Customer Reviews

Ghost a la Mode (A Ghost of Granny Apples Mystery)

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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!

Emma Whitecastle is attempting to get on with her life after a divorce. She joins her friend at a seance one night only to be followed home by a ghost. It's through this strange event that Emma learns she is a clairvoyant. And the ghost is her great-great-great grandmother.

Ish Reynolds, affectionately known as Granny Apples because of her pies, was accused of murder and lynched back in the late 1800's. But she was innocent and has been waiting for someone to prove it. At first reluctantly, Emma heads down to Julian to do some poking around. What she finds makes her think that Granny was telling the truth. But can Emma prove it after all these years?

I almost passed on this book because I try to avoid supernatural themed mysteries. That would have been a mistake. This cross of fantasy and mystery is fun. The historic and modern characters were all real. And the story was entertaining from start to finish. I had a hard time putting it down. I enjoy history, so even though this has a modern setting and is more focused on the modern characters, I still enjoyed the bits of history thrown into the story.

Unfortunately, the book did have two of my pet peeves. The ending was weaker than I would have liked. And the point of view shifted a few times within the same scene. Both of these were minor irritants in the course of the book, however.

I fairly flew through this book, not wanting to put it down when other things came up. It looks like the author has another hit series on her hands.

It's tough trying to clear your name. Especially when you're dead. "Ghost Ala Mode: A Ghost of Granny Apples Mystery" is the story of a Ghost of a Grandmother and her great great great granddaughter Emma, as they try to put to rest the claim that Granny Apples murdered her husband all those years ago. Tortured by her unjust rap, Granny Apples only wants her name to be cleared, and the Ghost's desire makes for an intriguing and highly original mystery.

For me Ghost a la Mode is a fresh,witty and fun take on woman who has the gift of not only hearing the ghosts but starts to see them as well.While divorcing a hollywood slime ball of a husband whose apparent last straw for the marriage was that Emma Whitecastle would not get a boobalicious upgrade surgerically and not mention he managed to knock up his mistress who did get the implants,Emma is introduced to a well known medium, Miles Ravenscroft on the day her Aunt Kitty dies. It is when the ghost of said Aunt shows up again out of the blue but this time brings a friend or should I say relative,Emma's great-great-great-grandmother,Ish Reynolds.Better known as Granny Apples due to the wonderful apple pies she made when she was alive in the pioneer years of Julian, California. Granny Apples hasn't crossed over just yet because she was murdered by a vigilante mob for allegedly killing her husband.Or so this is what we are lead to believe because the truth of the matter is Granny Apples doesn't really remember what happened herself.The only two things that she is sure of is the tree they hung her from and that she didn't kill her husband. Granny Apples goes to Emma for help to clear her name and to find out what really did happen all those many years ago. Due to the fact that the paranormal is fairly new topic for Emma to handle she goes back to see Milo,however it wasn't that long ago when Granny Apples went to Emma's mother for help but never got it because Emma's Dad put a stop to the whole thing out of mental concern for his wife. Miles Ravencroft becomes Emma's psychic teacher and along with her best friend Tracy, the three of them try to put the puzzle pieces in this hundred year old mystery into place. Sue Ann Jaffarian is a new writer for me and what I like about the way she writes is its like you are actually there with Emma whitecastle vividly through out this story.Even though at first glimpse the premise for Ghost a la Mode might seem familiar and/or somewhat tired~stick with it because as with any rollercoaster ride it's always slowest while climbing to that first peak.Then once you've hit that summit there a twists and turns and dare I say a hint of romance along the way.I have read the first two books in the Granny Apples Series-- I say first two because I hope Sue Ann Jaffarian continues to add more books to the series.I would be interested in how the characters develope and what happens to who because once I started reading I found I really did care about the characters.Even after I put the book down the characters were still on my mind and when that happens you know you have a fun book.Well in this case series...

This book was hilarious while it maintained that aire of mystery. I can guess "who-dunnit" about 50% of the time so it kept me guessing all the way to the end. I will definitly be checking out more of the Granny Apple series of books.

I've never read any other books by Ms. Jaffarian, but I can confidentially say that this first book in her new series is a refreshingly sweet, yet mysterious, and easy read. It's not just a mere mystery because it goes beyond the normal "who dun it?" and adds a splash of humorous paranormal entertainment and a bit of romance to the mix. The characters were solid, believable and likable, even the "bad" ones were well described and kept your attention, of course granny was a great character and it even made me want to have a friendly ghost/granny (who gives off that sassy no nonsense vibe even from the "other side") following me around assisting me with my daily activities! This is a must read for not only those who are fans of the mystery genre and it even goes beyond a traditional paranormal genre too by not taking either genre too seriously, almost on the lines of the "chick lit" genre, with fun characters and an equally pleasant plot that shouldn't be missed. I'm definitely looking forward to the next book in the series, and maybe you will too once you read this story.

Unlike other reviewers I've never read this author before but I will definitely read the next in this series (and probably her other books too). Great story, great characters. I'd give it more than five stars if I could.

Highly enjoyable characters and setting. I liked the fact that Julian is a real town (I've been there) and the supernatural are mixed together. The characters are likeable. It's a light mystery (no violence)/romance. Looking forward to the next in the series.