"Haunting and Homicide (A Ghost Tour Mystery #1)" by Ava Burke is the first book in a new paranormal cozy mystery series. Set in New Orleans, Lou Thatcher is a ghost walk guide and tour company owner. Her tours are extra exciting because she actually can see ghosts so she knows where to get actual sights and even has some odd the ghosts playing along to give her tour guests a bit of a show.

That's where the mystery comes in. A rival tour owner thinks she's faking all the sighting and gets stabbed in the back trying to follow her for proof. So, now she can still see him and gets wrapped up solving what happened to him. She wants to help and she wants to clear her own name, mostly the later. I have to say I didn't suspect the actual culprit until right before the reveal.

On top of a newer business and being a suspect, her teenage half brother ran away from his dad and her mom, coming to Lou and her grandmother asking for their help. Lou's mom and step dad are a real piece of work. I hope they don't give her constant problems now that her brother has been allowed to stay with her, grudgingly by his dad mostly.

Haunting and Homicide is the first book in a new series by author Ava Burke. I was not previously familiar with this author, but the book description and setting had me intrigued. I was not disappointed. This is a very solid start to a new series. I very much enjoyed the characters, both the living and the paranormal. Each one had a part to play in moving the story along. The book itself had a good pace with plenty of plot twists that had me turning pages to see what would happen next. As I mentioned, the location and the paranormal element were both a big draw for me in deciding to read this book and I was not disappointed. I am looking forward to seeing where the author takes the characters and the series in future books.

I received a free copy of, Haunting and Homicide, by Ava Burke, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Tallulah Thatcher or :Lou as she is known, can see ghosts, when her rival is killed she can see his ghost too, can she solve his murder, and clear her name? An intriguing read.

This is the first cozy that I have read with a ghost tour heroine in it. I really enjoyed that aspect about it. It was refreshingly original. I love cozies, I mostly read cozies, however, it is nice that the main character is something other than a baker, chef, store owner, etc. And I really enjoyed that Lou has a gift, the gift of seeing and being able to talk to ghosts. I thought that was really neat.

And another thing that I really enjoyed about this book was Lou herself. She's spirited (pun intended lol), strong willed, protective of her friends and family, loyal, and hard working. She protects Bryce as if she was his mother, the way a mother should. Nan and Ron were a very nice addition as well. I spent a lot of time wishing that I could get a Nan hug lol. Bryce is a good kid. What he did may have been reckless, but I also thought it was brave. Sometimes it takes more guts to stand up to the people who are supposed to love us than it does total strangers. At the end of the day, you have to do what's right for yourself, nobody else.

I've read and seen a lot about New Orleans through books and movies and I wish all the time that I could visit it, at least once. This book really made me feel like I was there, the haunted parts sure lol but still there. I thought the story was really original and I just loved Lou's snark. She really has a lot of tenacity and grit in her character. I admire that a lot.

She may not have been super great at amateur sleuthing, but it was enough to get the job done and that is what counts at the end of the day. I loved meeting all of the ghosts, that was really cool. It made me feel so bad for Adam. I felt his loneliness and his despair. Overall, a very good start to the series. I look forward to reading the next book. I recommend!

Thanks to Net Galley, the publishers, and to Ava Burke for the ability to read and review this book. All opinions are mine and are completely honest.

This is a captivating supernatural cozy mystery set in the heart of the bayou. The story revolves around Lou, a paranormal expert who leads ghost tours infused with history and spectral encounters. What sets Lou apart is her unique ability to see and befriend ghosts, who enrich her tours in unexpected ways.

Everything takes a chilling turn when Lou's direct competitor is found murdered. With suspicions looming over her, Lou must rely on her ghostly friends to unravel the mystery and clear her name. The plot twists and turns kept me guessing until the very end, making for an exhilarating read.

Overall, "Haunting and Homicide" is a delightful blend of mystery, paranormal intrigue, and Southern charm. I can't wait to delve into more books by this author. Highly recommended for anyone who loves a good ghostly mystery!

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for allowing me to grab a digital ARC of “Haunting and Homicide”. I really enjoyed this book!

A great new series centered around Tallulah Tharacter , a tour guide in the Historic Garden District of in Louisiana. Among Ms. Tharacter’s many talents is the ability to speak with the dearly departed. This gift may help her business but a rival tour guide doesn’t appreciate her staling the spotlight. When the rival tour guide is murdered Tullulah must clear herself with a little help from her ghostly friends .

This has the potential to be a great series and I am looking forward to the next installment.

A good start to a new cozy mystery series. Lou has the ability to talk with ghosts, so is the perfect person to run a ghostly tour in New Orleans. When she stumbles over a dead body, of her stalker and fellow tour guide who disbelieved she could talk with ghosts, she is forced to help solve his murder, since she is prime suspect for obvious reasons. Doesn't help that Adam is cranky at being newly dead, and is not sure who killed him either. Good story and writing, and found it fun to read. Would recommend.

What a cute cozy mystery. I like the family dynamics as well as the ghost aspects. Looking forward to reading more in this series.

Lou runs a ghost tour and shop in New Orleans. Lou has a secret - her tours are authentic because she can see and interact with ghosts. When a competitor is killed after arguing with her, Lou is the main suspect which makes clearing her name asap important. Good thing she can talk to the victim's ghost.

First book in a cozy mystery series, full of likable, sympathetic characters - the living and the dead. Engaging mystery, fantastic descriptions with a real sense of place. Complicated family drama, a new adorable puppy, and a bit of romance make this a great fast-paced read. I loved that Lou, who can talk with ghosts, is terrified of puppets.

I really enjoyed this book. Loved the characters, both living and dead, each one had their own story and contributed to coming together to make this a great read which I finished in the early hours of the morning. The style was different to my normal read and was very American, it is based in Louisiana after all, so it added to the flavour and atmosphere of the story and gives the reader a feeling of being there. Looking forward to reading more from this author and will be recommending to others.

Lou, Tallulah, can see and talk to ghosts. She runs a ghost tour and tourist shop in New Orleans and lives with her young at heart gran. She has a crush on her friend's brother Dylan who is also a police officer. Events throw her into his path when a rival, who turns out to have been stalking Lou, is murdered and she stumbles across the body. She then talks with Adam's ghost who is understandably aggrieved by his new circumstances, but enlists Lous help to hopefully tack down the killer. This is nice and cosy reading. Neither motivating or overly compelling. The characters are rather bland and the story stereotypical and uninspiring. I read it just to get to the end.

An enjoyable first book in a potentially fun supernatural cosy crime series.

The characters were engaging, setting was good, great read.

Though I did shudder at them letting the "wormy" dog lick their faces. Hope he didn't share them.

Finally - I know I was reading an ARC of this book, but the continuity and general editing was appalling. Because it was an ARC, I've not let it affect my rating.... but please tell me there is a decent final edit before it's big day. I would hate for shabby editing to ruin an otherwise great book.

Honestly. I really loved this mystery! It kept me reading and held my interest. I thought the writing and story were very well done. Lou and the other characters were easy to connect to. I will definitely be looking forward to a continuation of these characters!

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley

Thank you Amber Camp, Crooked Lane Books, and NetGalley for allowing me to read Haunting and Homicide early (comes out January 21, 2025).

The first in a new series. Tallulah “Lou” Thatcher runs a ghost tour in New Orleans. And to her advantage, she’s able to see and talk to the ghosts. Unfortunately, one of those ghosts is a newly deceased (as in she finds the body) tour guide rival. Lou decides she needs to find his murderer before she’s the one under lock and key.

I really love this new series from Amber Camp. New Orleans, ghosts, family drama, a complicated relationship—all make for a great series in my opinion. I can’t wait to read more about Lou and all of her family and friends (living and not).

#HauntingandHomicide #NetGalley #AmberCamp #CrookedLaneBooks

I was excited for the opportunity to read this first in a new series. The New Orleans location was a huge draw for me and I love the idea of a "walking ghost tours" theme. It was a little disappointing for me in that I didn't really get the New Orleans feel and some aspects of the business were maybe a tad unrealistic and hard to picture. But overall, I enjoyed the story. I found the characters very likable. The family dynamic is definitely more "modern day" and less traditional cozy but it seemed to work. A solid start to a new series and I would definitely continue with the next book.

This is a charming cozy mystery with a good dose of new-age woke. On one hand, it’s a bit too good to be true; on the other, it’s a warm embrace of understanding, validation and closure. In an ideal world, everyone of us should have Nan’s love and Ron’s security. But reality is neither simple nor forgiving and quite often we’re left to deal with the unsavory parts of the story.

I didn’t like the mystery that much because to me it was more like a thriller. I instantly knew the key players in the story and I was just waiting to know how it’s gonna play out. It also lacked cohesiveness and there were points when it was just dragging.

But the core story, though! I LOVE THE CHARMING NOT SO ORDINARY FAMILY! The addition of the main character having an ability to see and communicate with ghosts is so cool. And a teenager, even a young person in general, who responds, “absolutely not” instead of, “ugh, like no! Like?!” is highly preferrable and I can only hope it’ll become a reality.

I love the author’s writing style, It just has that thing when two or a couple sentences in and you’re just hooked! She captured the emotions that came with the various issues that were taken up in the story. I hope anyone who reads this story finds a kind of closure. I know I did.

Haunting and Homicide is a book that can only be described as ‘cosy’, the type of book that you turn to when you need a read that will let you block out a rough day.

Throughout the story I was at a loss on who the murderer was, with everyone but the killer in my suspect list. As a crime/mystery book it was well done. I would love to read another of Ava Burkes books in the future

I absolutely loved this book. The characters were relatable and I like the side stories of the brother and grandmother. I honestly think this could make a wonderful series and hope there is more.

I think I'm gonna reread this during spooky season. This was pretty cozy. I always love a good New Orleans book.

Cute cozy with a dash of ghost whisperer, family dramas, unrequited crushes, and a bit of danger - with one adorable pup to steal the show. A fun read from beginning to end, sort of end, well, end for now!