(2012)Almost a novella, Max Porter and his wife have moved to Winston-Salem NC to get a new start after loosing his last job. He has been hired by a mysterious Mr. Hull to research properties for acquisition. Turns out the job is more sinister as they try to find a journal connected to sordid treatment of German POWs during WWII in North Carolina. They also are trying to release a ghost in their office that has been cursed by a witch, turns out is also connected to Hull. A fun ghost story that I hope sets up a series. If the characters are developed further, could be very interesting.(Jaffe website): When Max and Sandra moved down to North Carolina, they thought they were getting a new beginning. A good job, good pay, and a lovely little place in Winston-Salem.But Max discovers that his office is haunted by Marshall Drummond, PI - a ghost from the 1940s. While his mysterious employer pressures him to research the city for unknown reasons, Drummond pressures Max to investigate his last case.Soon Max is neck-deep in a world of old mysteries and dangerous enemies. One in which ghosts, witches, curses, and spells exist. One in which a simple research job can turn deadly.

i read seven chapters and have no idea what was going on. the plot advanced too quickly and there wasn't enough substance to keep me occupied.

This PI ghost story is set in familiar places. It's fun reading about trips to Butner and walking around Old Salem. However, the story is uneven.

I got the boxed set because it was on special and the premise intrigued me. I'll finish it because I have it and it is moderately entertaining. It will never be on the NYT Bestseller list, but it passes the time. ( )

I received the Audible version of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

Southern Bound was an interesting read. I enjoyed the story, felt excitement and nervousness when the situation warranted. While there were no real surprise twists, there were enough turns in the story to keep things pretty interesting. There was just enough uniqueness to the world to make it unique and worth spending time in.

While the book wasn't bad at all, it was far too short, and felt rushed. I'd barely gotten a handle on the characters and their personalities when the book was already wrapping up. I was looking for a bit more detail, depth, and personality, but the brevity of Southern Bound left the story and characters feeling flat due to a lack of complete exploration. I came to the realization that I tended toward the 3.5 stat rating was because I had just wanted *more* of it, which isn't a bad thing.

Ultimately, I liked the characters and I enjoyed the story. I would, however, like to see how the character development continues in the second volume with something more to draw me into the story beyond my own will power to continue. I felt as though the characters were developed, but I didn't get to *see* all the dimensions of any of them. At least not yet...

As I stated above, I listened to the Audible version, narrated by the author, Stuart Jaffe. The narration was good, but one thing annoyed me from the outset: it was recorded with a slight reverb, like he was sitting in a wide-open hall when recording. I don't know if this was intentional, but it was slightly off-putting from the start, but as I got into the story, I noticed it less. ( )

What made the experience of listening to Southern Bound the most enjoyable?
I found listening to this book was really brought to life by the different tones and inflictions used for the different characters. I was able to listen to the story on my way to and from work making the trip more enjoyable and less stressful, especially the trip home. It is a good storyline, that progressed at a great pace and I liked all the characters, especially Max, Sandra and Drummond.

Any additional comments?
This is a good crime type story. Though it is set in modern times, that fact that Max had to do most of his work the old fashion way i.e. books within his office, books from the library and a bit of leg work made me think of the noir crime novels set in the 1950s. I realised that if I was reading the book rather than listening to it, I would have found the start a bit slow going and perhaps given up for my normal quick paced event happening within the first few pages. However, it didn't take long for me to get interested in the story and found the pace picked up. I'd saw when Drummond came in to the picture that is when I found the storyline got interesting and the characters started to develop and you learn a lot more about Max and Sandra and how they came to be where they are. A good story, one I look forward to continuing on with and going back and listening to this one again in the future. ( )