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Augusta Goodnight #2
An Angel to Die For
Prentice Dobson has just lost her job, her boyfriend, almost everything that has until now made her feel complete. To collect her thoughts and mourn her younger sister's recent passing, Prentice leaves the city for her small hometown in Georgia. But there is no comfort to be found in the beloved town of her youth-the town is aquiver with the news that her Uncle Faris' grave has been dug up, perhaps by vandals. And Prentice begins to doubt the simple reasons she has been given for her sister's death. She needs help, desperately.
Just in the nick of time, in steps the baggage-toting, wisecracking guardian angel, Augusta Goodnight, sent down from Heaven for just such emergencies. Perhaps Heaven's best angel-sleuth, Augusta usually tends to Heaven's vast strawberry fields, but for people at their wit's end, like Prentice, she is always on-call. In her guardian angel, Prentice finds the strength she needs to investigate the lives of her dead relatives, although, in the case of Augusta Goodnight, "dead" is relative. Resourceful, amiable, and literally down-to-earth, Augusta helps Prentice try to both uncover the reasons for her sister's death and cover her uncle's grave.
Mignon F. Ballard's charming and funny mystery, starring the unstoppable Augusta Goodnight, is the second in a series hailed by critics as "heavenly."
Just in the nick of time, in steps the baggage-toting, wisecracking guardian angel, Augusta Goodnight, sent down from Heaven for just such emergencies. Perhaps Heaven's best angel-sleuth, Augusta usually tends to Heaven's vast strawberry fields, but for people at their wit's end, like Prentice, she is always on-call. In her guardian angel, Prentice finds the strength she needs to investigate the lives of her dead relatives, although, in the case of Augusta Goodnight, "dead" is relative. Resourceful, amiable, and literally down-to-earth, Augusta helps Prentice try to both uncover the reasons for her sister's death and cover her uncle's grave.
Mignon F. Ballard's charming and funny mystery, starring the unstoppable Augusta Goodnight, is the second in a series hailed by critics as "heavenly."
320 pages, Hardcover
First published October 30, 2000
6 people are currently reading
168 people want to read
About the author
Mignon F. Ballard
31 books78 followersMignon Franklin Ballard grew up in a small town in Georgia, and now lives in Fort Mill, South Carolina.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
January 11, 2021
This was a cute book, and I enjoyed it more than the first one; Augusta was more present in this one. I look forward to reading more of this series.
December 29, 2017
A different kind of cozy mystery.
July 16, 2019
Linda, North River patron, July 2019, 5 stars:
A humorous mystery with lots of plot twists and the improbable inclusion of a guardian angel to the cast.
A humorous mystery with lots of plot twists and the improbable inclusion of a guardian angel to the cast.
January 23, 2021
The story was cute. Not as suspenseful as I hoped.
November 21, 2022
Not my type but I liked it.
October 26, 2011
Ballard, Mignon
Mystery
Prentice Dobson didn't think she had anything left to lose. Unemployed and abandoned by her boyfriend, who refused to say "I love you," Prentice returns to her family's home to mourn the recent deaths of her father and estranged sister. Trying to deal with big questions about her future, the last thing Prentice needed was more questions. But, when she stumbles upon an empty grave and an unidentified corpse, a ton of them are dumped into her lap. The gaping hole in the ground, once inhabited by an uncle who died in disgrace, sends Prentice on an enlightening search for answers to questions about her family's past and the secret life her sister lived before her untimely death. As she delves further into the mysteries, Prentice is confronted by a malicious family intent on robbing her of the small hope she discovers that she has left. Unable to cope with these challenges alone, Prentice needs someone to guide her. Her own mother is absent and her family members are no help, so it's a good thing that she's got a sassy, perky guardian angel with a penchant for beautiful clothes and a talent for cooking to watch over her. With Augusta Goodnight at her side, Prentice is able to unravel the mystery of her uncle's disappearance and her sister's life. Augusta's strawberry scented presence fills her with the courage and strength to set the foundations for a promising future after coming to grips with the past she's leaving behind.
This book is just right for a quick, cozy read. It has a homey feel that's charming and is sprinkled with delightful bits of humor and whimsy. The combination of two unconnected mysteries would be daunting for many others, but Ballard pulls it off well. Augusta doesn't play quite as big a role in this installment, which I actually liked. By focusing on the character development of the main actors, the author enriches the novel in a way that doesn't work as well when Augusta's presence fills every page. Overall, this was a delightful and quick read for someone who likes magic and Southern living but doesn't like the darker paranormal mysteries that are so popular now.
Mystery
Prentice Dobson didn't think she had anything left to lose. Unemployed and abandoned by her boyfriend, who refused to say "I love you," Prentice returns to her family's home to mourn the recent deaths of her father and estranged sister. Trying to deal with big questions about her future, the last thing Prentice needed was more questions. But, when she stumbles upon an empty grave and an unidentified corpse, a ton of them are dumped into her lap. The gaping hole in the ground, once inhabited by an uncle who died in disgrace, sends Prentice on an enlightening search for answers to questions about her family's past and the secret life her sister lived before her untimely death. As she delves further into the mysteries, Prentice is confronted by a malicious family intent on robbing her of the small hope she discovers that she has left. Unable to cope with these challenges alone, Prentice needs someone to guide her. Her own mother is absent and her family members are no help, so it's a good thing that she's got a sassy, perky guardian angel with a penchant for beautiful clothes and a talent for cooking to watch over her. With Augusta Goodnight at her side, Prentice is able to unravel the mystery of her uncle's disappearance and her sister's life. Augusta's strawberry scented presence fills her with the courage and strength to set the foundations for a promising future after coming to grips with the past she's leaving behind.
This book is just right for a quick, cozy read. It has a homey feel that's charming and is sprinkled with delightful bits of humor and whimsy. The combination of two unconnected mysteries would be daunting for many others, but Ballard pulls it off well. Augusta doesn't play quite as big a role in this installment, which I actually liked. By focusing on the character development of the main actors, the author enriches the novel in a way that doesn't work as well when Augusta's presence fills every page. Overall, this was a delightful and quick read for someone who likes magic and Southern living but doesn't like the darker paranormal mysteries that are so popular now.
March 3, 2014
Since I don't normally write reviews unless I have something specific to say, here's the break down of how I rate my books...
1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.
2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.
3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.
4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.
5 stars... I loved this book! It had earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.
1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.
2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.
3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.
4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.
5 stars... I loved this book! It had earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.
September 3, 2007
In this little book, Ballard tells a delightful story about the arrival of a guardian angel, Augusta Goodnight, to look after the main character who has endured a series of negative circumstances. This is a quick read for a flight or afternoon on a beach. Thoroughly enjoyable.
November 21, 2008
This is the 2nd book in this series of cozy mysteries with guardian angel Augusta Goodnight. Filled with a plethora of fun and quirky characters, I found this story to be a delightful and entertaining read and I look forward to reading the next installment.
September 8, 2007
2nd in series. An entertaining light mystery. Found this at the library book sale. Didn't realize it was the second in the series. But I enjoyed it enough to buy the first one.
January 25, 2011
A heartwarming, hopeful series that is quirky and fun to read, not maudlin as you might expect a book about guardian angels could be.
December 6, 2009
This was lovely mystery...i like things to remain puzzling to the end, and the warmth of augusta was oddly cheering even for me...
March 18, 2014
It was okay. The mystery of Faris was solved about 3/4 into the book. Not as good as a couple of her other books but still a quick, cozy read. I will be reading all of the Augusta Goodnight books.
May 28, 2013
Another "Angel" mystery. Some have more sympathetic main characters (other than the angel) than others. I never really felt much sympathy for Prentice.
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January 7, 2016good mystery
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews