OLD HAUNTS by E.J. Cooperman

Publisher:  Berkley

Published:   February 7, 2012

ISBN:  978-0425246207

Genre:   Cozy Mystery

Format:  Paperback
Obtained via:  Publisher  

Reviewed by name and email address:  Gina Gina@loveromancesandmorereviews.com

FOUR HEARTS

 

Renovations are Alison’s house are going along pretty well.  Now that she’s decided the best way to provide safety, security and a modicum of privacy for her pre-teen daughter Melissa is to turn the attic into a comfy bedroom the problem is what to do about the pull down stairs.  As she works on the room, debating just what to do, one of the residence ghosts, Maxie advises her that a really good looking guy has just arrived downstairs.  Wishing she was hot and sweaty for other reasons than work Alison heads downstairs to find that the Swine, aka her ex-husband, has returned.  Seeing him hugging their daughter doesn’t give her the happiest of thoughts, but there he is, once again, in her home.  True to form The Swine won’t give her a straight answer why he is in town and Alison doesn’t quite believe it’s because he missed their daughter.

Before she can deal with her ex, however, her other resident ghost, Paul tells her he needs to talk to her.  In no time flat both Paul and Maxie have requests for her – Maxie wants to find out who killed her ex-husband and Paul wants her to find the gal that got away.  Alison’s agreement with the ghosts was that she’d take on investigations as long as they wouldn’t endanger Melissa.  And really, how dangerous can a cold case murder be? 

And then to top it off a rather intriguing biker comes along and wants to hire her to investigate just what happened to a friend of his…a friend who turns out to be Maxie’s ex.  Now isn’t that a curious coincidence?  Or is it?

I enjoyed book one of E.J. Cooperman’s Haunted Guesthouse series, Night of the Living Deed.  Book 2 had what I call “secondbookitis” and was pretty disappointing. Book 3, OLD HAUNTS has Alison, Maxie and Paul back in the saddle, so to speak.  It was a fun and entertaining read.  Cooperman caught me completely off guard with not just who done it at the end, but the clever way the killer is caught. 

Cooperman does a nice job of moving along in a credible time line from book to book as well as how the characters’ relationships change and develop along the way.  Book 3 was a far more believable read, more down to earth, if possible, when ghosts are some of the main characters.  While Melissa takes them at not just face value but understands Paul and Maxie for who and what they are, there is some nice development in how Alison deals with her newfound talent and the fact that two ghosts are now friends and part of her life.

I had a few chuckles around the Swine’s attempts to lure Alison back into his life. 

I do like this series and recommend you check it out.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.