chez_jae

Christmas Spirit by Morgana Best

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Just polished off Christmas Spirit by Morgana Best. It is the first book in the author's "Middle-Aged Ghost Whisperer" series, starring Prudence Wallflower, divorced clairvoyant.

Despite the fact that she makes her living "reading" the dead, Prudence has never seen a ghost. That all changes when she's on her way home from a recent tour, and the ghost of Detective Alum Mullein appears to her. He claims he was murdered by his partner, and that he'd been working to prove that the death of young actor Brady Wayland was murder, not suicide. Alum believes his partner was in cahoots with the drug cabal that Brady had become embedded in as he studied for a role. When Alum began asking too many questions, his partner shot him.

Prudence isn't cut out to investigate murders, but she's all Alum has now. Soon she finds herself involved, even though it's the holidays, and she has a house full of unwanted guests. Prudence is determined to see it through, even though it may mean that Alum crosses over.

The story was...interesting. I liked Prudence and her occupation. I would have thrown the house guests out within an hour of them arriving, and Prudence's three friends were the most annoying pack of harpies ever. My lord, the woman would have been better off living as a hermit than to put up with the family and friends she had. Plot could have flowed more smoothly, but at least it progressed in a sensible fashion.

Favorite lines:
♦ "If it's not okay then let it be not okay."
♦ One of the privileges of living alone was getting to roam through my home without having to worry about my appearance first thing in the morning.

I really wish I could award 3 1/2 stars. Hm. I'm giving it three, since it was pretty much an average read.