Night of the Living Deed

By: E.J. Copperman

Narrated by: Amanda Ronconi

Welcome to the first Haunted Guest House mystery - the getaway every reader can afford.

Newly divorced Alison Kerby wants a second chance for herself and her nine-year-old daughter. She's returned to her hometown on the Jersey Shore to transform a Victorian fixer-upper into a charming-and profitable guest house. One small problem: the house is haunted, and the two ghosts insist Alison must find out who killed them.

©2010 Jeffrey Cohen (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Had a blast listening to this one!

Listened for fun (Audible)
Tracking Books Read Review (Short)
Overall Rating: 4.25
Story Rating: 4.25
Character Rating: 4.25

Audio Rating: 4.50 (not part of the overall rating)

First Thought when Finished: Night of the Living Deed had great characters, a solid mystery, and ghosts who added a bit of unusual to the story!

Story Thoughts: Confession: I picked up this book based on the fact that Amanda Ronconi narrated it. Yes I have gotten to the point where I will pick up books that I haven't heard of because of the narrators. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I actually enjoyed the story. I had not heard of E.J. Copperman but I think fans of Juliet Blackwell's Haunted Renovation series would really like this one. Alison is a strong leading lady, single mom, and she can see ghosts which is problematic at times. This particular element has a twist in that one of the ghosts is a private detective trying to solve his own murder. What ensues is just a fun who-dun-it with ghosts, moms, daughters, PTA's, and house renovations. Overall this was just a ton of fun and I can't wait for the 2nd one to come out in audio (these are older books so they are already out in ebook).

Audio Thoughts:

Narrated By Amanda Ronconi / Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins


Amanda Ronconi simply rocks in most cases and this was no exception. She pulled off Allison, her daughter, her mother, and the two ghosts extremely well. Her timing was dead-on and the personality used was perfect for the characters. I totally recommend this one on audio!

Final Thoughts: Night of the Living Deed surprised me with fun, ghosts, and a leading lady I could root for!

Good start

This is a good start to a new series of ghost haunting books. I enjoyed the characters and the quick pace of the story. I look forward to reading the next book.

A Skeleton as a Girls Best Friend

Would you listen to Night of the Living Deed again? Why?

I have listened to this book several times. It is one of my fun go to comfort books.

What did you like best about this story?

I loved the sense of humor and playful spirit of the series.

Have you listened to any of Amanda Ronconi’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes, and Amanda Ronconi does an excellent narration in all the books she reads.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

There were many laugh out loud parts of the book. It is clever the way Copperman makes Sid seem so viable.

Any additional comments?

If you want a out of the box story, this would be an excellent choice. It is skillfully written with humor. I could feel some sympathy for Sid in his plight of being just a skeleton with no memory of how he died and even less memory of how he became cognizant of himself and just a skeleton to get around with.

Give it a try.

I enjoyed the book. Very light and easy to listen to. My negative comment, which entirely personal, some people might find this a plus, is when Alison's gets too wordy about a back story in the middle of something happening. I like detail, so what I mean is when it involves chatter and not historic detail, or meaningful detail.
I'll probably try another of the books though.

David

Cute but not my thing

I stuck with this because it was a nice break from the industrial strength thrillers I usually pick. This is lightweight, a little silly, and kind of fun. It reminds me of a sitcom plot with a bunch of fun characters. I enjoyed it, but I won't continue the series.

Entertainment for paranormal fans!

I loved this fun and witty story with elements of mystery and historical fiction. The relationship between the struggling single mother of a preteen as they strive to find a new life on the Jersey Shore is spot on and heartwarming. You won't be disappointed and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of this series!

Fun happy haunting

Nice start to a haunting series with recurring characters to make it fun.
Good narration and story does move along at a good pace.

Entertaining and rated PG.

I ws so happy to find this sweet story. I don't mind a higher rating, but a PG paranormal can be difficult. I was pleasantly surprised with this one. A good narrator and I wish to continue the series next to see what happens.

Great for a lighthearted listen

So much going on in the world today that my stress level goes off the chart at times but I’ve discovered that something light slows me down. So while this isn’t rocket science it takes my mind off negatives I may be dealing with at the time. It’s a little goofy but almost a nerve pill when I listen before dozing off.

7 BEDROOMS, 4 BATHS, 2 GHOSTS AND LOTS OF LAUGHS

I loved this first book in the Haunted Guesthouse Mystery Series and the sequel is already on my “to read” list. It is light, funny, and yet fast-paced. The perfect kind of cozy.

Alison moves home to the Jersey shore with her nine year old daughter, Melissa. She has purchased a 100 yr. old Victorian house. Using the skills she learned from her father, she plans to fix the house up to use as a "guesthouse" (NOT a B & B) to support she and her daughter.

The cast of characters include: the husband of her girlfriend who gives advice on the renovations, Alison's mother who she is not always fond of, a police detective, and the ghosts, Maxie Malone and Paul Harrison. All add color and humor to the story.

Not long into the renovation process Alison discovers that two people died in the house and that is why it was underpriced. They are still there but she is the only one who can see and talk to them. They have their own agenda. They want Alison to find out who killed them and why. The case is ruled as a suicide but they did not kill themselves regardless of what the police say. Paul was a P.I. so he will instruct Alison through the investigation. All is not well along the New Jersey shoreline but it sure is funny.

Amanda with her sarcastic voice makes the story come alive and the humor flow.