Better Off Dead in Deadwood #4
Ann Charles
Corvallis Press
The Deadwood Mystery Series by Ann Charles is a favorite of mine and becoming more and more popular with each new book. It is a mixture of mystery, paranormal fantasy, romance and laugh-out-loud humor. Our heroine is Violet Parker, single mom of twins and not so successful realtor in Deadwood, SD. Historic Deadwood is filled with legends of prospectors, gold mining, famous outlaws and more than a few ghost stories. All of the attributes of Deadwood and a quirky cast of characters combine to make the series a hit.
We first meet Violet in Nearly Departed in Deadwood. For 10 years Violet has toiled away at a dead end job to support herself and her twins, Addie and Layne. Violet discovered the father of her twins in bed with her evil sister Susan, before they were born and kicked him out. He signed away all rights to the twins so Violet has always been their sole support. In hopes of building a better life for the three of them Violet has moved in with her Aunt Zoe, a glass artist living in Deadwood. She has lots of support from Aunt Zoe and her lifelong friend, Natalie Beals, but itches to stand on her own two feet again. Too bad that the realty career is stalled and she really needs to sell a house. Right away. The book introduces us to a whole lot of colorful characters; Ray, sleazy rival at Calamity Jane Realty; Old Man Harvey, her self-appointed side-kick; Mona, her mentor at the realty; Cooper, an irascible detective and Daniel Craig look alike; and Doc, a sexy and mysterious new client. When Violet discovers that girls Addie's age have been disappearing in the Deadwood area she begins investigating and gets in a whole lot of trouble, some of it paranormal in nature.
The second book in the series, Optical Delusions in Deadwood continues Violet's career as a trouble magnet/part-time sleuth. Still struggling at the real estate game, she takes a listing for the notorious Carhart House, a place rumored to be haunted and the site of multiple murders. Things are heating up with Doc and that's a problem too. Violet's friend, Natalie, thinks Doc is the "one" for her, and Violet can't bring herself to tell her that Doc is taken. More paranormal high jinks ensue and even more off-color commentary from Old Man Harvey.
Dead Case in Deadwood finds Violet with a couple of sales under her belt and a bad case of nightmares left over from her previous adventures. A new client comes along, an Abe Lincoln look alike and self proclaimed "ghost whisperer" who wants to buy a reputedly haunted hotel. There are some funny happenings at the Mudder Brothers Funeral Home and since Ray Underhill, sleazy rival at the realty, seems to be involved Violet and Natalie become fixtures at all funerals in town trying to find out what is going on. Detective Cooper is madder at Violet than ever, as she seems to be at the center of all the unsolved and weird crimes in Deadwood. Besides that, Doc is pressuring her to tell Natalie about their relationship.
I was delighted to be a beta reader for the 4th book in the Deadwood series and Better Off Dead in Deadwood did not disappoint. Still suffering from nightmares, Violet is stressed out over the rift in her friendship with Natalie and a haunted hotel sale that appears to be falling through. Some new characters are introduced, none of them what they appear to be. The weird supernatural events keep on coming. Thank goodness Violet has the support of a lot of people, despite her new nickname of "Spooky Parker". Add on a Zombie Wedding musical put on by the local little theater group and you have a recipe for hilarious chills.
The Deadwood Mystery Series is pure entertainment; smart, funny and complex. With illustrations from C.S. Kunkle, they are available in both eBook and print form. Ann Charles has a delightful sense of the absurd that never fails to entertain. The books must be read in order, as each builds on the last. I predict more explosive events in the next book and am betting Violet's evil sister Susan, will be at the bottom of them. Highly recommended!
RATING-4.5 Purple Boots
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