Ghost in Trouble - Carolyn Hart, Author

‘Suddenly I heard an odd crackling.  The sound was ominous, out of the ordinary, frightening.  I looked up and for an instant froze in horror.  An enormous vase directly above the cul-de-sack teetered on its pedestal on the third-floor balcony.  The vase tilted, then hurtled down toward the impatient woman, so near to me, so near to death.  With no time for though and little room to maneuver, I zipped into the cul-de-sack, whirled, and shoved her, shouting, “Jump!”  I pushed with all my strength.  We tumbled together out of the cul-de-sac.  The vase struck with enormous force where she had stood.  The sound of her cry was lost almost immediately in the thunderous crash.  Shards of porcelain and clumps of earth flew in every direction…. I regret to say she was swearing in a clipped, angry tone.  I zoomed to her side.  “Oh, my goodness.  Thank Heaven you’re all right.”  I was too excited to remember silence was my goal.’

Heaven’s “Department of Good Intentions” Emissary Bailey Ruth Raeburn has just been given another assignment in her home town of Adelaide, Oklahoma.  Bailey Ruth has completed two other assignments with just a few reprimands from the department’s conductor Wiggins.  Seems like she has a hard time following the “Precepts for Earthly Visitation.”  There are only 8 and Bailey Ruth apparently has a hard time with at least 3 of them:  Avoiding public notice;  Work behind the scenes without making your presence known; and become visible only when absolutely essential.  After all, how can you accomplish a mission if you can’t be seen, noticed nor heard?  Impossible!

Bailey Ruth’s assignment for this trip is to protect an old enemy from her past – Kay Kendall Clark.  But, even though she may not be looking forward to dealing with Kay, she is quite excited about being able to stay in one of the town’s oldest and richest estates or as everyone from Adelaide calls it “The Castle.”   And as for Wiggins, he has his usual Bailey Ruth assignment drop-ins as she breaks just a few of her usual precepts. 

Author Carolyn Hart has done it again with her Bailey Ruth series.  I’ve followed her with the first book Ghost at Work.  Then on to Merry, Merry Ghost.  Carolyn Hart has again combined murder, mystery and humor to create yet another light hearted read with Ghost in Trouble.  And I have to admit, she surprised me with the ending.  By page 85 I just knew I had discovered the killer.  I changed my choice around page 240 just to find out at the end that I was wrong in both cases. 

276 pages

2010

Harper-Collins Publishers

ISBN# 978-0-06-191501-7