Ghost In Trouble
by Carolyn Hart
Ghost
emissary Bailey Ruth Raeburn has a new mission. Sent from
Heaven's Department of Good Intentions, Bailey Ruth can help in
situations others cannot. Problem is Bailey Ruth has a knack for
getting into trouble despite her good intentions, and this case
promises to be nothing but trouble! Sent to help Kay Clark, Kay
does not want her help. To make matters worse, the person she is
sent to save turns out to be her enemy. When a huge vase almost
falls on top of Kay, the fatal fall of Jack Hume seems less and less an
accident. Posing as Kay's assistant Francie de Sales, Bailey Ruth
must somehow solve the mystery behind Jack's death. Can she solve
the mystery, protect Kay and not get in trouble with Wiggins, her
supervisor?
In GHOST IN TROUBLE, the third book in the Bailey Ruth series, Carolyn
Hart combines a wonderfully unique sleuth with a great well-plotted
mystery full of suspects and clues. Bailey Ruth is impulsive,
good-natured and downright effervescent. As she struggles to
follow the precepts of the Department of Good Intentions, inevitably,
she breaks others. Written in the first person, Bailey Ruth's
commentary on the action of the story adds much humor.
In GHOST IN TROUBLE, Wiggins plays more of a minor role than in the
first Bailey Ruth mystery, GHOST AT WORK. While this is perfectly
understandable since the first mystery must introduce him and the
dynamics of Bailey Ruth's new environment in Heaven, the mystery loses
some of the wonderful humor that emerges from the relationship between
Wiggins and Bailey Ruth. A large part of the charm and fun of
this series originates from the unique character of Bailey Ruth.
She is one of the key elements that distinguish this series from the
countless other cozy mysteries. For that reason, I would
encourage the author not to lessen the focus on her character and
character interactions as the series progresses. GHOST IN TROUBLE
seems to focus more on the mystery as comared to the series
debut. As mystery, GHOST IN TROUBLE creates an intriguing puzzle
but Bailey Ruth herself is less prominent.
Although GHOST IN TROUBLE can be read as a stand alone for the mystery,
I would encourage newcomers to the series start with the first book,
GHOST AT WORK, purely for the introduction to Bailey Ruth's
character. The author's ability to handle the difference in the
environment and characters of GHOST IN TROUBLE, different than that in
the previous books, demonstrates that this series has great potential
for more cases. Bailey Ruth is wonderful! Her unique way of
solving crimes combines humor, goodness and a unique approach to
crime-solving.
Publisher: William Morrow
(October 12, 2010)
Previous Bailey Ruth books in the series: Ghost at Work and Merry,
Merry Ghost
