A man wakes in a parking garage with the horrible memory of being murdered. Or, is it a dream?

So begins Lee Killough's KILLER KARMA, a doozy of a mystery, about Detective Cole Dunavan who realizes he's a ghost far sooner than he remembers who he is. Having a curious and ordered mind, Dunavan begins to notice patterns in his random memories and their subsequent associations until he is able to piece together his own biography. But he remains unclear about why he's been pulled back to this world rather than simply dying.

Being a ghost comes with other challenges: how can you turn the page in a police report if you can't move anything with substance? How do you communicate with people? How can you ride an elevator to the right floor in a high rise building without the ability to push a button? Killough masterfully brings up and solves these problems in believable ways.

The mysteries of Dunavan's murder—and what happened to one of his new informants—form the core of the middle of the book. But even after Dunavan has solved these questions—he still has to figure out how to prove the answers, bring the criminals to justice and console those who have suffered the most. Among Killough's more interesting characters is the lead villain—someone a reader can admire and despise simultaneously.

The final portion of the book marks Dunavan's realization that he can use his ghostly abilities to right some of the wrongs he and the criminals have created. He does so with humor and aplomb.

Killough has created more than a paranormal police procedural here. This is a novel about love and redemption, about friendship and possibility. Any reader who enjoys a good mystery with strong psychological elements, compelling characters, and a fascinating storyline will relish this one. I highly recommend it.