A great book by a fantastic author. The writing is excellent and the mystery keeps you turning the pages. Characters are well developed. Highly recommend.

5 stars

This is the first book in the B&B Spirits mystery series by Pamela Kopfler.

I really enjoyed this book. It was fun to follow. Burt was quite an annoying ghost. And her old flame, Jake, had his own agenda where Holly was concerned. All the conflicting needs sure made for an exciting read.

I loved the chase feel of this. It wasn’t readily apparent that Burt’s death might be murder but Holly was more concerned with finding Jake’s dad, Mackie and trying to save her beloved B&B.

This had all the things I love about a cozy mystery and more. There only seems to be one more book in this series. I hope the author decides to continue with it. It is such a good one. I am hooked for sure!

If you like cozy mysteries, definitely check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

I enjoyed this first book in this cozy series. Holly's husband has recently died before she could divorce him. She is determined to make her family home a profitable Bed and Breakfast in Louisiana. Her dead husband is still haunting the house and he is hiding some secrets and some crimes. To add to the mix Holly's high school boy friend has returned to town hiding some secrets as well. Holly has to help her dead husband finish his business on earth so he can pass on, run the Bed and Breakfast and solve the drug running mystery her husband was involved in. I really liked the southern setting. The book takes place during Halloween and a Haunted BB fits the bill. The characters are a lot of fun and there is a lo of humor. The mystery was good and the ending was a surprise. I liked it that the romance between Holly and Jack is not drawn out. I look for word to reading the next book in the series. Enjoy

Holly runs a B&B called Holly’s Grove. It has been in her family for hundreds of years and is her pride and joy. Holly’s husband, Burl, died months ago in a plane crash, Holly’s big regret is he never got the divorce papers for his cheating ways. Holly is ready to move on with her life but is unable to once the ghost of Burl reappears. he has some unfinished business that needs to be taken care of.

During all of this Holly’s high school sweetheart has come back to work at the town paper while the editor is on vacation. He is also staying at the B&B. Mix in some gossipy old ladies and an illegal drug ring and you have one heck of a cozy mystery. The characters are well written and the plot was fun. I can’t wait to see what Holly is up to next!!

I really enjoyed this mystery. Holly Davis is trying to keep her bed and breakfast in business. Her dead husband Burl shows back up as a ghost. An old boyfriend shows up and checks into the b and b. Holly finds drugs in a stuffed mannequin, who put them there?
This was an enjoyable read. Anyone that likes cozy mysteries will enjoy.

Princess Fuzzypants here:
If there ever was a heroine who needed a strong feline paw to guide her, it is Holly, aka Hurricane Holly for her many mishaps. Her ancestral home is at risk. She has turned it into a B & B but revenues are flagging, the place needs work and when her husband dies in a plane crash, she discovers he has spent her inheritance and everything else. She had been about to divorce him for infidelity but he died before the paperwork was signed.
Imagine her reaction when the cad turns up in spectral form and tells her he cannot leave until he makes right some dirty business. He was smuggling drugs on top of all his other sins and he cannot get past Saint Peter if he does not make amends. He was not a nice man when he was alive and he has not improved in death.
As one additional wrinkle, Holly’s teenage boyfriend shows up creating all sorts of problems. The biggest one is he is a drug agent checking her out to see if she has taken over from her dead husband or is simply an innocent pawn. Jake is not without his problems too. He needs this bust to get back in the good graces of his bosses and his drunken father may or may not be involved in the mess.
It is fun to read as all the various elements come together and all the parts make sense. It is exciting and funny and highly entertaining, mostly because the characters are people you can like. It was a fast read because I kept wanting to find out what happened next.
I give it five purrs and two paws up.

I fell in love with this book! It is an excellent start to a new paranormal cozy mystery series. Meet Holly who runs a B&B in her historic plantation home. He husband died recently and just as she is adapting to that his ghost iPod up scaring her half to death. What follows is one of the most comical stories I have read in some time as she attempts to help him so he can move on. I have never seen a person more accident prone besides myself and the addition of the ghostly stuff was just the cherry on top. This is a must to for fans of the genre. I loved it so it gets 5/5 stars.

This is the debut book in the new B&B Mystery Series. This is a charming debut with a great setting of Southern Culture and spirits.
Our Protagonist is Holly Davis the proprietor of a hundred year old haunted bankrupt B&B. in Louisiana. The spirit in the house is her philandering cheating husband who died before she could hand him divorce papers. Holly hopes to evict his spirit and get her business back in the black. As the book evolves Holly becomes involved in a mystery involving drug smugglers that her ex husband was involved with at her business and a mysterious guest who is not who he claims to be. The added mysteries kept me turning pages until the end and the sleuth was a surprise for this avid mystery reader.
This was such a fun book and I look forward to returning to Delta Louisiana with the next in series. This is the type of excellent debut that opens potential for a successful series . I loved it and appreciate the ARC from the publisher. Well done to the author.

Holly's husband, Burl, has up and died. Holly is not exactly sad to see Burl go, after all, he was cheating on her and nearly bankrupted her B&B business. Just when she's ready to move on and get her life back together, Burl shows up. Now he is a ghost, and needs Holly's help so his spirit can move on. Turns out, Burl was involved in a drug smuggling ring, and he wants Holly's help to break it up. To complicate matters, Holly's old high school flame is back in town, and staying at her B&B.

A paranormal cozy mystery. The first in the B&B Spirits Mystery series. A fun and entertaining read. The characters were well-developed, with Holly being smart, determined, sarcastic, and likable. I'm originally from Louisiana, and a fan of cozy mysteries, so this was right up my alley. Looking forward to more of this series.

Mystery. ✓
Romance. ✓
Humor. ✓
Ghosts. ✓
Small town charm. ✓
Dog named Rhett. ✓
Mint julep recipe. ✓

Another great cozy mystery! Great story line with great characters!!! I can see this book taking off with many more to come!

“Better Dead” earns 5/5 Ghostly B&Bs…Murderously Fun!

What a great start to Pamela Kopfler’s B&B Spirit Mystery series! Holly Davis serves up real southern hospitality as owner of Holly Grove, a converted plantation turned B&B, and Pamela Kopfler serves up an entertaining cozy with a paranormal twist. Holly is widowed before divorce papers could be given to her cheating husband Burl, so she feels a bit guilty being more relieved than grieving, until…Nooo! His ghost appears asking for her help. He’ll agree to ‘haunt’ a bit to spark interest in the B&B he nearly ruined, if she helps him finding some closure. But there's a time limit for getting Burl to crossover, or she's stuck with him for eternity. I love it! A true delightful cozy focusing on a plethora of fun, somewhat quirky characters. Holly is a strong female dealing with some struggles that dubbed her “Hurricane Holly,” but she is relatable and fun to follow. Supporting her there is BFF/chef Nelda, former nurse Miss Julia, Yorkshire terrier Rhett, ex-husband/ghost Burl, and Jake McGann who provides an interesting love triangle dilemma all of whom make this a fun page-turning experience. Pamela brings us excitement, intrigue, a few one-liner laughs, descriptions and dialogue that keeps you engaged, and a mystery that satisfied my amateur sleuth. And when the story ends in a satisfying conclusion, we are treated to a couple of easy-to-follow recipes that will tickle anyone’s inner southern belle: cheers with a Holly Grove Mint Julep and from the kitchen snack on Nelda’s Bourbon Pecan Pralines. I highly recommend this book, and can't wait for book two “Downright Dead“ to be released later this year!

This mystery has it all for this reader. Holly and her ghostly husband are stuck with each other for the next 30 days. That's how long he has to put things right in Holly's world before he is stuck in Holly's house for eternity. Not if Holly has anything to say about it. He has got to go. He cheated on her, he robbed their savings and got involved with drug smuggling and then had the nerve to die in a plane crash before she could serve him with divorce papers. No love between them but the, on top of it all, Jake, her high school boyfriend enters the picture. What could possibly go wrong? Oh, don't ask.
Holly is a well developed character as are the rest who live in her world...and that other plane of existence. The mystery is solid and well paced and there is a healthy dose of Southern charm and humor. And some romance, too. A most enjoyable cozy.

Better Dead: A B&B Spirits Mystery
By Pamela Kopfler
Kensington
January 2018

Review by Cynthia Chow

Holly Davis would have preferred to have been a divorcee instead of a widow, but Burl didn’t get her the chance. Her philandering husband crashed his plane before Holly could throw the official papers and photographic evidence in his face, meaning that Holly was still obliged to put up a Southern-style pretense of mourning. After an obligatory three months, Holly is more than ready to don a red dress and open her family’s antebellum planation Holly Grove as a haunted bed and breakfast. Listed on Haunted Pilgrimage Tour of Homes for Delta Ridge, Louisiana, Holly hopes that the incoming tourists will bring in income to make up for the funds that Burl emptied out of their savings. It seems that Holly will have a very real ghost occupying her B&B though, as Burl has inconveniently dropped back into her life with the announcement that he has until Halloween to make his amends if he hopes to get to heaven.

With just thirty days on the clock, Holly doesn’t need the arrival of her high school boyfriend Jake McCann back in her life to complicate both her emotions and her future business. For while she believes that he has arrived back in Delta Ridge to take over for his relative at the Gazette, Jake is actually in town investigating Burl’s drug-smuggling activities for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Jake has difficulty believing that “Hurricane Holly” had no knowledge of her husband’s operation, or that she still isn’t involved. Even more unimaginable is that the YouTube video showing an actual haunting at Holly Grove is real, due to Burl’s rather abysmal ghosting skills. His antics are drawing in more guests, but the problem is that at least one of them may be a criminal.

When a novel starts with the heroine passing out and being restrained by the senior ladies of the Delta Ridge Bridge Club on suspicion of a cocaine overdose, readers know that that they’re in for a romp of a ride. Holly’s housekeeper attempts to bring in a priest to exorcize Burl out of Holly Grove, but it will take more than Holy Water to stop him from continuing to bring chaos into Holly’s life. The romance between Jake and Holly has a sizable roadblock in the form of her spectral husband, but even bigger than that will be the challenge of keeping Holly alive, safe from her possibly criminal guests, and out of jail. Alternating viewpoints from Jake and Holly highlight their attraction for one another, although his investigating her for running a drug ring makes reigniting their relationship a bad idea. Nevertheless, readers should rest assured that the mysteries will be solved, Burl will get his just reward, and that Jake and Holly are in for the time of their lives. Delta Ridge more than delivers its share of eccentric characters, venal criminals, and laugh-out-loud moments.

Better Dead was such a delight to read. Holly Davis' cheating husband has died before she could serve him divorce papers. But he's back to haunt her Louisiana B&B and he's relentless until Holly agrees to help him get to the other side. Every character leaps off the page. Whether it's the cook Nelda, or the hunky highschool boyfriend, Jake, and all of the various B&B guests, each character was well drawn. There are enough twists and turns to keep you guessing until the end. Will be excited to read what's next in this very entertaining cozy mystery series.

Holly Davis runs a B&B in Louisiana. Her husband, Burl, died in a tragic plane crash. Burl is now a ghost and stays at the B&B. Holly is upset because she wanted a divorce, not a funeral or permanent spirit for the house. Burl refuses to leave due to unfinished business. Holly’s old boyfriend, Jake, has came to the B&B as an undercover agent to search for the ringleader of a drug smuggling ring. Holly is unaware he is working a case. She is also the only one who can see Burl. This book was a very amusing mystery as we watch Holly run her B&B, keep Burl a secret and carry on with Jake. There is also a mysterious character, Miss Alice, who always seems to be in Holly’s wake. In addition, Jake’s father is missing. Holly has her hands full as she tries to clear up the mess and keep everyone happy. Thank you to Net Galley for giving me the opportunity to review this book.

Great debut! I enjoyed every word. What a joy to discover new authors. The book made me laugh and I was sad to let it go at the end. Great story with a clever premise.

The start to this story was so perfect it completely set the stage for the rest of the story. Holly was ready to serve her husband with divorce papers, but he ended up dead before she could. Now she finds herself a widow, but , a widow who is haunted by what was going to be her ex husband. Enter in a former boyfriend, trying to keep her bed and breakfast business a float, and being haunted by her husband, this is the making a what proved to be a great cozy.
This was a great read from start to finish. I loved the humor and paranormal elements in the book. The characters are so much fun which made reading so much more enjoyable. I cannot wait for the next installment.

This is a great book with a wonderful story and well developed characters. The story flowed very well and was very enjoyable. This book will keep you reading long into the night and you will not want to put this book down until you finish. This was such a great read and full of surprises. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader’s copy of this book. The free book held no determination on my personal review.

Better Dead by Pamela Kopfler is the first A B&B Spirits Mystery. Holly Davis owns Holly Grove Plantation in Delta Ridge, Louisiana which she turned into a bed and breakfast three years prior. Holly’s husband, Burl passed away three months ago just before he was served with divorce papers for his cheating ways (and so much more). Holly is celebrating the end of her mourning with champagne and raises a toast to Burl. The next thing she knows he is there before her (then chaos ensues). The next morning Holly wakes up on the floor with white powder all around her (long story) and the Deltas are peering at her through the window. Burl was not a drunken hallucination and he cannot move on until Holly helps with his unfinished business. He only has until midnight on Halloween to make things right or he will be stuck at Holly Grove forever (Holly’s worst nightmare). Holly is the only person who can see and hear Burl. Before his death, Burl was involved in smuggling drugs through Holly Grove and he believes busting up the ring is his unfinished business. Holly agrees to help Burl in exchange for him haunting the house during the Haunted Pilgrimage Tour of Homes. Holly needs to turn a profit, or she is in danger of losing Holly Grove (thanks to Burl). Then Holly’s old high school flame, Jake McCann returns to town and wishes to stay at Holly Grove. Unknown to Holly, Jake is an ICE agent trying to stop the drugs being smuggled through the plantation. He is as handsome as ever and Holly is still attracted to him. However, it is hard to flirt with your deceased husband in the room. Can Holly discover who is behind the drug smuggling and put a stop to it? Why has Jake returned to town? Watch Holly juggle her duties at the B&B along with Burl, Jake, the Deltas, and a housekeeper who wants the ghost out of the house.

Better Dead is a Southern cozy mystery with paranormal elements. The story is told from Holly and Jake’s POV. I prefer stories that are written from one viewpoint (preferably third person). It allows readers to stay immersed in the story and not be distracted by the changing voice. Better Dead is a humorous story with one zany antic after another throughout the whole book. While I do not enjoy reading these type of stories, many other readers find them delightful. I prefer intelligent, strong female characters. I was never drawn into Better Dead. I read it, but just found it unbelievable. Some examples are: The Deltas believing fire hydrant foam dust to be cocaine and that Holly has a drug issue (the gossip quickly spread throughout the whole town); the gold sex toy that Holly breaks and then needs fixed (because she is snooping through her guests luggage); the housekeeper who brings in a priest and a medium to get rid of the ghost; housekeeper and Holly wearing garlic to keep the ghost at bay; Holly runs a B&B, but she cannot cook (or reheat) without destroying food (which happens in the book). I was curious why the B&B served dinner? Especially since the housekeeper cooks the food in advance (she does not stay until dinner) and then Holly has to reheat it (would you pay for this service). Like I mentioned before, many people will find these things hilarious (I am just not one of them). There was too much of it along with the bickering between Holly and Burl (tiresome and repetitive) and Holly ogling Jake (and thinking about him). I believe the author was trying for screwball comedy type humor (but did not pull it off). The mystery is in there among all the zaniness. The culprit can be identified before the reveal (do not let the crazy distract you). Holly gets herself into one dangerous situation after another since she refuses to listen to anyone (which gets her into trouble and then she needs rescuing). The characters lacked development and Burl was annoying. Better Dead was too long (I did not think the book would ever end). Better Dead was not my cup of tea.

On this last day of 2017, I've just finished what has to be one of my favorite cozies of the year! Better Dead by Pamela Kopfler is a quick-paced southern cozy mystery - complete with a haunted plantation, a philandering (now dead) husband, drug smugglers, southern delicacies such as gumbo, pralines and mint juleps (recipes included), and a little bit of romance on the side. Holly Davis needs to save her family's plantation turned B&B after her good-for-nothing late husband Burl nearly bankrupted her, and has decided to use his ghostly return as a catalyst to drum up business. Unfortunately, with his return he brings news of the illegal drug smuggling he was conducting through the B&B, and it's up to Holly, and her former boyfriend (newly returned to town ICE agent Jake McCann) to expose the criminals before Holly Grove is lost forever. Hilarity ensues with the Deltas, the ghost hunters, and Holly's housekeeper, Nelda! I highly recommend Better Dead, the first book in the B&B Spirits Mystery series. A+++