Publication Date: 12/02/2014
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Berkley Prime Crime
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Pages: 304
ISBN-10: 0425269264
ISBN-13: 978-0425269268
(Received for an honest review from Berkley Prime Crime)
Purchase: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Indiebound, itunes
E.J. Copperman on the WEB: website, blog, twitter, facebook, goodreads
Books in the series:
Haunted Guesthouse Mysteries
1. Night of the Living Deed
2. Uninvited Guest
3. Old Haunts
4. Chance of a Ghost
5. The Thrill of the Haunt
6. Inspector Specter
Wild Ghost Chase
An Open Spook
Coverart: Click the Image for a larger, clearer view of the covers in this series.
Excerpt from, Inspector Specter, courtesy of the author's website.
Synopsis:
Just when she thought she’d seen everything…
Detective Lieutenant Anita McElone is one of Harbor Haven’s finest. She’s also a hard-boiled ghost skeptic. So when she shows up on the doorstep of Alison Kerby’s Haunted Guesthouse to ask for supernatural help in solving the murder of her former partner, it’s hard to tell which woman is more flabbergasted. But McElone is dead serious, so Alison promises to help in any way she can—even asking her resident ghosts, Paul and Maxie, for help with the case.
As Paul’s spirit source reveals some troubling information about the deceased detective, Alison wrestles with what to tell McElone. First, though, she has to find her…because the lieutenant has suddenly disappeared.
Thoughts:
Readers who love paranormal cozies will love E.J. Copperman's latest addition to the Haunted Guesthouse Mystery series, Inspector Specter. This is a series that not only gives readers plenty of ghostly goodness but one that is also full of wit and humor. Copperman's characters are multi-faceted whether alive or dead and his plotting skills are way above par. Readers looking for a perfect cozy read that might be a little hair raising, will love Inspector Specter!
What I liked:
This is one of those series' that kind of catches you off guard. When I first started reading it, I wasn't sure I would like it. The paranormal for me, usually consisted of werewolves and vampires, with a few witches thrown in for good measure. But this was a more old school approach. The paranormal element being, ghosts. But the Jersey Shore setting and the ghostly premise drew me in and I've never looked back. Copperman's humor is evident on just about every page and he is able to keep the story light, even though murder is the main theme.
Reader's who have been following the series will find some new developments in Inspector Specter. Up until now, Detective McElone has been very skeptical of Alison's ability to solve crimes with the help of her ghostly guesthouse inhabitants. But this time, she needs their help to solve the suspicious death of a friend. I liked the new relationship that Alison and McElone are developing. It was nice to see so much growth from all of the characters throughout the series, but this was the one I had been waiting for. I wanted McElone to accept that the ghosts were real and it was interesting to see how she proceeded.
As always Maxie and Paul steal the show in any of Copperman's books in the series. Maxie's erratic behavior does get a bit on my nerves sometimes, but she always makes things interesting. Paul is, of course, the voice of reason. And for a ghost, he is pretty darn good detective. I always enjoy the interplay between the ghosts and the live characters in each of these books. Copperman does a fantastic job of separating the ghosts, and making them act and seem like ghosts, while still integrating them into the daily lives of the other characters.
The mystery itself in this one was slightly confusing. I understood what had happened and that it was labeled an accident when it clearly was not. But the suspects had me a little befuddled. I had a bit of trouble sorting through their motives and reasons for their actions, but it all worked out in the end. This one takes several twists and turns but Copperman always makes it make sense in the end. It gave the book an air of unpredictability that was fun to experience as a reader.
Bottom Line:
One of my favorite parts of this series, is Copperman's wit and humor and as usual he did not disappoint in Inspector Specter. The ghosts and the living are once again cooperating to solve a crime and Alison's guesthouse is getting all the spookiness it needs to continue running smoothly. I liked the new bond forming between McElone and Alison and I'm looking forward to seeing where Copperman takes us next in this exciting paranormal cozy series!
Inspector Specter is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.
I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag!
About the Author:
Giveaway Details:
The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of Inspector Specter by E.J. Copperman.
~ You must be an email subscriber to participate.
~ US addresses only.
~ The deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST, December 26th.
1. Please leave a comment. Know any good ghost stories?
2. Please fill out the FORM.
21 comments:
I do not know any ghost stories, wish I did :)
Sorry, I don't know any.
I don't know any ghost stories. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com
I don't know any either. The only thing I can remember from girl scouts is one of those ones with the knocking on the car door. Or was it scratching?
I don't know any either. The only thing I can remember from girl scouts is one of those ones with the knocking on the car door. Or was it scratching?
I know we used to tell ghost stories around the campfire but I was usually to scared to remember them. I seem to remember one about "bloody mary" but not the whole thing. I do love this series. It is so much fun to read and really sucks you in.
The only ghost story I know is real. The day my husband died I was in the yard with a neighbor and heard a strange windy noise in the hollyhocks and felt a presence. I learned that that was just about the time that he had passed in the hospital.
Shortly after I graduated from high school I worked as a nanny for a friend of the family. The lived in a reconditioned farm house. There was a woman spirit that loved to follow me around the house. She never did any mischief but just stood off to the side and watched whatever I did.
No, I don't know any ghost stories.
My mother claimed to have seen her mother calling to her a few days after my grandmother died. We all just figured she had a bad dream.
I just came home from the Key West and I went on a ghost tour there so I got to hear a few stories. Look up Robert the Doll he is the most haunted doll in America. I got to see him and he is creepy.
One Christmas after my Dad had died, my sister and my nephew were visiting from California. My nephew had gotten the Hogwarts Castle Lego set for Christmas and he was in the living room putting it together. I was in the guest bedroom with my dog and playing computer games. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone go into my Mom's bedroom wearing a red shirt. My nephew comes running into the bedroom and asked me if I had seen the man in the red shirt. I asked him to describe the man and he did. I went to the hall closet and pulled out a red plaid shirt that my Dad always wore. My nephew said that was what the man was wearing. We realized that we had seen my Dad's spirit visiting his family for Christmas. My nephew, the dog and I were the only 3 family members who saw my Dad that day.
I don't have any stories. I wish I did.
lag110 at mchsi dot com
Sorry, no stories. But Maxie and Paul are pretty entertaining!
kpbarnett1941[at]aol.com
no, I don't
I don't know if this counts as a ghost story, but it's the only "spooky" story I have. The night our cat died, we were sitting up with him in the living room. Right after he died, we heard an unearthly howling outside our house. We peeked out the window (carefully, I might add) and saw two cats we had never seen before and have never seen since. They sat on our porch and howled for about a minute or so and then were gone.
No, just stories about our family.
My dad was too sick to go to my uncle's funeral. He said my uncle came to him to say goodbye.
I know a few good ones.
Theresa N
weceno(at)yahoo(dot)com
I lIKE GERMAN MYTHS AND LEGENDS, THEY CONTAIN A LOT GHOST STORIES. I DO NOT CARE FOR HAUNTINGS (LIKE THE RING OR LADY IN BLACK) THAT CONTAIN HORROR.
I lived in a house as a kid that my sister said it was haunted. I remember several years later we met a renter who lived in the house. He said that he thought it was haunted as well. I never thought it was, but when someone you don't know tells his ghost story from the house, kind of makes you wonder.
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