It’s appropriate that the blurb for The Haunting of Hattie Hastings: Part Two comes with a warning: Cliffhangar ending.

Nevertheless, I let out a silent scream when I reached the last page…’Noooooooooooooo’.

Because I really, really, really want to know what happens next to Hattie and co.

NOW!

Thank heavens the final instalment in this delightful trio of novellas by Audrey Davis is due out May/June.

Just in time for the summer holidays and a satisfying sunny afternoon read on the beach.

Because Hattie Hastings is a sunshine read albeit with a slightly bonkers plot – dead husband keeps popping back from the after-life to ensure his darling wife Hattie is coping now he’s gone.

But the reader swallows the improbability of it all because Davis has a warm, tongue-in-cheek style of writing that keeps the pages turning.

Here’s what the blurb says:

The story continues…Hattie is used to her deceased husband Gary dropping in and out of her life. His timing might not always be great, but at least he’s still around. Although – when Hattie tentatively tries a spot of dating – his interference isn’t entirely welcome.
Best friend Cat is lapping up her new relationship with teacher Jamie, but ex-husband Stewart isn’t prepared to fade into the background.
Hattie’s mother Rachel faces a daunting battle, one she doesn’t want to burden family and friends with. But there’s someone waiting in the wings who might be more than a shoulder to cry on.
Gary still doesn’t know what his mission on earth is, and spirit guide Clarence isn’t offering any clues? Will an encounter with another provide him with answers, or put Hattie in an impossible situation?
Prepare for more laughs and tears in the second instalment of a trilogy which takes a darkly comic look at life … and the afterlife.
Warning: Cliffhanger ending

And, if some of the sub-plots seem a little too predictable – hopeless son pulls his socks up – who cares?

This is an lovely read that will keep you smiling, if not laughing outright.

And, I bet, like me, you’ll be keeping your fingers crossed that Hattie manages to deliver a last heartfelt message from Gary’s other-world companion, Marty, aged eight-and-a-half, who wants to tell his mum and dad…

Sorry, you’ll need to read The Haunting of Hattie Hastings: Part Two to find out just what Marty wants to say.

Review by Sue Featherstone.

Available to buy on Amazon.