Title:	The Skeleton in the Closet
	Author:	Angie Fox
	Published:	2015
	No. of Pages:	250
	Cover Price:	$11.99 Paperback, $4.99 Kindle

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In the second book of the Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries, Verity Long uses her skills to find the murderer of Darla Grace, a volunteer for the Sugarland Heritage Society. Sugarland is a small southern town with two prominent families - the Wydells and the Jacksons - who are competing for the upper hand during the annual “Cannonball in the Wall” celebration. The History Channel has sent a television crew to film a documentary, and Verity’s ex-mother-in-law-to-be is financing the production. Verity once mistakenly emptied a vase containing the ashes of a 1920s gangster, Frankie, into a flower bed, and so until she finds a way to gather up the ashes, she has Frankie following her around. Fortunately, he is some help, albeit a fairly difficult ally, as is her ex-finance’s brother, Ellis, the black sheep of the Wydell family since he is in law enforcement rather than the family business.

As Verity, who is sort of an amateur ghost hunter, investigates the murder and tries to get around the family politics, she finds herself in grave danger, and her sister, Melody, is arrested for the murder. New facts about the Cannonball in the Wall come out and those who want to cover up the facts will stop at nothing, including more murder, to prevent it.

The Skeleton in the Closet is a lighthearted cozy, with easy-going characters who have personalities typical of those in a small southern town. It is a fast, easy read, with no blatant sex, violence, or profanity; there are suspenseful moments, however, and humor, so it is a fun book for almost everyone who enjoys a mystery. The fact that Frankie is a ghost, who can be seen only by Verity, gives the book a link to the supernatural, but it seems that the paranormal aspects are all in fun. There are several suspects as the story unfolds, and the identity of the murderer is unexpected.

All told, readers who enjoy cozies with a little romance, ghosts, and likeable characters will enjoy this novel, as well as the other books in the series.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

This book may be purchased at Amazon:
The Skeleton in the Closet (Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries Book 2), Paperback
The Skeleton in the Closet (Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries Book 2), Kindle