery series—Odelia Grey, Ghost of Granny Apples, and Madison Rose—and also writes general fiction and short stories. She is widely sought after as a motivational and humorous speaker.

For the most up-to-date list of all Sue Ann's activities, visit the calendar page at www.sueannjaffarian.com.

***

"Sue Ann Jaffarian never fails to make me chuckle with her three mystery series starring paralegal Odelia Grey, ghost Granny Apples, and now Murder in Vein, starring friendly, and not-so-friendly, neighborhood vampires."
—Joanne Fluke, New York Times bestselling author of the Hannah Swensen Mysteries

Product Details

• Paperback: 312 pages
• Publisher: MIDNIGHT INK; Original edition (September 8, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0738713805
• ISBN-13: 978-0738713809
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #275,670 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Like the character Odelia Grey, Sue Ann Jaffarian, is a middle-aged, plus size paralegal. She lives in Los Angeles with her two cats, B and Raffi. She writes mysteries and general fiction, as well as short stories.

In addition to writing, Sue Ann is sought after as a motivational and humorous speaker.

Want to receive HOT FLASHES, Sue Ann's newsletter? To subscribe, just send an e-mail to [e-mail] with "Add Me" in the subject line. HOT FLASHES is distributed 3-5 times a year via e-mail. And rest assured, your e-mail information is never sold to or shared with anyone.

You can visit Sue Ann at her website: www.sueannjaffarian.com and follow her on both Facebook and Twitter.

(Photo by Innis Casey Photography)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Hundred-Plus Year Old Mystery, a Long Lost Relative, and Apple Pie, August 31, 2009

By 

Rachel Kramer Bussel "Cupcakes Take the Cake ... (New York City) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Ghost a la Mode (A Ghost of Granny Apples Mystery) (Paperback)

I have to admit upfront that I'm not a big fan of ghosts or paranormal stories. They just aren't usually my thing, but I'm a huge Odelia Gray fan and would follow Sue Ann Jaffarian's writing anywhere. So I was pleasantly surprised to really like Emma Whitecastle. I like that she's a single mom who's middle-aged and trying to figure her life out. She's somewhat at the mercy of her parents and her famous ex-husband, but over the course of the book, starts to stand up for herself, with a little help from her many years dead great-great-great grandmother Granny Apples, aka Ish Reynolds, who she barely knows anything about at the beginning of the book. When Emma finds herself craving apple pie (what Granny Apples is known for) and feeling a chill in the air, she comes to realize, albeit reluctantly, that her ancestor needs her help, and, more importantly, deserves it, having gone down in history for murdering her husband, which she insists she didn't do.

Jaffarian weaves history and mystery together beautifully as Emma first gets accustomed to seeing ghosts, then has to figure out which are friendly and which aren't. Combine that with a spooky cemetery and some determined gold-diggers, and Emma's in danger, though she keeps poking and poking. She befriends a man who at first is wary of her, and Jaffarian weaves their budding romance into this historical whodunit. Once again, Jaffarian takes characters who aren't always heard from in our society (even though Granny Apples is actually fairly young, I couldn't help picturing her as elderly since she's been dead over a hundred years), such as those getting divorced, and turns them into intriguing characters I look forward to reading more about. Her note at the end of the book letting readers know they can take their own tour of Julian, California, the setting for Ghost a la Mode, adds a fun footnote.

Perhaps what's most impressive is that Jaffarian makes her ghostly characters as varied and fascinating as her living ones. We don't get to meet them for long stretches of time (they have to "recharge") but, coming from another era, give a little insight into what life was like at the time. The family dynamics here are also interesting as Emma grapples with being close to her parents while not following their advice to the letter. Seeing how Granny Apples interacts with Emma, their similarities and differences, as well as their struggles, was also a great delight in this mystery. Emma is also different enough from Odelia Gray to make this series stand out on its own.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun story, excellent visuals and dialogue, a real sweet treat!, September 26, 2009

By 

Jackie Houchin (Sun Valley, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Ghost a la Mode (A Ghost of Granny Apples Mystery) (Paperback)

After four successful Odelia Grey mysteries, Sue Ann Jaffarian has turned from the paralegal to the paranormal in her new Ghost of Granny Apples series. And while her characters are fresh and unusual, they are every bit as fascinating and likable.
With her divorce nearly final and her daughter about to leave for college, forty-something Emma Whitecastle is at loose ends. So when an old girlfriend begs Emma to join her at a séance, as part of a research project, she accepts.
At the séance, Clairvoyant Milo Ravenscroft tells Emma that a ghost from her family's past needs her help - a woman who was hanged for murder. At first Emma laughs at the idea, wondering what kind of scam the man is running. But when she suddenly starts craving apple pie and her father admits that her three-times-great grandmother - executed for killing her husband - once lived in the apple-growing town of Julian, Emma is unnerved.
But it's a visit from Granny Apples' ghost - insisting that she's innocent - that convinces Emma to investigate the murder. What she discovers as she digs into Julian's history stirs up a hornet's nest of ghosts and villains who want Emma dead and gone.
Jaffarian's talent for writing intriguing plots and cliffhanger chapters excels in the new series, and her vivid scenes of ghostly appearances and conversations are imaginative and often hilarious. There's even a touch of romance. Granny Apples is just what the doctor ordered.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This may be her best book yet!, September 4, 2009

By 

Margaret L. Burglund "Marge Burglund" (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Ghost a la Mode (A Ghost of Granny Apples Mystery) (Paperback)

I bought the book because I love Odelia and wanted to see how a "new" character and book would be. After the first chapter I was hooked! I even finished reading the last few pages at work. I knew it would bother me to wait until lunch to finish it! The characters in the book become real - I love this as much (or more) than her other books!