A review by bookwormbunny
Hanging Tobacco by Linda S. Browning

5.0

Hanging Tobacco: A Parlor Game Mystery by Linda S. Browning is a paranormal mystery about a young woman by the name of Olivia. She is a journalist who has gained some notoriety by solving a cold case murder of a little girl by the name of Sophia. Now Olivia has been asked to help look into another cold case about a man who was found deceased by his family in his tobacco barn. Something doesn't sit right and with there being two autopsy reports it seems like a good idea to check this one out. As Olivia begins to dig she runs into several problems. The barn where the death transpired was torn down and turned into real estate by a developer who really wanted the property back in the day. The case is well over 25 years old and everyone knows how that goes. She has to worry about re-opening old wounds but with some help she'll find the answers that she is looking for.
This is the first book that I have read by Linda S. Browning but I really enjoyed this novel. Right from the beginning it grabbed my attention and had me turning pages wanting to know what happens next. The mystery of this novel is really well done and I absolutely love it. I like that I got to figure out who the murderer was and that it wasn't something so obvious that you see it a mile away. This story is so artfully written and well done. Olivia has humor without overdoing it and she's a well balanced. Her skeptical boyfriend helps balance out the story until he himself experiences what Olivia herself experiences. The variety of characters that the author uses to bring this story to life are so well done and I enjoyed quite of few them immensely.
There really isn't anything that I don't like about this book. The Ouija board made me balk a little bit but the author keeps that very controlled so I can't say too much against it. I did not notice any editorial or proofreading errors so this was a very smooth and easy read for me.
I love paranormal stories and this book, with the mystery, was a very fun book. It focuses on the mystery and the story itself and doesn't get lost in the paranormal. The author touches on the paranormal when it is necessary and so keeps the story engaging to the utmost.
I am rating this book 5 out of 5 stars. I enjoyed this story very much and look forward to reading more works by this author in the future. Job well done.