A spellbinding read that blends mystery with a touch of the supernatural. Maureen is relatable and resourceful and I enjoyed following along on her sleuthing. This book is a great addition to the series and is a well crafted, entertaining read.
Many thanks to Kensington and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

It's fun to think that towns like Haven exist. This is book 3 in A Haunted Haven Series. I have read one of the previous books. When a fisherman is murdered, Florida innkeeper Maureen Doherty must cast a wide net to catch a killer—with a little help from her ghostly tenants . . .
It’s June in Haven, Florida, a “between seasons” time in the tourism business, and Maureen’s Haven House Inn is feeling the pinch. There are plenty of ghosts in residence, but Maureen needs living guests to pay the bills.
Inspired by an old brochure she finds in a trunk she inherited along with the inn from her mysterious benefactor Penelope Josephine Gray, she gets the brilliant idea to revive a June fishing tournament from twenty years ago, hoping to reel in anglers who’d love to catch the Gulf Coast’s popular kingfish and take home a trophy.
But one fisherman won’t make it to the tournament. While walking on the beach with her golden retriever Finn, Maureen discovers a body. When Officer Frank Hubbard arrives, he recognizes local charter boat fisherman Eddie Manuel.
Now it’s up to Maureen and her spirited sleuths to sort through the red herrings and bait a hook for a killer before someone else ends up sleeping with the fishes

Haunting License by Carol J. Perry is the third book in the paranormal cozy A Haunted Haven Mystery series. As with most cozy mystery series each book in this new paranormal mystery series will contain it’s own mystery that will be solved within so they can be read as a standalone or in any order if choosing to do so. Of course there will be some character development that carries over from book to book for those that follow the series in order.

Maureen Doherty had been settling into her career as a sportswear buyer for a department store when she got the news that the store would be closing. At just that moment when Maureen needed it most she received a letter from a lawyer informing her that she had a mysterious inheritance waiting for her in Haven, Florida. Maureen is now the new owner of a cozy inn on the Gulf of Mexico. The only catch to the inheritance is the inn is supposed to be haunted but not believing in ghosts Maureen saw it as the opportunity for a new career path.

Now as Maureen is getting settled into her new life in Haven, Florida it’s June and that is the slow season for tourism in town. As Maureen is going though an old trunk in the inn she finds an old brochure from twenty years before advertising a Haven fishing tournament and gets the idea to revitalize the event to bring in guests. Unfortunately for Maureen just as the idea for the tournament begins to take shape she stumbles upon the body of a fisherman as she’s walking the beach leading to yet another murder needing to be solved in the small town.

I have been following the A Haunted Haven Mystery series from the beginning since I really enjoy the crossing of the two genres bringing the paranormal into a cozy mystery. When I ask for quirky fun characters in my mysteries they don’t necessarily need to be of the living variety so incorporating a couple of ghosts here or there will also do the trick. And on top of the small town vibes and the quirky characters there’s also a fun mystery to be solved in each installment of this series which will continue to bring me back time and again.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Maureen is on her beach run one day when she discovers a body. It's Eddie Manuel. She didn't know him but she finds a newspaper article proclaiming him the winner of a fishing tournament that was to have been an annual event. Instead, it only took place once; in 2000. But it does spark an idea. Maybe she can do that again and earn some money for her inn.
And that money would come in handy. She needs to any number of repairs and needs to add on. Because this inn, and these people (and ghosts) are becoming dear to her. As is the larger Haven, Florida community. And that's why she willing to help the local police (specifically Frank Hubbard) in various investigations. In fact, Hubbard asks her for her help because her "feelings" have been accurate in the past. But does that mean Maureen will go to far?
Not as many ghosts in this book but I did not miss them much.

Haunted Haven #3
Four stars
This book comes out June 25, 2024
Follows High Spirits
ARC kindly provided by Kensington Books and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

A great addition to an incredible series! Wonderful characters in an incredible setting. This book will keep you guessing until the end.

Carol J. Perry’s Haunting License delivers a satisfying blend of cozy mystery and supernatural intrigue. Set in a quaint, small-town atmosphere, the novel follows the protagonist as she navigates a series of eerie and perplexing events. Perry’s writing effectively combines a suspenseful plot with a touch of the supernatural, keeping readers engaged throughout. While the characters could benefit from a bit more depth, the story's charming setting and intriguing ghostly elements make for an enjoyable read. (I reviewed an advance reader copy and all opinions are my own.) Overall, Haunting License is a pleasant escape for fans of cozy mysteries with a supernatural twist.

Carol Perry continues her Haunted Haven mysteries with Haunting License. Maureen has a haunted hotel that is between seasons in Florida. Real guests are thin on the ground. Then she falls over a body washed up on the beach. To bring in customers she revives a fishing derby for the town. Now she has lots of customers, but a flood of suspects as well. Whodunit? Can the ghosts help? Will she get in trouble once to often. Fun read.

Princess Fuzzypants here: Maureen is settling into her new life as innkeeper in Haven FL but realizes that she needs to do something to kick start the business and fill her rooms again during the off-season. She gets an inspiration from a trunk left to her from her deceased benefactor. A fishing tournament. She pulls it all together with a lot of help from her staff and friends in a week and names the event after a local fisherman whose body she had discovered. But things take a dangerous turn when she spies the suspected killer removing a bag from a protected mound in the forest. There is a lot going on.

Without telling too much, with the help of a new ally and fellow target, they get drawn into a story filled with rare birds, photography, archeology and of course, ghosts. Her inn is well haunted and while the locals play it down, she has become good friends with several of her spooks who are very protective of her. And so is her dog Finn and her two inherited kitties Bogie and Bacall. It all makes for an entertaining and exciting read. I do like Maureen. She is smart and capable but does not let her curiosity run off half-cocked. She works with the local police chief who wavers between wanting to use her as a sounding board and telling her to mind her own business. It is all a little different and a lot of fun.

Five purrs and two paws up.

Haunting License: A Haunted Haven Mystery
By Carol J. Perry
Kensington
June/July 2024

Review by Cynthia Chow

After unexpectedly inheriting the 100-year-old Haven House Inn in Haven, Florida, Maureen Doherty has been doing her best to update and make the inn prosperous. The mysterious Penelope Josephine Gray not only gifted the former Massachusetts sportswear buyer with an unexpected inn, she also gave her four live-in senior housekeepers and a ghost. The latter is something that seems to be common in the rest of Haven, as while locals deny hauntings to any social-media ghost hunters, the town is literally a haven to a bounty of ghosts and spirits. Before Maureen’s first summer in Florida has even had a chance to begin she discovers a body on the beach, a possible drowning by one of the town’s most skilled fisherman. Officer Frank Hubbard is suspicious that Maureen will be conducting her own investigation, and despite her denials prods her for information not only about what she witnessed but about the new guests who have just arrived at her inn.

Dr. Kimberly Salter is an anthropologist/archaeologist interested in studying the ancient Indian mounds that are in town, and through her Maureen learns about the federal laws protecting the sites that were fascinating trash dumps for Native Americans. Dr. Salter also provides inspiration for Maureen’s resident ghost Lorna DuBois, a 1930s movie starlet who is able to copy the designer clothing she sees and wear them herself as she swans town. While Lorna and the non-speaking ghost of the late fisherman Eddie Manuel give a few hints about the investigation, it’s really Maureen and her chef down-low boyfriend Ted Carr who are the most effective in tracking down clues. Maureen is also inspired by photos she finds in the trunk of Penelope Josephine Gray to host the Eddie Manuel Memorial Fishing Tournament, after the supposed Haven First Annual Fishing Tournament ended in 2000 due to a tragic death. A visiting fish magazine photographer, an elusive magazine editor, and the daughter of the victim all provide clues as Maureen is reluctantly pulled into the murder case even as she attempts to organize a successful tourist-attracting event.

This third in the series continues to depict the scenic Haven, Florida town in such an enviable way that readers will be wanting to book their next flight for a visit. The paranormal element plays out in the background, adding atmosphere but the ghosts are never too intrusive or spooky. The suspense builds as the culprit threatens to endanger both Maureen and her event plans, and there are hints of romance as Maureen and Ted balance their work/personal relationships. A Mamacat and her kittens lend an adorable element that actually becomes critical to the conclusion, delivering a satisfying ending that will have readers hungering for more.

This is a delightful ghostly addition to the cozy mystery genre!

Maureen Doherty, innkeeper in Haven, Florida, discovers a body while trying to revive an old fishing tournament to boost business. With the help of her ghostly tenants, she dives into solving the murder mystery. 🏨🐟

This book has a charming mix of mystery and supernatural elements. While it’s not my favorite series, it’s enjoyable, and I’ll likely continue reading it.

Haunting License is such a good mystery. I really love this series and always very eagerly await each new book that comes out. Maureen is such a good character, as well as all the others who call Haven home. I love the way this book ended, but I won't reveal why since it's kind of a spoiler. I really hope there's more books to come in this series.

I forgot I had given up on this series and I am glad I stuck it out. This one had a lot of archaeology and event planning in it, which was fun for me. What I feel it didn’t have a lot of was investigating, or it got buried with all the other goings-on. The mystery was easy to solve and wasn’t the main focus of the book. As another reviewer mentioned, Maureen comes off as much older (in her 60s) than the young woman she is described as so it gets a little confusing at times. I still don’t think I will continue with the series.

Haunting License by Carol J. Perry is the third book in A Haunted Maven Mysteries. I do suggest reading the series in order. I like the setting of Haven, Florida. I could easily envision the setting (it helps that I live in Florida). The story has odd pacing (its jarring), and uncompelling characters (none of the grabbed me). I was unable to connect with Maureen Doherty (I have tried, but I have not succeeded). The mystery was shoved into the background many times with the substories taking over. I wish the whodunit had been the focus and a challenge to solve. I like the paranormal element. I found it amusing that Lorna helps herself to the female guest’s clothing (just because your dead does not mean you do not want to be fashionable). Maureen is still trying to uncover how she became the recipient of her inheritance. There is unnecessary, repetitious dialogue (I got it the first time, thank you very much). I wanted to like Haunting License, but it is a story that I forced myself to finish.

3.5 stars

Pro
* Finn & Lorna
* The connection between Maureen and Ted
* Fishing tournament concept
* Local shop community
* Shoutout to Sue Grafton
* Series is hitting its stride
Con
* What’s up with the police asking the amateur sleuth for help lately?
* And then an abrupt shift to “leave it to the professionals.” Odd shift
* The “feeling” thing is overdone and becomes annoying.

Thank you to Carol J. Perry, Kensington, and NetGalley for an advanced review copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun addition to this series.
In this one, Maureen almost immediately finds a body washed up on the beach. It turns out to be that of a local fishing charter captain Eddie Manuel. So his murder is the one we are trying to figure out throughout the whole book. Something fun about this series (and I think cozies in general) is that there was a lot of other stuff going on as well and we didn't fully focus on the murder. Maureen has dragged down a big trunk full of Penelope Josephine's stuff. She found a picture of a fishing tournament that had been held in Haven in 2000. Doing some digging, she found out that it only ran for one year, because a murder happened the last day of the tournament. But it's a slow time at the inn and Maureen thinks it will be a good idea to reinvent the tournament.
We get a few new characters in this book as well as all the oldies. An archaeologist Kim, and 2 men who own and work for a birding magazine stay at the inn. Maureen becomes good friends with Kim. Their friendship is very sweet. The 2 men Ron and Harvey are working, Harvey owns the magazine and writes articles and Ron takes pictures. Harvey is a jerk, he is very rude to Maureen on a number of occasions, but Ron is pleasant. We get a few scenes with some ghosts, Lorna is always my favorite. She lives in Maureen's suites. We get to know Ted the cook better as well as the 4 older employees who live at the inn. They are all so sweet.
The plot was fun, Maureen really worked hard to put on this fishing tournament in a short amount of time as well as open her inn's gift shop, and put on a birthday party for someone who helped her out in a previous book and has come back for a stay. There is no shortage of things going on and I was never bored. The murder was constantly brought up so we didn't forget about it, but so much other stuff went on too. It all flowed well together.
Something I'm slowly getting accustomed to is the writing style of cozy mysteries in general. I don't really know what it is, it almost feels like even the dialogue is so incredibly formal and not at all how people would actually talk to each other I think. This is true with all the cozies I have read and something that still takes me a minute to get into.
Overall, I'm really invested in this series, it's always a good time and I can't wait to read more!

I have thoroughly enjoyed this series, but it did take me a bit to settle into this one. It very well could have been the very busy week we've had with little time to actually sit down and read. I also have listened to the first two in the series and adored them on audio and maybe I was missing that here. HOWEVER, I'm still a fan and hope to read more in the future. I do absolutely love the setting and the Haven Inn. I like Maureen and I think I like the side characters (the inn regulars) even more. I would have loved more ghost time in this entry. I'd very much like to sign up for a visit to the Haven Inn. A good summer cozy mystery read.

This is the third in the "Haunted Haven" mystery series. I have read and enjoy the previous in series. This next in series is a perfect addition to the series. This series is set in Florida and our protagnist is Maureen who is a innkeeper. The series starts in the off season for Maureen.and her business is having financial issues.. She decides to put on a tournament for fishing prizes to gain visitors to the inn. When a murder occurs Maureen is on the case much to the chagrin of the local detective. The author has a fascinating sub plot here with historical meaning. The florida locals are their own entertaining characters in this series as are the two resident ghosts. This is a entertaining addition to the series with a fun sleuth and as always great characters. Well done to the author. I look forward to the next in series.

Haunting License is book #3 in the Haunted Haven Mystery series by Carol J. Perry.

This was a fun summer beach read. This story has everything I like when I want to escape reality for a while - likable characters, a lovable pet, great setting, and paranormal elements. The mystery was entertaining. This is the first book I’ve read in this series, but I plan to catch up on the earlier books.

Thank you to the author, Kensington Books, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

I enjoyed the characters in this cozy where an inn keeper, who mysterious inherited the Inn from someone she did not know or know why she was chosen to inherit, needs to drum up business during the slow season of June so decides to revive a fishing tournament. However, nothing runs smoothly, particularly when she comes across the body of a fisherman during a morning walk along the beach.

Maureen, the inn keeper, is a likeable character who overall is smart when it comes to investigating. She goes with other people to investigate and when there is a threat to her safety, she makes sure she isn't alone. Sometimes she doesn't do the completely safe thing but there aren't any oh, she deserves the Darwin award for this move. In addition to the normal characters, there are quite a few ghostly characters as well who haunt the town. They provide some interest but aren't major factors in the mystery accept for a few clues here and there.

There were some side threads to the story including finding out about how she was chosen to inherit the inn and a slow burn romance. The information about Native American burial mounds was interesting as well.

However, the culprit was obvious pretty quickly. In fact, the effort to catch the murderer took a while. During that entire time I was hoping there would be a surprise twist and that person wouldn't be the killer. No such luck. That lessened my enjoyment a bit.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Maureen is settling in well to her endeavours to take her inn into being a viable business.  She also seems to still have a habit of finding a dead body, this time floating in the sea.

Who could have been the cause of death, that is if it is murder. Maureen soon finds herself involved in discovering more and delving into  a past death, and the possibility of Indian artefacts being stolen.

Alongside this the day to day routines of all the staff at Haven Inn carry on. Plus Maureen’s relationship with Ted, the chef continues to make her happy.

The book has some mystery to it, but the culprit is pretty much known from the beginning, so it’s a matter of seeing how they are all going to trap him. An enjoyable addition to the series as we follow the day to day plans to improve the Inn,  this one is a very light cozy mystery.