Salem, Massachusetts B&B owner Charlene Morris is looking into a holiday hit-and-run, with a little help from her ghostly housemate . . .
Charlene’s parents are in town for Christmas, and her mother is driving her up a tree. Her bed-and-breakfast’s resident ghost, Jack, isn’t fond of her either–and he’s showing it with some haunting high jinks. But when Charlene takes her mom and dad out for dinner, the less-than-seasonal spirits take a deadly turn.
David Baldwin has just won a fortune in the lottery–and it adds a lot of drama to the charity auction he’s hosting at his restaurant. When he caps off the evening by playing Santa and handing out checks to some of the attendees, the mood shifts . . . and Charlene observes mysterious tensions between David and his flashy, bleached-blonde wife, his neglected teenage son from a previous marriage, and his hostile business partner, among others. And they’re only a few on the long list of potential suspects when David runs into the road and is mowed down by a fleeing motorist. Now it looks like it’s going to be homicide for the holidays . . .
Titles in the A Salem B & B Mystery series include — Mrs. Morris and the Ghost – Mrs. Morris and the Witch – Mrs. Morris and the Ghost of Christmas Past –
Title: Mrs. Morris and the Ghost of Christmas Past
Series: Salem B & B Mystery #3
Author: Traci Wilton
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Published: September 29, 2020
Publisher: Kensington Books
My Rating: 4.5 stars
It’s time to return to the Salem B & B Mystery series for another Cozy Mystery, this time around Christmas. Mrs. Morris and the Ghost of Christmas Past leave Charlene with an almost in front of her eyes murder to be solved… and dealing with Charlene’s parents (especially her mother) coming to town for a holiday visit.
I’m enjoying this series very much as it grows and Charlene, along with the secondary characters, particularly our ghostly resident, Jack, create a world that is always good for a few laughs, some exasperating moments, some ghostly interaction – and a mystery that keeps me engaged in solving the puzzle but doesn’t give it away all that easily.
With her parents in town Charlene is juggling running her B & B, keeping Jack’s teasing of her cat under control, listening to her well-meaning but annoying (bordering on rude) mother meddle in her life and her choices. This night they’ve gone out to one of Charlene’s favorite restaurants where the owner, David, has just won the lottery in a big way and is passing out checks to favorite customers, friends, and a children’s charity that is looking to receive a very nice donation.
Unfortunately, not everyone in David’s life is thrilled with his lottery win or his actions this night… and before long David has run out of the restaurant and into the path of a fleeing car who just ran him down. Accident or murder? I’m guessing murder.
With twists, a few red herrings tossed about we’ll follow along as Charlene with “help” from her mother and Jack try to track down a murderer before they are the next victims. I don’t necessarily read Cozy Mysteries to solve the crime but to see how it all plays out, and Mrs. Morris and the Ghost of Christmas Past definitely kept me in the dark this time around. I enjoyed my time back in this world, and if you love a good Cozy Mystery with a touch of the Paranormal then you should be picking up this story and following this series.
*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher, Kensington Books via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*
Available in paperback or your favorite e-reader, mine is the Kindle
