SOUTHERN SPIRITS is Book one in the Southern Ghost Hunter mystery series by Angie Fox. This is the first book I've read by Angie Fox and I really enjoyed reading SOUTHERN SPIRITS. SOUTHERN SPIRITS has some of the things that I love about cozy mysteries -- likeable characters, a little humor, and a dash of romance -- but it also has lots of thrills.

Verity Long is a very sympathetic main character. The story opens with Verity in a very bad place financially because of her ex and his family. The unfairness of her situation and the response she gets from people in her town had me rooting for her from the beginning. I didn't really find Ellis to be the "bad boy" as described in the book blurb. He's a cop, former military man, and is working hard to start a business. I wasn't sure I would like him at first because of how he viewed Verity through the distorted lens of his family's opinion. However, I like that he came around quickly as soon as he was faced with the truth. They made a good ghost hunting team in SOUTHERN SPIRITS and I look forward to seeing how their relationship progresses in future books.

I love how Angie Fox brings the scary in SOUTHERN SPIRITS. There are all types of ghostly characters -- a former gangster turned reluctant good guy, lonely ghosts, misunderstood ghosts, as well as truly frightening ones. The mystery that Angie Fox mixes in with the ghost story is an interesting puzzle and very compelling. The sense of danger and excitement keep building through SOUTHERN SPIRITS until the fascinating conclusion. I like that there are some lighter moments scattered throughout southern spirits to break up the tension.

SOUTHERN SPIRITS is an exciting ghostly delight and lots of fun. Angie Fox crafts a story that had me riveted from start to finish. The ghost characters that appear in SOUTHERN SPIRITS -- like Frankie or even Jilted Josephine -- are charming in their own way and I hope to see them in future books. I eagerly await the next installment in this Southern Ghost Hunter series.