2.5 stars. ( )

Well, that was just... bad. Really bad.

I've been seeing this author's SP books around for ages, but never tried them because, SPA. But when this book was announced by Kensington, I figured this was a good time to give her writing a go, knowing there'd be professional editing behind it. It had elements I knew I'd enjoy: psychics, ghosts, vintage clothing and cats. Sadly, it didn't have any strong story-telling behind it.

Mostly, the book felt like as though the author was making it up as she went along. Dialog was choppy, it felt unnatural, and was often repetitive or contradictory. Or both. The plot was just weird - and not in a good, twisty way. There were holes - big holes that went right through key parts of the plot.

For instance, 4 identical handkerchiefs appear in the story that were all a part of a pack of 3. The person eventually unmasked as the murderer keeps trying to buy the victim's clothing back from Cookie and it's explained at the end it was because she thought Cookie had bought the murder weapon - a scarf. The same scarf the murderer threw away and was later found on the curb by Cookie's best friend. If she had it to throw away, why was she trying to buy it back from Cookie right up until the very end?
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I liked the psychic cat - except for her name (Wind Song???) but the cat was nowhere near enough to cover up the rest of the book's shortcomings. This is one for the give away box. ( )

Cookie Chanel loves vintage clothing. Her shop, It's Vintage Y'all, is filled with fashions from the 1920's to the 1990's. She keeps the racks filled with new goodies by frequenting estate sales. Imagine her surprise when she goes to the sale of a recently murdered socialite only to come home with the woman's ghost, along with several awesome vintage clothing pieces. The ghost of Charlotte Meadows refuses to leave (or shut up, for that matter) until Cookie agrees to help find her killer. Nobody else can see Charlotte, which means the entire town of Sugar Creek, GA thinks Cookie is a bit off, as she walks around talking to herself.

With the help of her good friend Heather, a magical white cat named Wind Song, and the ghost, Cookie is on the case.

I enjoyed this book, mostly because of the antics of the ghost. Charlotte can't be seen by anyone other than Cookie but she still makes snide comments and even attempts to punch people. And she always appears in new outfits with coordinating makeup somehow, despite being very very dead.

The cat was a cool addition to the plot, but seemed almost like an after-thought added just for cozy fluff or supernatural ambiance. As the owner of two awesome white cats, I was happy to see the kitty on the cover. It was interesting that Wind Song was a bit on the magical side, but it wasn't a key part of the story.

Clothing and the fashion choices of different characters are discussed a lot throughout the book because of the vintage clothing theme. At times the added details of what fabric something was made from or what sort of sleeves or collar is on a clothing item got a bit tedious. But it didn't harm my enjoyment of this book. The humor and fun antics of the main characters carried the story through any moments where I just didn't care what sort of purse coordinated with an outfit or what brand of vintage shoes Cookie found at an estate sale.

All in all, this was a funny, enjoyable cozy.

If You've Got It, Haunt It is the first book in the Haunted Vintage Mystery series. There are 3 books in the series so far. A fourth book, Haunted Is Always In Fashion, will be released November 29th. Rose Pressey also writes several other supernatural mystery series including the Halloween Laveau series. To find out more about the author and her books, check out her website: www.rosepressey.com ( )

I just recently started reading this Cozy Mysteries & so far I love them! Being a fan of Hallmark Mysteries for years you would have thought I would jump on this genre years go! But no, I have let good reading materials slip by for years. Well no more, on with the fun mysteries!

Well this wasn't Columbo, Murder She Wrote, Matlock, or Perry Mason but it is a delightful sweet treat to read. Fun & intriguing with a ghost & humanlike cat plus a hot detective. We solve a mystery but the author leaves many more unanswered questions....leaving you to come back for more. Which is great because I can't wait to read the others in this series! ( )

This is the first book in the Haunted Vintage Mystery Series. It was a good beginning to the series. It introduces us to the characters and gives us information about the town and some of the background. I enjoyed reading this book, it had some humour, some intrigue and the inkling that there will be some romance in the future.

Cassandra "Cookie" Chanel has opened a vintage clothing store, "It's Vintage Y'all" in the small town of Sugar Creek, Georgia. She travels to estate sales to find clothing to sell in her store. When she attends the sale at the home deceased socialite and real estate mogul, Charlotte Meadows, she realizes that the person she is talking to is the ghost of Charlotte herself. Because Cookie seems to be the only that can see her, Charlotte decides that Cookie will find her killer and solve the murder. Charlotte seems to be attached to Cookie and can not travel very far from her. When Cookie asks her friend, Heather, to help her get rid of the ghost, we find out that Heather does not really have any powers to commune with the spirit world, it is just her shtick she uses for her business. She does however believe that Cookie is seeing a ghost. Shortly after Charlotte appears to Cookie, a white cat arrives in her life. She names her Wind Song, after her grandmother's favorite perfume. Is Wind Song some kind of reincarnated spirit? How does she know how to spell things out with the Oujia Board or pick out tarot cards to warn Cookie? The murder of a private investigator in town trying to solve Charlotte's death, spurs Cookie to investigate further. Charlotte will not give her any rest until she solves the crime. Fortunately for Cookie, handsome Detective Dylan Valentine is hot on her heals while she puts herself in danger.

Cookie is a reluctant sleuth. She only investigates because Charlotte will not give her any peace. She is not very good at it either. She blunders into situations, asks blunt questions and is not sure what she should be doing. Heather is a hoot. For the proprietor of an occult store, she has not real powers, but is working to get information out of Wind Song. At the beginning of each chapter there are tips from either Cookie or Heather. I enjoyed the vintage clothing tips from Cookie and Heather's tips for corralling a ghost are funny. I look forward to reading more in the series, in fact the next one is ready to go. I am hoping to see where Cookie will go in her newfound "career" of investigating. ( )