Zephyrs and Zombies

Isle of Man Ghostly Cozy #26

by Diana Xarissa

Fenella Woods is busy planning her wedding and trying to help her niece, Margaret, get settled on the island. Fenella and her fiancé, Daniel, are planning on taking a long honeymoon, and Fenella wants to help Margaret find a nice place to live while she and Daniel are gone. A trip to one of Fenella’s cottages in the north of the island reveals that someone used the land around the cottage for a party, leaving behind a huge mess.

While clearing away the mess, Fenella finds a dead woman inside a half-collapsed tent left over from the party. With the police involved, Fenella starts to worry about whether her wedding can take place as planned or not. Margaret is keen to do some investigating of her own, but Fenella really wants to focus on the wedding.

Can Fenella get the wedding of her dreams if Mattie Matthews’s killer is still at large? With Mona focused on the murder investigation, will Mona’s magical wardrobe conjure up the perfect wedding gown for Fenella or not? And what part did the ruby and sapphire necklace the victim was wearing play in her murder?

Genres: Mystery

293 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 3, 2023

About the author

Diana started self-publishing in 2013 and over a decade later she now has over a hundred books available for readers. Writing remains her passion and she has no plans to stop writing in the foreseeable future.

Diana grew up in Erie, Pennsylvania, and earned a history degree from Allegheny College. She met her husband, an Englishman, while living and working in Washington, DC. Following their marriage, she moved to Derbyshire. A short while later, the happy couple moved to the Isle of Man.

During their years on the island, Diana and her husband welcomed two children, and Diana completed a master’s degree in the history of the island. In 2008, the family made the decision to move to the US. Now empty-nesters, Diana and her husband are living in the suburbs of Buffalo, New York, and contemplating moving somewhere that doesn’t get snow.

Diana also writes mystery/thrillers set in the not-too-distant future as Diana X. Dunn and Young Adult fiction as D.X. Dunn.

Reviews

[Melinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like this series. I liked this book. I do not like Elaine.

[Mary Pat · Rating 1 out of 5]

I enjoyed the entire series…until this one. I couldn’t wait for it to end.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Without Fenella's knowledge, eight young people hold a zombie LARP party on one of her properties in the remote north end of the Isle of Man. Unfortunately, only seven survive the night, and Fenella and her friends find the victim's body the next morning.

Can the police solve the murder before Fenella and Daniel's fast-approaching wedding date?

[A G A VAN DEN BOS · Rating 1 out of 5]

Fenella sums up this story very succinctly in Chapter 9… “It sounds stupid.”
Another farcical Murder Mystery, reliant upon the use of supernatural intervention, convenient coincidental contacts with suspects and multiple contradictions, to solve the murder.
Add in also the usual repetitive retelling of detail, along with considerable babble, to ensure a self-imposed requisite of volume.

[BRT · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sad to see this fun and comfy cozy mystery series end but happy to see it continue with Fenella’s niece and Mona. Just hope Shelly’s Aunt Elaine doesn’t figure too prominently in the new series as I find her to be abrasive, intrusive, and annoying. Also happy to see that any pretense as to whether Mona’s wardrobe was magic was dropped.

[Charline Romine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fenella ❤️ Daniel 🎉 Wedding

This zombie thing was disgusting. The mystery was good and was kinda easy to figure out. I liked the wedding but sure wish there was more about the wedding. I’m looking forward to the Margaret and Mona series.

[MargeGordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not my favorite mystery, not a fan of stupid zombie fans and stupider people. But then again, that's what makes criminals. However quite happy with the rest of the story. Sad to see series end, I've very much enjoyed this one!

[Voirrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good final book in this series - and I don't think it is a spoiler to say that, as I had hoped, Fenella's niece Margaret is going to stay in Fenella/Mona's flat whilst her aunt is on honeymoon, and begin a whole new series that also co-stars Mona.

[Mia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the last of the series. The mystery was very good. I liked the transition from Fenella and Mona to Margaret and Mona.
The author closed the doors to this series very nicely. I love Mona and am looking forward to her adventures with Margaret.
Well done, Diana.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

great story...

[Rene Racho · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whole series is fun

I enjoyed binge reading the whole Isle of Man series. Characters were fun. Quite often i was surprise at who the killer was.

[Alayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent final story in the Isle of Man Ghostly Cozy mysteries. I didn't guess the killer, and Daniel and Fenella are now married and off on their honeymoon. Very satisfying!