Book review: Ghosts of Tupelo Landing

Some books put a smile on your face. Some put a smile deep down in your heart. This is one of them.

Buy this book!

Ghosts of Tupelo Landing (by Sheila Turnage) is the sequel to Three Times Lucky, which is hands down, one of the BEST middle grade books I will ever read. We're talking top 3 and it shall never be removed from that spot. Here's the blurb for Ghosts: (I realize I don't give my own summary of a book and here's why: I find it redundant. When I read a book review, all I want is the blurb, and for the reviewer to answer the question "Was this good? Why or why not?" I don't want to know what happens in the book (that's why I read it!). I just want to know if it's worth picking up and starting. That's why mine are short and sweet; it's just my preference)

Small towns have rules. One is, you got to stay who you are -- no matter how many murders you solve.

When Miss Lana makes an Accidental Bid at the Tupelo auction and winds up the mortified owner of an old inn, she doesn't realize there's a ghost in the fine print. Naturally, Desperado Detective Agency (aka Mo and Dale) opens a paranormal division to solve the mystery of the ghost's identity. They've got to figure out who the ghost is so they can interview it for their history assignment (extra credit). But Mo and Dale start to realize that the Inn isn't the only haunted place in Tupelo Landing. People can also be haunted by their own past. As Mo and Dale handily track down the truth about the ghost (with some help from the new kid in town), they discover the truth about a great many other people, too.

A laugh out loud, ghostly, Southern mystery that can be enjoyed by readers visiting Tupelo Landing for the first time, as well as those who are old friends of Mo and Dale


I adore Mo and Dale. Mo's voice is one of the best narrative voice's in fiction. Scout Finch hangs out in my top seat in that category, and I'm not gonna lie, she hasn't had anyone close to a contender. But Mo LoBeau?  She's getting pretty friendly with Scout up on the rung. Mo is delightfully self aware and searching. Someone you would want to have journey with you through life because she has a way of finding truth and hope in any situation. And Dale??  Glory. I love him to pieces. He is honest and real and always trying, and bless his heart, you can't help but love him.

This story is sweet and hilarious and all things southern. I reread lines over and over and wanted to memorize them because they were so perfectly right. Fantastic story. Amazing, loveable characters. If you like middle grade fiction, small town stories, or unexpected heroes, you need to read this.