In this 9th book in the "Haunted Guesthouse Mystery' series, Alison Kerby helps investigate two murders. The book has a "Cast of Characters' at the beginning and can be read as a standalone.
Background: When Alison Kerby was renovating a Victorian house in Harbor Haven on the Jersey Shore - to use it as a guesthouse - she discovered the home was occupied by two ghosts: private detective Paul Harrison and interior designer Maxie Malone. 
Paul and Maxie are only visible to Alison and her mother, father, and daughter.....but Alison's husband Josh and most of Alison's friends acknowledge the spirits' presence.
Since meeting Paul and Maxie's ghosts, Alison acquired a private investigator license to help Paul solve mysteries; and Paul and Maxie agreed to put on spook shows for senior citizen tours that book vacations at Alison's 'Haunted Guesthouse'.
A spook show might include things like a flying teenager, when Maxie (who's invisible to the guests) picks up Alison's 13-year-old daughter Melissa and flies her around; an imperceptible guitarist; a moving hat; roving artwork; and so on. These shows greatly entertain the visitors.
*****
As the story opens, the ghost of Paul Harrison's brother, Richard Harrison, shows up at the Haunted Guesthouse and speaks to innkeeper Alison Kerby. Richard was murdered only days ago, and he wants to speak to his brother. Paul is having a vacation at the moment, and Alison goes to some trouble to message him to return. 
When Paul gets back, Richard - a criminal defense lawyer - explains he was killed in the midst of representing Cassidy Van Doren, who's on trial for drowning her stepfather, Keith Barent Johnson. Richard insists Cassidy is innocent, and he wants Paul to help uncover the real killer.
Private investigators Paul and Alison speculate that Richard was getting close to exposing Keith's REAL murderer, who then clunked Richard on the head with a clothes iron. So the detectives agree to make inquiries, and are assisted by Alison's teenage daughter Melissa, who's clever and insightful. Alison - with 'invisible Paul' standing by - interviews people who knew Keith, including Keith's wife Adrian, his children Braden and Erika, and his business partner Hunter Evans. Cassidy's relatives insist she's guilty, and belongs in prison.
The detectives also speak to Cassidy, who's out on parole. Cassidy insists she's innocent, and is frustrated by her family's accusations. Paul and Alison tentatively believe Cassidy because additional evidence points in various other directions.
After Paul and Alison question people and collect information, odd things start to happen at the guesthouse. Paul obtains Keith's business files and puts them on a computer at the inn. The laptop vanishes and a note is pinned to the wall with a knife. The message reads 'DON'T LOOK FOR ME'. Later on a knife is thrown at Alison's head and barely misses. It's clear someone has something to hide!!
While the murder inquiries proceed, life goes on at the inn. Alison's mother and father (who's a ghost) visit and ghost dad barbecues a brisket in the backyard; a senior citizen group vacations at the guesthouse, and Alison is asked to be a matchmaker; Alison's friends Jeannie and Tony, and their toddler Oliver and baby Molly, come over for dinner. Alison speculates babies can see ghosts, because Molly is delighted when spirits pass by; and more.
Alison's neighbors have learned to ignore the odd things that happen at the Haunted Guesthouse, and Anita McElone, chief of detectives at the Harbor Haven police department, won't even set foot inside...though she's willing to share information with Alison.
It's fun to see ghosts mingle with humans who can't see them. Ghosts enter through walls; sink down through the floor; watch Gray's Anatomy; kibitz each other; and go about their lives almost as if they're still alive.
Paul and Alison continue their inquiries and reach a conclusion about the killer. When the murderer is exposed at the guesthouse, there's gunplay, fighting, yelling, and all manner of ruckus. The inn's visitors are delighted, thinking this is an especially lively spook show. You have to laugh at that. đ
If you like humorous cozy mysteries with ghosts, you'll like this book.
Rating: 3.5 stars
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