Hark! the Herald Angel Screamed

Mignon F. Ballard is the queen of mystery and suspense. She keeps you on the edge of your seat until the last work on the last page.

While everyone would probably like to have a Guardian Angel Lucy Nan Pilgrim of Stone's Throw, South Carolina actually has one. Mind you this is not just your garden variety Guardian Angel but it is Augusta Goodnight, a heavenly figure who often finds herself on terra firma in order to help straighten things out. She's a bit of a sleuth with an uncanny or unearthly knack for solving mysteries. As Lucy Nan describes Augusta: "I must admit I had my doubts when she first showed up on my doorstep in her voluminous emerald cape, but there was something so right about her, something so good, I soon invited her into my life. I haven't regretted it." Lucy Nan's friend, Ellis, is the only other person who can see and speak to Augusta. That's because as Augusta explained it Ellis could use a little looking after, too. One day shortly before Christmas this trio is at Willowbrook, Lucy Nan's grandmother's deserted plantation house. They're looking for a tree and greenery to decorate the church. Augusta suffers from the cold ever since her winter at Valley Forge with George Washington, so she retires to the car in an effort to keep warm. Therefore, she's not on the spot when a body is found "in the center of the porch between two Doric columns." It appeared that the late unlamented Dexter Clark had fallen from the balcony as a railing was broken. As if this were not enough of a puzzlement it is not long before Idonia Mae Culpepper is drugged and a locket that her gentleman friend, Melrose DuBois, has given her is stolen. Next, Opal Henshaw proprietress of a local B & B, The Spring Lamb, falls from a church balcony breaking her neck. What a tangled web has been woven! If you've missed the first six Augusta Goodnight stories and like your mysteries mixed with warmth, humor, and recipes you'll not want to miss Hark! The Herald Angel Screamed. (The recipe for Aunt Eula's Lemonade Cake alone is well worth the price of the book!) - Gail Cooke

Wouldn't I just love to have a guardian angel like Augusta Goodnight - one that I could see, talk to, know that I was being watched over - one that would cook for me - and one that would actively engage in mystery and mayhem!!! I have enjoyed all the other books regarding Augusta, but some haven't included her as much as this one. This book is a lot of fun, a good murder mystery to enjoy, a quick read and a must if you like your fantasy and murder served on the same dish!

Everyone's favorite Guardian Angel Augusta Goodnight is still staying with Lucy Nan Pilgrim in the small town of Stone's Throw, South Carolina. It is the Christmas season; Augusta's favorite time of the year. She, Lucy and their friend Ellis seek the right tree for their church fellowship. They are looking on the grounds of Willowbrook, owned by Lucy's cousin, when they find a dead man on the porch below the mansion's balcony; the guard rail is broken. While everyone tries to identify the John Doe, they are also happy for their friend Idonia who avoided love for years, but is involved with newcomer Melrose DuBois, who gave her a locket as a sign of his affection. When Lucy Nan and Ellis visit the caretakers of Willowbrook, the Tanseys, they see a picture of the couple's dead daughter wearing the same locket that Melrose gave to Idonia. The dead man is identified as Dexter Clark, the son in law of the Tansy's' dead daughter. Dexter's Aunt Opal Henshawe is also killed; Lucy Nan and Ellis know the events are obviously related even Melrose's disappearance. However, what that connection is remains mysteriously unknown as they seek to identify a killer without becoming the next victims. Living up to her surname Augusta is the personification of goodness as she is able to make those in her circle feel better about themselves. While she cannot directly help find the culprit, Augusta assists Lucy, Nan, and Ellis on the quest. They each have an inner strength so when they team up, they can move mountains. Mignon F. Ballard is a wonderful storyteller who enchants her audience with this charming amateur sleuth urban fantasy. Harriet Klausner