Review

Tourism in Harbor Haven has been down since Hurricane Sandy, but thanks to Alison Kerby’s resident ghosts, Paul and Maxie, folks are still coming from miles around to stay at her haunted guesthouse. Paul and Maxie’s twice-daily spook shows don’t come without a price, though; Maxie wants a say regarding the guesthouse’s interior design, and Paul, who was a PI in life, insists he be allowed to continue his detective work in death (with a little help from Alison, of course).  As a result, not only is Alison doing battle with Maxie over plans for the game room, but she’s also stuck investigating two cases she wants nothing to do with – and for good reason, seeing as the people involved keep turning up dead. Alison knows that her business will suffer without her otherworldly roommates’ cooperation, so she can’t flat-out ignore their requests, but if she’s not careful about where she sticks her nose, economic prosperity will be the least of her concerns...

The Thrill of the Haunt is the fifth of E.J. Copperman’s Haunted Guesthouse Mysteries, and it’s a wildly entertaining read. The book has a complex plot featuring multiple storylines, all of them compelling. The mysteries Copperman’s created are clever, fun, and certain to keep you guessing. Copperman’s prose is witty and sharp, his story is perfectly paced, and his comedic timing is impeccable. And the world Alison inhabits is so well drawn and so fully realized that reading one of Copperman’s books is like taking a haunted vacation to the Jersey Shore. (That’s WAY more fun that it sounds; I promise.)

What really makes this book special, though, is Copperman’s stellar character work. Alison is an incredibly engaging heroine – smart, snarky, and stubborn as they come, she’s also sentimental, kind, and loyal to a fault. Her daughter Melissa is one of the most mature and nuanced fictional kids I’ve come across in recent memory. Alison’s client – and arch-nemesis – Kerin is hilarious in her unremitting antagonism. And ghost Maxie continues to be one of my favorite traditional mystery characters of all time; moody and sarcastic with a no-so-secret marshmallow center, I’d be delighted if a spirit like Maxie chose to haunt my humble abode.

Whether you’re new to E.J. Copperman’s Haunted Guesthouse Mysteries or have been a fan right from the very start, The Thrill of the Haunt is a book that won’t disappoint; I highly recommend you run out and get yourself a copy just as fast as your mystery-loving legs will carry you.