Sadie Novak and her boyfriend/partner, Zack, clean up after death, and lately business has been slow. Her personal life, however, has lurched into stressful territory: her father has just passed away, but his ghost has yet to cross over (Sadie can see and talk to spirits, a convenient or not, skill for someone who cleans up crime scenes) and Zack has accepted a clean-up job for his ex, Paula.

While Sophie is less than thrilled to be working for Zack's former lover, the job cleaning up after a hoarder presents a challenge, especially when a violent ghost makes his presence known by attacking Zack. The house becomes a potential crime scene when a mummified baby is discovered in the piles of rubbish. With Zack laid up with a broken ankle, it falls to Sadie alone to discover the connection between the ghost and the baby. And while she's thrilled to have the opportunity to speak with her father, she needs to figure out why he's still showing up and help him cross over. Not only that, someone doesn't want Sadie investigating either the ghost or the baby, and that someone is willing to commit murder to stop her.

DEAD AND KICKING by Wendy Roberts is the third in the Ghost Duster Mystery series and one of the best. Sadie is a strong heroine with her share of vulnerabilities and a strong commitment to friends and family. Her job choice is unique and provides ample opportunity for adventure. Ms. Roberts has cleverly blended multiple plots to create an exciting, action packed and at times frightening story guaranteed to entertain from the first page. DEAD AND KICKING is an outstanding addition to this fun series.