Bailey Ruth Raeburn has enjoyed her time in heaven, but
after some time there has decided it's time to give back
and joins the Department of Good Intentions as an emissary
to return to Earth and help mortals in need. Bailey Ruth
barely has time to volunteer (and certainly not enough time
to actually learn the rules for returning to Earth) for a
position before a situation arises that sends her rushing
back to her hometown of Adelaide, Oklahoma.
Bailey Ruth is confronted with a dead man on the back porch
of the rectory and the pastor's wife, Kathleen Abbott,
standing over the body. Taking her role to heart, Bailey
Ruth helps Kathleen move the body, and when Kathleen admits
to a near-indiscretion, Bailey Ruth sends the authorities
off in the wrong direction, while she sets out to solve the
crime herself before Kathleen's life is ruined. Bailey Ruth
must also struggle with a world she's unfamiliar with (I
believe she gave up mortality somewhere in the 1970s or so,
as cell phones are a revelation to her), the on-and-off
presence of her "boss" Wiggins, the often difficult to
follow rules and a few family problems, as well as working
to find a killer.
GHOST AT WORK by Carolyn Hart is a cleverly crafted
mystery guaranteed to keep the reader guessing until the
killer is revealed. Bailey Ruth is thoroughly enjoyable and
the tone of the book reads like a conversation with her.
Ms. Hart has a wonderful gift for description and takes the
reader on a brilliant journey through Bailey Ruth's version
of Heaven. The mystery is satisfyingly plotted and moves
along at a fast pace. Fans of Ms. Hart's other stories are
sure to enjoy her latest!
Bailey Ruth Raeburn always had a knack for solving
mysteries. Why should a little thing like being dead change
anything?
Bailey Ruth's unique position as a ghost
makes it possible for her to lend a helping hand to her
former neighbors in Adelaide, Oklahoma. And the rector's
wife, Kathleen Abbott, needs all the help she can get.
There's a dead man on her porch, and once the body's
discovered the rector's bound to be murder suspect number
one.
An agent of Heaven's Department of Good
Intentions, Bailey Ruth's eager to head back to the mortal
plane to extricate Kathleen from a dire situation. Wiggins,
Bailey Ruth's fussbudget supervisor, has already advised her
about the rules: she's to be on the earth, not of the earth.
But to bring a killer to justice, she just might have to
bend a heavenly rule or two . . .