Giving up the Ghost by Marilyn Levinson

Genre:
Cozy Mystery

Publisher:
Uncial Press

Format:
EBook

Release Date:
April 2012




English teacher Gabbie Meyerson gets a temporary job at a high school in Chrissom Harbor, Long Island. She moves into a rental cottage above the Long Island Sound, but is shocked to discover she’s not alone. Her roommate is Cameron Leeds. A citizen of Chrissom Harbor whose death was ruled an accident after he fell over a cliff, drunk. Cam doesn’t agree with the ruling and begs Gabbie to find out the truth. He can’t rest in peace until the truth about his death is revealed.

Gabbie begins questioning everyone in the small town and is stunned to learn that many people were more than happy to see the last of Cam. She’s convinced that one of them murdered him, but she has her work cut out for her as she tries to convince the local police that this was a murder and not an accident. Police Chief Darren Rollins is more than happy to cooperate with Gabbie. After all, Cam was his best friend and Gabbie is one woman who has more than caught his eye.

As the town’s local bullies scare Gabbie, and she makes friends with most of the town, she also finds that this town isn’t as quiet and quaint as she thought. The townspeople all have their secrets and gossip that they try to keep to themselves, but that isn’t all that easy. Especially when there’s a local ghost taking residence in your home.

The book kept me at the edge of my seat from page one. I loved all the characters. Each one was well crafted and well developed. The book reminded me very much of the older gothic genre, complete with an old house and a resident ghost. The character were all likeable, except for the obvious villains of course.

The murderer was a big shock to me. I love my mysteries, so to be able to shock me, is a big deal. I didn’t see it coming at all. The book is chock filled with twists, turns, and great characters. Who could want anything more than that?




and it gets...




FTC Disclosure: The author provided me with a copy of this book to review. This did not influence my thoughts and opinions in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.

For reading challenges:

2012 Cozy Mystery Challenge