Maureen has inherited an inn and just in time after the department store she worked at closed. Maureen and her dog Finn pack up and move to Haven, Florida to take control of the inn. When she gets there, she finds out that Haven is known for its ghosts. She finds a dead body on the porch of the inn on her first day there and is immediately a suspect. Can she and the resident ghost find out what happened before she is arrested for murder?

Another great one from Carol J. Perry. I really adored Maureen and getting to know her new town with her. I had so much fun reading this one! I really enjoyed the whole story. I had my suspicions from the beginning but I still had fun reading and going with Maureen on her guesses. I loved the ghosts! They were so much fun! I cannot wait to read the next in the series!

If you are looking for a fun Halloween cozy mystery then this is a great choice! I am a sucker for the inherited inn storyline. I'm not sure why but I find that to be really interesting. Overall this was a really fun read. I loved the characters, especially Finn the dog, and some of the ghosts. I really enjoyed the paranormal aspect to this one. I also enjoyed the setting and the plot. Though I thought it was pretty easy to figure out who had done it, their motive was harder to figure out. Overall I really enjoyed this one.

What a great start Be My Ghost is to a new series by Carol J. Perry. It was highly entertaining and I know I am going to want way more about Maureen and her team at the new Haven Inn in Florida that she has somehow inherited.

The inn is haunted. Oh yes some ghosts, I know at least one of them is sure to be a recurring character. Then we have Maureen who is newly arrived at the inn and on the whole she feels she has landed on her feet, after a job loss. 

However the inn is somewhat run down and is running at a loss. But... Maureen has vast retail experience and my guess is before too long she'll be managing this inn way better than it has been. Elizabeth the manager, I felt was most likely skimming from the inn. 

Of course there is a murder and while I didn't solve the whole mystery it was fairly easy to pinpoint before the big reveal. 

This is a book that just kept me reading, a page turner for sure. Can't wait to meet Maureen and Finn (dog) again. It will be an auto-read.

Be My Ghost is a lovely story of the natural and supernatural told just before Halloween. It is the 11th book from writer Carol J. Perry. Maureen Doherty had her career on track as a top buyer for a large Boston department store. That is until the financial woes of the twenty first century made it so the family owned company went under taking its employees with it. As one of the last of the employees to leave, her kind boss presented her with a sizable sum and his gratitude for her years of loyal service.

On the day she leaves her job, not knowing what the next step will be, she receives a letter from attorney Lawrence Jackson in Haven, Florida, telling her she has inherited the estate, including the Haven House Inn, and of Penelope Josephine Gray. After checking the authenticity, and with nowhere to go and nothing to do, Maureen packs up her Subaru with her appropriate belongings, her rescue guide dog Finn, and sets out for Florida.

When she arrives the welcome is luke warm at best from the manager, Elizabeth Mack, and before she even has a chance to settle in one of the Inn’s guests, ghost hunter and Inn guest Conrad Wilson, has succumbed to a murderous attempt, opening up all sorts of questions and suspicions on the new Inn owner.

Maureen never believed in ghosts until her first night at the Inn and was quick to say as much to any who asked. She still doesn’t believe a ghost perpetrated this murder, but grows accustomed to the unseen inhabitants of the Inn, even seeking to help them and have their help.

This is a fun romp in the supernatural world while maintaining a good foothold in reality. Suspend disbelief for just a little while and become enthralled with this new fun series! I did enjoy this book and I do recommend it!

From her Witch City series, I knew that Perry has a deft writing hand, not too elevated for a cozy, but enough to be interesting and nuanced. Be My Ghost takes her all the way down the Atlantic coast from Salem, MA, to Florida for a solid start to a new series.

It seems as though authors regularly struggle to get all of the introductory material into book one of a series smoothly. This one has an inconsistency or two, and in spots the mystery becomes a bit overworked, but, overall, I like the premise and the author and will look forward to seeing what future books hold.

Thank you to Carol J. Perry, Kensington Books, and NetGalley for an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

With a message from the dead
On a journey you’ve been led.
Another message from a stranger
Holds an answer, comes with danger.
A riddle, a puzzle in plain sight.
An answer, a vision in black and white.
You’ll know the where but not the why.
Beware the place one comes to die.
ZOLTAR KNOWS ALL
Carol J. Perry, Be My Ghost, Kindle Loc. 222

Maureen Doherty and her golden retriever Finn have taken possession of a charming old inn—only to discover that it’s already possessed by tenants whose lease on life already ran out . . .

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 . . .
Amazon.com

My unexpected interview with Carol J. Perry started when I downloaded Be My Ghost on a whim. By the third chapter, I was underlining sections of the text, knowing that I’d interview the author. It’s the type of book that puts me in my happy place.

It’s a mystery, but with enough fantasy that my own reality fades with the turn of the page. The supernatural elements (ghosts, of course) are more droll than scary, and it’s a cozy mystery, set in a beach town. I liked the main character, Maureen, and her dog, Finn—a golden retriever. Who wouldn’t? I wish I had a backlog of this series to binge read. But—this is the first book in the series. So, I’ll have to wait, and I hope there will be many more to follow.

Please welcome Carol J. Perry to WWK. E. B. Davis

Losing her job at a big Boston department store must have been quite a shock to Maureen. Did she know it was coming? Did she have any back-up plans?
She should have known it, shouldn’t she? Big stores are closing all over the country. Maureen was kind of cruising along in her comfortable life until the store was actually closing down, having going-out-of-business sales—selling the store fixtures. By then it was a little late to do much about it except look out the window at the winter-is-coming weather and wonder what the heck she’s going to do about it. Happened to me once. I was ad manager for a big N.E. store. Kept on writing though. I wrote articles for magazines and newspapers until I figured out that writing mysteries were more fun!

Although Haven, Florida in the book is located near St. Petersburg, it’s not near the major attractions or major highways. Did you pattern Haven after other towns?
I sure did. Several of them. There are quite a few “Haven-like” cities and towns in Florida. Readers of Be My Ghost who’ve visited Florida might recognize bits and pieces of Gulfport, Safety Harbor, Cedar Key, Sanford, Fernandina Beach and a few others. All of these places still retain their old-fashioned charm, and lots of travelers like to visit them because they’ve avoided too much change.

We learn early in the book that Maureen and her parents have been to Haven before. What connection does that visit have to her return visit as an adult?
When Maureen was 12, they made a trip (to Disney World, of course) and stopped in Haven. They went out on a fishing boat and Maureen caught a fish. There was a nearby restaurant where visitors could get their catch cooked, so she and her parents ate there. She found out when she took over the inn that the bartender’s mother had owned such a place back then and who knows? He might even have cooked her fish. To add to the plot, Penelope Josephine Gray, her mysterious benefactor had a photo of 12-year-old Maureen posing with that fish!

Ms. Gray’s lawyer, who contacts Maureen to tell her she’s inherited a century-old inn in Florida, mentions that it’s supposed to be haunted. How does Maureen react to this information?
She (politely) scoffs at it, insisting she doesn’t believe in ghosts. He says that, of course, he doesn’t either. She’s in for a surprise—actually more than one. She and her dog Finn have been in their new home a very short time when they both meet up with a shocking one—I loved writing about that ghost, and you can be sure you’ll meet her again in future Haunted Haven mysteries.

Readers meet four residents of the inn early in the book. They are colorful characters whom Ms. Gray allowed to live there in exchange for their help in operating the place. How do they contribute to the inn’s operation once Maureen takes over?
George and Sam and Molly and Gert are elderly and occupy rooms in exchange for their housekeeping and handy-man work. Maureen could easily rent the rooms for much more than she’s realizing from their help, but being soft-hearted, she can’t very well throw them out, can she? Anyway, they come in quite handy in many ways Maureen hadn’t expected they might. (They’re pretty funny too, and you’ll definitely see them in future books.)

Maureen discovers a dead man in a rocking chair on her front porch the very day she arrives at the inn. Actually, Finn discovers him and rocks him out of his chair. Did Finn think the man was alive?
Finn had flunked his guide dog test for being too curious and too easily distracted. This was a case of Finn being too curious. He pressed his nose against the man’s knee—probably just sniffing like nosey dogs do—and the guy pitched forward and onto the floor—quite dead.

When Maureen meets Elizabeth, the inn’s manager, the woman seems passive-aggressive toward the new owner. Maureen discovers early on that Elizabeth is a really poor manager of the inn’s expenses and that Elizabeth doesn’t seem to care that she’s put the place on the verge of bankruptcy. How does Maureen plan to handle this oncoming crisis?
Penelope Josephine Gray inherited the inn from an anonymous donor—same as Maureen did. She inherited a pile of money along with it. According to the lawyer, the money is due to run out shortly, and he advises Maureen to sell the place. Ms. Gray apparently didn’t know anything about running an inn and allowed Elizabeth to do whatever she wanted. (We learn that Elizabeth thought SHE would inherit the place and planned to sell it as soon as the money was gone.) Maureen has other plans, and although she has no experience as a hotelier, she is determined to learn and to restore the inn to its former glory when the rich and famous used to stay there.

The inn is run down and needs maintenance and renovation if its ever going to be restored. Maureen uses her business planning skills to develop money-making ideas to keep the inn afloat. How does she plan to do that?
She has both long-term and short-term plans. Short term—she just has to bring in enough to keep up with current expenses. She puts bartender Ted in charge of menus for the restaurant and buying from wholesalers instead of the local market. (She makes him “Executive Chef.”) They begin to advertise lunch specials with simple paper flyers and begin to attract new business. Ms. Gray was a hoarder—the hoard was in a warehouse, and Maureen plans a giant yard sale. Long term—she has plans to name rooms after famous guests who once stayed in them—along with some serious re-decorating. First, she needs to get rid of a ghost who has taken up residence in one of the suites!

Why are the ghost hunters a double-edged sword to Haven?
The ghost hunters bring a certain kind of clientele to town. They bring TV cameras and all kinds of recording gadgets and special cameras. Townspeople like their privacy. They keep quiet about their ghosts—and there are plenty of them in Haven! They fear that the boulevard will be full of magic shops and ghost stores—sort of like Roswell is all about flying saucers and Salem is chock full of witch stores.

Maureen has kept the fortune card she got from an old Zoltar machine. The predictions on the card seem to be coming true. How does Maureen react?
She has mixed feelings about this card. Should she just throw it away and forget about it? It’s tempting, but sometimes the words on the card seem to make perfect sense. Sometimes she convinces herself that these are simply coincidences. After all, it’s just a silly card out of a machine from a fun house arcade. How can it be anything more? She wonders. We wonder. Keep reading.

Lorna Dubois was an old-time movie starlet, who looked (too much) like Jean Harlow to ever be a star. Now she haunts Maureen’s penthouse apartment at the inn. She’s always seen in black and white. Why is that?
Lorna was at her most beautiful back in those days, so she chooses to appear as she did in the films—in black and white. She’s very interested in fashion, and likes the fact that Maureen was once a sportswear buyer. She frequently “borrows” Maureen’s clothes—and is not adverse to visiting hotel guest’s closets to borrow theirs too.

Suite 27 has a horrible reputation. Maureen doesn’t know until after she’s situated her office there. Why is everyone so afraid of the suite when Maureen seems not to be?
Maureen learns that there is a supposed ghost there everyone calls “John Smith” because that’s how he signed the guest register back in the 1970s. People who rented Suite 27 say he came out of the closet and sat on their beds, crying pitifully for his Mother. Although Maureen has experienced drops in temperature in her office, and has even seen dents in a box as though someone had sat on it, she has not really experienced seeing or hearing John Smith. She does eventually have reason to believe the stories are true—and then she must figure out how to send John Smith away!

Bogie and Bacall, Ms. Gray’s cats, make peace with Finn, but they don’t seem to like ghosts. How do they treat Lorna?
They tolerate her. Bacall thinks it’s funny to walk right through Lorna. Bogie pretends she isn’t there.

Maureen talks to Finn and even sometimes explains idioms to him. Does Finn understand her?
I think he does and so does Maureen—even though all he ever says is “woof.”

When Maureen becomes a suspect in the murder, she is represented by Nora, another lawyer in the practice that handles Ms. Gray’s will. Tell readers about Nora and her defense approach.
Nora is well acquainted with Frank Hubbard, the officer who is so suspicious of Maureen. She says he’s a “bulldog” once he gets an idea about a case. (Maureen explains to Finn that “It’s not that kind of bulldog.”) Nora painstakingly proves step-by-step that Maureen had no motive. They have to come up with a suspect who HAS motive and they find more than one—which adds to the mystery but clears Maureen.

What kind of research did you have to do to write about ghosts?
I learned a lot about ghosts—but most particularly about ghosts who haunt hotels in Florida! I was amazed at the number of “haunted hotels” I found. Some of that research shows up in the book. For instance, over in Fernandina Beach there’s a saloon called the Palace. It’s haunted by a bartender called “Uncle Charlie” who worked there before he died. Some nights, they say he still plays the piano—even though the piano’s keys have been encased in Plexiglas for years. Uncle Charlie inspired Billy-be-doggoned-Bailey who plays the old player piano in the restaurant at the Haven House Inn. (Billy was even once photographed by a ghost hunter, but nobody is talking about that.) Also, in Fernandina Beach at the Florida House there’s a sad-looking man who sits on beds—just like John Smith. The hotel that inspired the inn in my books is the Peninsula Inn in Gulfport, Florida. I was surprised and delighted to learn that the Peninsula is haunted too—by a friendly ghost called Isabel. She is a bed-bumper ghost and has a little ghost cat who wanders around the hotel at will.

What’s next for Maureen and Finn?
Well, we’ve got to get that old place fixed up somehow, and raise the money to do it on a budget. Maureen is having photos made of some of the famous people who signed the guest registers and will post them in the suites that bear their names. She already has reservations for the Babe Ruth Suite. (The registers themselves are going to an autograph dealer for big bucks after she gets copies made.) She’s met a couple of interior designers who have become friends. They’ll be back to help with the do-over. It’s Maureen’s first Christmas in Florida and Christmas lights on palm trees are a big change from New England’s snowy winter scenery. There may be a bit of romance in the air, too, with handsome chef Ted. I can hardly wait to write the next book—working title is High Spirits—and we’ll meet some new ghosts in the town’s old movie theater. Hope to see you there!

Be My Ghost is the debut of A Haunted Haven Mystery series set on the west coast of Florida (near St. Petersburg). I found Be My Ghost to be an appealing paranormal cozy mystery. There are some great characters and I love the setting. The author managed to strike the right balance between overly description and not enough detail. I liked our protagonist, Maureen Doherty. She is a smart, friendly woman who is a stylish dresser. Our resident spirit, Lorna Dubois is a delight. She is a fun-loving character who also loves fashion. The paranormal aspect is well-done and there is just the right amount of mystical. The whodunit is straightforward. This one can easily be resolved before the reveal (the who and why). I would have liked the mystery to be more of a challenge. I am hoping the author will up her game in the next A Haunted Haven Mystery. There is a fun cast of secondary characters in the story along with some cute animals. Maureen has a Golden Retriever named Finn and she inherited two cats named Bogie and Bacall. The town is pet friendly with other shopkeepers owning cats and allowing Finn to enter their premises. Since Haven seems full of interesting ghosts, I am sure there will be plenty of paranormal fun in Maureen’s future. There are some recipes at the end of the book for items featured in Be My Ghost. Be My Ghost is a hauntingly good time with a fashionista spirit, a player piano, a contemptuous manager, a gone ghost hunter, a troubled bartender, a determined deputy, and a bewildering inheritance.

The first in a new mystery series. Maureen Doherty’s job in Boston is ending and she receives a letter that she has inherited an inn in Florida. Maureen is all for accepting this inheritance and arrives in Florida with her dog Finn and that first night one of her guests dies. The shocking thing is the local police think she is a suspect. The victim was a ghost hunter and supposedly has captured a picture of a ghost at the inn. Would this ruin the inn or save it. When someone points the finger at her and evidence is found in the apartment at the inn she is staying at she begins to get scared. She needs to go on the offensive and use everything she has to figure this out including even using one of the local ghosts (which she did not believe in prior to arriving ). I really enjoyed this book and thought the mystery was solid with lots of possible suspects and I enjoyed the twists of the ghosts in town. Looking forward to what Maureen and Finn again in the next installment.

Be My Ghost by Carol J. Perry, is the 1st book in A Haunted Haven Mystery series, and it is off to a good start. I love Ms. Perry's other series, Witch City Mysteries, so I was excited to read this new series, and it does not disappoint. Maureen Doherty packs up everything, including her dog Finn, and moves to Haven, Florida where she has inherited an Inn. This book has everything you want in a cozy mystery, plus a little paranormal thrown in. The story kept me intrigued and reading page after page. I am looking forward to reading Maureen next adventure.  I highly recommend this fun book!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is the first in a new series: "A Haunted Haven Mystery." While the premises is the tired old cozy story of a woman alone in life inheriting a fortune in property it quickly proved to pick up with the sleuth and fun charcters. Maureen is a likable protagnist and a normal person fired from her long time job when she inherits a house in Florida. ( No surprise on the same day ). Upon arriving in Florida she finds mystery on top of mystery with the old house and soon is ensconced in a life she never imagined for herself and even working with ghost hunters.

This has the good basis for a new cozy series, a inheritance of wealthy property ( albeit a very tired cozy mainstay and boring this author makes it work). Intrigue abounds and the supporting charcters are enjoyable . I will read the next in series. Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley. My review opinion is my own. it was a fun read I recommend.

Loved this book. Carol J Perry has another hit of a series! Looking forward to the next one. The characters, the ghosts the setting were all enjoyable. Really want the next one NOW.

This is a Paranormal Cozy Mystery, and this is the first book in A Haunted Haven Mystery series. I found this book so fun, and I loved getting to know these characters in this book. I have to say one of my favorite cozy mystery types is ones with a ghost, and this one has that. The ghosts in this book is done so well, and I loved the ghost's character. I hope the next book well bring in more ghosts characters. I guess one of the people that was apart of the murder from the beginning, so I have to say mystery parts was not the best. I feel this book so much fun and cute that I did not care. There was little twist and turn that I did not see coming before they where revealed. I can see this becoming one of my new favorite cozy mystery series. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Kensington Publishing Corporation) or author (Carol J. Perry) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

I loved the setting and characters in this book. As a lifelong Florida resident, I loved the small town coastal feel & all of the old people. 🤣 All of the towns residents were quirky and fun - I loved reading all the little side conversations and gossip.

The mystery fell a bit flat for me and the ending was obvious and the unraveling was slow going.. I also really, really wanted to see more of the ghosts!! But as a lighter, atmospheric read I enjoyed it.

I look forward to seeing what Maureen and Finn make of their new home! I gave this book 4 stars on my Goodreads.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing me with a digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

I SO enjoyed this read! Maureen is a smart competent main character who finds herself in a completely unexpected position just as she loses her job. Instead of going to visit her parents while she tries to regroup she suddenly finds herself owning an Inn in Florida without really understanding why and being a suspect in a murder.

This book was so much fun! Maureen's attitude towards ghost is skeptical at best at the beginning but also doesn't ignore very clear proof when she can no longer deny it. Her questions on the practical running of the Inn were smart and practical as were her decisions. Most of the staff is enthusiastic with the exception of the rather uptight manager, Elizabeth (or Queen Elizabeth as some people call her). Finn is a fantastic side kick and I just want to reach into the pages and give him a big hug. Her personality reminds me so much of the therapy dogs we see regularly though he is a tad more easily distracted.

The primary mystery was good though it does lose some page time on the world building of the series and to a side mystery or two but honestly this didn't bother me in the slightest. I did guess the who though wasn't 100% sure until the end and didn't know the why. Not only did I enjoy this book from beginning to end but it's a series I'm super excited to see where it goes. There are so many stories to explore and ghosts to get to know and I just can't wait for book 2!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for providing me with a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Maureen has lost her job (through no fault of her own) so when an unexpected inheritance falls into her lap, she travels across the country to start a new life and hopefully a new business venture. But her dreams hit a snag when she finds a dead body, and she needs to use all the help she can get to solve the mystery, including her local friendly ghost.

I find the first book in a cozy mystery series can be a bit slower paced. It makes sense, since this is the book that sets everything up for the rest of the series. So yes, this book is a little slow to get started, but I felt the main characters were well sketched out, and I had a good feel for the hotel and surrounds - for me that’s a good payoff. And although it was a bit slow, it didn’t mean it dragged, and I thought the action built up very nicely from the original set up and hook (which I think will arc nicely into future books!) through to discovering ghosts and the main mystery.

A part of me was disappointed that the baddie was so obviously the baddie. However, they totally needed to go and again, I can appreciate that this book is a set up for the series. I thought the set up was well done though, and I really liked how I may have picked the who but not the how or why.

There was some great side action bits as well, and I’m really looking forward to the next book - I’m invested in figuring out why she got the inheritance in the first place! If you’re looking for a new cozy mystery with a paranormal twist, this is a great choice.

I really enjoyed this. I'm not going to lie I request it because of the golden retriever on the front but I am glad I did cause this was a really good read. I can not wait to continue reading this series!

As someone who really liked [after the first one, and that was only because of the author's handling of mental illness - something I think was poorly executed in that book] the author's other series, I was really looking forward to this. I lived in St. Petersburg FL for 2+ years and we spent quite a bit of time driving through and around all the small towns that make up the gulf coast, so that aspect of the book had a lot of appeal to me as well. I also was a ghost skeptic [and even now, am not 100% sure how I feel about it] until one showed up at my house and continues to visit me [though he does not speak to me, thankfully], this part of the story also appealed to me. It is really too bad that the book as a whole did not live up to what I was hoping it to be.

While I could write a lengthy treatise on WHY this book was not for me [and trust me, there are M A N Y] reasons, I have decided this time to refrain and just say that this book ultimately was not for me. I guessed the killer early on and the why soon after and the rest of the book just served to annoy me. It may be because I am highly particular about my mysteries, or it just may be that this one wasn't for me [but will be for many other, which is great BTW] and I need to move one. Regardless, I doubt I will read the second one, though you never know. Some of my now favorite series started by giving the second book a chance, so it is rare I will completely write something off. We shall see.

Thank you to NetGalley, Carol J. Perry, and Kensington Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When Maureen Doherty inherits a inn in Florida shortly after losing her job, she decides to claim her inheritance and move to the sunshine state. She has never met the woman who left her the inn. So she is doesn't why she left the property. A few hours after her arrival in town, she discovers the body of a ghost hunter on the porch of her inn. The man claimed to have taken photographs of the ghosts haunting the town.

Be my ghost is the first book in Carol J Perry's a Haunted Haven series. Definitely looking forward to the next in the series. Like the world building. One resident in the town wants a ghost for her place and does the best she can to attract one.

I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher and/or author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

5*
Be My Ghost by Carol J. Perry

Ms. Perry is the bestselling author of the Witch City Mysteries (11 books). This is the first book in a new series.
This is different than her previous works.

I really enjoyed this book and the main character Maureen Doherty is wonderful! Oh my, she was one of the most relatable characters I've read recently in many ways. We do encounter the paranormal in as the title suggests Ghosts! Maureen leaves Boston for Haven, Florida after inheriting a historic inn (B&B) from a woman she doesn't remember meeting as a child. How you may wonder can she and Finn (her dog) do this? She loses her job as a clothing buyer for Bartlett's of Boston department stores. She and Finn road trips to their new home. Soon after arriving, she finds a dead guest! The story takes off from there and doesn't stop until the last page. I can't wait for book two! Finn, the cats, and the ghost, really helped to make this book stand out from anything I've recently read. I highly recommend this book!! 5*****

39 Chapters
529 Story Pages (iPad)
7 Recipe Pages


Thank you to NetGalley, publisher, and author for the ARC.

I absolutely loved this! The outcome was so good that I really am going to have trouble waiting until the next book! Lorna was such an awesome ghost friend to have, well, once Maureen wrapped her brain around ghosts even existing in her inn. I just loved Gert, Molly, Sam and George, the seniors who lived year-round at the inn but worked there as employees too. They enjoyed some good gossip, but they were pretty darn protective of their new owner and wanted to help her solve the murder of one of the guests who happened to be a ghost hunter with a huge following.

Again, I was over the moon with how the showdown and reveal came out. I'm rooting for Ted and Maureen to grow even closer. They made a great sleuthing team and beach running buddies to begin with. There was just something about him that made me trust him the whole time. I'm almost as excited as Maureen is for her plans for the inn and to see how she gets it squared away into a profit-making place. Book two, please don't wait a year to come out!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.