This installment of the Jaz Parks series finds Jaz, Vayl, Cole, Jack the dog, and Jaz’s father Albert on a “trip” to Scotland. Their mission: Attend Ghostcon at a creepy haunted castle, stay at an equally haunted but charming B&B, and find out who is Bea, the Medusa assassin. Of course, this isn’t the only mystery…Cue the Scooby Doo theme music…Come on, I couldn’t resist. Ghostcon? Haunted Castles? Scotland? Witches? Hidden identities? Did I mention that there were ghosts?All kidding aside, this is one of the funniest Jaz Parks books I have read. Jaz clearly has daddy issues and her father continues to irritate her. Albert really doesn’t have a clue as to what his daughter really does for a living. He spends a lot of time embarrassing Jaz by showing off her baby photos, telling her to fetch coffee for the team, and telling her who she should date. Albert also announces that he has been sent to observe and report on her team by the CIA’s Oversight Committee.Albert adds a lot of comic relief to the story. I haven’t laughed this hard in a long time. Albert has this ability to be perceptive but still remain totally oblivious. He has no idea that Vayl is a vampire. He has no clue as to Jaz’s role on her team. He does sense that Vayl would make an ideal romantic partner for Jaz and tells her so. I also liked seeing Albert’s creative side, calling Jack the dog a seeing-eye dog when he clearly was not. Jaz’s relationships change in this book. Cole professes his love for her in the most heartfelt way. Jaz’s hostility towards her father is tempered once she explains her abuse at the hands of her mother. Jaz realizes that she is in love with Vayl, and Vayl is in a rush to tell her father. There is a lot of verbal foreplay in this book. Something about whipped cream, a bathtub and strawberries was memorable. Too bad that the bad guys kept interrupting our lovely couple. Jaz seems to attract the worst villains ever. I loved the ghostly Brude, a bad king with an attitude equal only to Jaz. Brude is right, he and Jaz would make a great pair as evidenced by this quote: ”And Brude shall take unto himself a queen of unsurpassed skill, strength, and beauty, whose astonishing wit will find itself outmatched by the sharpness of her tongue.” Yup, that sounds like Jaz to me.Other baddies included a coven of witches, assorted ghosts, and a face from the past.Action, mystery, humor. I was thoroughly entertained by this book and can’t wait to read the next book in the series.
