A Ghost of a Chance (A Viola Valentine Mystery) Paperback – June 30, 2017

A well written and imaginative ghost story of the first rank!. I fell in love with Viola in the first couple of paragraphs. Her pluck and determination along with her troubled past making Viola seem as real as possible.

Viola Valentine is at a crossroad in her life after Katrina destroys her home, her marriage, and a career she didn't want anyway. Her first travel writing assignment is filled with unexpected ghostly encounters, a century-old bunch of murders, and a frightening experience that makes her doubt her sanity. It's a great story. I would have given it 5 stars, but it had a lot of typos. Even so, I loved the characters, hated her mother, and loved watching her psychic abilities develop. I will definitely read more.

This is the .most bazaar paranormal murder .mystery I have ever come a cross.. It takes a while to get into but worth the effort.

Never loses speed- an interesting storyWell writtenI had to finish it in one readingI highly recommend this book

It was an engaging story with interesting, well written characters. I was left wanting to know what happens 'next'.Two things kept this from getting a better review. Most importantly (to me) were careless errors like "taunt muscles". Things that could have been caught by a decent proofreader. The other was the protagonist refusing to say no to her importunate ex. I'm not sure why that aggravated me as much as it did. These two things make me hesitate in getting the next book.

Hurricane Katrina gave newspaper report Viola Valentine the chance she needed to leave her dead-end job and loveless marriage. It also reawakened her ability to see dead people, an ability she had as a child, but stuffed down so far she didn’t even remember she had it. Now ghosts who have died by water are demanding her help in solving their mysteries.Post Katrina, she finally gets her dream job – being a travel writer. She also takes a job as a secret customer hotel; at least it helps her make ends meet, and she gets ideas for travel articles. But she finds that every time she’s near water, she sees ghosts who seek her help to solve their mysteries. This makes her life very complicated, because she’s still grieving the loss of her marriage, her job, her five-year-old daughter, and the life swept away by Katrina.I liked this story much more than I thought I would. I almost hit the delete key in the first 40 pages because the story is written mostly in present tense, and that usually irritates me. But the plot and the characters reeled me in this time; I got caught up in solving the various mysteries, and hooked by Viola and her complicated life. The characters are well-drawn and multi-dimensional, even the minor ones, and the scenes well-described. I felt like I was seeing the destruction of her home when she and her husband returned home right after the storm to see the damage. Also, the parts about newspapering rang true, adding depth to the plot.I enjoyed the author’s writing style: “The old guilt pours over me like concrete on Jimmy Hoffa” and “Whatever stitches pulled my broken heart back together, they ripped open in Katrina. How could the Corps of Engineers let eighty percent of our city flood? How could our president move in slow motion to come to our aid and why is recovery happening at a snail’s pace? I’m burying my child all over again.” I appreciate that the paranormal elements are plausible and dealt with in a real way. I’m intrigued at Viola’s attempts to make contact with her deceased daughter while she’s trying to help others “go toward the light.”I liked this book so much, I bought book 2 in the series and read it quickly as well. I’m pleased there are five or six more to go. I will read more in this series.

This book is so much fun to read. Viola is starting a new life. Her home in New Orleans was destroyed by Katrina. She has separated from her husband and is living in a tiny new place, miles away. Viola had a job at a newspaper, but now she's starting on a new career as a travel writer.As she's traveling to her first opportunity as a travel writer, she sees a woman singing in the airport but no one else seems to see her. The woman is soaking wet. As Viola begins visiting sites for her travel assignment, along with other travel writers, she veers off the path in a cave and encounters a ghost. As the story develops, Viola is drawn into trying to find out who the ghost is.I really enjoyed this book. The author has done her research for some of the basic backbone of the story, but she builds the story into her own work Although the book isn't at all similar to the Sue Grafton books (A is for Alibi), I found the writing style reminded me of her work. And I've been a fan of Sue Grafton for years. The story is well told. The story line takes some unexpected twists. I just recommended the book to my husband. I think any reader except for the youngest will enjoy this well written book.

Viola Valentine left her dead-end job and loveless marriage and losing her home after the hurricane but it also revealed that she has a special talent to see ghosts. As a travel writer and psychic Viola finds that she can help ghosts find out how they died. Viola’s first experience with ghosts happened when she sees a drenched woman singing at the airport and no one else can see her. I really enjoyed this wonderful paranormal mystery novel.

Viola Valentine, a struggling journalist is fighting to get her life back on track after losing home, belongings, her job and, most probably, her marriage after Hurricane Katarina devastates New Orleans. An unexpected offer of a week with a group of travel writers brings a ray of hope into her life and the chance to fulfil her lifetime ambition. Setting off on the trip, at the Airport, itself, she spots a drenched woman, dripping water on the floor and singing out loud, but no one else seems to notice. And this strange experience does not stop here. The trip through the beauty spots of North Arkansas and the beautiful vintage hotels is not just a regular sightseeing jaunt. A number of apparitions appear to her alone, and seem to be conveying messages. Her week of relaxation and pampering in luxurious hotels turns into a nightmare, when she finds the remains of long past murders and the police begin to view her with suspicion. An involved murder mystery with paranormal undertones to chill the reader.

Loved this book, I read it on my kindle from kindle unlimited sadly this is the only book in this series on kindle unlimited, so I will have to purchase the next book at a later date. I really enjoy the easy flow and gripping twists of this book, it also makes you think about hurricane Katrina and the people life after the floods etc. As well as a fabulous main character who has been thrown in to a murder mystery, on top off all her other problems.Really enjoy this book very much ♥️

Excellent work with the emotions in this story. The heroine is beautifully crafted - imperfect, impulsive and completely believable. The journey is unusual and the side characters are well conceived. A most enjoyable read.

Viola is not the typical heroine: she is often irritated and unjust, she's trying to hide from the dark places inside herself. But she is also lovable, her pain is absolutely understandable and she is (sometimes ;)) capable of self-criticism. The story is thrilling, entertaining and you want to read more!

I read through some reviews before I chose this book. They were not favourable.It has everything I like. Ghosts, mystery, a little bit of tragedy. The writing is epic. If you are a visual person when someone is detailing events or subject, if you are an empath, if you believe in historical hauntings then buckle up because this book is an amazing ride. The visuals are down right palpable and the whole story is time consuming. I've done nothing and need to get some chores done before I buy the next book. Mad respect to the author.