Monday, December 8, 2014

The Ghost and Mrs. MEWER {+ Giveaway}


9780425262566 The Ghost and Mrs. Mewer by Krista DavisIt’s a fun day here at Thoughts in Progress as I welcome author Krista Davis back to talk about her latest release, THE GHOST AND MRS. MEWER, the second installment in her Paws and Claws Mystery series.

To celebrate this release, thanks to Krista and the lovely Danielle at the Penguin Group, I have a copy of this delightful cozy murder mystery to giveaway. Please see the end of the post for additional giveaway details.

Here’s a synopsis of THE GHOST AND MRS. MEWER:

Wagtail, Virginia, the top pet-friendly getaway in the United States, is gearing up for a howling good Halloween—until a spooky murder shakes the town to its core . . .
        Holly Miller doesn’t believe in spirits, but the Sugar Maple Inn is filled with guests who do. The TV series in development, Apparition Apprehenders, has descended on Wagtail’s annual Halloween festivities to investigate supernatural local legends, and Holly has her hands full showing the ghost hunters a scary-fun time.
        But the frights turn real when Holly’s Jack Russell, Trixie, and kitten, Twinkletoes, find a young woman drowned in the Wagtail Springs Hotel’s bathhouse—the spot of the town’s most infamous haunting. The crime scene is eerily similar to the creepy legend, convincing Holly that the death wasn’t just accidental. Now she’ll have to race to catch a flesh-and-blood killer—before someone else in town gives up the ghost . . .
 
Now please join me in giving Krista a warm welcome as she talks about …… ‘Ghosts.’ Welcome, Krista.

I am fascinated by ghosts. Not so much the dark, scary ones depicted in movies. It’s the general concept that interests me. Are they real or not? 

So many people have seen ghosts and had experiences with them, yet a lot of people think it’s all nonsense. Apparently, almost three-fourths of Americans believe in something paranormal. That figure includes belief in extrasensory perception, haunted houses, and reincarnation as well as ghosts. That’s pretty impressive. It’s hard to dismiss something that so many people believe is real.

cat5I also find it intriguing that ghosts aren’t limited to any particular group. People of all nationalities around the world tell ghost stories and believe in ghosts. Doesn’t it mean something that ghosts are such a widespread phenomena?

For THE GHOST AND MRS. MEWER, I thoroughly enjoyed researching the issue from both sides. One of the characters is a ghost debunker. It’s her job to provide the rational explanation for ghostly sightings and events. On the other hand, a whole bunch of ghost hunters have arrived in town, and they have a different perspective. They spend their nights in search of ghosts, trying to prove that they’re real.

While the non-believers have quite a few theories about ghost sightings and events, many of their theories are almost as hard to prove as the existence of ghosts. So what did I conclude after all my research? That there’s a lot we don’t know about this world, or the next!

Krista, thanks for joining us today and sharing this insight into your ghost research. You are so right, there is a lot we don’t know about our world or the next.

Let me share a bit of background on Krista for those who aren’t familiar with her.

New York Times Bestselling author Krista Davis writes the Paws & Claws Mysteries for animal lovers that debuted in December with MURDER, SHE BARKED. The sequel, THE GHOST AND MRS. MEWER, arrived in bookstores on December 2nd. 

Krista also writes the Domestic Diva Mysteries. Her 8th Domestic Diva Mystery is THE DIVA WRAPS IT UP, a Christmas mystery, and is in bookstores now. 

Like her characters, Krista has a soft spot for cats, dogs, and sweets. She lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia with three dogs and two cats.

For more on Krista and her writing, visit her website and connect with her on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. You can also find her blogging at Mystery Lovers Kitchen and Killer Characters.

Now for my thoughts on this entertaining cozy.

THE GHOST AND MRS. MEWER by Krista Davis

Animal lovers will appreciate the concept of a pet-friendly inn and mystery lovers will enjoy the suspense and intrigue in THE GHOST AND MRS. MEWER by Krista Davis.

In this second installment of the Paws & Claws Mystery series, developers for a TV series, Apparition Apprehenders, are in town to investigate rumors of paranormal activity. They’re all staying at the Sugar Maple Inn and Holly Miller has her hands full as she tries to help the owner (who is also her grandmother) makes sure they have a pleasant stay. But what could go wrong when the inn caters to human and pets alike?

When ghost debunker Eva Chevalier arrives, Holly likes her and her cat, Mrs. Mewer and hopes there won’t be any trouble. But when a member of the Apprehenders team is found murdered near the haunted Wagtail Springs Hotel, Eva becomes a suspect. 

Holly, along with her dog, Trixie, and her cat, Twinkletoes, are determined to clear Eva’s name and find the real killer. With the help of a few other friends, Eva is on the scent of a dangerous killer.

Davis blends the love of pets with the suspense of a murder mystery for an entertaining read. She places them in a town that has character all on its own. With the events taking place near Halloween, the setting is more enthralling.

The characters are quirky, fun-loving and likable. The story moves at a good pace holding your attention from beginning to end. Davis complements the story with a dose of humor and a touch of romance for a well-balance adventure.

THE GHOST AND MRS. MEWER can be read as a standalone. An added bonus are numerous recipes for both humans and pets included at the end.
Readers don’t have to be pet owners (or pet lovers) to appreciate this captivating mystery.

The Ghost and Mrs. Mewer by Krista Davis, Paws and Claws Mystery Book #2, Berkley Prime Crime, @2014, ISBN: 978-0425262566, Paperback, 320 Pages 

FTC Full Disclosure – A copy of this book was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review. The thoughts are completely my own and given honestly and freely.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

This giveaway is for one print copy of THE GHOST AND MRS. MEWER. The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and will end at 12 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 16. 

To enter, just click on the Rafflecopter widget below and following the instructions. The widget may take a few seconds to load, so please be patient. The winner from this giveaway will have 72 hours to respond after being contacted or another winner will be selected. The email will have ‘Thoughts in Progress Krista Davis’ Tour’ in the subject line, just so you know what to watch for (in case it goes into your spam folder).

Thanks so much for stopping by today. What are your thoughts on ghosts? Have you ever had an experience involving a ghost? If you could see a ghost, who would you want to see?

*This post contains affiliate links.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

25 comments:

  1. I have never had an encounter with a ghost. However, I do believe they exist, there are too many incidents of ghost sightings and escapades to be ignored. kaye.killgore@comcast.net

    ReplyDelete
  2. That's cool that her pets' likenesses are on the cover.
    I had a weird encounter once. There is definitely another realm out there that harbors ghosts.

    ReplyDelete
  3. The house I grew up in was haunted, so I believe in ghosts.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I like to believe in ghosts. I do have some unexplained "happenings".

    lag110 at mchsi dot com

    ReplyDelete
  5. Mason - Thanks for sharing this. You never know what's going to happen when a TV film group comes to town...

    ReplyDelete
  6. Love the title, hope to get a chance to win it :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. I don't believe in ghosts but I do like to read about them!

    skkorman AT bellsouth DOT net

    ReplyDelete
  8. such a meowlicious title it is :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thanks for hosting Krista today, I can't wait to read the book! I do think there are plenty of things we just don't know about. As far as meeting a ghost, wouldn't it be interesting to just meet a "normal" one, say your first ancestor that came to this country or something and find out that they were as normal as you!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Thanks for the chance to win/read this book. Not sure ghosts are here or not. If so meeting one could be very interesting. Imagine talking to Lincolnor one of the crusaders.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Krista, thanks again for visiting with us. I love the setting for this series. Wishing you much success.

    Hi all. Thanks so for stopping by. :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. I haven't encountered ghosts and would not discount their existence. thanks for this intriguing giveaway. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  13. That title reminds me of the old TV show, The Ghost and Mrs, Muir. No, I have never seen a ghost. The only thing close to it was after my brother died, I still felt his presence.

    CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  14. I have never seen a ghost, but I find the whole idea interesting and I don't negate it. As for who would I like to see, it's hard to say, I have a funny feeling no matter who it would be I would wet myself and have a heart attack, lol.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. oops forgot my email,
      momzillasteel at gmail dot com

      Delete
  15. A cat. A dog. A ghost and an allusion to one of my favorite stories. How can I resist? cleemckenzieATgmailDOTcom

    ReplyDelete
  16. That's a good play on words from an old drama that I loved - The Ghost and Mrs. Muir.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Sounds like so much fun! Thanks for the tip :)

    ReplyDelete
  18. I am not a believer of Ghosts.
    CABWNANA1@bellsouth.net

    ReplyDelete
  19. Cute! I watched The Ghost and Mrs. Muir once...it was certainly interesting! This looks like a great story, too.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I like the title and the book cover. Mason, thanks for sharing about this book.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I have never seen a ghost but two members of my family have seen a close relative that had just passed away.

    ReplyDelete
  22. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  23. i am a huge fan of krista davis. every book has been just really fun to read. i don't believe in ghost either but if i could talk to one, it would be my brother. i would like him to know how well his children are doing.

    ReplyDelete

I'd love to hear your thoughts on today's post. Thanks for dropping by.