Remains Of The Dead
A Ghost Dusters Mystery, Book #1
Wendy Roberts
5+ Stars
Synopsis:
The first book in a new paranormal mystery series featuring Sadie Novak, a professional crime scene cleaner and amateur medium.
Sadie Novak’s got the kind of job that kills cocktail chatter dead: she owns Scene-2-Clean a crime scene cleanup company. And if wiping up after murders weren’t spooky enough, she can also see and talk to the ghosts of the victims…
When grieving relatives hire Sadie and her employee, ex-cop Zack Bowman, to clean up after the murder-suicide of Trudy and Grant Toth, Sadie figures she’s bound to meet at least one chatty ghost. But Kent, the man Sadie first encounters at the scene, is very much alive–so much so, that Sadie soon finds herself agreeing to a date with him.
Then a real ghost shows up–the oddly silent spirit of Trudy, who seems determined to prove that her husband’s innocence, and inspires Sadie to track down the real killer. But as she scours the crime scene, Sadie quickly realizes she’s in way over her head, that Kent has a strange connection to the dead couple, and that someone wants her to give up the ghost…for good. (Goodreads)
Review:
I read this book when it first came out and I really enjoyed it. When I reread it, I loved it. This book has everything that I want in a book I read: humor, suspense, heartfelt moments and mystery. Add a ghost into the mix and I am hooked.
The characters are well developed and well rounded. Sadie is a strong hard-working woman who is not afraid of very much. Not even the ghosts that she sees and helps to cross over. But she has some of her own demons and ghosts from her past that she definitely has problems dealing with. This just made her seem more real to me. I enjoyed reading about the relationship between Sadie and Zack, her employee, and their bickering and banter. I also enjoyed reading about the interactions between her sister, Dawn, and her best friend, Pam.
The mystery is well plotted with enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. The author is very talented in using the written word to create tension and suspense.
There are places that are so suspenseful but there also moments that are endearing and sad. I liked the fact that my emotions were all over the place. In my opinion, this is the sign of a great author that can evoke such different feelings from the reader.
Paranormal ghost books are one of my favorite genres to read, and this one is top-notch.
If I could I would give it more than five stars. I cannot recommend this book enough to anyone who enjoys a well crafted paranormal mystery. I already have the next book in the series to read.
mjbreviewers 