Hello everyone!
Unfortunately, the Christian world lost its venerated Pope earlier this week, and of course people will be mourning him. I, personally, only really followed him through the news, but he was a very forward-thinking man and a modern man at that, so I believe the world at large absolutely lost a great figure, overall.
That said, we can only hope the Vatican now elects someone who will lead them forward through these turbulent times.
And speaking of turbulent.
One of our favourite amateur sleuths is back this week, in the book I picked for tonight's review post. She's been absent from regular publications for a couple of months, but we already know that the fifth book in the series is on the way, so never fear!
Put on your thinking caps and some glitter, because we're headed to the heart of gambling and desert show business tonight, in Anything Ghost.
Clara Kelly is excited for her business trip to Las Vegas, to a conference where she hopes to learn the ins and outs of running her bed and breakfast. She leaves her ghostly friend William in charge of the painters and electricians who'll be in and out of the house that week to set everything up, her Shih Tzu Boy with the groomer Sebastian, and takes off.
And, rather promptly that very first opening night, gets entangled in another paranormal investigation.
See, the conference host organized for a famous actress and singer, with a Vegas residency, to come perform for them, and Angela does beautifully - then is discovered after having "jumped" from the balcony of the twenty-seventh floor, and of course dying.
All well and good, except Clara sees Angela's ghost afterwards, and said ghost insists she was murdered.
Not only that, but Clara suspects that one of the other Salem conference attendees, Alice, can see and hear ghosts, too!
Nothing for it then - after a little back-and-forth, she decides she kinda does want to help the woman, so off she goes to investigate, finding a button on the balcony, having proof from Angela who remembers someone putting a hand over her mouth as her last moment before black-out, and that's a fairly good starting point.
But there's more.
As Clara takes a look at who was there that night, she learns plenty of people had both motive and opportunity, for example Ted, a member of her troupe, who wants to branch out on his own, then one of the other dancers whose husband was having an affair with Angela in the meanwhile.
Most importantly here, Clara learns from Angela - after they discover the supposed suicide note in her dressing room at the theatre - that the acclaimed actress got pregnant in her young age, didn't think she'd be a good mother (in fact, KNEW she wouldn't be) and left her son on the steps of a church for him to be cared for.
He went to a good family - poor, but good - however that didn't quite help him stay on the straight and narrow.
You'd think this was the end, but nope, he's unfortunately dead already, so no luck.
There is, however, a person you should pay attention to who pops up right at the start of the conference, as well: Clara's waiter.
As has been historically proven, people never really look at those who serve them food and/or drink, and it turns out that this waiter has the same surname as Angela's abandoned son.
He just so happens to be her GRANDSON.
And as Clara learns when she goes to confront him, while his dad eventually let go of his anger towards the mother who abandoned him, this dude held all of it inside, and did away with her.
Luckily for Clara, Alice - who can, in fact, see and hear the ghosts, but she taught herself not to engage with them so they leave her alone - was paying attention, and called the police, so all's well that ends well, Angela's ghost passes on, an obnoxious guy who was hitting on Clara (and thinking he's the shizz) gets exposed for the cheater he is, and she's super happy to get back home to Salem to her renovated home.
William, who by now knows how to use his cellphone well, kept her appraised of everything, but what he forgot to mention is that he'd responded to the emails coming in with inquiries, and now they have more than a thousand subscribers already! Which means that the thing Clara feared the most - engaging with people online - is by and large already done, as William's handled it.
So with that knowledge under her belt, and her having asked if Sebastian wants to share a meal with her in the next week or two, the story comes to a close.
In case it isn't obvious, I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Clara and William are back! And not a moment too soon, as I've been missing some cozy mysteries.
Dina Marie never really disappoints, and I can't wait for Clara to kick that silly journalist's butt for running rings around her. This book's murder dealt with family and fame, and I have to admit - I knew who did it immediately.
A similar case was handled by a savvy Belgian detective with a large moustache once, and he said that you have to pay attention to what others don't see. He was right. The murderer's reasons were what I was interested in, after.
The only thing that's beginning to bug me is Clara's occasional cluelessness. It was kind of cute how she waffled the first few books but, at this point, she NEEDS to not behave like a barely twenty-something college student, and if she's going to be investigating, to put some power behind her words, not stand there shuffling from foot to foot while a person's waiting for her to tell them why she's there. How she hasn't been accused more often is beyond me with how she can't seem to not behave shiftily.
And I suppose I'll have to settle for Sebastian ... sigh, you'll always be my first choice, William!
Other than that, can't wait for book 5!
Clara and William are back! And not a moment too soon, as I've been missing some cozy mysteries.
Dina Marie never really disappoints, and I can't wait for Clara to kick that silly journalist's butt for running rings around her. This book's murder dealt with family and fame, and I have to admit - I knew who did it immediately.
A similar case was handled by a savvy Belgian detective with a large moustache once, and he said that you have to pay attention to what others don't see. He was right. The murderer's reasons were what I was interested in, after.
The only thing that's beginning to bug me is Clara's occasional cluelessness. It was kind of cute how she waffled the first few books but, at this point, she NEEDS to not behave like a barely twenty-something college student, and if she's going to be investigating, to put some power behind her words, not stand there shuffling from foot to foot while a person's waiting for her to tell them why she's there. How she hasn't been accused more often is beyond me with how she can't seem to not behave shiftily.
And I suppose I'll have to settle for Sebastian ... sigh, you'll always be my first choice, William!
Other than that, can't wait for book 5!
xx
*image not mine
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