Customer Reviews

Tomb with a View (Pepper Martin Mysteries, No. 6)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Pepper becomes involved with the most famous ghost in the cemetery in which she works. President Garfield's ghost haunts his memorial and sees the aftermath of a murder. The victim, a supposed descendant of the president, is an expert on Garfield. On the outs with her former detective boyfriend, Pepper wants to solve the case before he does. The appearance of phoney credit cards and a supposed surprise historic document add to the mayhem.

Being a history buff, I liked the historical aspect of this book about President Garfield. I also greatly enjoyed the interaction between Pepper and the President. It was fun!

Pepper, throughout this series, is a real person. She isn't perfect, but she is quite likable. She has her faults which makes her more real to me. The climax of the story really wove all the threads of the plot neatly together.

This was a great read; I recommend it!!! Thanks, Ms. Daniels for a terrific book!

I am not an eloquent reviewer, but I do know when I read a great book. I have read all the Pepper books and they keep getting better. I love the way Casey Daniels writes. Her books flow, they are engaging and Casey Daniels makes you care about Pepper. I am normally not a mystery fan, but paranormal mystery is fun! Throw in a little romance and I am in heaven. Pepper butts heads with Quinn (ubercop, uberhot, just uber) she is always getting involved in his murder cases or maybe he just keeps getting mixed up in her investigations. See, Pepper can talk to ghosts and has become a kind of private investigator for the undead. Unfortunately, Quinn needs to be taken down a peg or two. I hope in the end they end up together (did I mention ubersexy, alpha-male detective?), but not before Pepper gets the satisfaction of making him grovel <G>. Everyone can enjoy this book.

I have long been a fan of Casey Daniel's Pepper Martin series. The books are always worth reading and I am happy to say this newest installment "Tomb With A View" is my favorite so far. Honestly, I haven't enjoyed one as much since the first book "Don of the Dead" or "Tombs of Endearment", book #3. Pepper is one of the most likeable female characters in any series I read. She is fashionable, but not so over the top that all we hear about is Gucci or Prada. She is tenderhearted and sassy at the same time. And the girl sure can snark with the best of them. She wants to do the right thing even when she really doesn't like what that means in certain situations. Here, one of the most annoying volunteers at the cemetary is found murdered in President Garfield's tomb. Marjorie Klinker wasn't justa a know it all volunteer but also a huge collector of all things Garfield (the President, not the cat, points out Pepper in the book) but she also claims to be a decendent of Garfield from an affair he once had. Of course, Pepper can't resist investigating especially when she has help from the President himself. The stronger and more fun the ghosts in each book are, then stronger the particular installment. James A Garfield is one of the best ghostly characters to date. He is a stuffy old president who has a great backstory to tell, both historically accurate one and 'fictionalized for fabulousness' version created by Ms. Daniels. I wanted to immediately wiki him and learn more about the short-lived president after I finished reading the book. I like that Pepper has relationships and I really ejoy the fact that they are never bigger than the plot and the sex, when there is sex, is understated. This particular mystery had several reveals and a couple I guessed correctly at but it never lessened the fun. I can't wait to read the next book "A Hard Day's Fright" coming in April. I always forget how much pure fun this series is until a new one is released.

Cemetery tour guide Pepper Martin works at Cleveland's Garden View Cemetery; whose most famous resident is President James A. Garfield. The job seems like an ideal match for Pepper as she has the uncanny ability to communicate with ghosts. Pepper's boss Ella assigns her to work with Marjorie Klinker on the 179th Garfield birthday bash.

Pepper wants out of the mental strenuous task as Marjorie is a lunatic, a Garfield fanatic, and a dominating drainer of others. She gives Pepper some worthless papers to take to the exhibit; she will provide more memorabilia when the time is right. The next day Pepper finds Marjorie dead. The police investigate and conclude someone murdered her by throwing her off the balcony. Pepper is dubious of this conclusion. She vows to solve it before her former boyfriend Police Officer Quinn, who hurt her when he scorned her about her so-called psychic skills. This time the FBI is involved and they want Pepper to extract a confession from the suspect when she finds out who it is. She remains clueless as she cannot understand the motive because all Klinker had from what she seen was junk.

Pepper regards herself as a private investigator for ghosts who need her help to cross over by solving their murder. In this amateur sleuth whodunit, the ghost is Garfield who does not want to leave as he is still the President within the mausoleum. He gives her clues to assist her into the noises she hears at night denoting criminal activity at the museum and she finds she likes the old codger. With wit and a wink, Casey Daniel entertains her fans with a fun lighthearted paranormal whodunit.

Harriet Klausner

Mobi/Paranormal Mystery: I think I skipped a book along the way because I apparently missed some aspects of Pepper's crazy life. I've like her since the beginning of the series. She is a fashion diva trapped in a polo shirt while solving crimes in the greater, spookier, Cincinnati area. In this one, you learn from the beginning that one of Pepper's co-workers has been murdered. She is an obnoxious woman who Pepper can't stand, but Pepper, being Pepper, can't help herself. She is bound and determined to outwit Quinn and find the murderer first.
Pepper does get some help along the way: from President Garfield. Pepper hit her head, in the first book, and can talk to dead people.
There were a lot of pluses to the book. The mystery kept you guessing and the book kept pace and there were no dull moments. Pepper is lovable, as well as the secondary characters. However, the plot was way out there. The local police and FBI procedures were way off. If I was the murderer, I'd just shut my mouth. All the evidence was circumstantial until the the murderer confessed. The murderer should have just walked away from the situation. There is also the situation with Pepper's stalker. It was a ridiculous premise, but is finally wrapped up in this book.

Pepper is in the thick of another mystery. Pepper is asked to help Marjorie Klinker who is a fanatic about Presidnet Garfeild. Pepper is sooooo bored with the whole idea and worse, Marjorie is a bully and and fashion disaster..
Marjorie bullies the other volunteers in the cemetary and tries the patience of anyone and everyone..
One morning, Pepper recieves a call on her answering machine that Marjorie must meet her immediatly and she needs to see her NOW,,,Pepper goes to the memorial area where Marjorie volunteers and finds her at the foot of the dead presidents' statue.
Marjorie has been murdered and pushed over the balcony.
To make things even more strange the late president shows up complaining about all the rukus and "goings ons"..Pepper must get to the bottom of this mystery.
Her former boyfriend Quinn shows up and both of them are squabbling about her "gift." He just on't believe her and actually said he wanted to forgive her.
Wrong thing to do....
If Pepper did not have enough weird stuff going on.... she has a stalker and a cute hunk of a history teacher following her also.
The ending is very good with the President saving the DAY!!

LOL...This book has to be by far the best and absolutely hysterical one in the series!! Pepper seems a little bit more light hearted and relaxed then she has been in the other books. There are some scenes that had me cracking up because she just doesn't get it. I recommend this book even though I'm having a hard time typing (i'm still giggling just thinking of certain scenes).

"Tomb with A View" was one of my favorites in this series! Well worth the read.