Nancy Drew Comes to Natchez

The Ducote sisters are solving mysteries again this time with ghosts involved. In Fixing to Die by Miranda James, the sisters Ducote travel to Natchez with their ward Benjy and their pets to help a friend of the family. Natchez is well known for its spirits and unusual occurrences so the sisters are prepared for odd happenings.

Mary Turner Catlin and her husband Henry Howard operate a B&B in her historic home, but odd occurrences have been happening in the house, especially in The French Room. The Room is decorated with furniture imported from France just before the Civil War. There are priceless antiques and Mary Turner doesn't want to change anything in the room.

An'gel is assigned the room and after the long journey she lies down for an afternoon nap. When she awakens she notices the dress she draped over the back of a chair is in a different place. An'gel draws on her readings of  the Nancy Drew mysteries, especially The Hidden Staircase and believes there must be a secret staircase or panel in the house which explains some of the strange goings on.

There are other strange unexplained things happening in other parts

of the house as well. There's a cold zone on the staircase, a shadow in the stairwell ceiling and objects in other rooms moving from their places. Is there a spirit roaming the halls or is there more?

While An'gel, Dickce and Benjy search for the secret panel, a woman named Primrose Pace who claims to be a pyschic medium and an expeller of unwanted spirits arrives. Shortly thereafter she is followed by Mary Turner's cousin Nathan Gamble, his obnoxious sister Serenity Foster and her lawyer Truscott Anderson Wilbanks IV. Nathan believes he has a claim to the house, which Mary Turner rejects completely. 

When someone dies, Dickce and An'gel step in like present day Nancy Drews to solve the case. These charming sisters may be in the 80s, but they know how to text and use computers. They are quite the pair. 

Another charming book from Miranda James. For my review of Bless Her Dead Little Heart click the link. For others books click here.