** spoiler alert ** I got a little more than 50% into the book but it was a struggle. The author indulged in bouts of unneeded detail and occasionally odd detail ie "and a well-groomed strip of pubic hair in the usual place." "in the usual place"? Seriously? What were the author and editor thinking?!

What really got me, and in the end lost me, was Charlie's attracttion to the ghost of the serial killer Garland. Granted, even before he dies, she kept noticing how attractive he was but after he dies, and starts hanging around haunting her, she continues to lust after him. At one point, she sees him naked (and we aren't given any reason why he's naked) and immediately notices how well hung he is. Umm, he's dead and he was a serial killer. I liked Charlie well enough, she was an interesting character but lusting over a dead serial killer? Not for me. I struggled through for a while longer but just couldn't continue.

One other thing that bothered was Charlie's use of her ability to gather information about the case she's assisting the FBI with. Despite the fact that she repeatedly provides information that she can't reasonably explain how she acquired, the agent in charge never, NEVER, questions how she came by the knowledge. I'm pretty sure it doesn't work that way in the real world. Now, since I didn't finish the book, it's possible that at some point he does question her or her information is called into question, but at halfway through, that still hadn't happened.

I had read a sample of the book before requesting it for review and I liked the sample. I've read Robards for years and enjoyed her books but this one just didn't do it for me.