Jorie Davis, an old friend of her grandmother’s is found dead at the bottom of a church tower mere minutes after she had told Verity that she had an old photograph of her grandmother for her, but did she fall or was she pushed? And what had happened to the photo? What happens next is a rollercoaster of a ride through a haunted speakeasy & movie theatre culminating in a showdown in a cemetery that is reminiscent of Michael Jackson’s Thriller.

This is another fantastic addition to the Southern Ghost Hunter series. The humour is still there but Southern Bred and Dead is a little more solemn than we’ve come to expect from Angie Fox but this in no way lessened my enjoyment of the book. More of Frankie the German’s past life & death is revealed and there’s trouble in paradise between Verity and Ellis as he struggles with her ‘deliberately putting herself in danger’ as he sees it. Both elements which just add more depth to the series for me. We meet more eccentric characters both living and dead – wait until Ellis finds out about his ghostly competition and after hating Beau for the previous 8 books he’s slowly beginning to grow on me. I love how this series is evolving without losing the any of the humour and quirkiness that drew me to it in the first place. I can’t wait to read what Verity and Frankie are going to get up to next.

Angie did it again. Mystery, murder, humour, and a skunk named Lucy. It was lovely to meet Frankie's family. Can't wait for the next in the series.

I've just finished reading Angie Fox's Southern Bred and Dead. This is a fair and honest review.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book picks up where the last book left off. Frankie found out the Lou his brother is the one who shot and killed him. Now Frankie wants to know why, so he and Veirty are off to find him. Also at a Fundraiser Jorie a friend of Verity's Grandmother falls out the church window of the bell tower and dies. Verity is convinced it was murder. What happens is a wild ride that will keep you turning the pages, till you find out how it all ends. I love this series, each book keeps getting better! Mrs. Fox does it again will another winning book in this series!! I would highly recommend this book to everyone, who loves a great supernatural cozy mystery!

Southern Bred and Dead by Angie Fox is the 9th tale in The Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries. It can be read as a standalone if you are new this engaging paranormal series. Verity Long lives with her pet skunk, Lucy and her ghostly friend, Frankie “the German” Winkelmann. One day Verity accidentally dumped Frankie’s ashes out of the urn and onto a rose bush. That is the day she met her first ghost--Frankie and it has been a wild ride ever since. I thought Southern Bred and Dead was well-written with developed characters and steady pacing. Sugarland, Tennessee is a small Southern town full of quirky residents. We get to meet Maybelle Clemens who is quite a character. She comes from a family of ministers, so she likes to go out of her way to shock people with her behavior. I liked all the action in this book. Verity has her hands full in Southern Bred and Dead. She must find out who killed Jorie Davis, who was an old friend of her grandmother’s. Frankie wants to know why his brother, Lou killed him. To top it all off, Ellis is not happy with Verity’s ghost hunting business and it has caused a rift in their relationship. The mystery surrounding the death of Jorie was multifaceted. It was interesting and fun to solve (I love figuring out the guilty party before the reveal). I liked learning more about Frankie and his family. We finally learn why Frankie was killed. I found Southern Bred and Dead to be a more serious book than the others in this series. There are humorous moments especially with Maybelle, but it lacked that laugh-out-loud humor that is normally present. That did not hinder my reading enjoyment. I love visiting Sugarland with its unique residents, cozy small-town feel, plethora of specters, and Southern manners. Let us not forget the adorable Lucy. My favorite part of the book was Verity at the speakeasy. She gets to enjoy some jazz music, meet a new friend, and experience a felonious first courtesy of Frankie. Southern Bred and Dead is a delight with menacing mobsters, frightening phantoms, a deadly dagger, a bothered beau, a pious pastor, and a sweet skunk.

Love this cozy mystery series.
This instalment is a bit different than the others, with a more complex plot.
An old character is back, giving an unexpected twist.
And some new ones that will surprise you.

After Verity tosses the contents of a vase onto her garden, she is shocked to be told that the contents were ashes and now the ghost attached to those ashes is now grounded to her property - only able to leave when the vase does. Verity is even more shocked, when it is the actual ghost who is the one tell her this..dressed in his pinstriped suit, hat and matching bullet hole blazoned on his forehead. Lending Verity his ghost sight, Verity uses this skill to be a Ghost Hunter, sleuthing for both the living and the dead, while helping to find a way to free Frankie from the property’s bond.

In this book, number nine in the series, Frankie has found out who shot him dead and is about to face his killer. Verity is investigating the death of a family friend, trying to stay out of the grip of the tortured ghosts haunting the church and trying to find time to have a heart to heart with her police officer boyfriend, Ellis. Just an average day in the life of a ghost hunter.

Like all the previous books in the series, this instalment was absolutely fantastic. Fun, quirky and laugh out funny at times. A true cozy mystery written with witty, likeable characters...even those characters who you just love to hate. The relationships are genuine, with depth. The writing is smooth and easy with enough flourish to see everything In glorious colour. This book can be read by itself, as Angie Fox does introduce the characters and their story to date (without disrupting the flow of the book), however do yourself a favour and go and read from book number one. It won’t take you long, trust me. You’ll just inhale each book, I know I did.

A perfect way to spend a lazy day...but start in the morning because you won’t want to stop reading until its wonderful and satisfying conclusion. Can’t wait for book ten. This book was provided by netgalley in lieu of an honest review.

Now stop reading this review, and GO GET THIS BOOK!!

Verity and Ellis have hit a rough patch. Their romance has been pretty idyllic so far (his mother and the fact that Verity was engaged to his younger brother notwithstanding) so how they handle thsi figh will set the tenor of the rest of their relationship. Big doings.
The central mystery though is why Josie, a good friend of Verity's grandmother, died. It is the annual fundraiser for one of the local churches and Josie has fallen from the steeple. But did she really just fall?
We also get to learn more about Frankie's relationship with his brother and exactly why Frankie died.
This was overall a very nice addition to the series. I hate the "amateur detective does stupid things and almost dies" trope and Verity is very much skirting the line of intelligence that she has generally shown in earlier books in the series. I'm hoping that doesn't continue in future books since it mostly seems like a plot device specifically in this book.

Four stars
This book came out August 28th
Follows The Ghost of Christmas Past
ARC kindly provided by Moose Island Books
Opinions are my own

3 1/2 stars. This paranormal mystery is high on the ghost meter but it is not used by the author as an easy way to reveal clues. Rather it makes sense for there to be a lot of ghostly activity because a major part of the plot is Frankie (a 1920s gangster), who I love, is searching for his brother and why his brother killed him. Verity's trip to a ghostly speakeasy is great, particularly when Verity is able to interact with the ghosts in lively manner--except for a small touch problem--and they are not stuck in an endless loop. This is far from a static event.
Verity's encounters with ghosts are often fun and are always richly textured and exciting. She even makes friends with some of these ghosts and helps solves their problems. It is no wonder that she is just as fascinated with these encounters, even if sometimes they lead to breaking the law and danger, as anything in her real life which causes problems with her boyfriend in this book. He wants her to cool the ghostly activities but she isn't willing to.
Verity annoys me at times. She is all about communication and opening yourself emotionally to others which she gladly shares this message with other but is not willing to follow the same advice in her own life. She expects her boyfriend to accept anything she does and does not want to listen to his side (though he is a bit bullheaded the way he goes about it). The relationship drama really is a drawback for me. Maybe if I had read others in the series I would be more invested in the characters and it wouldn't bother me. Here it seems like she is a bit of a hypocrite. Though, by the end she realizes what she is doing. She definitely grew on me at the end.
Overall, it was a good book. The mystery was solid, there were funny incidents and I loved Verity's skunk and Frankie.

I was provided with a copy of the ARC by Netgalley and the publisher in return for an honest review.

Oh what can I say. I don’t usually do mystery’s but Angie Fox and The Southern Ghost Hunter series never lets me down. I love this series, it’s always such a fun read and Southern Bred and Dead was no exception. While this one was a little more emotional then the others, I loved every page I read. You cannot go wrong with this series.

I've been waiting for the new installment in my favorite series since the Mint Julep Murders and Angie Fox didn't disappoint. This book has everything- angry ghosts, a murder (or not) and finally an answer to Frankie's quest, all somehow connected to an old wedding photo of Verity's Grandma's best friend. Lucy is there eating garbage, Beau is helping make ghost connections and Ellis is threatening to arrest Verity for breaking and entering. Not to mention Verity's first hold up, Frankie's family reunion and a few surprises along the way.
My only gripe is that i have to wait another year for the next book! Keep'em coming!

Southern Bred and Dead by Angie Fox is by far the greatest book in this series! She has created some boiling points for the protagonist and her boyfriend. The ghost hunting business is taking a tole on her as a person, her love life, and creating a deeper bond with her gangster mob ghost. I love the humor Angie Fox pours into her books. Especially, in this read. The ghosts are just as stubborn, dangerous, and fun as in previous books. There is a bit of an emotional journey that Verity and mobster ghost share that makes me want to hug them both. Her ghost buddy wants to be known as a tough guy. However, there is a kind and soft side to him and that is revealed here. There's plenty more surprises in this book. Overall, I was thoroughly entertained and can't wait for more!

Love, love, love! One of my favorite series ever. I loved that we met some of Frankie's family. Also love lots of Lucy!

Our illustrious Southern ghost hunter is dealing with a few things this time around. Isn't she always, though? I mean, the lady stumbles over dead bodies with alarming regularity. Which makes sense given she's tapped into the ghostly world, but...you know what? It's her thing. She's embraced it. She's taken it and run with it and she's not about to give up her new calling.

Unfortunately, this particular calling is not sitting well with Ellis right now. He's having a bit of an emotional falling apart (it's tiny. You'll barely notice!) after the last few times Verity has thrown herself headlong into danger on behalf of her ghostly friends. Which means, he and Verity are sort of butting heads over things that have never been an issue with them before. The fact that it's Beau (BEAU!) who had to step in and give some much needed advice to get them back on track is at once horrifying and hilarious. I mean, BEAU.

Beyond the relationship woes, Verity is trying to unravel the mystery of a family friend's death, why there are so many ghosts hanging around the old church, AND trying to help Frankie find some familial closure. Plus, she's a world class avoider at times, so I'm sure you can imagine how all this leads to some tense times between her and Ellis.

Family drama on a couple of levels, ghosts and gangsters and speakeasies (OH MY!), and old secrets that don't want to stay buried. Sometimes literally. Verity and her crew (both those who are living and those who aren't) are always a fun ride and things just keep getting crazier for them.

Where did all Verity's "friends" come from? I've read all but one of the books (Murder on the Sugarland Express) so I thought I was pretty up to date. So, where did all these friends come from? One is explained by the old adage "the enemy of my enemy is my friend". That's my only poke at this story which is quite involved, more "meaty" than some of the books in this series.

This book had the most interesting of ghostly places that Verity has visited and I particularly like the scene in the movie theater with her unexpected companion. In fact, I really liked how that character factored into this book and the role the person played between Verity and others (both human and ghostly).

We also find out who killed Frankie at last and it was ultimately satisfying. As was how all the threads wove together by the end of the book. Gotta give this one 4.5/5.0. It's really hard for me to give a straight "amazing" review. It takes a lot to wow me.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

BTW: Really glad there is someone else out there who gives their pets middle names. I gave two of my cats middle names over the years (usually spontaneously came out when I was scolding them) and my brother looked at me like I was crazy "You give your cats middle names???"

ghosts, law-enforcement, family-dynamics, friendship, pet, skunk, humor

Not an unbiased review because I absolutely love the real star of this series--Lucille Desiree Long AKA Lucy, Verity's pet skunk!
I'm not sure about stand-alone quality since I already know much from earlier books, but I think that it could do. This one reaches back into town history of the 20th century including one of the local churches. There's more about Verity's ghost mentor's personal life, her ex-boyfriend's good side, and her cop boyfriend's uncertainties. And lots of ghosts. And suspense. And plot twists and red herrings. all with both situational and verbal humor! Of course I loved it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Moose Island Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

Southern Bred and Dead is the latest delightful entry in this series. Verity has her hands full solving several mysteries at once. Frankie needs Verity’s help confronting his killer. Verity needs to find out how her grandmothers friend died and what was so important about the photograph she had. And to top it all she needs to help Ellis deal with the dangers she faces in her line of work or lose him. This is a brilliantly twisted tale of murder and intrigue. I absolutely loved it!

This is great fun! I always worry that supernatural mysteries, especially those with a Southern setting, will end up being disappointing copies of the wonderful Charlaine Harris series. But this book can proudly stake its own claim to success in the genre. This book is funny and quirky. I loved the characters and the dialogue was spot on. The story wasn’t just an adjunct to all this - it was genuinely a strong mystery.

Another fun book in a fun series. Verity is at it again, trying to help her gangster roommate and solve the murder of a friend of her grandmother's. Seeing the ghosts, and especially trying to protect herself from the ones trying to kill her, makes for an active book. Didn't like the fight between her and her boyfriend though, and felt both were wrong. Oh well, the make up was worth it. Would highly recommend this book, series and author.

When Verity Long goes to a church fundraiser, she didn't plan on having her grandmother's best friend fall from the top of the church bell tower. As the police investigate, Verity decides to lend a hand, aided by her ghostly sidekick Frankie. Frankie has an agenda of his own. He is determined to hunt down his brother Lou and confront him over the rumor that he was the one who killed Frankie in a mob hit. Verity has to balance trying to help solve both cases while simultaneously avoiding stepping on her boyfriend Ellis's toes and impeding his investigation.

I love this series. It is full of fun, quirky characters like Verity, Frankie "The German", and Verity's pet skunk, Lucy. This mystery is a light, quick read with a supernatural twist.

It was fun returning to this series, as I've read a few of the prior books. What is there not to love about the characters, such as Verity, Frankie, Ellis and infamous pet skunk? Although I found it a bit sad that Verity and Ellis argued a bit. It was nice learning a bit more about Frankie's background and his family, though.

The mystery and the plot was interesting too and well written. At least it kept me guessing for quite a while.

Overall, Southern Bred and Dead was an entertaining book in a series I really like.