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Augusta Goodnight #6
Hark! The Herald Angel Screamed
It’s Christmastime in the seemingly tranquil town of Stone’s Throw, South Carolina, but amid all the caroling, cookies, and cheer, a murderer casts a not-so-jolly pall on the holiday season.
Augusta Goodnight, guardian angel, sometime sleuth, and welcome boarder with longtime resident Lucy Nan Pilgrim, comes to the aid of her friends when, as Lucy Nan is searching for the perfect Christmas tree on her grandmother’s abandoned estate, a mysterious stranger plummets to his death from the mansion’s balcony. Lucy Nan can’t shake off childhood stories of the ghost of a girl who fell from the same spot long ago---has the ghost come back to haunt the living, or is there an all-too-human murderer at work?
Mysterious events are soon heating up faster than spiced punch left on the burner, and it will take Augusta’s help, not to mention some celestial Southern cooking, for peace to be restored and Christmas lights to shine once again in the little town of Stone’s Throw.
Augusta Goodnight, guardian angel, sometime sleuth, and welcome boarder with longtime resident Lucy Nan Pilgrim, comes to the aid of her friends when, as Lucy Nan is searching for the perfect Christmas tree on her grandmother’s abandoned estate, a mysterious stranger plummets to his death from the mansion’s balcony. Lucy Nan can’t shake off childhood stories of the ghost of a girl who fell from the same spot long ago---has the ghost come back to haunt the living, or is there an all-too-human murderer at work?
Mysterious events are soon heating up faster than spiced punch left on the burner, and it will take Augusta’s help, not to mention some celestial Southern cooking, for peace to be restored and Christmas lights to shine once again in the little town of Stone’s Throw.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
33 people are currently reading
187 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 - 30 of 30 reviews
February 11, 2024
The plot seemed a little too silly for my taste but I rated a 2 instead of a one for the Christian aspect. If you like guardian angels and southern charm this might be up your alley
June 8, 2021
The mystery was quite weak but could have easily been forgiven by the charming women of Stone's Throw had there not been so much vulgar profanity.
December 21, 2020
This is part cozy Christmas murder mystery and part haunted house mystery. The murder is solved with the help of a guardian angel, Augusta, who only Lucy Nan and Ellis can see, but Augusta is not heavily involved in the investigation and sleuthing. She eats, drinks coffee, reads, cooks, sews and offers advice to the two humans, and of course she walks through walls. The biggest difficulty in this book is the amount of characters; there are at least 75 named characters, many of which appear only once with no direct connection to the story line. When a character appears a second time the author at least gives a reference to who the character is. I kept a note pad next to me as I read the book so I could list all of the characters who appeared.
Several discrepancies: (1) the back cover blurb says the story takes place in North Carolina, but the story inside says South Carolina; (2) the "ghost" and the mysterious music are not explained; (3) someone has recorded the attendees at a party with a camcorder, and Lucy Nan gets ahold of it and views the recording, but she only mentions who she saw on it in passing about 20 pages later; (4) Augusta is an angel who walks through walls so why do Lucy Nan and Ellis need to burglarize a house to find clues when Augusta could have done it easily. Many many more of these inconsistencies. Not an enjoyable reading experience.
Several discrepancies: (1) the back cover blurb says the story takes place in North Carolina, but the story inside says South Carolina; (2) the "ghost" and the mysterious music are not explained; (3) someone has recorded the attendees at a party with a camcorder, and Lucy Nan gets ahold of it and views the recording, but she only mentions who she saw on it in passing about 20 pages later; (4) Augusta is an angel who walks through walls so why do Lucy Nan and Ellis need to burglarize a house to find clues when Augusta could have done it easily. Many many more of these inconsistencies. Not an enjoyable reading experience.
December 22, 2018
Fun story, but there were a gazillion characters and I had trouble keeping them all straight. Also sometimes felt like a lot was inferred when it could've been better explained. Still, a fun Christmas mystery.
January 3, 2021
I was actually very disappointed in this book. The title of the book is what grabbed me because of its uniqueness. But overall, I found the story dry and very hard to get into. To even finish the story was almost just very hard. Overall not impressed.
June 6, 2023
Christmas Ghost Mystery novel for fun. Augusta is a helpful ghost, but the humans are having quite a time of it this holiday. This book is actually part of a series, but I had no trouble reading the Christmas edition as a standalone. (not for young readers) Enjoy.
December 17, 2017
A lighthearted mystery, a clever quick read.
July 7, 2019
I love this series. They are my "go-to" books when I have been reading too many Historic Novels. I would love to have Augusta Goodnight in my house.
January 26, 2023
A very good story (just re-read it for the third time). Love Augusta Goodnight, wish I knew her....And Stone's Throw sounds like a wonderful place to live...
December 31, 2025
I really like the friendship among these women and I love Augusta and her interesting mix ups of expressions. Really good mystery.
October 17, 2012
Peace on earth and mercy mild...
It's the Christmas season in Stone's Throw, South Carolina, but peace on earth is not on the nativity program this year. Fear and anxiety have taken over the town once again after the death of a stranger out at the long-abandoned ancestral home of Lucy Nan Pilgrim. Lucy, along with her friends, is puzzled by the man's seemingly accidental fall from the empty house's balcony and soon becomes frightened when his death is tied to a mysterious locket, old ghost stories and family secrets that extend far beyond their town's little borders. Will there be broken hearts and broken lives under this year's Christmas tree or can the Thursdays (who really meet on Mondays) solve the mystery before one of their own is hurt? Alone, they may not have a chance, but with the heavenly help of Lucy's guardian angel, Augusta Goodnight, they just might!
Mignon Ballard brings Southern coziness and warmth to the table once again in this installment of her charming Augusta Goodnight series. With its sassy humor and yummy-sounding recipes, this book was a delight! Settling Augusta with Lucy in Stone's Throw has allowed Ballard to develop a cast of characters whose personalities are now well-established, allowing the reader to feel a deeper connection to the series that wasn't present in the earlier books. The ongoing plots threaded throughout the past few books - including Lucy's romance with quirky Ben - are also a nice addition, providing additional depth to the book. Though this means that Augusta takes a secondary role in the book, I've always felt that this was a better place for her than in the forefront. All in all, a nice cozy read.
It's the Christmas season in Stone's Throw, South Carolina, but peace on earth is not on the nativity program this year. Fear and anxiety have taken over the town once again after the death of a stranger out at the long-abandoned ancestral home of Lucy Nan Pilgrim. Lucy, along with her friends, is puzzled by the man's seemingly accidental fall from the empty house's balcony and soon becomes frightened when his death is tied to a mysterious locket, old ghost stories and family secrets that extend far beyond their town's little borders. Will there be broken hearts and broken lives under this year's Christmas tree or can the Thursdays (who really meet on Mondays) solve the mystery before one of their own is hurt? Alone, they may not have a chance, but with the heavenly help of Lucy's guardian angel, Augusta Goodnight, they just might!
Mignon Ballard brings Southern coziness and warmth to the table once again in this installment of her charming Augusta Goodnight series. With its sassy humor and yummy-sounding recipes, this book was a delight! Settling Augusta with Lucy in Stone's Throw has allowed Ballard to develop a cast of characters whose personalities are now well-established, allowing the reader to feel a deeper connection to the series that wasn't present in the earlier books. The ongoing plots threaded throughout the past few books - including Lucy's romance with quirky Ben - are also a nice addition, providing additional depth to the book. Though this means that Augusta takes a secondary role in the book, I've always felt that this was a better place for her than in the forefront. All in all, a nice cozy read.
December 24, 2011
A perfect little cozy to read at this hectic time of year. Didn't have to think too hard and let the enjoyable story flow.
The little town of Stone's Throw is another place that seems pretty neat to live if it weren't for all the murder and mayhem. Everyone has a part to play, either as friend or foe.
Lucy Nan is lucky to have her coffee loving guardian angel, Augusta Goodnight, around for all the help Augusta is able to give. Augusta cooks and bakes magnificent goodies for Lucy Nan and her friends to enjoy. She also helps Lucy Nan solve the murders that crop up.
Had plenty of people to keep track of while I read as well as keeping tally of the suspects and clues. There's a shady character, Melrose, who is courting one of Lucy Nan's dear friend, Idonia, and when he arrives on the scene, there's also the murder of a not very nice man whose body is discovered in Lucy Nan's ancestral home. Idonia is also wearing a locket given her by Melrose and this locket has caused an uproar.
All is solved in a pleasing pattern and makes me wish I had a guardian angel like Augusta Goodnight and friends like Lucy Nan and her buds to spend Christmas with.
A handful of yummy candycanes for this one.....
The little town of Stone's Throw is another place that seems pretty neat to live if it weren't for all the murder and mayhem. Everyone has a part to play, either as friend or foe.
Lucy Nan is lucky to have her coffee loving guardian angel, Augusta Goodnight, around for all the help Augusta is able to give. Augusta cooks and bakes magnificent goodies for Lucy Nan and her friends to enjoy. She also helps Lucy Nan solve the murders that crop up.
Had plenty of people to keep track of while I read as well as keeping tally of the suspects and clues. There's a shady character, Melrose, who is courting one of Lucy Nan's dear friend, Idonia, and when he arrives on the scene, there's also the murder of a not very nice man whose body is discovered in Lucy Nan's ancestral home. Idonia is also wearing a locket given her by Melrose and this locket has caused an uproar.
All is solved in a pleasing pattern and makes me wish I had a guardian angel like Augusta Goodnight and friends like Lucy Nan and her buds to spend Christmas with.
A handful of yummy candycanes for this one.....
August 7, 2014
This is an Augusta Goodnight Mystery that occurs during the Christmas holiday season of Advent. In this story Augusta Goodnight is Lucy Nan Pilgrim’s guardian angel. Augusta loves a good mystery and Lucy Nan is always getting books from the library for her to read. Lucy Nan’s family owns the old Willowbrook home and property. Currently Pastor Dave Tansey, his wife Louella and their son Jeremiah were acting as caretakers of the home and living in the Green Cottage on the property. Lucy Nan and her friend Ellis go there to pick a Christmas tree from the surrounding woods as well as some pine boughs and other trimmings for the local Historical Society home, Bellawood; when they discover a man on the ground, dead. Thus begins a strange string of happenings in the little South Carolina town of Stone’s Throw. Lucy Nan, and the rest of her middle-aged book club friends known as The Thursday Mornings, tries to figure out what is going on when one of their friends is drugged, and almost dies from it, all to take her pendant necklace.
This was an enjoyable story. I like all the Augusta Goodnight Mystery stories I have read thus far.
This was an enjoyable story. I like all the Augusta Goodnight Mystery stories I have read thus far.
August 17, 2009
This is a first book for me of author Mignon F. Ballard. I don't know how I managed to order this book because it is not the first in the series and I am usually careful to start with book one in a series. This book is actually the 7th in the Augusta Goodnight series. I am going to make this review very brief because I need to go back and read the other 6 books.
I did like the characters but since they are in podunk nowhere the author chooses really redneck, backwoods names for the characters which truthfully put me off a little. (Examples: Lucy Nan, Jo Nell, etc) For those who haven't read any of these books, Augusta Goodnight is Lucy Nan's guardian angel. For those that like Christmas cozies here is one for you.
I did like the characters but since they are in podunk nowhere the author chooses really redneck, backwoods names for the characters which truthfully put me off a little. (Examples: Lucy Nan, Jo Nell, etc) For those who haven't read any of these books, Augusta Goodnight is Lucy Nan's guardian angel. For those that like Christmas cozies here is one for you.
November 19, 2008
Augusta Goodnight is one of the more amusing angels in current detective fiction series, but this is not her finest hour. She is guardian angel to Lucy Nan, and is with the Southern widow when she discovers a body on her family's decrepit old plantation. The authorities are sure that he's a vagrant who has been sleeping in the building, and Lucy Nan and her friends are busy with Christmas preparations and the surprising new beau of one of the members of their reading club. But the dead man's unexpected connections with two local families leads to more not-so-genteel mayhem. With recipes.
June 22, 2014
A friend gave me this book and stated that she really enjoyed it. Well, I just started reading it and only realized that Augusta was a guardian angel when Lucy Nan was in Soso, Georgia. Don't know why Lucy Nan and Ellis have this angel that they can only see. Not a great mystery. Don't believe I'll be reading any more of her books.
August 9, 2009
This is the first of this series that I have read. The characters were likable; a few were a bit stereotypical, but overall enjoyed the book.
GREAT recipes at the end. I am making the jam cake and lemonade cake this week!
GREAT recipes at the end. I am making the jam cake and lemonade cake this week!
December 5, 2010
A pretty good read. There were a few inconsistencies, and a lot of characters to keep track of, but I will probably read more of this series. I especially like the recipes at the end of the book for the dishes mentioned in the story.
December 7, 2013
It's not rocket science, but it is a charming and interesting tale of murders among the church ladies in the south at Christmas. Add in a guardian angel visible only to her guarded one and you have an unlikely tale, but one that is fun to read.
February 6, 2009
This is a cute light mystery series.
February 13, 2009
This was a little too corny for my tastes.
July 21, 2009
yawn.
December 20, 2012
liked a story with a guardian angel in it and set during the Advent season. Quick read.
May 19, 2013
Has recipes
December 28, 2013
read for the holidays to get into the holiday murder spirit. Was decent. Was a little reluctant with the concept of a guardian angel ghost, but the character wasn't too cutesy.
September 18, 2013
fun and good recipes
January 7, 2014
I occasionally read Bonnie's "cozy" mysteries, and most are pretty good. This one isn't my cup of tea, though Ballard is a fine writer. I'll leave her books for the ladies from now on, though.
January 4, 2015
I liked it O K would read another by the author. Seniors enjoy volunteering, church activities, cooking and solve a mystery with the help of an angel.
December 28, 2016
I'm not sure if I like this book or this series yet. Parts of the book were quite charming. Other parts dragged along at a mind-numbing rate.
March 10, 2009
too cozy
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews