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Ghost Light
Theodosia "Teddy" Ballard knows nothing about community theater, but when the stage manager for “Little Shop of Horrors” takes a tragic header down the costume-loft stairs, she agrees to fill in for the sake of her actor friend, Will. Teddy takes the superstitions and swelled heads of The Stage in stride—till she meets George Clancy Everhart, the theater ghost, who informs her that the previous stage manager was murdered and demands that she find the killer. Both investigation and rehearsals are complicated when she makes a surprising discovery about her relationship with Will—and learns that George has his own dramatic agenda.
- GenresCozy Mystery
288 pages, Hardcover
First published June 14, 2022
2 people are currently reading
42 people want to read
About the author
Jane Tesh
38 books172 followersJane is a 2022 Book Excellence Award Finalist for her fantasy novel, Butterfly Waltz and a 2023 Book Excellence Finalist for her mystery novel, Ghost Light.
Jane lives and writes in Mt. Airy, North Carolina, the real Mayberry. She is the author of the Grace Street Mystery Series, the Madeline Maclin Mysteries, four fantasy novels, and over thirty plays for children.
Jane lives and writes in Mt. Airy, North Carolina, the real Mayberry. She is the author of the Grace Street Mystery Series, the Madeline Maclin Mysteries, four fantasy novels, and over thirty plays for children.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
July 15, 2022
I was super excited to read this mystery because I have enjoyed this author in the past and the main character is asexual which is not representation I see often enough. Maybe my excitement was a little too high, but I found this book difficult to get into. The mystery started very, very slowly and continued that way until the last little bit where all the pieces crashed together. There is a lot of information about the theater which I feel like would be more interesting if you don’t know much about the theater. The characters were likable and I liked the addition of the theater ghost. Teddy has struggled to hold down a job and while on the way to an interview her roommate starts a fire forcing her to look for a new job and a place to live at once. Luckily her friend Will got her a job as stage manager and it comes with an apartment near the theater. Teddy has OCD and is struggling to let go of the pieces not making sense about the last stage manager’s untimely death. I did very much enjoy Teddy’s path to realizing and accepting that she is ace, that part felt very realistic. Overall I give it 3.5 stars rounded up for the potential of the series and the representation.
August 5, 2022
What do you do if your grandmother with dementia and a theater ghost both tell you the previous stage manager's accidental death was actually murder? Well, if you are Theodosia ("Teddy") Ballard, you start investigating! This cozy did a great job of remaining somewhat light and entertaining while also including some deeper plot points. I loved how each chapter was subheaded with a theater superstition. Wow! I would struggle to follow all of then and would probably doom any play I was in! There was strong character development, especially Teddy and her best friends Will and Nate, and I loved the small town feel of Rossboro, NC. I can see this being the first of a series of cozies, and I'm there for it! I enjoyed Teddy's evolution and exploration of her own sexuality but wish it had taken place over several books and wasn't as easy as I felt it was portrayed. While I would love a world where everyone was accepted for their authentic selves, it felt a tad unrealistic in that aspect, but perhaps there will be future bumps for Teddy? Again, I'll be there for it! And while this story did feature a ghost (because don't all theaters have ghosts?), I didn't get that overwhelming paranormal feeling from the book. I'm looking forward to learning more about Teddy's past and seeing what mysteries she might stumble upon in the future!
Thank you to Cozy Mystery Review Crew and Jane Tesh for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion.
Thank you to Cozy Mystery Review Crew and Jane Tesh for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion.
August 21, 2022
This was a fun cozy mystery. When Teddy's house burns down, she takes a new job as a stage manager for a local theater. One of the perks of the job is a cottage to live in. Teddy has never worked in the theater before, and it was interesting learning about the job with her. She also meets the theater ghost, George, who tells her the person who previously held her job was murdered. As Teddy begins to immerse herself in the theater, she also finds clues to what really happened.
Teddy was a great character, and I loved her platonic relationship with her best friend, Will. I enjoyed how Teddy came to the realization that she is asexual, and that is not talked about much in books. I would definitely read more books about these characters.
I received a free book from the Cozy Mystery Review Crew and the author in exchange for my honest opinion.
Teddy was a great character, and I loved her platonic relationship with her best friend, Will. I enjoyed how Teddy came to the realization that she is asexual, and that is not talked about much in books. I would definitely read more books about these characters.
I received a free book from the Cozy Mystery Review Crew and the author in exchange for my honest opinion.
August 16, 2022
Ghost light is an entertaining, lighthearted mystery. The theater life, ghostly encounters, and touching on themes of asexuality and OCD were a fun combination!
I enjoyed being immersed in the world of local musics theater during this read. I’ve not ever been in a play (beyond “The Scottish Play” in fifth grade), and it was really fun to learn more about the behind-the-scenes terms. Because our protagonist, Teddy, is new to the theater world, readers get to learn along with her. I also enjoyed the inclusion of the superstition at the beginning of each chapter.
I love cozies with a ghostly sidekick, and George was an interesting character. He’s a bit of a mystery himself and I enjoyed his bits of the story quite a lot.
As I mentioned above, this book briefly touches on asexuality and I enjoyed that. I didn’t know much about this topic, and when Teddy had her revelation, I put the book down and read up on the topic. One thing I really love about cozies like this is the exposure to new types of people or niche ways of living that gives me an opportunity to learn more. As for Teddy’s OCD, I am glad for the opportunity for others to learn a little more about OCD, being someone with it. The only thing I wished is that the author had done a little more research on the treatment of OCD and written her supporting characters to be helping Teddy beat her compulsions, rather than buying in. Every time someone would help her perform her rituals I had to groan, because in real life, it makes OCD sooo much worse. Poor Teddy.
Overall this was a fun read, and I’m a little sad that it won’t be a series.
I enjoyed being immersed in the world of local musics theater during this read. I’ve not ever been in a play (beyond “The Scottish Play” in fifth grade), and it was really fun to learn more about the behind-the-scenes terms. Because our protagonist, Teddy, is new to the theater world, readers get to learn along with her. I also enjoyed the inclusion of the superstition at the beginning of each chapter.
I love cozies with a ghostly sidekick, and George was an interesting character. He’s a bit of a mystery himself and I enjoyed his bits of the story quite a lot.
As I mentioned above, this book briefly touches on asexuality and I enjoyed that. I didn’t know much about this topic, and when Teddy had her revelation, I put the book down and read up on the topic. One thing I really love about cozies like this is the exposure to new types of people or niche ways of living that gives me an opportunity to learn more. As for Teddy’s OCD, I am glad for the opportunity for others to learn a little more about OCD, being someone with it. The only thing I wished is that the author had done a little more research on the treatment of OCD and written her supporting characters to be helping Teddy beat her compulsions, rather than buying in. Every time someone would help her perform her rituals I had to groan, because in real life, it makes OCD sooo much worse. Poor Teddy.
Overall this was a fun read, and I’m a little sad that it won’t be a series.
July 21, 2022
I want to start by thanking the author/publisher for sending me a copy of Ghost Light by Jane Tesh to review. I was unfamiliar with Jane Tesh and her previous mysteries, so it was fun to delve into a new author. Although I am thankful for the free copy of the book, the following review is completely mine and not influenced by the author/publisher's generosity.
The book centers on the murder of the stage manager at the Playhouse, a local community theater in Rossboro, NC. As with any good cozy mystery, the murder happened off stage and this one happened before the book even gets underway.
The book starts when Theodosia "Teddy" Ballard is getting dressed for a job interview, which she desperately needs to land. Unfortunately, her neighbor's cat knocks down some candles, and the duplex goes up in flames... along with Teddy's life. Suddenly, Teddy finds herself homeless, jobless, loveless, and not sure what to do with her life. Thankfully, her best friend, Will, is there to help and encourages her to interview for the Stage Manager job, which comes with a small cottage, at one of two local community theaters, The Playhouse.
Will, a former actor who tried to make it big in New York only to come back home to North Carolina, is currently starring in the upcoming production of A Little Shop of Horrors. He also teaches English literature at the local community college.
Well, Teddy lands the job and starts learning the ins and outs of the joys and perils of local community theater. As someone who has done his share of local community theater in my lifetime, I found the portrayal of the backstage antics humorous and even quite mild compared to some of the crazy shenanigans I've seen backstage.
Teddy quickly learns that Paula, the former stage manager, had died after falling downstairs. Everyone, including the police, think it was an accident. Teddy is curious, but once she meets George Clancy Everhart, the theater ghost, she is off to the races trying to discover who the murderer actually was.
There are a ton of possible suspects and Jane Tesh does an amazing job of coloring the local community theater scene with quite a few people with motives.
As for my critique of this book, I really enjoyed myself. Again, as someone who has been in community theater, I enjoyed the characters she created that I'm sure are based on real people the author has met in her own community theater experiences. Everything from the guy who just really thinks he's good enough to be on Broadway to the actor who cannot act or sing their way out of a box but wants to be the star, Tesh's book is a great homage to this fun world.
One thing that I thought got a little old in the book was the series of theater superstitions at the beginning of every chapter. Not only does she list them at the beginning of every chapter, but she also then goes on to figure out how to worm that specific superstition into that chapter. Personally, I just thought this was cute initially, but then got old after the first few chapters. True, there are a TON of superstitions in the theater, but this made it sound almost a little overboard.
One aspect that I truly appreciated was her handling of Teddy's asexuality. During the book, Teddy struggles with her understanding of why she doesn't have romantic feelings toward Will even though everyone assumes they're going to get married (even her grandmother, whom she just had to put into a retirement center). I think this is the first time I've read a novel where there was an open and honest discussion of asexuality, which I applaud the author for. I love seeing new and diverse characters, and this is a great example of this. However, there were a few places where I thought the discussion of asexuality became a little overkill and unnecessary. I get what the author was trying to do, but I felt it went from being organically handled to being more preachy in a few places.
So, even though I have pointed out a handful of flaws with this book, I loved it. I would recommend it to anyone who is seeking a fun, paranormal cozy mystery.
The book centers on the murder of the stage manager at the Playhouse, a local community theater in Rossboro, NC. As with any good cozy mystery, the murder happened off stage and this one happened before the book even gets underway.
The book starts when Theodosia "Teddy" Ballard is getting dressed for a job interview, which she desperately needs to land. Unfortunately, her neighbor's cat knocks down some candles, and the duplex goes up in flames... along with Teddy's life. Suddenly, Teddy finds herself homeless, jobless, loveless, and not sure what to do with her life. Thankfully, her best friend, Will, is there to help and encourages her to interview for the Stage Manager job, which comes with a small cottage, at one of two local community theaters, The Playhouse.
Will, a former actor who tried to make it big in New York only to come back home to North Carolina, is currently starring in the upcoming production of A Little Shop of Horrors. He also teaches English literature at the local community college.
Well, Teddy lands the job and starts learning the ins and outs of the joys and perils of local community theater. As someone who has done his share of local community theater in my lifetime, I found the portrayal of the backstage antics humorous and even quite mild compared to some of the crazy shenanigans I've seen backstage.
Teddy quickly learns that Paula, the former stage manager, had died after falling downstairs. Everyone, including the police, think it was an accident. Teddy is curious, but once she meets George Clancy Everhart, the theater ghost, she is off to the races trying to discover who the murderer actually was.
There are a ton of possible suspects and Jane Tesh does an amazing job of coloring the local community theater scene with quite a few people with motives.
As for my critique of this book, I really enjoyed myself. Again, as someone who has been in community theater, I enjoyed the characters she created that I'm sure are based on real people the author has met in her own community theater experiences. Everything from the guy who just really thinks he's good enough to be on Broadway to the actor who cannot act or sing their way out of a box but wants to be the star, Tesh's book is a great homage to this fun world.
One thing that I thought got a little old in the book was the series of theater superstitions at the beginning of every chapter. Not only does she list them at the beginning of every chapter, but she also then goes on to figure out how to worm that specific superstition into that chapter. Personally, I just thought this was cute initially, but then got old after the first few chapters. True, there are a TON of superstitions in the theater, but this made it sound almost a little overboard.
One aspect that I truly appreciated was her handling of Teddy's asexuality. During the book, Teddy struggles with her understanding of why she doesn't have romantic feelings toward Will even though everyone assumes they're going to get married (even her grandmother, whom she just had to put into a retirement center). I think this is the first time I've read a novel where there was an open and honest discussion of asexuality, which I applaud the author for. I love seeing new and diverse characters, and this is a great example of this. However, there were a few places where I thought the discussion of asexuality became a little overkill and unnecessary. I get what the author was trying to do, but I felt it went from being organically handled to being more preachy in a few places.
So, even though I have pointed out a handful of flaws with this book, I loved it. I would recommend it to anyone who is seeking a fun, paranormal cozy mystery.
August 5, 2022
I'm a big fan of author Jane Tesh, so of course I was delighted to have the opportunity to read her new standalone mystery "Ghost Light". Not surprisingly, I loved it!
First, the main character of Teddy (short for Theodosia) was excellent! I enjoyed seeing the events of the book through her eyes, and getting to know her as a character. Teddy is smart, intuitive, kind, and loyal. She also has a touch of OCD that turns out to be quite helpful when it's time to commit herself to solving a mystery. Her need for order and closure propels her to a find the answer when a local theater employee is murdered.
As an added bonus, Teddy provides the mystery world with something that is much needed: diversity! During the course of the novel, Teddy realizes that she is asexual, and it was wonderful to see a less-stereotypical heroine. Her discovery was treated in a straightforward, non-judgemental manner that I found refreshing. Teddy is a unique voice, and I was thrilled to have had the opportunity to witness her journey of self-discovery and acceptance.
The main focus on the book is Teddy's attempt to solve the murder of Paula, the former theater stage manager. Since "the show must go on", Teddy quickly finds herself taking over Paula's job, despite having no theater experience beyond enjoying the shows. Watching her learn the ins and outs of her new job was almost as enjoyable as watching her investigate the mystery! Both threads were well-written and seamlessly interwoven, and the story flowed perfectly.
As for the mystery itself, there were plenty of clues for Teddy to follow and suspects for her to question and investigate. I liked the way her natural methodical nature helped in her pursuit of the guilty party. The reader follows the leads along with her, and I loved every minute of it!
Sadly, the author has indicated that this is a stand-alone mystery. I hope she reconsiders making it the start of a new series! Teddy has a lot more to offer as a leading character, and with the theater as a backdrop, there's no limit to the adventures she could have and mysteries she could investigate!
Definitely 5 out of 5 perfect chunks of my favorite sharp cheddar!
First, the main character of Teddy (short for Theodosia) was excellent! I enjoyed seeing the events of the book through her eyes, and getting to know her as a character. Teddy is smart, intuitive, kind, and loyal. She also has a touch of OCD that turns out to be quite helpful when it's time to commit herself to solving a mystery. Her need for order and closure propels her to a find the answer when a local theater employee is murdered.
As an added bonus, Teddy provides the mystery world with something that is much needed: diversity! During the course of the novel, Teddy realizes that she is asexual, and it was wonderful to see a less-stereotypical heroine. Her discovery was treated in a straightforward, non-judgemental manner that I found refreshing. Teddy is a unique voice, and I was thrilled to have had the opportunity to witness her journey of self-discovery and acceptance.
The main focus on the book is Teddy's attempt to solve the murder of Paula, the former theater stage manager. Since "the show must go on", Teddy quickly finds herself taking over Paula's job, despite having no theater experience beyond enjoying the shows. Watching her learn the ins and outs of her new job was almost as enjoyable as watching her investigate the mystery! Both threads were well-written and seamlessly interwoven, and the story flowed perfectly.
As for the mystery itself, there were plenty of clues for Teddy to follow and suspects for her to question and investigate. I liked the way her natural methodical nature helped in her pursuit of the guilty party. The reader follows the leads along with her, and I loved every minute of it!
Sadly, the author has indicated that this is a stand-alone mystery. I hope she reconsiders making it the start of a new series! Teddy has a lot more to offer as a leading character, and with the theater as a backdrop, there's no limit to the adventures she could have and mysteries she could investigate!
Definitely 5 out of 5 perfect chunks of my favorite sharp cheddar!
July 31, 2022
“Ghost Light” is a delightful mystery by Jane Tesh about a community theater and the ghost that haunts it. Theodosia “Teddy” Ballard is persuaded by her friend Will to stage manage a production of “Little Shop of Horrors” after the previous stage manger, Paula, falls down a flight of stairs backstage and dies. Shortly after Teddy begins stage managing, the theater ghost, George, appears to her and declares that Paula was murdered and insists that Teddy solve the murder.
Since I have stage managed for many years, this book was like catnip to me. Author Jane Tesh does an excellent job of explaining the many theater terms and procedures that are throughout the book. The fact that Teddy is new to most of them provides a good way in, since she and the reader are learning together. I also thought that the characters are well drawn and representative of the types of people that engage in and love community theater. George, the theater ghost, is charmingly self involved and provides insight into both the murder and the history of the Playhouse Theater.
Another fun feature of the book was the inclusion of a different theater superstition at the beginning of each chapter. There are many, and I had not heard of some of the more obscure ones, making this another learning experience.
The mystery was engaging and there were enough suspects to keep me guessing. The conclusion also had a sweet ending that wrapped things up nicely. I would, however, love to see this become a series. There is enough to explore with Teddy and her friends that I think it would be worthy. In the meantime, I can recommend another of Jane Tesh’s series, the Grace Street Mysteries, about a private detective living in a boarding house owned by a reluctant psychic and populated with quirky characters.
Since I have stage managed for many years, this book was like catnip to me. Author Jane Tesh does an excellent job of explaining the many theater terms and procedures that are throughout the book. The fact that Teddy is new to most of them provides a good way in, since she and the reader are learning together. I also thought that the characters are well drawn and representative of the types of people that engage in and love community theater. George, the theater ghost, is charmingly self involved and provides insight into both the murder and the history of the Playhouse Theater.
Another fun feature of the book was the inclusion of a different theater superstition at the beginning of each chapter. There are many, and I had not heard of some of the more obscure ones, making this another learning experience.
The mystery was engaging and there were enough suspects to keep me guessing. The conclusion also had a sweet ending that wrapped things up nicely. I would, however, love to see this become a series. There is enough to explore with Teddy and her friends that I think it would be worthy. In the meantime, I can recommend another of Jane Tesh’s series, the Grace Street Mysteries, about a private detective living in a boarding house owned by a reluctant psychic and populated with quirky characters.
July 29, 2022
I really loved all the information about the theatre, the superstitions, the people who work backstage, and the workings of a small town theatre. I loved the character of Teddy. I totally believe that she would keep asking questions to get answers that make sense. I figured out who committed the crime and I guessed the why as well. That didn’t take away from the story though because I really wanted to see Teddy solve the mystery. I loved the out of the box romance as well. It was good to see that relationships don’t have to be chocolates and roses all the time. I felt like the writing got stronger as the story went along. If you are interested in the theatre or a main character that is a little different, pick this book up. You won’t regret it.
July 25, 2022
A delightful cozy mystery with a flair for the “dramatic”… and supernatural!
Tesh had me at Chapter One with the perfect disaster as the catalyst for a new career for Teddy, our leading lady, in this lovely cozy mystery.
As a theater person myself, I was charmed by the author’s use of lingo and all-too-true melodrama that happens within the walls of a community theater. Add to that the character of a real theater ghost, and I was all in!
Tesh is an expert storyteller, carrying us along the plot with a cast of three dimensional characters, and a rival theater to boot. The pacing was effortless, the story engaging, and the denouement delightful.
I hope this is just the beginning of the hijinks of Teddy and Will, and hope the author has more adventures for them “waiting in the wings”
Tesh had me at Chapter One with the perfect disaster as the catalyst for a new career for Teddy, our leading lady, in this lovely cozy mystery.
As a theater person myself, I was charmed by the author’s use of lingo and all-too-true melodrama that happens within the walls of a community theater. Add to that the character of a real theater ghost, and I was all in!
Tesh is an expert storyteller, carrying us along the plot with a cast of three dimensional characters, and a rival theater to boot. The pacing was effortless, the story engaging, and the denouement delightful.
I hope this is just the beginning of the hijinks of Teddy and Will, and hope the author has more adventures for them “waiting in the wings”
June 15, 2022
I am a huge fan of Jane Tesh's writing, and especially love the connection her books have to musical theater. It was utter delight to learn about this newest book and have it waiting for me to read yesterday when it was published. And it lived up to my expectations and beyond!
An unlikely candidate for heroine, Theodosia "Teddy" Ballard can't seem to hold onto a job. She is heading out for a job interview when her neighbor's cat sets its owner's apartment on fire and it rapidly spreads to Teddy's apartment as well. Within a short timespan, Teddy has a new job as stage manager for a local playhouse that comes with a cottage to live in...all thanks to her best friend Will Selms. Before the dust settles, Teddy is ensconced in her new job and home, and delving into the sudden death of the previous stage manager. Teddy is a bit odd or unusual, and tip-offs include OCD traits and the ability to see and talk to the theater ghost in residence.
I love the characters, their ability to do what needs to be done without fanfare or dithering. Will and another friend/theater person Nate are always willing to help no matter what. The theater characters are quirky and unpredictable, and seem exactly right for their connections to Teddy. Obviously the author has had plenty of theater experience to draw from when writing this book. I love it when realism is combined with fantasy, and Ms. Tesh certainly excels in this book. I fervently hope there will be more books about this theater in the future. Don't miss this excellent book!
An unlikely candidate for heroine, Theodosia "Teddy" Ballard can't seem to hold onto a job. She is heading out for a job interview when her neighbor's cat sets its owner's apartment on fire and it rapidly spreads to Teddy's apartment as well. Within a short timespan, Teddy has a new job as stage manager for a local playhouse that comes with a cottage to live in...all thanks to her best friend Will Selms. Before the dust settles, Teddy is ensconced in her new job and home, and delving into the sudden death of the previous stage manager. Teddy is a bit odd or unusual, and tip-offs include OCD traits and the ability to see and talk to the theater ghost in residence.
I love the characters, their ability to do what needs to be done without fanfare or dithering. Will and another friend/theater person Nate are always willing to help no matter what. The theater characters are quirky and unpredictable, and seem exactly right for their connections to Teddy. Obviously the author has had plenty of theater experience to draw from when writing this book. I love it when realism is combined with fantasy, and Ms. Tesh certainly excels in this book. I fervently hope there will be more books about this theater in the future. Don't miss this excellent book!
July 22, 2022
This was an interesting story. Not knowing much about theater I enjoyed the superstition tidbits. I also could relate to the main character when it came to learning on the job. I loved George!! The twists were good and kept me entertained until the end!
July 19, 2022
If you love books with settings in the South, a touch of Ghosts and love the theater (especially community theater) you will love this book.
August 17, 2022
I really enjoyed this book! It's a standalone, but would also work well as the start to a new series. The important characters were introduced and established quickly, so the author was able to dive right in to the mystery.
The mystery was good. There were lots of suspects and red herrings, so Teddy had plenty to investigate. She is a good sleuth, and I'd like to see her again in future stories.
The main characters of Will and Teddy were both interesting and likeable, and I really enjoyed their platonic relationship. It was nice to see a cozy without either a potential romance with some member of law enforcement or a love triangle.
Teddy's discovery that she was asexual was a nice side plot, and I am always in favor of diversity in cozies!
I also enjoyed all the theater superstitions that were shared at the start of the chapters.
The mystery was good. There were lots of suspects and red herrings, so Teddy had plenty to investigate. She is a good sleuth, and I'd like to see her again in future stories.
The main characters of Will and Teddy were both interesting and likeable, and I really enjoyed their platonic relationship. It was nice to see a cozy without either a potential romance with some member of law enforcement or a love triangle.
Teddy's discovery that she was asexual was a nice side plot, and I am always in favor of diversity in cozies!
I also enjoyed all the theater superstitions that were shared at the start of the chapters.
August 13, 2022
This is an intriguing cozy mystery that I can definitely recommend. I was hoping that it was the start of a new series, but it’s apparently a standalone. Teddy is a great and unique character, so I would love to read more books with her as a main character. I enjoyed the theater aspect of the book, as well as the paranormal aspect, with a ghost helping Teddy solve a murder. The mystery was fun to solve and the book is well-written. I was provided a copy of the book, but these opinions are my own.
August 8, 2022
This is the first book I have read by Jane Tesh. With that being said, I enjoyed the characters and the interesting theatre fun facts and superstitions. These things made the book enjoyable. I did find that the story was a tad slow with the build up and my attention faded in and out a bit. I think that the book needed a bit more punch to it in the excitement range. I liked the main characters and the vibe they gave off. They had a special bond, one that I think runs deep, but they don't know how to proceed forward sometimes.
Overall the book had a great plot, but not enough oomph for the ending. It is the true definition of cozy read, but fell a tad bit flat in the middle. The book had an excellent grand finale though. I really enjoyed the ending. The characters were definitely unique and enjoyable. I would read more from this author and I did enjoy the read.
Overall the book had a great plot, but not enough oomph for the ending. It is the true definition of cozy read, but fell a tad bit flat in the middle. The book had an excellent grand finale though. I really enjoyed the ending. The characters were definitely unique and enjoyable. I would read more from this author and I did enjoy the read.
July 30, 2022
What an entertaining book. From the first to the last word it kept me interested and trying to figure out who did it. Teddy and Will are wonderful characters and I hope there will be more of this series because their story has just begun and I would like to know more about how they grow and progress.
I have heard of several superstitions regarding the theater but you learn many more in this book. Our heroine Teddy goes from not knowing what she wants to do with her life to being a wonderful stage manager, taking over for Paula who has just died. When Teddy replaces Paula she finds her first job she really likes and excels at and her first investigation. There are so many suspects that she bounces from being sure it is one and then the other until she clears them. Will, who is her lifelong friend, is right there beside her every step of the way and he and George, the ghost, have a unique bond. If you like cozy’s you will enjoy Ghost Light – Goodnight George.
I have heard of several superstitions regarding the theater but you learn many more in this book. Our heroine Teddy goes from not knowing what she wants to do with her life to being a wonderful stage manager, taking over for Paula who has just died. When Teddy replaces Paula she finds her first job she really likes and excels at and her first investigation. There are so many suspects that she bounces from being sure it is one and then the other until she clears them. Will, who is her lifelong friend, is right there beside her every step of the way and he and George, the ghost, have a unique bond. If you like cozy’s you will enjoy Ghost Light – Goodnight George.
June 30, 2022
I was granted complimentary access to Ghost Light by Jane Tesh as part of my participation in a blog tour for this title with Silver Dagger Book Tours. Thank you to all involved in affording me this opportunity! My thoughts are my own and my review is honest.
When Teddy's stage manager meets a tragic end, the theatre ghost reveals himself to the actress and demands help solving the murder. Little Shop of Horrors rehearsal just got way more interesting!
I had a lot of fun reading Ghost Light! All of the characters are so easy to like right away, and theatre/lit nerds will appreciate all of the classic play and thespian culture easter eggs. For example, uttering the correct name of "The Scottish Play" appears to actually be paranormally involved in the murder in this case! Superstition isn't so silly when bad things actually happen.
According to all of the information I've been given about this book for the above-mentioned tour, it's billed as a paranormal mystery. That's accurate, it is a mystery and it does have a huge paranormal element, but I think whoever decided on the specific genre to list the book under has done it a disservice by not slotting this book into the "cozy mystery" category. I've read a lot of cozy mystery in recent years, particularly cozies with ghosts, and this reads like a cozy. The plot flows like a cozy, the characters are so easy to like, the plot is very character-driven, and nothing is described in an overly horrifying or gory way. Readers can be fickle, and many fans of this type of mystery avoid books not specifically labelled cozy because they're avoiding the horror end of the mystery spectrum.
If you typically like cozy mysteries and you love paranormal plots and/or books heavily immersed in theatre culture, read this book!
When Teddy's stage manager meets a tragic end, the theatre ghost reveals himself to the actress and demands help solving the murder. Little Shop of Horrors rehearsal just got way more interesting!
I had a lot of fun reading Ghost Light! All of the characters are so easy to like right away, and theatre/lit nerds will appreciate all of the classic play and thespian culture easter eggs. For example, uttering the correct name of "The Scottish Play" appears to actually be paranormally involved in the murder in this case! Superstition isn't so silly when bad things actually happen.
According to all of the information I've been given about this book for the above-mentioned tour, it's billed as a paranormal mystery. That's accurate, it is a mystery and it does have a huge paranormal element, but I think whoever decided on the specific genre to list the book under has done it a disservice by not slotting this book into the "cozy mystery" category. I've read a lot of cozy mystery in recent years, particularly cozies with ghosts, and this reads like a cozy. The plot flows like a cozy, the characters are so easy to like, the plot is very character-driven, and nothing is described in an overly horrifying or gory way. Readers can be fickle, and many fans of this type of mystery avoid books not specifically labelled cozy because they're avoiding the horror end of the mystery spectrum.
If you typically like cozy mysteries and you love paranormal plots and/or books heavily immersed in theatre culture, read this book!
July 15, 2022
I really wanted to like Ghost Light by Jane Tesh. The premise sounded so good and I love murder mysteries with supernatural elements like ghosts. However, I found the writing to be very clunky. It didn't really flow that well for me. The main character, Teddy, wasn't really that likeable and I found myself not caring about her story. I also didn't care about the murder because the reader didn't really get much information about Paula Norwood, nor was there really a valid reason to even suspect murder until the theater ghost, George, showed up and told Teddy about seeing someone else in the theater when Paula died. And the way Teddy investigated the murder was horrible. I've never read a murder mystery where the sleuth just immediately basically accused most people they meet with murder. By the time we finally find out who did it, I didn't care who it was or why they did it. I was just glad the book was over. It read like a young writer's first attempt at a murder mystery, so I was surprised to find out this author has written other books. I don't know if her other books are better and this one was just a fluke for bad writing. But I won't be reading any others to find out.
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