MURDER MOST HAUNTED by Emma Mason takes readers on a hauntingly fun journey as a group of misfits embarks on a haunted house tour, where nothing is what it seems, and everyone is a suspect when one of them turns up dead.

Detective Midge McGowan is retiring from her rather unspectacular career as an evidence technician. Always one to be overlooked, Midge is looking forward to spending time with her spouse, Bridie, who has been ill. But Midge’s coworkers gift her with a Haunting Holiday Excursion at Atherton Hall, where the ghost of a woman haunting the moors is a draw for tourists. Reluctant to go, Bridie encourages Midge, and she finds herself on a coach with a lonely driver, a pop star, a paranormal podcaster, a doctor and his sad wife, and the tour host, a man from Midge’s past. As they arrive at Atherton, and the paranormal activities get underway, one of them ends up dead in a bathtub, and Midge has to use her skills to stay one step ahead of the rest of her tour mates, before a killer strikes again.

MURDER MOST HAUNTED is a fun, locked-room mystery where secrets are plenty and the clues are sophisticated. Midge is fifty-five, overweight, and often overlooked, but she is clever and witty and comes up with some funny observations. The cast is rounded out nicely, each with a backstory of deceit and disappointments. There are also some funny fumblings and miscommunications between the characters, which add a nice touch of humor. As the mystery gets underway, everyone is a suspect, and the house’s history and hauntings throw in a unique aspect. Is there really a White Lady of Atherton Manor seeking justice, or is someone using that as a cover for murder? MURDER MOST HAUNTED will keep readers entertained with its isolated, snowed-in manor, quirky characters, hauntings, murder, and reluctant introverted detective, who becomes the star. Go Midge!