cover image Be My Ghost

Be My Ghost

Carol J. Perry. Kensington, $15.95 trade paper (320p) ISBN 978-1-4967-3135-7

Maureen Doherty—the smart, forthright protagonist of this exceptional paranormal cozy launch from Perry (the Witch City mysteries)—has worked at a Boston department store for 10 years. Shortly after it goes out of business, Maureen receives a letter from a law firm in Haven, Fla., informing her she has inherited Penelope Josephine Gray’s estate, consisting of the century-old, and reportedly haunted, Haven House Inn. Maureen has no idea who Miss Gray is. However, with no other options, she packs up and heads for Haven. Within hours, she discovers a prominent ghost hunter’s lifeless body on the inn’s front porch. The police, led by unimaginative Officer Frank Hubbard, target Maureen and several members of the staff as potential murderers. Maureen is a breath of fresh air in the cozy world: no ruminating on her looks or past tragic loves, no drowning her sorrows in cookies and cake. The ghosts, in a refreshing departure from most paranormal cozies, don’t take center stage, and entertaining subplots, such as her efforts to discover why Miss Gray left her the inn, keep the pages turning. Readers will look forward to Maureen’s further adventures. (Sept.)