Late Checkout

Eternal Rest Bed and Breakfast #2

by Beth Dolgner

What happens when a demanding guest turns into a demanding ghost?

One of the new guests at Eternal Rest Bed and Breakfast is a real jerk—even one of the ghosts says so. Emily Buchanan’s patience is put to the test by the entitled, uptight investor who owns the abandoned hotel on the edge of town. Jaxon Knight-MacGinn’s plans to revamp the hotel into an expensive resort is stirring up a lot of resentment around Oak Hill, and no one seems all that upset when he turns up dead. Even Jaxon’s business partner seems content to carry on without him. There are plenty of suspects among the living, but it’s the ghosts who have the most clues about the murder. As even Emily herself becomes a suspect, she also has to grapple with a shocking revelation about her late husband’s spirit.

LATE CHECKOUT, the second full-length novel in the Eternal Rest Bed and Breakfast series by paranormal cozy mystery author Beth Dolgner.

Genres: Paranormal, Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Ebooks, Fiction

198 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 30, 2021

About the author

Beth Dolgner writes paranormal fiction and non-fiction. Her interest in things that go bump in the night really took off on a trip to Savannah, Georgia, so it's fitting that the Betty Boo, Ghost Hunter Series of paranormal romance novels takes place in that spooky city. Beth's young adult novels, the steampunk Manifest and the urban fantasy A Talent for Death, also have paranormal elements. Her non-fiction work includes Georgia Spirits and Specters and Everyday Voodoo.

Since Georgia is obviously on her mind, you might think Beth lives there. Well, she did, but these days she and her husband live in Berlin, Germany, with their three cats. Beth misses those mild Georgia winters and proper iced tea, but there's no reason her characters can't enjoy those things.

Beth also enjoys giving presentations on Victorian death and mourning traditions as well as Victorian Spiritualism. She has been a volunteer at an historic cemetery, a ghost tour guide and a paranormal investigator. Right now she's chronicling the best spooky spots around Europe.

Beth is online at www.BethDolgner.com.

Betty Boo, Ghost Hunter Series
Ghost of a Threat,
Ghost of a Whisper
Ghost of a Memory
Ghost of a Hope

Manifest
Georgia Spirits and Specters,
Everyday Voodoo

Reviews

[Andi]

I enjoyed this novella more than the first, but I felt that Emily was a bit of a pushover in this one. Regardless, this was good enough to continue the series.

[Melanie]

Late Checkout is Book #2 in the 'Eternal Rest Bed and Breakfast' series.

Emily Buchanan is the owner of the B & B, she took over from her grandparents and the place is haunted. She has known it since she was a teenager and feels like they are her friends, family. One of her ghosts is Mrs. Thompson, a former part-time employee at the B & B and her newest addition Kelly is a teenage ghost who was murdered 17 years ago.

Emily and her psychic best friend, Sage Clark solved her murder. When Sage tried to help Kelly cross over, she decided to stay because she felt like she was home. Now Emily has gotten a new assistant, her former assistant Trevor Williams, was related to the man who killed Kelly and couldn't continue to face Emily, Sage, Reed, or the house. Reed Marshall is the cemetery caretaker of her historic Hilltop Cemetery, there behind the house, as well as the newer cemetery Oak Hill Memorial Garden, where his family are the first African Americans to be buried. The new assistant Trip Ellis has lived in Oak Hill all of his life, but Emily never met him. He like Mrs. Thompson and Trevor works only a couple days a week to give Emily a chance to run errands and have some personal time.

Time is what Emily needs too because her latest guests, mainly a one of them is arrogant, entitled, manner less and rude! Jaxon Knight-MacGinn is one of the four persons staying this week at the B&B. He and his business partner David Neal are looking to redevelop the old abandoned hotel on the other side of town. They along with their outside contractor (Warren Simmons) and lawyer (Alexis Burski - also snooty), have managed to alienate the townsfolk, insult the tastes and character of the people and just have everyone ready for them to leave!

Well after a couple of days in town Jaxon is dead and Emily is one of the suspects! There is another ghost in town in the old run down hotel and is it trying to implicate Emily? She's leery of this new ghost and Sage is ready for a séance!

In the midst of all of this there is another avenue of danger for Emily and her deceased husband Scott had begun to tell Emily about it, but his tragic car accident happened! Was it an accident or paranormal mayhem? Sage always thought Scott had crossed over, but is his spirit in danger too?

Read Book #2 Late Checkout, a part of the Eternal Rest Bed and Breakfast Series to find out who killed the jerk Jaxon, what is this new threat against Emily, if Emily gets to talk to Scott and what danger if any his spirit may be facing!

A cozy paranormal mystery for 13+, with no racy scenes and no foul language! Looking forward to Book #3!

[Julie Howard]

I loved this book. This is book two in what is proving to be a fun and entertaining series. It works great as a standalone mystery but that does mean that you miss out on the other great stories in this series, so why not sit back and enjoy them all? You won't be disappointed. Also the death of her husband seems to be a long term mystery and you learn a little bit more with each book, so I am sure that will get solved at some point. The main mystery does get solved with a killer that I never saw coming., I didn't even pick up on the clues either. I like the characters, especially the ghosts and there unique ways of communicating, somehow it seems more grown up with them conducting seance than the usual talking to ghosts, giving you the feeling that the Eternal Rest Bed and Breakfast could be a real place and not from the author's wonderful imagination. Either way I am loving the series and off to start the next book.
The everybody is up in arms about the new developer in town who has brought the abandoned hotel to fix up her a higher level of clientele. Emily isn't worried because as owner she caters to a different type of person in her haunted B&B, Then she meets the man and finds out if she doesn't want him trashing talking her B&B then she will have to jump through every hoop to please him. No body seems to like him, not even his business partners but Emily is still shocked to find his dead body. The ghost seem to know who killed him and have something to tell Emily but with the Police looking at her as the killer is she listening? Can she and her friend Sage work out what the ghosts are trying to tell her or will the newest ghost at Eternal Rest send everybody way?
I liked the narrator. She sound right for the characters and easily brings them to life.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

[Kelly]

Emily's open mind when it comes to ghosts has her helping a guest who was NOT a kind person in life. As in, the guy was a nightmare. Not literally, but he was one of those demanding entitled individuals who put a person's teeth on edge. Maybe that's just me. (It's not just me.)

So. After dealing with the aftermath of a body in the graveyard and her assistant being peripherally involved in the events that led to said body, Emily is dealing with a whole lot of people interested in booking a stay at her haunted B&B along with the notoriety that comes with it. Yeah, her phone's ringing off the hook and she's getting some sideways glances in town. When the most recent set of guests include an absolutely OBNOXIOUS individual who is planning on opening an all-inclusive resort, Emily doesn't like him, but she's determined to do her best as the host of where he's staying.

Then she stumbles over his dead body (which she wouldn't have done is the jerk didn't have her running his errands, mind you), and suddenly she's dealing with more than to-do lists and breakfast menus. In fact, she's got suspects (of which she's one) and clues and some ghosts who really want to communicate with her.

I'm enjoying this series and Emily's ghosts (because haunted B&B YASSS!) and can't wait to read more.

-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal

[Laura]

Welcome to Eternal Rest Bed and Breakfast where you come for a bit of rest and murder mystery!

It was so much fun to revisit Emily, and see what all has happened after the first installment. I was hooked from the beginning. Getting a eyeful of a snobby investor and learning how the entire town was in uproar with the investors.

The author did a wonderful job of having the reader greatly dislike one of the investors. Poor Emily had to put up with his antics, so it was no surprise to see someone end up murdered.
The murder mystery was very interesting in this book (No spoilers), and I was so happy to see that there are still plenty of paranormal activity happening in Eternal Rest Bed and Breakfast.

The narrator, Patricia Shade did a wonderful performance portraying Emily especially when was flummoxed! Poor Em. The variety of tones and inflections used for all of the characters were easy to follow and I came to recognize the tones she used for certain characters. I can't wait to discover the next mystery!
I would recommend this series to lovers of paranormal cozy mystery. I would also recommend to begin at the beginning to get a better backstory. Although the author does a fabulous job of weaving in some important facts into the second installment. I still feel like it would be a good way to get more of the backstory.

[Lori]

Karma; it's a thing!

Emily's B&B is full up. Her newest guests are business developers, and their lawyer.
One of the two owners of the old hotel they plan to turn into a ritzy tourist destination, is friendly and polite.
The other owner is the guest from hell; the deepest part! Demanding, brusk, with no apparent redeeming qualities, Emily is determined to be the perfect hostess in spite of his irritating behavior. It's a real strain as his "requests" become more and more unreasonable.
She has hired a new assistant, and finds herself relying on him more than just two days a week, as there is another murder connected to her inn.
Yes. Another one!
Now she has a new ghost haunting his room.
What's an inn keeper to do?
Work with her friends to find the murderer, of course!
Or is it murderers?
Read it for yourself and find out.
I'm hoping the author plans to add a slow burn romance eventually for Emily, but if she does, it won't likely happen until the mystery about what happened to her deceased husband, Scott is solved, and he hopefully moves on.
I would like seeing her move forward, not be stuck in the past.
We'll see what happens in upcoming books!

[Katie Storer]

What a fun read!

This was an interesting return to the series. I enjoy seeing a bit of Emily’s life as the owner of a B&B. I loved getting to go shopping with her as she bought supplies for her business. It was great seeing Emily’s friends Reed and Sage. Additionally we get to see glimpses of Jen, Sage’s partner.

This time a very wealthy man named Jaxson stays at the B&B, along with three business colleagues who are working to fix up the old Hotel just outside of town. Jaxson is a very demanding man who expects Emily to act as his personal assistant with no compensation. His partner, David, does his best to make nice with Emily to compensate for Jaxson’s bad attitude. The third guest is an attorney who works for Jaxon and David. She is very quiet pretty much keeps to herself.

Her new assistant, nickname of Trip, is catching onto his job quickly and Emily is grateful for his help.

Then, a murder is committed and Emily finds the body on the top floor of the hotel. And this is where the story, and the ghosts, get active. RECOMMEND.

[Marcia - itsabookthing2021]

Thanks to Beth Dolgner for the Audio book of Late Checkout.

Late Checkout is a great cosy mystery and is book 2 in the series. I really enjoyed the first novel in this series, so jumped at the chance to listen to book 2.

Late checkout sees Emily take on guests who are doing up a nearby hotel. Emily's B&B has it's own ghosts and in true murder mystery style, it gains another for the duration of the novel.
It's combination of paranormal and the mystery of the whodunit was the perfect blend.
The revelation of who the culprit were was mildly surprising. The storyline was great and the pacing just flowed perfectly.

The narrator - Patricia Shade has the perfect voice, her storytelling lulls you in and creates a soothing atmosphere. Her character voices are a perfect blend and not over the top.
The narrator and the storyline compliment each other well.

I'm really enjoying this series Beth Dolgner certainly knows how to write an excellent cozy paranormal mystery.

[Brooke]

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Coziness: ☕☕☕☕/5
Mystery: 🔎🔎🔎/5
Paranormal: 👻👻👻/5

Well I started this one because I needed to know about the cliffhanger from the first and go very little from it. If we are going to give a cliffhanger at least give me more than a smidgen to keep me hanging on. Although the series is growing on me idk how much more I want to read to get a pebble of info about said cliffhanger.

BUT, this book was enjoyable to say the least. I'm starting to enjoy more of the dynamic between our characters. They have built a great relationship between all three along with the police within the town. I really enjoyed seeing Emily grow more into mediumship. Which is what I wanted on the first book. I'm quite excited to see where this goes in the next book. I'm hoping with that mediumship she is able to contact more spirits. In her home and otherwise.

[Sandra Hernandez]

I really started enjoying Emily and her B and B and her ghosts. I enjoy that we are learning that she is growing into her own psychic skills. In this book we learn the old hotel was bought out and the new owners are staying at the B and B and Jaxson is rude and arrogant but his business partner David and the rest of the team seem more reasonable. Somehow Jaxson dies and Emily is determined to find his killer. She also end up with a new assistant so definitely starting to become a gag of not holding onto assistant so will this one last? I will say I somewhat figured out the killer, but I don’t wanna say too much to spoil the book. I will say these have become a quick read and though I have others to read I can’t wait to read more of this series

[fred jones]

Loved it, well written, classy murder mystery with lots of ghosts. When a obnoxious guest at her haunted B&B is murdered Emily and her friends investigate. Some great dialogue, strong well described characters, lots of good suspects and a satisfying ending, and ghosts, what more do you need? Light hearted and so much fun to listen too. The narrator does a superb job, lovely accents and so easy on the ears I was sad when it ended. I look forward to more as there are new developments and loose ends for more stories. I received a complimentary copy from the Author and am leaving a honest voluntary review

[Laura]

This is the second book in the series and it was as entertaining as the first one. In this story, Emily is dealing with a troublesome guest, who is staying at her bed and breakfast. When the guest is found dead, Emily and her friend Sage must try to figure out who the killer is, from the unusual messages being imparted to them by ghosts. I find this series enjoyable and I recommend it to others who enjoy cozy mysteries with a paranormal twist. Patricia Shade's narration was great and she added entertainment by her oration. I was given a free copy of the audiobook and I have voluntarily left this review.

[Sandy]

While we may not have gotten much further on finding out about Scott, book two did not disappoint when it comes to fresh (& old) murders, mystery, ghosts, and a growing amount of paranormal experiences for our heroine, Emily.

The new characters were well done, just like the ones we read about in book one. The story is intricate and provides a good "whodunnit" for those of us who like mysteries, and this time the book felt like it had double the paranormal activity, so lots of spookiness for those of us who enjoy that as well! All in all, it's a great addition to the series and I'm excited to start book three.

[Wendy]

There is a group that has come to town to renovate the old hotel and they are causing quite a stir. One of the new owners, Jackson, is quite a pill and is making everyone he comes into contact very grumpy. When Jackson is found dead the list of suspects is very long! It seems that the ghosts at the hotel only want to converse with Emily. Emily finally shares with her best friend Sage that there were some uneasy facts about Scott’s accident that have left Emily on edge and thinks the house should be cleansed at some point – if they can figure out how to sage the house without losing the delightful ghosts they have! Delightful twists that kept me reading!

[bella rhys (semi-hiatus)]

Excellent story!

This is the second book in the Eternal Rest Bed and Breakfast Paranormal Cozy Mysteries. Again, this book follows Emily and the paranormal activities surrounding her B&B.

Just like the first book, I really enjoyed the story and the characters were great! We even got to meet new characters that helped expand on the world within the book.

The storyline was great and the pacing was excellent! I truly enjoyed the reading experience and cannot wait for the third book in the series!

[Jeanne]

Not all guests are nice! Unfortunately for Emily Buchanan, her most recent one is a total jerk. What’s worse is that he is in the process of renovating a hotel which will actively compete with Eternal Rest, her little B & B. When Jaxon turns up dead in his fixer upper, and a new, very rude, ghost turns up, Emily knows that she will have to solve his murder to get rid of him. Enlisting the help of her friends, Emily will again bring peace to Eternal Rest. Another great cozy mystery with a touch of paranormal. A fun read.

[Janet]

Quick, easy read with developing characters. There's more to this series than just a light view of a ghost or two. There has been, in the last 2 books, a real haunting that's a little creepy. So be prepared for a true paranormal series - which I am enjoying. The primary characters and the townies are gaining more personality as the series progresses. And Emily is gaining more Psychic/medium power. The new assistant takes an unexpected turn - again. A new detective is introduced who has the potential for a romance down the line. Still wondering if Reed is in the running too.

[Tammy]

Investors are in town to renovate an old, abandoned hotel and turn it into a high-end resort. The town’s residents are upset about the possibility of losing business to the resort. Making matters worse one of the investors turns out to be an entitled, arrogant jerk who angers a lot people. When he is found murdered, there is no shortage of suspects. The mystery is good and has several twists and turns to keep you guessing. I recommend this book and series to anyone who enjoys paranormal cozy mysteries.

[Toula]

Book 2 in the series by Beth Dolgner . I dove right into this story . Beth wrote a ghost story that has everything you will love It’s very detailed, the characters are strong . Love how Beth story has ghosts , murder , mystery and your wondering who is the bad guy . You’ll get a surprise when you listen.
Heroine is Emily.
She gets some clues from a hotel when one of her guests get murdered. Not at her bed and breakfast but at the hotel jackson is trying to update.

Patricia Shade Performance is great. She nailed this audio and the characters.

[Doris Brase]

Everyone in a customer service job has met and dealt with an irate or unpleasant customer. Emily got to meet the ultimate pain in the backside. The new owners of an abandoned hotel check into the Eternal Rest and Breakfast,not believing in paranormal behavior. As the stay progresses, the ghost and guest behavior gets worse. Emily is caught in the middle fearing for her inn's future.
There's a surprise ending.

[Maisie]

This book had all of the charm and intrigue of the first one, making it an excellent sequel. The novel keeps you guessing and engaged by interlinking both Jaxon’s story and Scott’s. I was slightly disappointed that the book’s twist didn’t have the impact that the first novel had. However, Emily’s story is becoming more detailed and interesting throughout the books. I can’t wait to read the next addition to the series!

[Michael Reilly]

Can ghosts solve murders?

Emily and Sage are back for another chapter of life with ghosts in the second installment of Eternal Rest Bed and Breakfast Paranormal Cozy Mysteries. Emily has a not so pleasant guest at her BnB and then a new ghost starts haunting Eternal Rest when new guests arrive and a murder must be solved. I recommend you pick up a copy of Late Checkout by Beth Dolgner for yourself and enjoy the spooky mystery today.

[M Gorence]

Emily once again finds herself involved in solving a murder decades old and one recent murder. Along with her friend Sage, Emily begins to consult the ghosts that inhabit her Bed and Breakfast, the Eternal Rest. Still searching for contact with her dead husband, she gets a glimmer of hope that she may be able to contact him. Her ability to communicate with the dead begins to develop in this quirky, but intriguing cozy myster.

[Tina L Persson]

Good but Emily needs to grow a pair

I enjoy these stories, for the most part. But, the Emily character needs to be less a doormat to strong willed characters. When Jaxon started bossing her around like a lowly servant she should have told him NO., that she was the only full-time worker and he needed to hire a Personal Assistant. She is just too passive sometimes. Hopefully she is more mature in future books.

[Laura]

Good romp

I read this immediately following Sweet Dreams, the first boom in the series, so it did not feel as captivating as the first one. However the characters are believable and the narrative flows well. I will read others in the series, but after a break.

Guests at Eternal Rest are in town to build a resort on the grounds of an old, decrepit hotel. One is killed. Emily's paranormal abilities strengthen as she works with her friends and the ghosts to learn whodunit.

[Cheryl Davis]

I loved this story, a nice little ghost story and a murder to get the owner up each day. Poor Emily had a very demanding guest who was really rude and demanded things that were totally wrong, how dare the man make her do things she shouldn't have to do!
Luckily he wound up dead, but she has plenty of guests to deal with. She is learning to harness her own psychic vibes and worries about her dead hubby.

[Jennine]

This second book was also enjoyable and entertaining, with one very objectionable guest that ploughed thru good manners to set the scene. I am a ghostaholic so this was right up my alley. The mystery was good and adventurous l like how Beth writes, her characters really are believable and I hope to get more books in this series. Recommended good clean story for teenage up.

[Candy Berg]

Eternal Rest Bed and Breakfast..very interesting

I have enjoyed this series so far. There is a cast of characters that all have a bit of quirkiness to them. Each story is well thought out.
These books are good for anyone to read, no violent scenes or trashy talking or vulgarity. It is a clean fun read. I look forward to reading the next installments.

[jacqueline dana]

Another all nighter

I lose a lot of sleep when I find a series like this one. Good plots and twists and turns. One thing I like is that these booksin the series are stand alones, no cliff hangers to make you read the next one, which you end up doing because you enjoy the writing so much.

[April Willis]

Good Ghost Story!

And, I love a good ghost story! As Emily settles into her role as owner of the Eternal Rest Hotel in this second book of the series, I found myself rooting for her success. Wonderful World building, both in the paranormal world and the fictional world. Character development is fabulous. Highly Recommended