Fixing to Die

Southern Ladies Mystery #4

by Miranda James

The New York Times bestselling author of the Cat in the Stacks Mysteries and Digging Up the Dirt returns with the latest Southern Ladies Mystery...

It's autumn down south, and An'gel and Dickce Ducote are in Natchez, Mississippi, at the request of Mary Turner Catlin, the granddaughter of an old friend. Mary and her husband, Henry Howard, live in Cliffwood, one of the beautiful antebellum homes for which Natchez is famous.

Odd things have been happening in the house for years, and the French Room in particular has become the focal point for spooky sensations. The Ducotes suspect the ghostly goings-on are caused by the living, but when a relative of the Catlins is found dead in the room, An'gel and Dickce must sift through a haunted family history to catch a killer.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Fiction, Cats, Animals, Southern

294 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published October 3, 2017

About the author

Pen name of Dean James, who also writes as Honor Hartman and Jimmie Ruth Evans

Reviews

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

What's not to love about two elderly spinster sisters who are more spry than many fifty-year-olds I know? Between the amazing southern charm, the ghost-hunting, the family drama over an inheritance, and a potentially new line of relatives, the fourth saga in the Southern Ladies Mystery series by Miranda James, Fixing to Die, has it all. Kudos to this fantastic series and author... 4.5 stars for this latest edition published in 2017. I'm sad to say I'm all caught up on this series, and the author has put it on hold per the publisher for a few years (2020?) to focus on another series about a Cat in the Stacks... I've finished 2 of 8 in that series but will pick up the rest this fall and winter. I'm very excited for both.

So... 'Fixing to' anything is quite an expression. My family in Louisiana uses it all the time. I try to, but I fail given I can't really claim southern roots just because I was born in Florida. Miranda James does not have to worry or extrapolate - it's right on! These characters are fixing to do a lot of things that likely lead to murder. In this mystery, the Ducote sisters travel to Natchez to help the granddaughter of a friend who's having some trouble in her bed and breakfast with objects moving around and mysterious temperature changes. Is there a ghost or a human causing all this drama? When her relatives show up trying to claim ownership over the house due to a long-lost will, it gets quite complicated. But then... a psychic randomly appears claiming the house is haunted. What do they all have to do with one another?

Miranda James excels at ambiance and captivating settings. The characters are also quite good, but in this one, it's the ghost aspects that really pop. I really knew it was a human, as the series isn't about ghosts, but there were quite a few characters who looked guilty. A major clue / red herring was thrown out about 50% thru and I thought for a moment, hmm... what's going on here, why was this so easy. Well, I won't give away any spoilers but there's more going on across a few levels. It gets quite interesting and the pay-off in the end makes it worth it.

The addition of Benjy has been a fantastic story line. And the pets have such personality. It's carefully woven into the story without any over-the-top aspects. A fine balance where it's the story and the characters who keep drawing you back for more fun in this easy-to-picture world. I'm impressed by the variety in James' world and look forward to reading more soon.

[Jess the Shelf-Declared Bibliophile · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. A very slow build and not very exciting, but it picked up towards the end. I also just can’t make myself connect to the characters in this series as much as I do with Diesel’s series by the same author.

[Lisa Ks Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spooky southern mystery fun from author Miranda James.

The best book in this series so far, FIXING TO DIE is the grown up, southern version of my favorite childhood Nancy Drew mysteries. With unexplained noises, objects being moved around, and doors that open on their own, not to mention the discovery of a body, this was the perfect tale of mystery.

It was wonderful being back with my aunts, ummm . . . I mean the Ducote sisters (I wish I had them for aunts), in this fourth installment of the Southern Ladies mysteries. It’s impossible to not have a good time with sisters An’gel and Dickce. Even when they’re on the hunt for a killer.

Perfectly paced, and masterfully written, author James has elevated this series to a new level with the addition of FIXING TO DIE. I was immediately lost in this story, and anticipated each new chapter. I wanted so badly to peek ahead, and so I’m glad I didn’t, or I would have ruined a great surprise ending.

FIXING TO DIE is a must read for anyone who loves traditional mysteries.

[Anne (Booklady) Molinarolo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Natchez, MS is known for its beautiful and haunted old Antebellum houses, and Misses An'gel and Dickce Ducote arrive at Cliffwood. Mary Turner and Henry Howard Catlin need the sisters' help. Unusual things are happening at Cliffwood: electronics shut off, light bulbs burn out quickly, sudden coldness in rooms, and things moving. It seems that "the spirit" is focusing its energies on the French Room. An'gel believes the ghostly goings-on are of the human kind, but Dickce and their ward, Benjy, aren't so sure. They've seen or felt things that can't be explained.

Then some distant cousins arrive without invitation on the heels of a self proclaimed medium/psychic who claims that the spirits of Cliffwood summoned her. A death in the French Room is ruled suspicious. Are there malevolent spirits or a calculating murderer staying at Cliffwood? The Ducote sisters are determined to find out.

I love this series and the Ducote sisters. Written well. Characters are all well developed. And the author again stumped me when the murderer was revealed.

[Doward Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the most wonderful series in the Cozy Mystery World! Miss An'gel and Miss Dickce Ducote are older Southern Belles with a long family history in Athena, Mississippi. When I say older I mean in their early 80's! They are healthy, spry and have an insatiable curiosity that lands them in the midst of murders. With their connections and many years of wisdom they make a wonderful pair of elegant lady sleuths who have a delicious way of digging up the dirt when it comes to finding murderers. This is the fourth book in the series and this time they are visiting the granddaughter of an old friend. Mary Turner and her husband, Henry Howard live in Cliffwood, her antebellum home in Natchez, Mississippi. Cliffwood has been turned into an Bed & Breakfast and is fully booked for the fall season but strange things keep happening and Mary Turner is at her wit's end to figure out what is happening. Is it ghosts haunting the old house or is someone trying to ruin their business so that they have to sell the house. Miss An'gel, Miss Dickce, their teenage ward, Benjy and their their dog and cat make the decision to go investigate and figure out what is really going on. When a relative is found murdered in the most haunted bedroom, the French Room the ladies and Benjy go to work to find the murderer.

I can never get enough of the wonderful Ducote sisters. Their southern characters are perfectly written. The background is really detailed and the southern style murder plots will give you a wonderful adventure and leave you wanting more. Young Benjy, Peanut, their dog and Endora, their cat balance out this wonderful family. I highly recommend this series for anyone wanting to languish on a chaise, while drinking Sweet Tea!

[Mark Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sisters An’gel and Dickce Ducote are only too happy to help Mary Turner Catlin, the granddaughter of their friend. It seems the family house is haunted, and she wants them to help her figure out what is causing the problem. It isn’t too long after they arrive that they begin to experience some strange things, but it’s the uninvited guests who really up the tension. What are the sisters involved in now?

I love the main characters in this book, both human and four legged, so I was glad to get a chance to visit them again. They delight as always, and the new characters are strong as well. The pacing was a little off over all, but the haunted house aspect is a nice addition to the mystery. Fans of the author will enjoy this latest book.

NOTE: I received a copy of this book.

Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are antebellum homes located in Natchez among them Cliffwood, the home of Mary Turner Carlin and her husband. In recent months, there are strange happenings especially in the French room. Mary Turner seems the help of old friends the Ducote Sisters and friends. Arriving at Cliffwood both Miss Ang'el and Miss Dickie is experienced cold sensations on the starway. Peanuts and Endora, both exhibited no reactions to the house. Benjy is present. Several uninvited guests arrives at the mansion. There is a physic who claimed the spirits called here there and a distant relative who believed that the contents of the French room were stolen from his family. He is later found dead in the French room. Is there an evil spirit at Cliffwood or will Miss Ang'el uncover the human behind the unexplained events? A light and easy read. I highly recommend this book and series.

Disclosure: I received a free copy from Berkeley Publishing for an honest review. I would like to thank them for this opportunity to read and review the book. The opinions expressed are my own.

[April Schilling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! I really enjoy reading about the Ducote sisters and Benjy. This book had the added enjoyment of a haunted Southern mansion in it as well!

The sisters and their ward are invited to the home of a friend to investigate the ghostly going ons. Mary Turner is convinced that her ancestral home is haunted and wants An'gel and Dickce to come and stay with her and her husband. While there, Mary Turner's obnoxious cousins and their lawyer turn up demanding to be allowed to stay at the house. Nathan Grumble claims that he has the right to the contents of the French Room of the house. His sister claims to have the right to the money her brother holds in trust for her. Throw in the mix a psychic who claims to be able to communicate with the spirit of the house. When Nathan ends up dead, with no end of suspects who wanted to kill him, can the sisters figure out the real murderer? Is there really a spirit in the house or are the disturbances being done by human hands?

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Miranda James writes some fantastic characters in A Southern Ladies Mystery, the two main characters are a pair of sisters who are North of 30, closer to 80 and they prove that life, mystery and the pursuit of a purposeful life are not only possible but a very classy way to spend your twilight years. It is very easy to picture the Ducote Sisters, who are very different from each other but a perfect balance. Not having had children these sisters are far from spinsters but have a wonderful heart having taking in a 19 year old "ward" something from the beginning of the series that has blossomed beautifully by this fourth book. Beautiful animal companions in this series and a fun story in a "historical haunted house", this however is far from a paranormal book. Rich in history and character this is a series I am enjoying watching it grow.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book number four in the series and it does not disappoint!
This is a delightful cozy mystery series that I highly recommend.
I love the relationship between the main characters who are sisters and the supporting cast. They are strong Southern women characters who do not come across as cliche.
The whodunit was well plotted and kept me guessing.
I look forward to reading the next in the series!

[Fred · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fixing To Die is the fourth book in the A Southern Ladies Mystery series.

I love this series and am so happy that the Ducote sisters were able to get their own series. The Ducote sisters have been on this earth for 80 some years and even though their steps might have slowed, their mental faculties remain as sharp as ever. They are a feisty two-some and they may have disagreements from time to time but they are quickly worked out and are always watching out for each other. And to keep an eye on them is their ward, Benjy. Benjy will soon be enrolling at Athena College, but he will be close to continue to help out around Riverhill and watch over Dickcee and An’gel.

An’gel, Dickcee and Benjy are headed for Natchez after getting a call Mary Turner Catlin, granddaughter of an old-time friend. She has been experiencing strange happenings in her house and one room in particular. Shortly after the Ducote sisters arrive an unexpected guest arrives, Primrose Pace a psychic, claiming that a spirit had requested her presence at Cliffwood. Then bickering distant cousins, Serenity and Nathan arrive. Serenity is there to try to convince her brother Nathan to give some of her trust fund that he controls. Nathan is there to look for a will he claims to exists giving him the valuable furniture that is in the French Room. The next morning when Nathan doesn’t show up for breakfast Mary Turner husband, Henry Howard, goes to his room to find Nathan has been murdered in his bed.

The Ducote sisters, of course, love a good mystery and with Benjy’s help they set off to see if they can sleuth out another murderer. They can’t find too much information on Pace and they are questioning whether she is for real. They need to look into Serenity to how far she would go to get her money. Serenity’s lawyer also seems to be awfully nervous. Also, they will be looking at Mary Turner cook to learn how far she would go to protect Mary Turner’s home. In addition, they need to learn whether the house is indeed haunted.

Another well-plotted and exciting story with a well-developed and believable cast of characters.

I definitely will be watching for the next adventure of Miss Dickcee and Miss An’gel.

[FangirlNation · Rating 5 out of 5]

Octogenarians An’gel and Dickcee Ducote return with their 19-year-old ward Benjy in another adventure in Fixing to Die by Miranda James. The trio, along with their dog, Peanut, and cat, Endora, travel to Natchez, Mississippi to help Mary Turner Catlin, the granddaughter of the sisters’ old friend. Mary Turner has inherited Cliffwood, her family’s antebellum mansion, that her parents turned into a bed and breakfast in the 1970s. Now Mary Turner and her husband Henry Howard run ther B&B, but recently she they have had problems with strange occurrences that could indicate that the house is haunted. Thus, she has turned to the two women she can trust to get to the bottom of this problem. As they enjoy their lunch after arriving, a stranger named Primrose Pace comes in and announces she is a psychic medium who will get rid of their ghost problems. So Cliffwood gets another guest.

Read the rest of this review and other fun, geeky articles at Fangirl Nation

[Susan Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Princess Fuzzypants here:
I adore Miranda James' series. I have a major crush on Diesel who is a Maine Coon like me. But I also enjoy the sisters, An'gel and Dickce. They are a pair of wise, feisty and caring ladies who have been asked to visit another grand old southern mansion that might be cursed by a ghost. They have experienced inexplicable things in their own home but are sceptical that the mischief is being perpetrated by a ghost.
When an uninvited guest is found dead in his bed, the ladies are convinced that the crime was committed by a living being and not something spectral. They have lots of suspects from whom to chose including a psychic with an agenda and the unpleasant sister of the victim. I love the way the ladies do their investigations as being older, it would be inappropriate for them to do things out of line for refined characters. It does not get in their way and they uncover far more secrets than they might have imagined at first.
I love the way the series reflects the culture of the Deep South. The reader can almost smell the magnolias.
I give this five purrs and two paws up.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miss An'gel and Miss Dicksee Ducote are asked to investigate the possible haunting the family home of an old friend, who's grand-daughter is running it as a B&B. When an uninvited guest turns up murdered, it's obvious that there are more than ghosts on the loose.

The fourth Southern Ladies mystery is every bit as good as the first three. I've seen the heroines described as ante-bellum Miss Marples, but I don't think that's strictly accurate. An'gel is too sharp and too observant, and touch too acid tongued. She's more Poirot than Marple.

A marvellously entertaining read. Now, when is the next one coming out?

[OpenBookSociety.com · Rating 3 out of 5]

http://openbooksociety.com/article/fi...

Fixing to Die
A Southern Ladies Mystery, Book #4
By Miranda James
ISBN#9780399584770
Author Website: Catinthestacks.com
Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Daniele


Synopsis:

It’s autumn down south, and An’gel and Dickce Ducote are in Natchez, Mississippi, at the request of Mary Turner Catlin, the granddaughter of an old friend. Mary and her husband, Henry Howard, live in Cliffwood, one of the beautiful antebellum homes for which Natchez is famous.

Odd things have been happening in the house for years, and the French Room in particular has become the focal point for spooky sensations. The Ducotes suspect the ghostly goings-on are caused by the living, but when a relative of the Catlins is found dead in the room, An’gel and Dickce must sift through a haunted family history to catch a killer. (Goodreads)

Review:

Fixing to Die, the fourth book in the Southern Ladies Mystery series, is sure to please readers with its murder mystery, southern charm, and a ghost thrown in for good measure. On its surface, it’s a bit of a throwback to a simpler era when ladies wore hats and gloves and drank sweet tea on the front porch. Since most of the book takes place at an Antebellum mansion turned Bed and Breakfast, it very much has the feel of a closed room Agatha Christie novel…if Christie had been a southern belle.

This time around we find the octogenarian Ducote sisters, along with their ward Benjy and pets Peanut and Endora, headed to Natchez, Mississippi, where the grand-daughter of one of a sorority sister is having some unusual troubles with the family mansion turned bed and breakfast. Strange things have been happening – objects moving from one place to another, interference with electronic devices, and light bulbs constantly going out. Can it be possible that Cliffwood is haunted? Owner Mary Turner knows that An’gel and Dickce are smart and levelheaded and trusts that they can get to the bottom of the problem. Unexpected guests arrive, including a medium and distant cousins that are vying for their own piece of Cliffwood. When one of the cousins, Nathan, is found dead in the bedroom that exhibits the most paranormal activity, the Ducote sisters will have to put all of their experience to the test to solve the case.

I always enjoy my time with the Ducote sisters, and Fixing to Die is no exception. Its steady pace is reflective of the spry sisters. Their intelligence shines through, and their banter is always entertaining. It does not matter how old you are, your sister can be your best friend or most annoying confidant. We see a fair amount of Benjy in this story, and I think he balances out the older sisters. All of the characters central to this mystery are younger, too, but An’gel and Dickce hold their own, sometimes running circles around the others. These featured characters are all pretty unlikable, with the exception of Mary Turner and her husband Henry Howard. Cousin Serenity is particularly vexatious, and I do not feel sorry for her situation at all. As always, Peanut and Endora are the icing on the cake, and I am so glad that they are a part of the story.

I admit that I identified the mischievous ghost almost immediately, but there is still an unexplained paranormal element that keeps the story moving along and interesting. The mystery of the murder is also a little predictable, but it is still intriguing to see what all of the suspects have up their sleeves. Even though the murder does not happen until about a third of the way into the book, I still feel like I would like to know the victim better. As it is, I did not feel bad about his demise.

Miranda James pens some of my favorite books in the cozy mystery genre, and Fixing to Die is a fine addition to his canon. I recommend this book to James’ fans and to any reader looking for a gentle mystery with feisty, older protagonists.

[The Cozy Review · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fall has come to Mississippi, and An'gel and Dickce Ducote are in Natchez at the B & B of Mary Turner Catlin, the granddaughter of an old friend. Mary Turner and Henry Howard, live in Cliffwood, one of the beautiful antebellum homes for which Natchez is famous.

Strange things have been going on in the house for many years. The French Room, in particular, has become the focal point for spooky sensations. An’gel and Dickce suspect the ghostly goings-on are caused by the living and not the dead. When Mary’s cousin, several times removed is found dead in the French Room, An'gel and Dickce must scrutinize the haunted family history to catch a killer.
--
Series: A Southern Ladies Mystery - Book 4
Author: Miranda James
Genre: Paranormal/Ghost Cozy
Publisher: Berkley

Fixing to Die is a great addition to the “A Southern Ladies Mystery” series. It is intriguing and filled with great locations, characters and the odd ghost or two, sort of. Ms. James has crafted a thrilling who-done-it with plenty of clues to direct the reader to the killer's identity.

This series is a delightful way to introduce characters that are not the average age for most cozies. An’gel and Dickce are not young by any means but are filled with a sense of adventure, a zest for life, and experiences that younger characters cannot convey. Sisters who argue as most siblings do, they still manage to work together, live together and care about each other. They will always have each other’s back, even when they do not agree on the issues.

Mary and her husband live in a charming old house filled with history and family antiques. But they come from different worlds and at times do not understand the other’s needs, or obsessions. It isn’t surprising that they differ on the cause of the odd things happening in their very old B&B, and enlist the Ducote sisters to help straighten things out.

Most of the suspects are easily distrustful without being too overt. It is easy to take a dislike to them and therefore jump to the conclusion that they are killers, one and all. The twists and turns are scattered throughout the story and have the reader jumping from one suspect to another seamlessly. There is no single clue that will lead the reader to the killer; they will need to adjust their perceptions as they read through to find the right suspect.

Natchez Mississippi is set on the Mississippi River. It is a wonderful old city known for antebellum mansions. These mansions predate the civil war such as Stanton Hall or Longwood. This makes for an ideal location and setting for this series. The history and possibly haunted mansion is a definite draw and will encourage readers to explore the city and history of this magical place.

This series including Fixing to Die are wonderful journeys through the old south with plenty of southern charm. There are colorful characters and beautiful old homes. This book is highly recommended to anyone who likes a story that will leave them smiling and looking forward to the next addition.

[Taryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this next book of the series a family friend named Mary asks the Ducote sisters to Natchez, Mississippi to help her find out just who or what is haunting the B&B that she owns and operates. The sisters immediately agree and pack up their pets and ward to see just what they can discover. As soon as they arrive strange things start happening. When Mary's cousin comes to stay and ends up dead things take a turn for the worse. Did a ghost kill him or was it something more solid. The sisters believe that all that is happening is due to a live person and the haunting is just someones way of trying to cover up what is really going on. Will the sisters be able to find the culprit? Is there a ghost hanging around the B&B? Who would want to kill the cousin? Jump right in and tag along with the Ducote sisters as they try to answer these questions and more. I love that the sisters don't let their age limit them to what they can do, and look forward to whatever exploits come their way.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Ducote sisters are solving mysteries again this time with ghosts involved. They travel to Natchez with the ward Benjy and their pets to help a friend of the family. Mary Turner Catlin and her husband Henry Howard operate a B&B in her historic home but odd occurrences are happening. There's a cold zone on the staircase and objects in the rooms are moved from their places. Is there a spirit roaming the halls or is there more. When someone dies, Dickce and An'gel step in like present day Nancy Drews. Charming

[Kathy Bryson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever since Agatha Christie, it's common knowledge that if you want a mystery solved, you need an elderly lady. In this case, 2 elderly ladies together with their trusty ward and sidekick dog and cats. Another charming installment of lessons in how to conduct yourself properly down South without letting a murder get away or putting up with any other nonsense like a haunted antebellum mansion!

[Shannon Vanderstreaten · Rating 2 out of 5]

Definitely going to stick to Cat in the Stacks… I don’t understand why if it’s the Ducote Sisters it’s mostly An’gel doing the mystery solving etc. I thought there were some surprising twists but characterisation felt particularly flimsy. At least this book mentioned slavery as a factor in the wealth of the characters, good to acknowledge history as a bare minimum lol.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Angel and Dickce get a request from the granddaughter of a friend to come and visit her historic home and figure out if their are ghosts haunting it. Angel and Dickce think the strange things happening are caused by the living, but a relative of the granddaughter is found dead in the house and they are unsure of what caused it. Interesting interaction between the characters and the history of the house. I look forward to the next in the series.

[Linnea · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a joy. A treat to see the sisters in their current adventure.

[Alexis Latner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another delightful installment in this series. The Southern setting is perfectly realized - warts and all - and the heroines and their companions, both humans and animals, are engaging.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

What would you do with a ghost?

An'gel and Dickce Ducote were asked by the granddaughter of an old friend to come to Natchez and help find a reason for the strange happenings at the civil war mansion that Mary Turner and Henry Howard Catlin run as a bed and breakfast.
While the characters are well developed, the murder doesn't take place until about halfway through the book. Usually I don't have a problem with that but by the time the murder happened I had figured out the victim, the murderer and the cause of all the ghostly happens.

I still enjoyed it and wish there was another in the series.

[Dianne Landry · Rating 1 out of 5]

I loved the first three books in this series but I guess I'm just not in the mood for haunted houses, ghost hunting and psychic mediums.

[William Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very spooky murder, lots of suspects and very good ending.

[Jeannie and Louis Rigod · Rating 5 out of 5]

The two sister sleuths are off with their ward and pets to solve a mystery involving a friend who owns a lovely Bed and Breakfast. The culprit? Well, possibly a ghost who is very fond of a particular room.

The Business is supposed to be closed, however, quickly An'gel and Dickce Ducote are introduced to the extended 'family,' and are shocked when the 'ghost' murders one of the most objectionable cousins.

A self-proclaimed psychic enters regally and this story is off and running.

This series always entertains and this novel did not let me down.

[Marlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published at Reading Reality

What is it that makes cozy mysteries just so cozy and so much of a comfort to read? You’d think that the fact that they all start with a dead body would act against that, but it doesn’t. At all.

I’m caught up in this question because so many of my “comfort reads” are cozy mysteries. Because this has been a week where the weather has been so wet and gloomy that it makes a person want to curl up with a good book, a hot cup of tea and a cat and just wait for it all to go away – which won’t be until Saturday at the earliest and it’s been raining since Sunday. I couldn’t focus on any of the things I planned to read and ended up looking for a cozy mystery to sink into.

And here we are, Fixing to Die. Because this is the last book in the author’s Southern Ladies mystery series, although the adventures of the Cat in the Stacks seem to be continuing. Thank goodness.

So, on a damp and chilly autumn evening, when I couldn’t get into anything else, I found myself, along with sisters An’gel and Dickce Ducote, traveling from their home in Athena Mississippi to Natchez to help the granddaughter of an old friend out with her haunted antebellum bed and breakfast.

Only to find themselves in the midst of an acrimonious family drama – although thankfully one not even remotely their own this time, unlike the events in Dead with the Wind.

The practical-minded An’gel is certain that the ghostly happenings at Cliffwood are the result of a worldly rather than an otherworldly agent. Dickce is a bit more open-minded about the whole thing. After all, their own antebellum home has its share of inexplicable door-closings and perambulating knick-knacks.

But the humans who have gathered at Cliffwood make both the sisters more than a bit suspicious. Mary and Henry, the owners of the house, are fighting over just how much of their lives should be devoted to the care and feeding of the house and the guests they need to keep on keeping the house up to the standards of the Historical Society.

Mary’s cousin Nathan believes he’s entitled to the contents of one of the rooms in the house – based on an old will that he can’t find. That the room contains priceless antiques just adds to his motivations to make his cousin Mary and her husband Henry’s lives even more miserable. Nathan’s sister invites herself and her lawyer to the house in the hopes of loosening her brother’s grip on her trust fund.

Then a psychic medium knocks on the door, claiming that the spirits in the house have called to her to give them peace, and it’s clear that some kind of fix is in. If not multiple fixes.

When Nathan’s dead body is found in the morning in the room he claimed he owned, it’s more of a relief than it is a surprise. One of the lovely things about this series is that the person you most want to end up dead usually does in short order.

But with a corpse on their hands – again – the Ducote sisters can’t resist playing Nancy Drew in order to figure out how the murderer got into and out of the locked room containing the victim. So they can figure out whodunnit, and why, and how.

Because that’s what they do. They help the police solve murders – even when the police would much, much rather NOT be helped!

Escape Rating B: And we’re back to what makes cozy mysteries cozy, and why this particular series – and this particular author – have turned out to be such a cozy and comforting read for me.

I think what makes cozy mysteries cozy is a combination of two factors. A big one is the gang or group or family (found or birth or a combination) that surrounds the detectives, whether amateur or professional. An’gel and Dickce have each other of course, but they also have their 19-year-old ward, Benjy, and their companion animals, the Labradoodle Peanut who thinks An’gel hung the moon, and the Abyssinian cat Endora, who is certain that Dickce provides the best lap in the universe.

The sisters know everyone in Athena, and their friends and friends of friends, especially Athena’s chief homicide detective Kanesha Berry, extend their reach far and wide. And make everyone they come into contact with feel familiar – only because in a way they are.

There’s also the element of cozy mystery that’s sometimes referred to as the “romance of justice”. The reader knows going in that someone who might deserve it is going to die, and that whoever murdered them is going to get what’s coming to them. And that the murder will happen safely off-screen and that the murderer will receive their just desserts legally as well as righteously. No vigilantes, very little blood and gore, and everybody walks away, with the perpetrator walking away in handcuffs in police custody.

All’s well that ends well. And cozy mysteries invariably end well. It’s part of their charm, and it’s part of the comfort they provide, that the world can be rational, that good triumphs and evil gets an appropriate punishment.

Fixing to Die turned out to be exactly what I was looking for on a very rainy autumn night. The cast of characters is a lot of fun, the family shenanigans are interesting and are somebody else’s, the murder victim needed to be taken out of the gene pool and his murderer got their just desserts. The sisters saved the day – as they always do – and their animals are along to provide just the right touch of comic relief.

This series has just the right amount of sass mixed in with the sweet, and I’m sorry that it seems to have ended with this story. Although I wouldn’t mind visiting with the Ducote sisters again, either in a future book of their own or whenever Athena’s amateur detective and professional librarian, Charlie Harris and his big Cat in the Stacks Diesel need a bit of the Ducote’s local knowledge or wide span of influence around town.

I’ll be back to visit Charlie and Diesel in Athena early next spring with Hiss Me Deadly, and I’m definitely looking forward to the trip!

[Kristina Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fixing to Die by Miranda James is the fourth book in A Southern Ladies Mystery series. An’gel and Dickce Ducote have received a letter from Mary Turner Catlin about strange happening at her home, Cliffwood in Natchez, Mississippi. Mary Turner is at a loss and needs their help. The sisters along with their ward, Bengy (and the pets) pack up and head to Natchez (with Bengy driving so they make it without any speeding tickets and get to enjoy the scenery). Mary Turner was not kidding about the odd things occurring around the house—doors closing on their own, items moving around a room, cold spots, and strange shadows. Is there a ghost at Cliffwood or is someone trying to get the Catlin’s out of their home? The Ducote’s are just getting settled when a psychic shows up at the door saying she was drawn by a spirit who needs her help. But she is not the only unwanted guest. Two cousins and their lawyer descend on Cliffwood and insist upon staying for a few days (just what they need during their vacation time). The next day Nathan Gable (one of the cousins) is found dead in his bed with a frightened expression on his face. Did one of their unexpected guests kill Nathan or was it the spirit haunting Cliffwood? An’gel and Dickce want answers and set out to reveal the truth.

Fixing to Die has some lively characters and a beautiful old home for the setting (I would love to live in it). The story contains some nice writing, but it lacked an ease. I thought Fixing to Die was a slow starter. The murder did not occur until the 48% mark. The murder mystery was straightforward and the majority of readers will identify the perpetrator long before the reveal. The “hauntings” and who is behind them is equally unpuzzling. There was little investigation by the sisters. They never looked at the body or checked out the crime scene. Most sleuths would rush to check out both before the police arrive (the body would give them vital clues). An’gel and Dickce asked questions, examined walls (for secret passageways), and endlessly speculated what could have happened. The story is lacking in action and ending was anticlimactic. The author also left some threads dangling at the end of Fixing to Die. My rating is 3 out of 5 stars. I would not recommend starting with Fixing to Die. I have read the other books in A Southern Ladies Mystery series, and I felt a little lost in the beginning. I liked what was called the Nancy Drew effect (made me laugh). Who doesn’t want to find a secret passageway?

[IAmTheHolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

An'gel and Dickce get a call from an old friend's granddaughter that her antebellum home/bed and breakfast is haunted.  Strange happenings have been occurring and Mary is ready to get to the bottom of it.  Not too long after the ladies arrive, a psychic shows up and offers her services.  Then family members...and then a body.  An'gel and Dickce will have to get to the bottom of what's actually going on.

I was a little frustrated with this series after the last book, but this one was a lot better.  Still wouldn't say it's stellar writing, and I still really prefer the Cat in the Stacks series, but this one followed a decent plot line and kept moving.  The ladies seemed a lot less catty and more just truly trying to help.  I just still don't understand why the bodies don't show up until almost halfway through the books in this series, though.

Overall, a decent read with a really unique ending.  I appreciated that this one didn't seem as formulaic (I haven't felt that way about the Cat in the Stacks series, but I felt like until this one, each book in this series was a little more boring and formulaic than the last).  This book was kind of the make or break as to if I'd ever read more from this series, and after this one, I sure would.

I'll go 7.5 of 10 overall and 4 of 5 for readability.  Nice light read with a plot that's interesting enough to keep you engaged.  Check out this series, or if you haven't, check out the Cat in the Stacks series!

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