Looking to drum up some business during the slow season, Maureen decides to resurrect an old fishing tournament. Which soon turns into a memorial tournament when a local fishing captain is found dead on the beach.

Having found the body, Maureen feels compelled to dig and find out who had it in for the popular man. But will her tournament be bringing business or a killer to Haven?

Another great entry in this enjoyable series set on the Florida water front. With ghosts, adorable pup, and a solid whodunit, you’re in for a treat!

recipes, preternatural, cozy-mystery, Florida, friendship, friends, local-law-enforcement, small-business, small-town, innkeeper, inheritance, ghosts, restoration, amateur-sleuth, competition, fishing, investigations, pet-dog, cold-case, murder, suspense, Indian Mounds, antiques, archaeologist, verbal-humor*****

I read book one in 2021 and the next in 2022, so I feel safe in saying that this next one in 2024 is easily a standalone.
One cold case and one new murder are at the center of the investigations that affect the Inn. Also near the Inn are some seldom-seen helpful ghosts and more than a few suspects relevant to BOTH murders. Add in some antiques and plans for improvement to the Inn and here is a great story with some very engaging characters. Loved it!
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
#HauntedHavenMysteries3

“Haunting License” is a great addition to Author Carol J. Perry’s ‘Haunted Haven’ cozy mystery series! Protagonist, Maureen Doherty is looking for ways to increase business for the Inn, and gets the idea for a fishing tournament from some of the contents in an old trunk left by the Inn’s previous owner, Penelope Josephine Gray. The whole gang from the previous two story’s are back in this one, and there’s a doozy of a murder mystery to solve, plus a cold case from 20 years ago. Everyone helps. I thought the culprit was fairly transparent, but readers can judge that for themselves.

I really enjoy the helpful story cast—the front porch rockers; Chef Ted; interior decorator friends, Trent and Pierre who build a gorgeous gift shop for Maureen; the Inn ghosts—Lorna and Reggie—and Officer Frank Hubbard, to name a few. There’s just the right amount of humor to the story—I particularly enjoy ghost Lorna who loves helping herself to the women guest’s clothing when they’re not wearing it! Plus, I enjoyed learning about the bird species.

The plot is lively, entertaining, and thought provoking with the Indian Mounds the center of the crime and mystery. I highly recommend this story and the series!

I honestly reviewed an unedited arc provided by NetGalley and Kensington Publishing. All opinions are my own.

Haunting License Review By E. B. Davis For 4/10/24 posting

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…

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 . . .
Amazon.com

Haunting License is the third book in Carol J. Perry’s the Haunted Haven mystery series. I interviewed her on the first two books and was delighted by the ghosts frequenting the old inn. But I wanted the ghosts to be part of the sleuthing process. In this book, one ghost overhears a conversation and relays it to main character, Maureen. The ghost provides a key clue in discovering the identity of the murderer. For me, this was the element making the book special.

Local detective Frank Hubbard continues to be passive aggressive, which adds tension. It’s a wonder Maureen doesn’t get in his face because he can be annoying. He acknowledges that Maureen has a talent for solving mysteries, but all he wants are clues from her. When she actually sleuths, he scolds her about amateur detectives and danger. However, in this case he is right, which doesn’t make Maureen back off. Perhaps because she has found a friend and partner in one of the inn’s guests.

The looting and selling of artifacts from Native American Mounds is the crime involved, a violation of the Archaeological Resources Protection Act. The mounds can be found throughout the country wherever there are/were Native lands, including the northern Florida location of Haven, although a fictional town there must be these formations in the real world nearby. When Maureen and one of the inn’s guests, an archeologist and mound expert, witness a man confiscate stolen treasures from a mound, they are threatened and set themselves up as bait to trap the killer.

One subplot: Before inheriting the inn, Maureen was a buyer for a department store. In creating a gift store in the inn, Maureen gets to employ her old skills while practicing her new sleuthing skills. Another—reviving a fishing tournament to increase inn/town business during the slack season.

This book is an enjoyable read filled with nonthreatening ghosts, Finn, Maureen’s pet Golden Retriever, feral cats, delectable inn dining room menus, a bit of romance, and fun characters. Buy this one before heading out to the beach this summer.

Maureen and the gang are at it again, this time solving the murder of a local boat captain and trying to figure out who is digging up the indian artifacts. The ghosts are helping as well as some new characters. It's a great 3rd installment in the series- i enjoyed reading it and am looking forward to the next one!

Haunting License by Carol J. Perry is a great cozy mystery that is the third book in the Haunted Haven Mystery series.

I have just really enjoyed all three books thus far in this series, and I really like the paranormal threads that are infused into this series that takes place in Haven, Florida with Maureen as our MC and amateur sleuth. Finn is so cute, and this gives the reader a nice balance between a coastal backdrop and culture with a Northeastern spirited vibe.

The murder/mystery was fun as always and I really am looking forward to future books.

4.5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Kensington Books/Cozies for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 6/25/24.

"Haunting License (A Haunted Haven Mystery #3)" by Carol J. Perry. Is a casual paranormal cozy mystery. By casual I mean that there are ghosts that are supposedly everywhere in this town. Many of them in Maureen's inn that she owns and runs. That seems to be it for paranormal activity, it's a pretty normal cozy mystery otherwise.

When a local charter boat captain is found dead on the beach many other mysteries get revealed. At the same time Maureen is trying to draw in business with a fishing competition that she decides will be in honor of the victim. She gets sucked into figuring out what happened to this captain and if it's got something to do with the death of a fisherman at the original fishing competition she's trying to revive.

About two-thirds of the book was the mystery. The last third was them trying to figure out where the suspect, at that point they were pretty sure who did it, was hiding.

I found it to be a very entertaining book. I hadn't read the previous books in the series and I think I will now. This book read well fairly stand alone. However, I did feel la tiny bit like I may have liked it more if I'd read the previous books first.

This was. a cute cozy mystery. It was the third book in the series but it worked well as a stand alone story. I loved the characters and they mystery kept me guessing until the end.

I thoroughly enjoy this series and all of the characters. I'm pleasantly surprised with how well Carol J Perry is able to spin new stories that still seem rather plausible considering the setting is a small town. For anyone interested in a cozy novel, with a fun little paranormal twist, this is a series for you!
Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expresed are mine and mine alone.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6308333416

Haven, Florida is a beautiful place- beaches, food, shopping and another murder. Maureen Doherty is dragged into a mystery that may be the end of her business or her life. With a fashionista ghost, a handsome chef and her quirky friends, Maureen is on the case.

I love Carol J. Perry's books and this one is a puzzling mystery and a fun read. In this series, Maureen works with the local detective to solve crimes. She's smart, good-hearted and relatable. The mystery has twists and turns that kept me guessing. Be sure to have something g to snack on because the food descriptions are wonderful.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Maureen is learning to manage the inn that was left to her by a stranger, but she's still wondering how to make it a permanent paying business. She loves her new home in Haven, Florida, and is becoming familiar with everything, including the fact her new plans for a gift shop on the premises is firming up.

While walking her golden retriever Finn on the beach one morning she sees what appears to be a body floating next to shore. She calls her friend Officer Frank Hubbard. He discovers that the dead man is Eddie Manuel, a charter boat captain, but doesn't know why he would be there, or who would have wanted to kill him -- because he's sure it wasn't an accident.

While Maureen tries to stay out of the investigation, she digs into her benefactor's old trunk and finds enough information on an old fishing tournament that she decides to revive in order to bring business to the town and, of course, to her inn. With the town and fishermen on her side, she has enough people to make it worthwhile.

But one of her guests is a photographer for a small birding magazine -- and once Maureen meets his boss, she thinks the man is creepy. Another guest who is an archaeologist, puts thoughts in Maureen's head that things around there aren't on the up and up, and Eddie might have stumbled across something he shouldn't have. Should Maureen stay out of it and just plan the tournament? Or should she go with her gut feelings and put herself in harm's way?...

This is the third book in the series and I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed it. I love books that have friendly spirits in them, and even if the scenes were sparse, they were still fun to read. At times, Maureen's ghosts do give her the information and unexpected turns that she needs. I'd love to say more on the subject, but I don't want to spoil the book for others.

The plot was done very well, with enough twists and turns to keep me interested throughout. I love how the author weaves together different storylines that connect somehow, and eventually the key to finding the truth shows up in an unusual way.

By this I mean that when the climax does come, it is unexpected, although we are given a clue a little earlier on by what actually might occur, but it still surprises, and the ending itself is rather a treat to read. There is also an epilogue that tells us the outcome, and gives us something to look forward to in the next book, of which I eagerly await. Highly recommended.

I read so much I had forgotten I’d read the first two books in this series. No matter, I do enjoy this author’s writing, and I dived in. I just love how Maureen is making a go of running the inn, and she is getting more settled with each book. I also love her employees, and how helpful and friendly they are. We are introduced to a few new characters, and there were two I hope we see more of in future books. The mystery was fun and engaging, too. This is a well-written, fun, and great addition to the series, and I’m hoping for many more. Highly recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of HAUNTING LICENSE (Book 3 of the Haunted Haven mystery series) by Carol J. Perry in exchange for an honest review. After the excitement of Christmas and renovations on the inn, tourism is in a slump, and Haven House Inn’s rooms are empty. In order to pay the bills, Maureen finds inspiration from the past. Maureen, with community support, revives the June fishing tournament and names it in honor of a recently deceased charter boat fisherman Eddie Manuel. However, as anglers and others show up for the competition, Maureen finds herself looking to the past and linking Eddie’s death with that of a contestant from the first and last fishing tournament twenty years ago.

I like this book and enjoy the series. I recommend this book to fans of the series. I recommend this book to fans of paranormal cozy murder mysteries featuring haunted towns, inns, and ghosts.

#HauntingLicense #NetGalley

#HauntingLicense #NetGalley is the third book in this great series by Carol J. Perry.
Maureen Doherty has inherited Haven House Inn, located in Haven, Florida. The inn sounds beautiful, and it comes with a few spectral guests, which adds excitement to the story.
In this book, while running on the beach with her dog Finn, Maureen discovers the body of a local fisherman, and this sets forth an investigation that includes theft and lies.
The staff and the guests add a lot of color to this book, and of course, the ghosts add a bit of fun as well.
Maureen is still understanding how she became the recipient of such an inheritance, and the discoveries she finds in a locked trunk shed some light onto the mystery.

I really liked this story, it was well written and grabbed my attention from beginning to end.
All the characters are likeable and easy to relate to, which makes this such a fantastic series.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of the book.
I'm excited to recommend this story to other readers.