This was a solid novel in the Mina series. I like the atmospheric Victorian England. I thought the murder case was also very intriguing. I did not really like the romance in this series. Still, I recommend this for fans of Karen Odden!

This book was my introduction to the series, Mina Scarletti. Even so, it wasn’t unwelcoming or difficult to immerse myself into — bear in mind that this is actually the fifth book! I enjoyed reading about life for the middle class in Victorian times so much that I was willing to overlook one important fact. Since the protagonist has a life-threatening condition — for the era this book’s based on — she cannot go trundling about to solve the mystery at hand. For most of this book, she remains in bed but that doesn’t mean her mind stops working on the case. I’m sure I’d love it even more when I see her in action.

The mystery was interesting and the characters were likeable. In short, I enjoyed this book very much and want to continue with this series.

this was a lot of fun reading, it had a great spooky and suspenseful read. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and try to figure out if there were an supernatural presence going on.

This is delightful story by an author I regularly read. I like her writing because she is not afraid to take chances with her characters. He main character Mina Scarletti is afflicted with scoliosis. Even though she is confined in the way she must live her life she uses her mind to help other with varied problem. He doctor is of Indian descent and again the author takes a chance. Yet it all works so well together. The story has a good pace even though the characters communication is by letter. The settings are lovely with Brighton Beach as the location. The stories involve ghosts and mediums and Mina’s desire to prove the frauds as such. With her limited physical abilities she must rely on information gathered by friends and family and must puzzle the answer from newspapers and letter and gossip. This allows the author to put some interesting characters and situations together. I look forward to the next book.

This was a very nice historical romance. I especially liked that real historical royals are characters. Aribella and Layton's romance is sweet but lacking some chemistry for me.

Mina Scarletti suffers from scoliosis and at the beginning of the book is seriously ill. However, as she recovers, she becomes embroiled in a local mystery. Some years ago a man disappeared, leaving serious debts as well as his wife and two children who eventually have him declared dead and the widow remarries.

The story, told through letters and newspaper articles, as well as the normal narrative, explores what has happened to the man, and whether he is dead as his son and widow believe. Mina is supported by her solicitor and doctor, as well as friends who will go out of their way to help her solve a mystery that is keeping her mind alert as her body falters.

Overall its a pleasant enough tale, probably not very likely, but is told in keeping with the era in which it is set. There is some interesting by-play on the developments of photography at this time, as well as the popularity of seances.

I enjoyed it, but won't be rushing out to read more of the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sapere Books for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I've read all the prior books in the Mina Scarletti series and enjoyed them all. Her Father's Ghost was no exception. Mina is such an unusual and spunky character to reconnect with and the Brighton setting in Victorian times is fabulous. Thank you to Netgalley and Sapere for providing me an early read of this fifth book in a delightful series.

Unusual tale with interesting and diverse characters. Can our detective solve the mystery from her bed with her cast of miscellaneous helpers? Complex and interesting

Mina, an unofficial debunker of mediums, is confined to her bed following a serious illness when she hears of a family in trouble: Mrs Vardy has recently remarried after the courts finally declared her first husband dead, seven years after he was reported drowned in a yacht accident under suspicious circumstances, and now her son is claiming that he is being haunted by his father's ghost. Mina is expert at getting to the bottom of things, and Mrs Vardy will not be at peace until she knows what happened on and around the fatal day - but Mina is confined to her bed. Can a problem - murder, accident or suicide - be solved without leaving the room if one has enough of the right helpers?

This is another mystery that I enjoyed not for the sake of the mystery, but because of the characters - particularly Mr Merridew. The vocabulary is also enjoyable, again particularly Mr Merridew's (really, he feels a little Dickensian - and yes, I like Dickens!). I nearly passed this book by because of the ghost in the title, but a recommendation from a different author I enjoy made me decide to try it. I did feel that I'd understand more of the allusions to past events and Mina's background if I'd read the earlier books in the series, but it wasn't to the point where it was a problem. For those who care, there is not actually a ghost involved, and the content is clean. The writing is good, though the storyline is a little slow at times, particularly early on; overall, I hope to read more by the author.

Note that I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review and this is my considered opinion of the book.

Mina Scarletti is ill with a chest infection which is a very serious condition because of her scoliosis. She quickly becomes bored of bedrest and is glad when her doctor and friend Dr. Hamid gives her permission to read her letters which have been piling up since she became ill. One of them is from Mrs. Vardy who is desperate for help dealing with her son who claims the ghost of his father is visiting him. Mina soon learns that many feel Mrs. Vardy’s late husband may have actually faked his death. Mina won’t let being confined to her room stop her from getting to the bottom of this mystery. With help from her friends, she is determined to put together the clues they gather and get to the truth of this case.

This is the fifth book in the series. I have read a short story featuring Mina, but haven’t read any of the prior full-length novels. Besides wishing I had more background on the tension between Mina and Mr. Beckler. I was able to enjoy this book even though I hadn’t read the prior books in the series. Mina is an admirable heroine who perseveres to get truth and justice and doesn’t let her physical limitations or her health problems get in the way. She is known in Victorian Brighton as one who isn’t afraid to expose fraudulent psychics. Part of her investigation involves determining if a woman who claims to be a medium is legitimate. It is clever having Mina investigate everything from her room. I really liked her actor friend Marcus Merridew and the amusing way he relayed his experiences attending the seances held by the woman claiming to be able to talk to the dead.

The plot gets a little over-complicated and the book has some slow spots. However, I like the author’s witty writing story and think that overall, this is an engaging historical mystery. The historical notes at the end of the story are well-done and interesting to read. I think fans of Stephanie Barron will enjoy the latest by Linda Stratmann.

I received this ebook from NetGalley through the courtesy of Sapere Books. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

"Her Father's Ghpst" is part of a series I found out but reading this book doesn't mean you have to have read the other books from "Linda Stratmann" to be able to know about this mystery! I don't know if Ghost is suppose to be spelt "Ghpst" or not,but I'll go with it! This stand alone historical fiction mystery was done with very good research for this time of period of history. The mystery plot of this story is really a fangs read that keeps you guessing almost to the end,these kind I do like! The characters are true to form and you begin to know them and their personalities. I really enjoyed this mystery and I will make sure I read the rest of the books. Thanks,Net Gallery for letting me read this most exciting mystery story!

1872 Brighton. Franklin Holt aged 14 is subjected to ghostly nightly visits. One of which he believes is his father, overall he is terrified, because eight years earlier his father Harper Holt was drowned in a yachting accident, presumed dead. Mrs Holt has now recently remarried a Mr Vardy. But Mrs Vardy has contacted Mimi Scarletti for help with her son. Unfortunately Mimi is recovering from a serious illness. But as her body recovers hermind wants stimulation and so enlists her friends for their help in the mystery.
Another enjoyable and well-written Victorian mystery. The main characters are all likeable in their own way and this is a good addition to this fine series.
ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is the fifth is this series featuring Mina Scarletti, set in Victorian Brighton. I have not read earlier books in the series and had no trouble following along so this could easily be read as a stand alone.

Mina has scoliosis and as such is highly susceptible to lung infections so when she becomes ill she is on bed rest and is not allowed to strain herself in any way. Through her nurse, she discovers that a former client has written to her for help with her son who believes he is seeing the ghost of his presumed dead father. Mina has developed a reputation as being "a sensitive" to spirits. She manages to meet with Mrs. Varney, the former Mrs. Jasper Holt. Mr. Holt had been reported as having fallen from a yacht and was presumed drowned but afterwards it was discovered that he was in financial difficulties and some thought he faked his death.

But with doctors orders being strictly enforced and her own weakness she is forced to rely on friends and relatives to help her investigate as well as articles in the newspapers. The mystery is good with many twists. I enjoyed learning more about Brighton and the mediums which were prevalent in Victorian England.

I did think that having to listen to the conversations and read the newspaper articles added a lot of pages and was tempted to skim over them.

I do plan on going back and reading the earlier books as well as any subsequent ones.

I requested an ARC of this book from Net Galley via the publisher and the opinion expressed is my own.

england, illness, family-dynamics, friendship, fraud, mystery, amateur-sleuth, 1870s, suspense

Mina Scarletti has a very inquisitive and logical mind, a hazardous spinal condition, and life-threatening pneumonia. That does not stop her from wanting to help others by doing the things she does best. But her caring doctor and loved ones are making her nutz with their overzealous cossetting: bland pureed foods, withholding her mail, no other visitors, complete bedrest, etc. She understands their needs to protect her and she, too, hopes not to die but she needs more. Her private nurse reluctantly passes on information that makes Mina want to do whatever she can from her sickbed by asking certain other friends to help. And help they do! There is a presumed widow, her husband who probably drowned seven years ago, their fourteen year old son who believes that he is seeing the father's ghost as well as a psychic with a machine to help contact spirits (this part is relevant because Mina always debunks all such claims, much to the relief of others), a new husband, claims of fraud, and the craziness that is Mina's family. Even if I hadn't read other books featuring Mina, that wouldn't have stopped me from obsessively reading it into the night. There is enough referencing to keep the reader from feeling lost with regard to previous history. Of course I loved it! Great mystery with VERY complicated and surprising resolution.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Sapere Books via NetGalley. Thank You!

I would like to thank Netgalley and Sapere Books for an advance copy of His Father’s Ghost, the fifth novel to feature Mina Scarletti, the Brighton based debunker of spiritualism.

March 1872. Mina is laid low with a chest infection, which due to her scoliosis, is serious and confines her to bed. Physically, she may be incapacitated but mentally she’s raring to go and is intrigued when she receives a letter from Mrs Vardy asking for help with her 14 year old son, Frederick Holt, who claims to be seeing the ghost of his father, Jasper, who has been declared dead after disappearing in mysterious circumstances 8 years earlier.

I thoroughly enjoyed His Father’s Ghost which is, in my opinion, the best yet in the series. The format is excellent with all the characters recounting their experiences to Mina in the sickroom, be it personally or in the form of a letter. It means that while events are essentially interpreted from her point of view these first person accounts give the reader a wider perspective. For even wider perspective these accounts are supplemented with newspaper articles. I found it all really interesting and compulsive as I never knew what was coming next and the historical detail is fascinating.

Equally I found the plot clever and intriguing and a bit sad at times. Obviously there are fake mediums and ghostly goings on as that is the basis of the series but in this one they are more of a sideshow as it concentrates on the disappearance of Jasper Holt and the current re-interest in the case his wife’s remarriage has occasioned. It’s genuinely perplexing, carrying with it the possibility of financial impropriety and a dearth of contemporaneous witnesses. Some elements I could guess but most I couldn’t, not least the many twists and turns that landed like bombshells on this poor reader. It’s great fun and hugely entertaining.

Mina Scarletti is a gem of a protagonist. She has a physical disability, scoliosis, which I think was life threatening in Victorian times and requires constant care attention. There are times when she regrets it but mostly her lively mind and personality don’t let her dwell on it. I love her common sense and practicality, never more needed when dealing with her volatile family. Her feckless brother, Richard, provides the comedy, not that he means to.

His Father’s Ghost is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

A good historical mystery, engrossing and entertaining.
I loved Mina and found the fleshed out cast of characters interesting. The mystery is solid and kept me guessing, the historical background well researched and vivid.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.