BONES BEHIND THE WHEEL

An innkeeper calls on some friendly ghosts to discover who buried a corpse in a car that a crew of workmen doing beach replenishment has dug up on her property.

Alison Kerby isn’t the only human who can see Paul Harrison and Maxie Malone, the two free-spirited spirits who haunt her Jersey Shore guesthouse. Her mom and her daughter can also see and communicate with the pair. But so far, none of the guests sent by Senior Plus Tours have had the power the Kerby ladies share, so Alison can include two daily “spook shows” among the amenities she offers her guests. Unfortunately, the shows are about the only amenities on offer, since contractors Tony and Vic Mandorisi have put her kitchen out of commission in the course of fixing a beam that sustained damage from a bullet hole in her last adventure (The Hostess with the Ghostess, 2018). Meanwhile, heavy equipment operator Bill Harrelson has dug up most of her beach. The state had sent him out to shore up the dune line eroded in Superstorm Sandy, but Bill, hearing a tale of some pirate treasure that just might be buried on Alison’s property, digs a wee hole to investigate. That little hole becomes a really big hole when Bill’s shovel hits metal that’s not part of a treasure chest but the roof of a vintage Lincoln Continental, complete with decomposed body in the front seat. From that point on, the detective work should really be left to Detective Lt. Anita McElone of the Harbor Haven police force, but gleeful Maxie and Paul couldn’t be more excited by the prospect of another hot case. They drag Alison into the chase with results as tumultuous as they are predictable.

Who says global warming has no effects on the little guy—or, in this case, gal? What begins as a simple hole in the ground ends up a three-ring circus, with a solution so convoluted only the most devoted fan can begin to appreciate.