chez_jae

Gone With The Ghost by Erin McCarthy

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



This afternoon, I finished the ebook Gone With the Ghost, by Erin McCarthy. It's the first installment in the "Murder by Design" series, with main character Bailey Burke.

Bailey is an expert in home design, and she has her own business staging homes for sale. She's had a rough time of it lately, ever since her best friend, police officer Ryan, committed suicide shortly after Bailey confessed her romantic feelings for him. She's been wallowing in guilt ever since. However, now Ryan's ghost has come to her, insisting he was murdered and asking her to help unravel the mystery of his death. Bailey now finds herself teaming up with Ryan's former partner, Jake Marner, to get some answers. Unfortunately, she also must pump the sleazy cop, DeAngelo, for information, too.

In the meantime, Bailey is still trying to run her business, which is made difficult when Ryan keeps popping in and startling her. For him, though, she'll do what she must to clear his name. Bailey's investigation reveals some interesting, and dangerous, clues. Not only is she beginning to realize that Ryan wasn't the paragon of virtue she believed him to be, but now her own life is in danger.

This was a fantastic story. I've read other books by this author and enjoyed them, but this has been my favorite, by far. Bailey is charmingly inept, yet still so determined to find the truth. Along the way, she discovers that she and Ryan never would have worked as a couple. However, crossing paths with Marner now has her looking at him in a new light.

Favorite lines:
♦ ...never underestimate the power of mortification.
♦ What is it about men and breasts? Freud had it completely backwards--I don't know a single woman who feels an ounce of penis envy, but every man I know wishes he could walk around all day playing with breasts.
♦ ...I looked like something the cat not only dragged in, but mauled, licked, tossed in the air, and finally swatted under the fridge.
♦ "Yeah, well, I'm a lightweight. I guess my Irish ancestors would be ashamed."
♦ The curse of having fair skin and Irish genes is you blush the color of a ripe tomato.
OMG, y'all don't know how many times I've said that about Freud and his ridiculous "penis envy" theory! Considering the fact that he also came up with the theory of projection, it's amazing the doddering old fool didn't put two and two together and realize he was projecting his breast envy onto women. Sheesh. Also, I feel Bailey's pain in regards to being an Irish lightweight who blushes too easily. Yikes!

Wonderful, light, and funny, with a touch of romance and melancholy and just enough danger to keep it interesting. Will definitely read more in this series.