Melody Bittersweet sees ghosts, she is called to Maplemead Castle where an American couple have just bought the place off the internet, without viewing it first. When Melody arrives she finds the ghosts of a circus ringmaster and his lion, and two trapeze artists who are swinging from the chandeliers of the ballroom. Every night for the last century Britannia Lovell has fallen to her death and Melody needs to find out why.

In this book we also delve into the relationship between Melody and Fletcher Gunn, the investigative reporter who does not believe that ghosts exist.

This was a great book, although there were plenty of laughs it was also nice to see the way Melody handles the ghosts and the way she gave Britannia a slice of friendship that she had never had. An excellent and funny read.

Having enjoyed book 1 in this series I couldn't wait to get stuck into this one. The author once again has written a story which made me laugh and cry in almost equal measures.

The characters are all back with a bang in a new mystery. The ghosts in this book are brilliantly done and I found myself desperate to have them stay, although I knew that in order for the story to reach its conclusion they would need to go. This was one part of the story which had me in tears, very near the end of the book.

I loved meeting Melody, her mum and gran again as they are a great trio. All of the other characters are well written but my favourite is Artie. He is such an innocent character and is brilliantly written. I can't wait to see what comes next for all of the characters.

Many thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for providing a copy.

This was the second instalment of the Chapelwick Mysteries series and, luckily for me, the second outing I have gone on with with Melody and her friends :) It could easily be read as a standalone book though.

Melody and her friends and co-workers, Marina and Artie, find themselves in a castle with quirky American owners (who bought it sight unseen from the Internet, as you do), and a nice collection of ghosts that they have to move on. It is a funny tale about odd family members, ghosts who have their own tales to tell and lots of will she/won't she moments between Melody and the thorn in her side, Fletcher Gunn. Oh, and her ex is also in the mix here, just to make it even MORE interesting.

There are certainly plenty of funny moments in this book, and a bit of pathos as well. I loved it and am waiting patiently for the next one :)

Highly recommended from me, 4.5 stars.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture.

This is the second book in the Chapelwick Mysteries series and while this can be read as a stand alone, I would recommend reading book one first.

This was a light mystery read with a paranormal twist and for me Mystery at Maplemead Castle was an utterly charming read. It was a little slow to start but once we started to get into the story, the pace picked up and I found myself very much engrossed in the story.

I love all the relationships running through these book; whether it be family, friendship or romance, there is a constant emotional deepness that just the right amount of subtle that really tugs at the heart and enamours every character to you.

I'm very much looking forward to the next book in this series - 3.5 stars

I was provided with a copy of this book from the Publisher via NetGalley; there was not inducement or obligation.

“Welcome to Chapelwick, a leafy English town in the hills of Shropshire, where chocolate pecan cookies come with a helping of sabotage.”

Contagiously addictive! Laugh out loud entertaining, mixed with ferociously funny and colourful characters! Exquisitely executed! Highly imaginative! 5++ Stars! Absolute must read!

I could not wait to delve back into all things Melody and catch up on the shenanigans of the ghost busting agency. I devoured Mystery At Maplemead Castle within one sitting only stopping for essential tea and biscuit breaks…

I loved it from the very first sentence to the last. Another magical story that fully captured my imagination. The atmospheric scenes played out like a showreel in my mind. Rejoining characters that felt like friends. Interlaced with wit and humour. Quintessentially English.

This is why I read…pure escapism at its best!

I can't wait to read more from the Chapelwick Msyteries. I highly recommend to readers who love all things supernatural with a twist of bristish comedy.

**Arc provided courtesy of Bookouture via NetGalley in exchange of an honest review**

This didn't really work for me, but I can't quite put my finger on why. I do have a relatively tricky relationship with ghosts in books, but this has a lot of the things that I do like in books like this - snarky humour and people not taking themselves too seriously. But hey ho, I'm sure it will work for other people - and I'll just stick to the Kat French romantic comedies rather than the Kitty French stuff.

I really enjoyed the first in The Chapelwick Mysteries series, and this second book did not disappoint.

All my favourite characters from the first book return for ghost hunting chaos, with more hilarious results. Melody is a fun character and her relationships with the other characters are what make this story great.

I enjoyed this book even more than the first, as the ghosts and their history are fascinating.

I would highly recommend this book (and the first book, The Skeletons of Scarborough House) if you are looking for an easy and fun story.

Last summer we read The Skeletons of Scarborough House which not only had us laughing out loud, but also left us with a sweet taste in our mouths! We wanted more where this had come from, so when our fairy godmother granted our wish with this follow-up in the Chapelwick series, we sighed. For those of you who are prepared to take on Ms French’s highly creative storytelling, we can’t recommend her latest ghostly tale narrated in mystical surrounding enough. It’s pure entertainment and titillated our imagination in such a way we wondered whether the author has a sixth sense or even in cahoots with her characters! Her Brit humour borders on the ridiculous but at the same time, verges on reality. Peculiarities in the vocabulary had us grabbing for our dictionaries after asking each other whether we knew the definitions. Suffice it to say, neither of us could suss out a word or two and had to resolve our quandaries by consulting the internet!

“You want me to out-fembot the fembots?”

Weird and wonderful; we were hooked lock, stock and barrel in the depths of haunting scenarios. It is difficult to describe in a review where many so-called characters are either ‘drop-dead’ gorgeous, or scare the living daylights out of the two spiritually prepared experts and have them running for cover! More importantly, what was brought to our attention from the beginning of the story and needs be mentioned is how Ms French has cannily written a standalone without making it repetitive for those who have read the first book. She’s gone to a lot of trouble to recap on the goings on for the new reader; names. . . there are a few bizarre ones, and places are easily put into context and not the slightest bit confusing! That being said, we do recommend reading The Skeletons of Scarborough House to get the whole phantasmal experience.

“Can’t offer you a cup of tea, I’m afraid, young lady, on account of the fact that we’re dead and the ruddy servants can’t hear a word we say.”

Melody is special in more ways than one. If she won our hearts in book one, in book two she could do no wrong. Alas, our heroine doesn’t consider herself to be exceptionally worldly in the running of her personal or professional life since her gift seems to be more of a hindrance than a help. Relying on her motley crew to guide her through thick and thin; they’re adorable, all superbly described—eccentricities included, and all have their jobs cut out for them. And if her gran isn’t knocking back a glass or three of bubbly or her mum isn’t tempting Melody with sweet delicacies, they’re giving her advise at Blithe Spirits.

“To love a Bittersweet woman is to love her. It’s our gift and our curse, Melody.”

How Melody’s dodges Fletcher, a reporter who’s been assigned to her latest case, had us in fits. She has no filter around him, targets herself for his amusement and has trouble controlling her libido. And then she’s got to deal with her foe, Leo Dark. Besides rubbing her up the wrong way, she also has to put up with his entourage of hangers-on. Being down-to-earth in a business like hers is nigh on impossible, but that doesn’t stop her being ambitious and totally lovable.

“You’re the queen of mixed messages.”

“And you’re the king of bad intentions.”

“Only where you’re concerned.”

There were a couple of moments in the story where we felt it lost its momentum. Because of this, our reading pace slowed down a tad; however, our impatience was probably due to the fact that we couldn’t wait to see if Melody and Fletcher would get their acts together. Do they? Don’t they? Not telling, but we will say in the hot department, these two guys’ chemistry sizzled off the pages. Told in first person in present is our fave storytelling technique and seeing as we’re suckers for banter, we couldn’t have asked for more. It’s abso-freakin’-lutely brilliant! Fast comebacks hilariously expressed and humour hovering on the brink of sarcasm overflow between all the well-developed characters. Ooh, and Lastat, pug extraordinaire, most certainly deserves pride of place on the cover! We’re itching to get our hands on book three Ms French! Bravo!

“Life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Or gin and tonic. I prefer the gin myself.”

I absolutely love, love, love this series. I'm at that point where I wish Kitty French was a new-to-me author, and had written ten books in this series already, and I could read them all back-to-back. Why do I love them so much? First, it's the characters. I adore them. I want to go ghostbusting with them. I want hot reporter Fletcher Gunn to shadow my every move (don't tell my husband) and Marina to bring me cakes fresh from Nonna's kitchen. I wouldn't even mind giving Leo Dark advice on unrequited love - although it would be very tempting to tell him to get his hair cut and to ditch the cloak.

Confused? Let me explain. At the grand old age of 27, Melody 'I see dead people' Bittersweet has decided to stop fighting the unique talent which is persistently getting her fired/losing her potential boyfriends, and has set up The Girls' Ghostbusting Agency. Along for the ride are best friend Marina, the terrifyingly efficient Glenda, and naive young Artie, who has just enough sense to dig the girls out of trouble if they need it. Each book has a haunting and it's Melody's job to find out what is keeping the ghost or ghosts from moving on. In this story Maplemead Castle is haunted by circus folk - two trapeze artists and their ringmaster - doomed to repeat the events that led to their deaths every single night. And also haunted by something else I won't mention, because you'll have far more fun reading that scene without a spoiler!

This series would appeal to fans of romantic comedies, mysteries and the kind of ghost stories that don't take themselves too seriously. Imagine a cross between Scooby Doo and the Shopaholic series - only with ghosts instead of designer handbags. You don't have to read this series in order, but you would be missing a treat if you didn't. Thoroughly recommended! One of my favourite books this year.


Thank you to Kitty French, Bookouture and Netgalley for my copy of this book, which I received in exchange for an honest review. I chose it myself, no one asked me to review it and I don't know the author.

4.5 - "All in a days work, ghostbuster." Stars!

Kitty French takes her readers back to the marvelously mad world of Melody Bittersweet with the second book in the Chapelwick Mysteries series. Mystery at Maplemead Castle see’s our intrepid investigator looking into the life and loves of long dead Britannia Lovell.

IMAGE.

Arty and Lois Letterman get more than they bargained for with the Castle after buying over the internet, its not until they move in they discover that there are more than just flesh and blood residents in the building. Having rented out the place to a film crew, they task Melody, and her arch-nemesis/ex-lover Leo Dark to rid the place before filming starts and the actors arrive.

"You don’t even need the ghosts to make you weird you do a great job all on your own…"

We get the added bonus of plenty of interaction with Melody’s partners in crime Marina and Artie, as well as learn more about new potential love interest/frenemy reporter Fletcher Gunn, and I like the way the characters stories are starting to develop around the investigations that Melody gets involved in.

I seem to have come away with more questions than answers… I can sense the pieces of the puzzle hovering around my head like hornets and I know that this case isn’t likely to get resolved without someone getting badly stung…

I really enjoyed this book, the author manages to inject plenty of laughs but then in the next breath have you sniffling into a tissue, and the pure bawdy Brit humor is a massive plus for me because it just gives everything a really authentic comfortable feel when you are reading. The relationship that is building between Melody and Fletcher is starting to gather a little more steam as well, and I hope that the author actually lets the rabbit and the dangling carrot finally unite in the next book.

"I don’t know whether I’m coming or going with you…"

"Coming. You’d definitely be coming."

Another all-round winner for me, Kitty French on a bad day (and this definitely isn’t one of them) is still better than most authors at their best, and I cannot wait to see what adventures Melody and the crew go on next.

"You’re the best friend I never had."

ARC generously provided via Netgalley, and it was my absolute pleasure to provide the above honest review in exchange.

After reading the first book in this series I was dying to get my hands on the second instalment! This book has a bit of everything and you cannot help but love the characters!

Melody and her gang of ghostbusters are back! And this time they have a haunted castle to deal with! As usual things never go smoothly for Melody and she ends up once again having to put up with her ex Leo Dark and journalist Fletcher Gunn, who she has a love and hate relationship with. To be honest I really wanted to be able to jump between the pages and knock these twos heads together! The are perfect for each other and the chemistry is out of this world!

Starting this book was just like the comfort of meeting up with an old friend! I jumped easily into the story as if Melody and co had never been away, and devoured the story. It really has a bit of everything and I found myself sad in places, and laughing out loud in others; not to mention the hotness as well from Melody and Fletch!

This book also brings back Melody's sidekicks Marina and Artie! They make a great team, each of them bringing something different to the mix. We even see a little bit of a love interest for Artie in this instalment.

I cannot wait to see what happens next for ghost busting agency, and hope to see more of what happens with Artie and Hells Bells as well as hopefully seeing Melody and Fletch coming to their senses! I cannot recommend this book enough for an excelled light hearted read!

Melody Bittersweet is back with a bang; even more flamboyant and a MUCH looser mouth. Put it this way, I can no longer look at certain chocolate bars in the same way after reading this book. When I see them out and about in shops, I just burst out laughing and think of Melody Bittersweet and her antics. Although, the images my mind conjures up about her antics, leave such a mark on my imagination whilst taking my innocence along with it. HAHAH, sorry, I couldn't even type that with a straight face. Innocence my double decker....

In book one of the series, Melody Bittersweet had a love hate relationship with the sweet treats. Basically she loved them and hated anyone that went anywhere near them or attempted to eat them. Book two sees Melody's love of sweet treats rank even higher and it is absolutely hilarious. Some familiar faces join Melody as she takes on ghosts at Maplemead Castle, finding herself caught in the middle of a love triangle with the ghosts, AND her personal life (she doesn't want to admit it though). Melody and her team (including the pug who attempts to take down a lion...) have got their work cut out where these ghosts are concerned. None of the ghosts which to talk, and when they do, they think that the truth isn't what Melody wants to hear..so they refrain.

Having LOVED book one (as you already know), I was in a constant state of bouncing excitement whilst pestering Bookouture about the next book in the series (sorry Kim!). I couldn't wait to hang out with Melody again! Part of me was a little bit apprehensive about it though as I truly loved the first one and really hoped that Maplemead Castle wouldn't disappoint. It didn't disappoint, AT ALL. Kitty French managed to raise the bar even higher for herself with such a hilarious and intense storyline. Yes, Kitty French has a truly fantastic sense of humour and she has written Melody Bittersweet to be a character who everyone wants to be, however, Kitty French also knows when to switch the storyline from hilarity, to deep. I really don't know how she manages to do that so flawlessly. The history of the ghosts this time around, completely moved me and I did end up with something in my eye, cough. I couldn't help it though, it was beautifully described and totally unexpected.

Kitty French knows how to write THE perfect storyline; covering all basis with amazing humour, friendship, romance, dog love and sugar love, leaving the reader feeling as though they have just won a prize by reading this book. Even though Maplemead Castle is book two, Kitty French's unique writing style and vivid imagination made everything about the book feel brand new, once again.

I ADORE Melody, she is such a brilliant character in more ways than one, I would love it if she was a real person so that I could hang out with her for real! Kitty French has managed to have me crying with laughter and unable to conform to human duties, aka breathing, AND even looking at chocolate bars in a completely different way. I thought the first book was great and couldn't get any better, but oh my God THIS one is a-m-a-z-I-n-g!!! Absolutely fantastic!

THIS is by far one of my top 5 books of 2017. I have no idea how Kitty French manages to do it, but she does and she owns it. Absolutely BRILLIANT, I was devastated that the book had to end and I want another one in the series!!!!!! You'll be missing out if you do not have Melody Bittersweet in your life, seriously.

Thank you Kim at Bookouture!

Oh my gosh, Kitty French has done it again with the second book in the series!

Starting this book felt like meeting old friends again. I absolutely love every single character in this novel. From the converse and jeans wearing, unlucky in love, bad-ass businesswoman Melody to the pimply, awkward young Artie to the slightly psychotic, fan-twins Nikki and Vikki. Melody and the gang are back on the case and that dear reader, makes me feel good!

Melody and her team of unusual suspects are called to assist in the removal of ghosts from Maplemead Castle. Maplemead Castle has recently acquired new owners in the form of Lady Lolo and husband Barty. They purchased the castle over the internet without seeing it, as only eccentric Americans (or the insane) can do! What they didn't bargain for is the resident spooks who are driving away business. And potential clients, aka Hollywood bigwigs, are refusing to step foot in Maplemead until an exorcism as has taken place. Well, no. That's not how Melody goes about her ghost-busting. Nor does it involve large ghost hoovers only to then deposit Timothy Claypole in the bank of eternal ghoul, a la Ghostbusters™ (mixing my ghost based programmes there AND showing my age in one fell swoop. If you don't know who Timothy Claypole is, I suggest you google 'Rentaghost').

Melody Bittersweet sees dead people and she uses her unique ability to find out why the ghosts she is investigating are still tethered to the mortal world. Unfortunately Melody's ex-boyfriend, Leo Dark, has the same gift but he uses it to promote his television career leaving Melody in his dust. The competition between Leo and Melody isn't so strong in this book and I did miss that constant sparring a little. But Leo has his own problems this time around and it was good to see Melody step up and take charge of the situation.

I should mention Fletcher Gunn. Ace, investigative reporter, naysayer of anything he can't physically see and the one man who makes our heroine go weak at the knees. Talk of a man's nether regions would normally make me give up on a book. Normally, that is. Not this time. It's a pretty recurrent theme as the chemistry between Melody and Fletch is through the roof. I was chuckling away to myself, hoping the husband wasn't going to ask what I was finding so funny!

Would I recommend this book? I thoroughly enjoyed Mystery at Maplemead Castle. It was so much fun and a complete joy to read. My heart ached at times, the next moment I was laughing out loud. A perfect mix of great storytelling, the very best characters and the perfect setting. Highly recommended.

Five out of five stars.

This is a series that I adore. I was so excited when I realised a second book had been created. Kitty French has a wicked sense of humour and an absolutely gift for creating extremely likable (and dis-likable) characters.

Melody Bittersweet is back with her merry band of ghost busters (or perhaps they would be better seen as ghost rescuers as they tend to help ghosts put everything together and find their peace). This time Melody along with her best girl pal, Marina and their trusty sidekick, Artie are about to rid Maplemead Castle of its resident ghosts in order to make the new owners, a larger than life American couple, able to hire out the castle to film crews and party planners. For some reason ghosts are not seen as viable extras or wanted party guests.

Everyone is back - Melody's mother and grandmother, her ex-lover and his weird sycophants , her potential new lover, the dog... And the adventure begins immediately.

You can not help but to laugh out loud at some of the antics that Melody gets up to in her converse sneakers. This story has it all spicy romance, ghostly adventure and just a touch of poignancy. What is particularly fantastic about these books is that the chemistry between all the characters is so believable. Whether is Melody's complete obsession with what may lie below Fletcher Gunn's clothes or her lifelong friendship with Marina or her mother's manipulation of her through pancakes and waffles, you totally accept every connection.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for letting me get my hands on a copy of this book - I didn't put it down until the last page was read. So good.

“I genuinely cannot fathom what goes on inside your head, ghostbuster,” he says. “You’re the most unusual person I’ve ever met.”

This series just gets better and better! Bravo Kitty French, this second instalment was just brilliant. What a fabulous time we spent back with characters that now feel like best friends, seeing their journey continue, revelling in how everyone is getting on and what’s happening with them, personally as well as their new ghost hunting shenanigans. Melody, Marina and Artie, we want to join your crew! Melody, we want to come drink champers round the kitchen table with your mum and gran.

“Gran, are you offering to lend me your gimp mask?”

“Don’t judge me, darling, I’ve been married for over sixty years, how else am I to keep the spice in our marriage?”

What we loved is how book two builds on the development of characters and their relationships. Book one felt like an introduction and the slow build has encouraged and solidified this deep connection we now feel. Kitty French has made us care deeply for all her characters whilst laughing our arses off and feeling the subtle vulnerability and emotional angst threaded through the story. We definitely saw a different side to the arrogant heart-breaker, Leo as well as journalist and sceptic, Fletch…

‘Needless to say, my mum and gran can’t abide him; he never misses a chance to take pot-shots at us and our industry in the press.’

This is pure British comedy with an ongoing romantic possibility that we yearn for, but for once the anticipation is just as delicious and addictive as a loving end, when and if that comes.

‘He’s offering to be my summer fling, but not my winter coat. My fair-weather lover. Can I do that? I worry that my heart cannot withstand him, but then I also worry that he will for ever be my missed regret.’

The supernatural elements are marvellous and we loved the mystery in this one, it was circus-fantastic, yet so sad and quite distressing too. A perfect blend. It’s fanciful, silly, sweet, funny, emotional and exciting. It’s eccentric and quintessentially British. We bloody love this series! This RomCom is without question a feel-good read that’ll have you smiling and laughing out loud, it’s so different to what’s out there at the moment and we’re loving that!

‘Fletch and I have an inexplicable connection and it’s bloody inconvenient for both of us.’

Equally as brilliant and witty as the first book. Loved the quirky and fun characters just as much. Such fun was had! Thank you netgalley.

Thank you to netgalley and bookouture for the ARC of this book in return for an honest review. I loved the first book in this series so I couldn't wait to read Mystery at Maplemead Castle and catch up Melody Bittersweet and the gang! This book tells the story of Maplemeade Castle which is haunted by a circus troupe and Melody and her ghost busting team are tasked with ridding the castle of the ghosts which leads to lots of hilarity and a bit of romance and a few tears for good measure. I loved The skeletons of Scarborough house but I enjoyed this even more cant wait for Melody and the ghost busting gang's next adventure!!!

I had no clue what to expect when I started this book. I hadn't read the first Chapelwick Mysteries book, and I've never read a Kitty French novel. No matter, it could easily be read as a standalone, but probably best to read in order to avoid spoilers. I must say it took me a few chapters to get into the story, but once I did, I loved it, I loved the characters, the humour and the writing, which was faultless. Melody Bittersweet, ghost buster extraordinaire, along with her motley crew eradicate ghosts from unwanted places. Melody's mother and grandmother, also have the ability to see ghosts (although they run their own business). I've got to say they're a force to be reckoned with as a family, and when I say family I also include Marina and Artie, and Lestat and Glenda Jackson who all rally round and protect Melody from all things ghostly, as well as ex boyfriends (who are also ghost busters), and reporters that think it's all a whole load of mumbo jumbo. Talking of ex boyfriends, Leo and the fembots, Nikki and Vikki also played fantastic parts, all I could visualise when I read about the fembots was, Robert Palmer's 'Addicted to Love'. Then we have our love interest, Fletcher, the disbelieving hot as hell reporter, (the words that came out of Melody's mouth when she was sparing with him, I swear, verbal diarrhoea, it was hilarious). However, the chemistry between Fletch and Melody was off the charts, I loved them together. The whole story just worked. I was laughing out loud so much. I loved it.

5 "To know a Bittersweet woman is to love her." Stars

It's no particular secret that Kitty French is an author who I'll drop pretty much whatever I'm doing to read: when it comes to rom-coms with exquisite humour, the most loveable of characters, and in the case of this series the dead as well as the living, the lady walks on water.

"I’m just a normal human who can see and talk to ghosts.

With a few threads left loose at the end of The Skeletons of Scarborough House, it was evident that my new BFF, Melody Bittersweet had much more to give. And she gives it in spades when she's summoned to Maplemead Castle where the new residents have discovered they're not alone in their abode.

"...we're going to show them why they need us."

Cue the fun from trapeze-swinging ghosts, Melody, Marina and Artie, her one-eared pug, her ex-boyfriend and her future boyfriend...or husband, because god almighty please let them get their happy ever after and make ghostbusting babies as Melody and Fletcher are killing me with their chemistry, his mouth and all the sexual tension.

"...this thing going on with us… we need to have sex, ghostbuster. I can’t concentrate on work, or writing, or any damn thing else."

This series has quickly become one of my facilities and I love how Kitty is giving us the chance to get to know each character intimately, which explains the dynamic between them and injects the emotion and, whilst I laughed my arse off at the humour, I also had a bloody good sniffle.

"Don’t let me fall."
"I’ll catch you."

I know they say I want, doesn't always get, but I don't care, I do want. I want much more from these characters who have worked their way into my heart: Melody, her friends and family, the ghosts, and Fletch--beautiful, funny, dirty Fletch. And I have no doubt that however long the wait, it'll be worth it.

'The Mystery at Maplemead Castle' is a place where ghouls rule and rival ghost whisperers duel. It’s bursting with personality, non-stop hilarity, and the eccentricities are just tripping off the page!

Chapelwick is the home of the Bittersweets, no nonsense ladies with an intuition for all things other-worldly. There’s the champagne flute wielding grandmother, a pancake flipping mother, a converse wearing daughter and her dog she lovingly named after a fictional vampire (I’m 100% convinced that pooch could have his own series!)

Melody might be the youngest of the clan but she has fiercely inherited her ‘gift’ from a long line of independent Bittersweet women. She embraces a contented sense of fashion offset by a lack of passion sense, at least where recurring mania for the journo-inferno that ‘lights her fire’ is concerned. Yes, self-control reaches breaking point as the Melody/Fletcher connection becomes feverishly intense and risqué humour positively thrives with their dialogue exchanges.

When she isn’t failing spectacularly at applying ‘Fletcher Gunn avoidance tactics’, Melody can be found sniffing out baked goodies faster than her one-eared, keg-bellied pug, Lestat, or chasing the next peculiar presence with her ghostbusting fellowship, who are every bit as quirky as she is.

They’re a cracking bunch of individuals, with the stress on individual! A strong cast is needed to cope with the unwanted, wisecracking visitors residing Maplemead Castle, and I’m not talking about the American couple who bought the property over the internet!

What I love about the Chapelwick Mysteries is in addition to the funnies is a compassion shown for the tormented souls who linger to replay the most traumatic moment of their life. The ‘troupe’ of lodgers this time provides an assembly of raw emotions. Despite their poltergeist activities and sardonic retorts when acquainting themselves with the new people that come and go, they are driven by their own tragedy, eternally trapped by the final moment of the end of their lives.

Melody, for all her unintentional inappropriate timing and clumsy approach to life (and death!) situations, is compelled to delve into the source of conflict which is something other people often miss; people like her adversary and ex, Leo Dark, and his snarky devotees who Melody refers to as his ‘fem-bots’. The tottering clones make some fleeting but smashing appearances, and we are treated to a new performance from Leo altogether: is there a lighter side to Mr Dark?

Miss Bittersweet may be a tad unsubtle at times, 100% sugar-crazed certainly, and so impulsive the heckles of hindsight are frequently heard, but she’s a flurry of unpredictable fun, delivering an amusing, amorous, and pretty darn awesome diversion!

***Actual rating: 4.5 / 5***