Flora Reviews… Murder on the Sugarland Express (Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries #6) by Angie Fox
Quote from Murder on the Sugarland Express
“Frankie appeared in black and white, but I could see through him. Mostly. He wore a 1920s-style pin-striped suit coat with matching cuffed trousers and a fat tie. Oh, and he had a bullet hole in his forehead, courtesy of the last person he annoyed while alive.
Sometimes, it wasn’t so hard to understand why it had happened.”
My Ratings
Overall Rating: 5/5 – Plot: 5/5 – Flow: 5/5 – Character Development: 5/5 – World Building: 5/5
What’s Murder on the Sugarland Express about?
[book-info]
Read: 21st – 24th March 2019
Publication Date: 21st November 2017
I bought Murder on the Sugarland Express on Kindle and added the audio version because it was offered at a reduced rate. I alternated between reading and listening to the narration as well as reading along sometimes which is becoming my favourite way to “read” a book.

What did I like about Murder on the Sugarland Express?
I love Angie Fox’s writing style; I find her books very easy to read and I like the way she weaves all the elements of her stories together; the mystery, the strained relationship between Verity and the rest of the townsfolk of Sugarland who are loyal to the Wydell family and, of course, the ghosts and their issues. As a narrated book, again I was impressed with Tavia Gilbert’s performance; loving the pace at which she read the story and her tonal adjustments for the dialogue. I now look out for books narrated by Ms Gilbert when browsing Audible or Amazon.
As my regular followers will know, female protagonists have to have certain traits.
I prefer to read stories with intelligent, witty heroines who have plenty of gumption, resilience and who never give up. Verity is the epitome of a fantastic heroine for me. She’s loyal, funny and has a strong sense of moral obligation to help others (dead or living). Against all the odds, Verity’s resilient enough to weather the storm. Continuing her relationship with her ex-fiancé’s brother – hunky Ellis Wydell – all the while building her new ghost-hunting business.
I loved that the characters, both living and dead, were complex and multifaceted, all having their own stories, agendas and personalities.
This book surprised me on more than a couple of occasions.
I really liked that there were plenty of twists, turns and red herrings to satisfy my Miss Marple tendencies and keep my little grey cells busy. I love it when authors can surprise me. Ms Fox admits that she loves Agatha Christie novels. In my opinion, setting this gripping story aboard a train is paying fitting homage to the Queen Of The Cosy Mystery.
Although I wouldn’t class Murder on the Sugarland Express as a romance novel, I enjoyed how the relationship between Verity and Ellis has continued to develop throughout this series; the pace feels very natural and realistic. Ellis is definitely one of my book-boyfriends. *swoon* The romance between ghostly side-kick Frankie and his new gal, Molly is also a sweet addition to this story and builds on their new romance from the previous book.
OK, for a “cozy” mystery, I admit that I found some scenes quite frightening, there are plenty of tense moments and I think I actually held my breath for a few pages too – scary! I usually work out the ‘who dun it’ aspect in cozy books way before the big reveal but that wasn’t the case here and I loved that! But rest assured, dear reader, it’s not all bumps, jumps and scares, there are plenty of funny, light-hearted moments too and even a few romantic scenes that’ll just melt your heart.
Was there anything I disliked about Murder on the Sugarland Express?
No, I loved every page, hence the 5 star rating.
I don’t think you need to read any of the previous books in this series to enjoy Murder On The Sugarland Express. Ms Fox weaves any relevant information into this story beautifully. I’d also like to confirm that, as with all of the books in this series, the murder mystery aspect in the story – both living and ghostly – is concluded by the end of the book. Therefore, no nasty cliffhangers. Woop! Woop!
Basically, what I’m saying is…
I really loved this story, although some of the scenes were less than cozy. Murder On The Sugarland Express has all the elements that I look for in a 5-star story. I laughed, cried, was on the edge of my seat and was even scared at times. In short, I was gripped! Murder, mystery, humour and a couple of cute romances what more could a girl want!
I’d recommend this one to anyone who enjoys ‘cosy mysteries’ with a paranormal focus.
We get a sneaky teaser from the next book in the series Pecan Pies and Dead Guys. Which I’ve already bought and is waiting patiently on my Kindle. (Keep an eye out for my review soon.)
Has my review of MURDER ON THE SUGARLAND EXPRESS (SOUTHERN GHOST HUNTER MYSTERIES #6) encouraged you to find out more? I really hope so. Click on the links to check it out yourself. Keep reading to find out more about the Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries and Angie Fox.
Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries
The Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries sits comfortably in the ‘cozy mystery’ genre. Although, some of the ghostly scenes feel less than cosy. 😉 This murder mystery series is set in modern America – Sugarland, Tennessee to be exact – and features the town’s residents, both living and deceased. Each book contains a new self-contained mystery for our heroine, Verity, to solve.
Books in the Series
If you haven’t read any of the Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries books yet, it’s never too late to start your adventure. Read my thoughts on each one or buy them for yourself using the links below.
- Southern Spirits (Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries #1) (2015)
- A Ghostly Gift (Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries #1.5) (2015)
- The Skeleton in the Closet (Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries #2) (2015)
- Ghost of a Chance (Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries #2.5) (2016)
- The Haunted Heist (Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries #3) (2016)
- Deader Homes and Gardens (Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries #4) (2016)
- Dog Gone Ghost (Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries #4.5) (2017)
- Sweet Tea and Spirits (Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries #5) (2017)
- Murder on the Sugarland Express (Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries #6) (2017)
- Pecan Pies and Dead Guys (Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries #7) (2018)
- The Mint Julep Murders (Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries #8) (2019)
- The Ghost of Christmas Past (Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries #8.5) (2019)
- Southern Bred and Dead (Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries #9) (2020)
- The Haunted Homecoming (Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries #10) (2021)
Buy Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries in print, ebook and audio formats.
Amazon* ¦ Audible* ¦ Book Depository*
[about-author]
I love Tavia’s narrations, so here’s her bio too.
[about-narrator]
Thanks for taking the time to visit my blog and reading my review. I hope I’ve persuaded you to buy Murder On The Sugarland Express. 😉
I really LOVE this cosy paranormal mystery series. Therefore, you can find Angie Fox on my favourite amazing authors’ page. Have you read any of her books? Drop me a comment below.
Bye for now,
Flora x
0 replies on “Review: Murder on the Sugarland Express (Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries #6) by Angie Fox @AngieFoxauthor”
[…] Deader Homes and Gardens (Book #4), Dog Gone Ghost (Novella #4.5), Sweet Tea and Spirits(Book #5), Murder on the Sugarland Express (Book #6), Pecan Pies and Dead Guys (Book #7) or by searching the tag #Southern Ghost Hunter […]
[…] Deader Homes and Gardens (Book #4), Dog Gone Ghost (Novella #4.5), Sweet Tea and Spirits (Book #5) Murder on the Sugarland Express (Book #6) or by searching the tag #Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries […]