‘Cornish Gold at Summer’s End’ by Laura Briggs is the fourth book in the Return to Cornwall series. Another author I have not read previously. That is what I love about my hobby!! Discovering authors that I would normally overlook.
Rumours of a ghostly presence haunt Julianne’s Cornish autumn in the series’ charming fourth instalment.
What began as a bit of teenage mischief in the village quickly became stories of spooky lights and ghost sightings in the wood. Being sensible, Julianne is more worried about whether she can finish her kids’ costumes in time for the annual Halloween contest—and whether husband Matt and his eager assistants will be selected for the exclusive Brookshire Garden Design Competition. So when everyone in town begins flocking to the local ‘ghost walk’ tours Julianne assures her wide-eyed children it’s just a case of imagination run wild…until she experiences her own brush with the supernatural, that is.
Real or imagined, Julianne can’t shrug off what she saw or even bring herself to confide in sympathetic Matt for advice. Best friend Kitty is on hand to help, despite her usual family battles, including that of her cousins’ shady new scheme to profit from the town’s ghost mania. But even Julianne’s friends can’t fully understand her need to find a solution this time, one that leads her on a quirky quest from local lore, to meetings with the village’s ragtag paranormal club, and even a creepy abandoned cottage hiding secrets in the woods.
I have not read any other books in the series so this is my first introduction to Julianne, Matt, their family and community. A story that is more of a cosy mystery and I loved it. It revolves around Julianne and her Halloween preparations. The village is rumbling with the gossip of sightings of ghosts and Julianne thinks nothing of it until, of course, she has her own experience and decides she will get to the bottom of it sooner rather than later. This gave the story a rather seasonal flavour and I rather enjoyed it.
The characters in this book are by and large rather quirky which is fabulous as they stuck my head and came alive. I was hooked as much as Julianne with the mystery of it all. As the story unfolds, with it comes the idea that Julianne and her family may experience some changes on the horizon too.
An altogether great mystery read that is fabulously entertaining with a dash of humour in there as well!
Thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources and Laura Briggs for the copy of the book.
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