Review: If You’ve Got it, Haunt it by Rose PresseyIf You've Got It, Haunt It by Rose Pressey
Series: A Haunted Vintage Mystery #1
Published by Kensington on December 2, 2014
Genres: Chick Lit, Cozy Mystery
Pages: 304
Format: Paperback
Source: Advance Reader Copy, Kensington Books Preferred Reviewer, NetGalley
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three-stars

Cookie Chanel has a passion for fashion--and a murder mystery to solve!

Cookie Chanel has opened her own vintage clothing boutique, It's Vintage, Y'All, in the charming town of Sugar Creek, Georgia. Always on the lookout for stylish second-hand steals, she attends the estate sale of deceased socialite Charlotte Meadows. But she gets a lot more than she bargained for when Charlotte's ghost appears before her--offering fashion advice and begging Cookie to find out who murdered her.

As the persistent poltergeist tags along and a possibly psychic pussycat moves into the shop, Cookie sorts through racks of suspects to see who may be hiding some skeletons in the closet. Do a clothing store owner and a disembodied socialite have a ghost of a chance of collaring a killer--or will Cookie's life be the next one hanging by a thread?

Don't miss Cookie Chanel's Fashion Tips!

I have mixed feelings on this book. I thought it would be like the “A Witchcraft Mystery” series, which I LOVE Secondhand Spirits, so I snapped it up!But while it’s fun, it’s really not what I expected. There’s no romance, but there’s a hint of a romance; being that this is a cozy mystery, that’s fine. I figured it would be more about the murder.And yet…there was something I can’t put my finger on. The writing is simple. But it works for the story. And yet…And yet…

I’m not sure how to rate it. A 2.5? A 3 maybe? I mean I read the whole thing, and I liked the characters. I’ll probably read the next book. But…

Again, mixed feelings. The mystery was really meh. For a mystery novel, that’s not good. And with the romance being on the back burner, and Cookie’s paranormal talents being hinted at but never explained, or looked into, it just seems that it could have been so much more.

The bare bones is that Cookie runs vintage clothing shop It’s Vintage, Y’all. She hears that one of her town’s wealthiest members was murdered. But the good news is that her items are being auctioned off! So Cookie heads over to the house to score some amazing clothing. And while she’s there, one of the ladies starts talking to her. And whaddayaknow, it’s the ghost of the murdered woman. Charlotte won’t leave Cookie alone unless she agrees to solve her murder. She reminds me of Reese Witherspoon in that movie Just Like Heaven. No one else can see her, and she annoys the crap out of Cookie until she finally caves.

So Cookie and Charlotte go off to investigate her murder.

And, it’s…kind of meh.

The funny parts are funny, the characters are well-developed (except for who we see as a potential love interest-I’d love to know more about him), but there’s no sense of urgency. There’s no “We have to figure this out as soon as possible!” It’s very slow. A second murder should force Cookie to pick up the pace, and yet, it didn’t do much. The ending was easy and quick. This is definitely a book you can pick up and read in one sitting.

I think I’ll give this one a 3 star rating because I did enjoy the characters, and I like the basic concept. It’s not bad, not by any means, it’s just…meh.

***ARC courtesy of Kensington Books

 

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three-stars