New York Times bestselling author Carolyn Hart’s good-hearted spirit just can’t say no to an earthly rescue in the fourth Bailey Ruth Ghost novel...
As far as emissaries from Heaven’s Department of Good Intentions go, Bailey Ruth is far from the top of the go-to list for assignments in the eyes of her boss, Wiggins. So she’s surprised when she’s dropped off on the outskirts of her old hometown, Adelaide, Oklahoma, at the home of young Nick Magruder. When a window cracks and a rifle barrel is thrust inside, only Bailey Ruth’s hasty intervention saves Nick from taking a bullet. But after she materializes to reassure him, she finds she can’t go back to vanishing. What gives?
It turns out Bailey’s been tricked by Nick’s late aunt to come to his rescue, which means Wiggins has no idea where she is—and now she may be trapped in Adelaide forever. Unless she can help snare the person who wants Nick dead...
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Publishers Weekly
08/19/2013
At the start of Agatha-winner Hart’s whimsical fourth novel featuring departed spirit Bailey Ruth Raeburn (after 2010’s Ghost at Work), Bailey Ruth of heaven’s Department of Good Intentions arrives at the Adelaide, Okla., home of video-game millionaire Nick Magruder just in time to prevent a gunman from shooting him. Since the shade of Nick’s doting Aunt Dee engineered this mission on the sly, Bailey Ruth must operate on earth without her otherworldly powers. When Nick is accused of a murder, she must rely on her wits alone to clear him. Though not fully developed, the secondary characters have some amusing quirks, and even the villain, who’s not readily identifiable, has a certain charm. The well-constructed plot offers an ample supply of red herrings. Fans of benign ghosts such as those in Blithe Spirit and Topper will find a lot to like. Agent: Deborah Schneider, Gelfman Schneider. (Oct.)
Kirkus Reviews
2013-09-15
A heavenly sleuth gets hijacked on her way to apply for a new case. Bailey Ruth Raeburn is one of the most unorthodox sleuths in Heaven's Department of Good Intentions. So she's far from sanguine about her chances of getting sent back to Earth by department head Wiggins, who often chastises her for ignoring the rules. All that changes when a stunning woman riding a magnificent black horse sweeps up Bailey Ruth, thrusts a ticket into her hand and throws her on the Rescue Express, which spirits her back to her old hometown of Adelaide, Okla., just in time to prevent a young man from being shot. Nick Magruder, the nephew of equestrian Dee Delahunt Duvall, has recently returned to Adelaide a very wealthy young man after selling the spider-based video game he developed. Nick has a chip on his shoulder and intends to get even with all the high school jocks who tormented him. He's madly in love with Jan, whose mother, Arlene, is having an affair with Cole Clanton, one of the worst of Nick's high school tormentors. When Jan arrives on the scene, Bailey Ruth pretends to be a private detective hired to protect Nick. She and Nick are forced to spend the night at Arlene's B&B when Bailey Ruth realizes that her usual power to change her wardrobe or vanish has forsaken her. Clanton is deeply involved with an upcoming historical recreation, but Bailey Ruth suspects that his sudden interest in the town's history is financially motivated. When Clanton is shot dead, Nick is arrested, since half the town heard him threatening Clanton. So Bailey Ruth and Dee persuade Wiggins to let them get to work identifying the real killer. Hart's ghost mysteries (Ghost in Trouble, 2010, etc.) are often amusing and never easy to solve. Bailey Ruth's latest is one of her toughest cases.
From the Publisher
One of [Bailey Ruth’s] toughest cases.”—Kirkus Reviews “A light-hearted, well crafted mystery.”—Fresh Fiction
“Bailey is a fun, feisty sleuth...This solid mystery has comedic moments and a surprise ending, providing readers with a thoroughly entertaining story.”—RT Book Reviews
More Praise for Carolyn Hart, Winner of Multiple Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity Awards and the Bailey Ruth Ghost Novels
“Hart’s work is both utterly reliable and utterly unpredictable.”—Charlaine Harris, #1 New York Times bestselling author
“One of the most popular practitioners of the traditional mystery.”—The Cleveland Plain Dealer
“Bailey Ruth and Wiggins will delight readers who prefer their mysteries light and seasoned with wit and the supernatural...Hart’s vision of Heaven is a hoot.”—Boston Globe
“Hart’s amusing and vivacious ghostly sleuth puts her invisibility, her gusto and her sharp mind to good use in her latest outing.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Sure to charm even ardent materialists.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
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