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GHOST WANTED by Carolyn Hart

GHOST WANTED

by Carolyn Hart

Pub Date: Oct. 7th, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-425-26615-1
Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime

The heavenly Department of Good Intentions relies on one of its best, but least obedient, sleuths to solve a puzzling case.

Bailey Ruth Raeburn is back in her hometown of Adelaide, Oklahoma, at the behest of her supervisor, Wiggins. The often censorious Wiggins has set his disapproval of Bailey Ruth’s rule-breaking behavior aside in the hope of restoring the reputation of his former love, who’s so far refused to take her place in heaven. Beautiful Lorraine Marlow's ghost still lives in her former home, which had been willed to Goddard College, and gives roses to people she feels should be together. But someone is using her lovely habit to create trouble in the Goddard library, where roses are scattered, a statue is smashed, and a valuable book is stolen. Lorraine’s latest candidates for roses are Joe Cooper, editor of the local paper, and Goddard senior Michelle Hoyt, who was recently appointed to write on the life and times of the late Susannah Fairlee, a longtime city council member and activist whose diaries span many years. Michelle, whose library key code was used the night of the theft, stands accused first of robbery, then of murder after a campus security guard is shot during the theft of one of Susannah’s diaries. When the acting police chief orders Michelle’s arrest, Bailey Ruth and Lorraine help her hide and assist her and Joe in tracking down information that may help to prove her story that she was held hostage the night of the shooting. Although a cold, clever killer will stop at nothing to set up Michelle, Bailey Ruth pulls out all the stops to reunite two pairs of lovers.

Hart’s amusing and vivacious ghostly sleuth (Ghost Gone Wild, 2013, etc.) puts her invisibility, her gusto and her sharp mind to good use in her latest outing.