Be My Ghost
The Blurb
Maureen’s career as a sportswear buyer hits a snag just before Halloween when the department store declares bankruptcy. Meanwhile, Finn’s lost his way as a guide dog after flunking his test for being too friendly and easily distracted. Sadly, only one of them can earn unemployment, so Maureen’s facing a winter of discontent in Boston when she realizes she can’t afford her apartment.
Salvation comes when she receives a mysterious inheritance: an inn in Haven, Florida. A quaint, scenic town on the Gulf of Mexico hidden away from the theme parks, Maureen believes it’s a good place to make a fresh start with a new business venture. But she gets more than she bargained for when she finds a dead body on her property and meets some of the inn’s everlasting tenants in the form of ghosts who offer their otherworldly talents in order to help her solve the mystery.
The Details
Series: A Haunted Haven Mystery – Book #1
Author: Carol J. Perry
Genre/Category: Cozy – Inn/Paranormal
Publisher: Kensington Books
ISBN: 1496731352
Page Count: 288
Rating: 
The Review
Be My Ghost is the first book in a new paranormal cozy series, “A Haunted Haven Mystery,” from author Carol J. Perry. It is fitting somehow that this book is centered around Halloween and a haunted inn and that ghosts play a main role throughout the story. Maureen loses her job when the company goes bankrupt, then inherits an old inn in Florida. The timing is perfect, and she sets out to start a new life, but she no more than gets to the Inn and discovers a body on the front porch.
Characters in a new series often develop over time, and this is a good thing as it gives readers a chance to grow with them. I have an issue with some in this story, namely Maureen. She doesn’t seem to think that inheriting an inn from someone she did not know is a big deal, even though it should be. Her personality takes some getting used to, and the ghosts need more depth to carry a series. The paranormal aspects were interesting and, hopefully, will evolve with subsequent additions to the series.
The victim is an unknown; readers don’t get a great sense of who he was or anything about his personality. The suspects were easy to spot, and unfortunately, so was the killer. For me, Be My Ghost didn’t have enough mystery, ghosts, or twists to make it great, but it was fun to read. The inn is intriguing, and many would love to spend a few days there looking for ghosts. I enjoy paranormal cozies, and reading the first book in a new series like this always brings me joy. Some further development of the characters, perhaps more involvement from Maureen’s family and a whole lot more curiosity from Maureen will make this series a favorite for readers who love ghost-based books and characters that are a bit unconventional. Carol Perry is a gifted writer, and taking on a new series isn’t easy, but I know she will make it work. I look forward to the next book.
The Author
Carol J. Perry was born in Salem on Halloween Eve. Memories of growing up in Salem–fortified by annual visits there, provide the locale for her Witch City Mystery series, replete with history, Halloween happenings, a most mysterious cat, and of course, murders. Carol knew as a child that she wanted to be a writer. A voracious reader whose list for Santa consisted mostly of book titles, she never lost sight of that goal.
Carol has always been an avid reader of mysteries. Carol and her husband Dan now live in Florida, offering the warmer, different, but every bit as fascinating background for her new Haunted Haven Mystery series featuring an attractive small-town setting, far away from the theme parks but virtually teeming with ghosts, a friendly golden retriever and, you guessed it, more murders.
Other books by Carol readers will enjoy include Grave Errors from the “A Witch City Mystery” series or book #11, See Something.
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