Down Ballantyne Road (Alice and Porkbelly Book 1)~ Jane McBride

• File Size: 659 KB
• Print Length: 215 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1496005996
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B00JSUHZV0

To purchase a copy of Down Ballantyne Road click here.

Publication Date: April 18, 2014

Since the death of her husband, diner owner Alice Gregg has just been going through life's motions, but it all changes when she and her cat, Porkbelly, start seeing the ghost of a little girl named Fanny who needs their help before she can rest.
Alice hopes she's just seeing things and wants Fanny to go away, but she isn't left with much choice when ghostly pranks are pulled at the diner.
Can Alice, Porkbelly and their friend Della solve the mystery of what happened to a little girl more than 60 years ago?

My take on this book:

I became a huge fan of Jane McBride after reading her Ann and Henry series but Down Ballantyne Road is totally different from that series, and boy is it a fantastic read! 

When Alice Gregg sees the ghost of a little girl sitting on her porch she decides to ignore it, but Fanny, the ghost won't be ignored. It seems that Fanny can't remember why she died over sixty years ago, and needs the help of Alice and her cat Porkbelly to figure it out. 

Jane McBride not only introduced me to a quirky, but lovable cast of characters in Down Ballantyne Road but she smoothly blends together paranormal, humor and a page turning mystery that begged to be read! Her characters had me laughing out loud one minute, and the next shedding a few tears. While she pulled me back to simpler days with the story of Fanny she also kept me firmly grounded in present day with the characters of Alice, Della and Porkbelly and their efforts to solve the mystery that surrounded Franny. The anticipation of what actually happened to Fanny kept me on the edge of my seat, I wanted to know what had happened, but I cared so much for the character and her innocence that I didn't want it to be some heinous crime.While there were several poignant, heartfelt moments the author knew just when to interject a bit of humor to lighten the story. It was nice to see Alice become the  person she once was as the story progressed, and what can I say about Porkbelly, a cat who can see and comfort ghosts! Anyone who enjoys a well written mystery with a paranormal slant will find this a must read. On a scale of one to five this book easily garners a six because it's that good! I loved my journey down Ballantyne road and can't wait to read more of the Alice and Porkbelly series!