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theavidreaderandbibliophile's review
4.0
Be My Ghost by Carol J. Perry takes us to Haven, Florida where Maureen Doherty has inherited a quaint but supposedly haunted inn. It comes at a great time for Maureen since the department store where she worked as a fashion buyer has just gone out of business. Maureen’s first night at the Haven House Inn has her finding a ghost hunter guest dead on the front porch. When Deputy Frank Hubbard learns the guest was murdered, he is like my dog with a bone. He sets his sights on Maureen and the inn’s bartender. If Maureen is to get the police out of the inn and prove her innocence, she needs to investigate. Maureen is not sure how to go about it until she gets some spirited advice.
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.
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.
nattyyllie's review
2.0
I enjoyed the comforting factors of this book. These are: the character’s dog and cats, the unashamed donut-eating, and the calming home-comfort imagery.
However, I had issues keeping my interest in any of the three major conflicts. The plot is slow, the characters are fairly static, the romance of the long-forgotten guests is too large a side-plot. The tourists didn’t carry much importance. Three main “ghosts” that do not interact greatly with one another, as though they exist in a strange and distant divide.
I feel that perhaps the story would have felt more cohesive if the photographer who dies at the beginning were to have some relation or tie to the old ghosts of the hotel. Or if any of the ghosts got to interact with one another or the living in the hotel more. There were too many events going on at once, and none of them felt satisfactorily fleshed out.
However, I had issues keeping my interest in any of the three major conflicts. The plot is slow, the characters are fairly static, the romance of the long-forgotten guests is too large a side-plot. The tourists didn’t carry much importance. Three main “ghosts” that do not interact greatly with one another, as though they exist in a strange and distant divide.
I feel that perhaps the story would have felt more cohesive if the photographer who dies at the beginning were to have some relation or tie to the old ghosts of the hotel. Or if any of the ghosts got to interact with one another or the living in the hotel more. There were too many events going on at once, and none of them felt satisfactorily fleshed out.
vonderbash's review
3.0
This is cute, short, and fun. I’m still not sure if I’m a cozy mysteries person, but I enjoyed this and I’m interested in continuing the series. Lorna is my favorite character by far.
The mystery is pretty easy to solve, but this was a nice low-key read to relax with.
The mystery is pretty easy to solve, but this was a nice low-key read to relax with.
amalgamawesome's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
lyrareadsbooks's review
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.75
Listened an an audiobook so maybe I missed something, but the timeframe of the story was weird - like they went to dinner, did work, and went to dinner. Still a relaxing read with a memorable ghost.
gingerbread_void's review
4.0
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!
staystitchy's review
4.0
Thank you to Kensington Books, Bibliolifestyle and Carol J. Perry for the ARC of Be My Ghost. This one is out August 31.
Maureen and Finn stole my heart with this charming cozy mystery. This is the best kind of book that you can pick up and escape into. This genre is hard to describe but I love having them as a palette cleanser, especially with the heavy horror books I’ve been reading lately. I did see through this one but I’m still very excited for more in this Haunted Haven series because now that the characters and settings are all sorted, I’m ready for more! I highly recommend this light and fluffy cozy mystery to anyone. Especially dog lovers.
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…
Maureen and Finn stole my heart with this charming cozy mystery. This is the best kind of book that you can pick up and escape into. This genre is hard to describe but I love having them as a palette cleanser, especially with the heavy horror books I’ve been reading lately. I did see through this one but I’m still very excited for more in this Haunted Haven series because now that the characters and settings are all sorted, I’m ready for more! I highly recommend this light and fluffy cozy mystery to anyone. Especially dog lovers.
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…
sraedi's review
1.0
Can anyone tell me if this gets better?
It's really irking me that she rolled up on the places and started welcoming people. Yes, you inherited it but you've never been there! You haven't even walked in the door! So weird.
I spend a lot of time with my cat, he's clingy and I'm not a big fan of people so it works out. However, i don't narrate my actions or intentions and i sure am shit don't tell him to *look at signs* that I've *pointed out and talked to him about.* I understand the need for exposition but holy hell. Police officer drafting the lead is concerned about getting back to get dog after three questions? What? Someone else putting him in a room without taking his leash off? Is this classic "good person, bad person" crap?
Uughghhh....
It's really irking me that she rolled up on the places and started welcoming people. Yes, you inherited it but you've never been there! You haven't even walked in the door! So weird.
I spend a lot of time with my cat, he's clingy and I'm not a big fan of people so it works out. However, i don't narrate my actions or intentions and i sure am shit don't tell him to *look at signs* that I've *pointed out and talked to him about.* I understand the need for exposition but holy hell. Police officer drafting the lead is concerned about getting back to get dog after three questions? What? Someone else putting him in a room without taking his leash off? Is this classic "good person, bad person" crap?
Uughghhh....
smalltownbookmom's review
3.0
3.5
The first in a new cozy mystery series featuring Maureen and her adorable sidekick Finn (a golden retriever guide dog drop out) who move to Florida when Maureen inherits a haunted bed and breakfast located in a charming small town Florida community.
When Maureen arrives at the Inn for the first time she discovers a dead body and that the house has some friendly ghosts who wish to help her solve the murder. Full of a cast of memorable characters and small town humor, this was an entertaining, light spooky season read. Great on audio as well. While this wasn't my usual type of read, the cute cover sucked me and it was easy to listen to while multitasking around the house.
The first in a new cozy mystery series featuring Maureen and her adorable sidekick Finn (a golden retriever guide dog drop out) who move to Florida when Maureen inherits a haunted bed and breakfast located in a charming small town Florida community.
When Maureen arrives at the Inn for the first time she discovers a dead body and that the house has some friendly ghosts who wish to help her solve the murder. Full of a cast of memorable characters and small town humor, this was an entertaining, light spooky season read. Great on audio as well. While this wasn't my usual type of read, the cute cover sucked me and it was easy to listen to while multitasking around the house.