Book Review: Be My Ghost by Carol J Perry

 SUMMARY:

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...

TEE'S THOUGHTS

It was time for a good cozy mystery, I need them occasionally, to, I guess you could say, " cleanse my palette " from all the twists and turns of the thrillers I have been reading. An added bonus of reading Be My Ghost from Carol J Perry is that it was a great way to start my Spooky Season reads.

The main character Maureen loses her job as a department store buyer due to the store closing, but she also finds out she has inherited an Inn in Haven Florida, so her and her trusty sidekick Finn, who is the most adorable Golden Retriever set off to their new home. Once they arrive at the Inn they realize the Inn is haunted ( however Maureen is not convinced of this fact at first ) and they also get caught up in the murder of one of the ghost hunters that is a guest there.

Be My Ghost was a super fun read. The mystery was a bit predictable, but the book has so much more to offer than just the mystery itself. 

The characters are all likable, well maybe not grumpy Elizabeth, the Inn's manager, but most of them are a bit quirky and fun-loving. Maureen is the type you would want to be friends with, she was brave to just take this opportunity and run with it, even not knowing why she had inherited it, however, for a bit I felt she let Elizabeth run over her while she learned her way around her new Inn and home. Finn, the retriever was probably one of my favorite characters, ( yes I am including him in the characters ) even though he was a man of few words, mainly WOOF. Who doesn't love a good cat or dog as a sidekick in cozy mysteries? I think that is some of the appeal to them for me.

I enjoyed watching the friendship between Maureen and bartender/chef Ted blossom throughout the story, and because Be My Ghost is the first book in a series called Haunted Haven Mysteries, I am hoping that their relationship with continue and maybe even grow into maybe more.

The locals were not kidding when they said the Inn was old Inn was haunted, apparently, the entire town of Haven is haunted. 

SIDENOTE:...

There is a book store in Haven that Maureen goes into several times during the story, and in my mind, it was haunted by William Shakespeare, because who else other than The Bard would haunt an independent bookstore. Honestly, I am not even sure if they mentioned that the bookstore was haunted in the store, but my mind works overtime.

Ok sorry... back to the review...

The Inn had several " home " ghosts, my favorite being Lorna, who had been a movie star in Hollywood. She added a light comical touch to the story with her popping in and out of Maureen's room and nicking the clothes from Maureen's closet. We also learn a lot about being dead from Lorna, which was interesting in the way that Perry wrote the afterlife.

There is a short part of the book that is dedicated to a story about the ghost that has taken up residence in room 27, which Maureen uses as her office, and a guest who comes to the Inn with his own little mystery. The small storyline, which fits perfectly in with the rest of the story is such a sweet and heartwarming tale and will possibly make your eyes water just a bit.

This book has everything I could ask for in a cozy mystery, quirky likable characters, both main and secondary, hauntings, animals, and oh yeah...some yummy recipes at the end from the hot bartender/ chef Ted. I have never read a book by Perry before, but I am a fan now. I look forward to checking out her past books and I can not wait for Haunted Haven 2.