On Flashback Fridays I will share with you
the books I was not able to review
when they were first released that have been screaming at me
from my To-Be-Read bookshelf.
The Guest is a Goner:
A Humorous Paranormal Cozy Mystery
(Sedona Spirit Cozy Mysteries)
Paranormal Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Arizona
Westward Publishing (January 24, 2021)
Paperback : 208 pages
ISBN-10 : 1393070000
ISBN-13 : 978-1393070009
Kindle ASIN : B08MYCRNTV
She’s never believed in ghosts… until now.
As the owner of Sedona Bed and Breakfast, Bernadette Maxwell has always played up the rumors that her business was haunted. She’s never believed it herself, even though she can’t explain the odd odors that sometimes permeate the room or why a blast of cold air comes out of nowhere… until she has an accident and can suddenly see her resident ghost—her crazy, fun-loving, hippie grandmother, Ruby.
When a guest is found dead, the police rule it a homicide. It becomes apparent Bernadette is not only a suspect but also in the crosshairs of the murderer. With no one to turn to for help, she relies on Ruby to assist her in a search for clues to bring the killer to justice.
Will Bernadette and Ruby find the murderer before Bernadette becomes the next victim?
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Bernadette Maxwell owns the Sedona Bed and Breakfast in a large home she inherited when her Grandma Ruth passed away. There have been rumors of the house being haunted and there are some things that could point to a ghostly presence but Bernie doesn’t believe in ghosts.
Bernie took a few days off to attend a wedding that was filled with strange occurrences, one that has changed Bernie’s life. She now knows the house truly is haunted because she can now see and hear the house’s resident ghost. Her fun-loving Grandma Ruth is trapped in this plane, unable to move on. She has been trying to communicate with Bernie and doing a little haunted hijinks for the guests of the B&B since the day she died.
There was only one guest when Bernie got home checked in by her best friend Darla who was managing the place.in Bernie’s absence, but by morning that guest is a goner. Found dead in his room, the police rule it a homicide. Bernie is their prime suspect but she hadn’t even met the man. With her grandmother’s help, Bernie decides to do a little amateur sleuthing. But she is already getting warnings to leave everything alone or she will be the next ghost haunting her B&B.
This was such a fun read!
Bernadette could not be more different than her Grandma Ruth. Bernie is low-key, a little OCD, and a straight-laced by-the-book person. Ruth has loved life and all it had to offer right up to her death. She’s cool and crazy, and a total hoot and a half. Good thing only Bernie can hear her because you never know what is going to come out of her mouth. I fell for both characters pretty quickly. Bernie starts to loosen up to have some fun with her grandmother but she also has murder on her mind which has her questioning just who she can trust. Darla really irritated me with her attitude but Deputy Adam Gallagher turned out to be an excellent friend and that relationship looks to be headed to more than just friendship. These characters developed nicely over the course of the story and I am interested to see where life takes them next.
The murder mystery was much more complicated than I first imagined. Some crazy ideas were thrown out as possibilities for the guest’s death but as the story continued a couple were not as far-fetched as I thought. There were some comical scenes including one wild ATV ride as Ruth and Bernie sought to get answers. I enjoyed the way Ruth and Bernie found a way to work together and the way the killer was revealed. Ruth’s snarky little comments that Bernie repeated for the killer’s benefit gave me a good giggle.
The Guest is a Goner
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About the Author
Carly Winter is the pen name for a USA Today best-selling and award-winning romance author. When not writing, she enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and enjoying the fantastic Arizona weather (except summer – she doesn’t like summer). She does like dogs, wine, and chocolate and wishes Christmas happened twice a year.
At time of this posting The Guest is a Goner is FREE on Amazon!
Find More Books By Carly Winter here.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”