A. W. Hartoin

It goes without saying that this oh so entertaining series by favorite author A. W. Hartoin just keeps getting better: funnier, new characters to get to know better and learning more about characters we already know, something you never would have imagined to be fixed, figured out or gotten rid of and that thread of strong family that runs throughout – things that still aren’t quite right, things that still need to be accepted, regrets, sorrow, hope.

Life in the St. Sebastian house is never dull. Life with the twins is never dull. They are clever, active, ambitious and exuberant. Considerate of their mother Libby and of Jess in the way that only teenage boys can be. Which is to say very considerate in intent but not always that considerate in fact. They try, but they always have another project going, another idea – or they’re just hungry. Mariah sometimes gets dragged along, sometimes joins in voluntarily, sometimes stubbornly decides to do her own thing. Considerate of her mother Jess and of Libby in the ways of a teenager girl, which is to say often very, very dramatic. And now, as the Christmas holiday is right around the corner, dull has moved the needle to frantic. There’s an extravagant Christmas pageant to put on, a ghost turkey infestation (and you thought the ducks were bad), a long-dead cop who just won’t go away and causes more trouble than you would think one ghost guy could do, and a new case involving a mysterious, secretive wealthy town resident, Alfie Nettles, who seems to have been murdered, but whose ghost won’t slow down enough from mischief making to help solve the crime. Add in the fact that this is the first Christmas without Hal for Jess and Mariah and that everyone is trying to cope with that.

Put it all together and you’ve got another well-plotted, fast-paced story with a dizzying number of events and clues that you keep you wondering and guessing (when you’re not laughing, groaning, or worrying about the residents of Number Eight) but all comes together and makes perfect sense in the end. And of course leaves a delightful little crumb of what might be next.

There’s a greedy family, an unexplained inheritance, an unsolved murder, random ghosts popping up here and there, often not knowing what to do so ending up doing the wrong thing and a new element tossed in for good measure – the ability to predict the future. Sounds great but maybe not so much. Libby’s mom is still staying with them, Libby has had to spend some time with Derek and it drives her crazy. Does she like it? Does she want to? Is the reason for his past behavior becoming any clearer, and does it even matter? Jess still doesn’t have Hal’s insurance, and Leo, the sexiest dead person ever, has a soft spot for Libby – whatever in the heck that means. So much going on, but it all blends together so perfectly into another delightful adventure in bizarre St. Sebastian, and every little hanging bit makes you want to keep reading to see where it connects and find the next hanging bit. And once again we are treated to a little blast from one of author Hartoin’s other not-to-be-missed series: a weird little oddball who can cook. Boy can he cook! Hello to Aaron.

Thanks to the author for providing an advance copy of The Trouble with Tinsel. I can hardly wait to get started in any new book of hers. It’s always a one-sitting read because I just can’t stop. This is another amazing addition to my Hartoin Library that I recommend without hesitation. I leave this review voluntarily; all opinions are my own.… (mais)