Merry, Merry Ghost (Bailey Ruth Book 2)
Merry, Merry Ghost (Bailey Ruth Book 2) book cover

Merry, Merry Ghost (Bailey Ruth Book 2)

Kindle Edition

Price
$7.99
Publisher
HarperCollins e-books
Publication Date

Description

A cute and cozy mystery From the Inside Flap Being dead can't put a damper on spirited, holiday-loving Bailey Ruth Raeburn. Christmas is a time for family and giving, and a wealthy woman in Adelaide, Oklahoma, is about to embrace both. Discovering that she has a young grandson, the dowager decides to change her will to leave the bulk of her fortune to the young boy--an alteration that stuns the rest of her family. But a scrooge of a determined heir makes sure she never signs the new document. When she is found dead, it's up to that irrepressible spirit Bailey Ruth, on assignment from Wiggins and Heaven's Department of Good Intentions, to protect a little boy, foil a murderer, and save Christmas. There's only one teeny hitch: how can Bailey Ruth figure out which family member was desperate enough to kill when everyone has a motive? --Publishers Weekly --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition. An accomplished master of mystery, Carolyn Hart is the author of twenty previous Death on Demand novels. Her books have won multiple Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity Awards. She is also the creator of the Henrie O series, featuring a retired reporter, and the Bailey Ruth series, starring an impetuous, redheaded ghost. One of the founders of Sisters in Crime, Hart lives in Oklahoma City. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. From Publishers Weekly Introduced in Agatha-winner Hart's Ghost at Work (2008), the late Bailey Ruth Raeburn returns to earth on a heavenly mission to help a four-year-old orphan in this delightful sequel. Susan Flynn, the matriarch of one of the leading families of Adelaide, Okla., who's dying from congestive heart failure, discovers she has a grandson after Keith, the child of Susan's soldier son killed in Iraq, shows up at her door one day not long before Christmas. Susan's decision to change her will to leave her estate to Keith causes one of her many greedy relatives to ignore the message of the Christmas season. When murder and mayhem ensue, Hart's ghostly detective gets on the track of a clever killer. Bailey Ruth's pleasure in her earthly wardrobe, her keen observations of the other characters and her unorthodox but expert sleuthing will engage readers from start to finish. Hart is also the author of the Death on Demand series ( Dare to Die , etc.). (Nov.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. Being dead can't put a damper on spirited, holiday-loving Bailey Ruth Raeburn. Christmas is a time for family and giving, and a wealthy woman in Adelaide, Oklahoma, is about to embrace both. Discovering that she has a young grandson, the dowager decides to change her will to leave the bulk of her fortune to the young boy—an alteration that stuns the rest of her family. But a scrooge of a determined heir makes sure she never signs the new document. When she is found dead, it's up to that irrepressible spirit Bailey Ruth, on assignment from Wiggins and Heaven's Department of Good Intentions, to protect a little boy, foil a murderer, and save Christmas. There's only one teeny hitch: how can Bailey Ruth figure out which family member was desperate enough to kill when everyone has a motive? --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. Read more

Features & Highlights

  • “If I were teaching a course on how to write a mystery, I’d make Carolyn Hart required reading.”—
  • Los Angeles
  • Times
  • Merry, Merry Ghost
  • by Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity Award winner Carolyn Hart, is the spirited second appearance of spectral sleuth, Bailey Ruth Raeburn, who would never let a little thing like being dead keep her from enjoying the Yuletide holiday or solving a dastardly crime. The light and funny follow up to Hart’s critically acclaimed
  • Ghost At Work
  • —which
  • Publishers Weekly
  • named One of the Best Books of 2008—
  • Merry, Merry Ghost
  • is a  true Christmas treat, and Bailey Ruth is a most welcome addition to Carolyn Hart’s coterie of beloved series protagonists, joining septuagenarian sleuth “Henrie O” Collins and the Darlings of “Death on Demand” fame.

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
60%
(295)
★★★★
25%
(123)
★★★
15%
(74)
★★
7%
(34)
-7%
(-34)

Most Helpful Reviews

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Good cozy mystery to read during the holiday season

At the beginning of October, I was looking for fall/Halloween themed reads and picked up "Ghost at Work" since it was set in that time-frame and by an author that is very well respected in the cozy mystery genre. I enjoyed that book but it didn't totally knock my socks off and I gave it a low, 4-star rating. There were enough positive components that I decided to give the second one in the series a try, plus the cover art really drew me in and at Christmas, I began reading "Merry, Merry Ghost".

Set in the days leading up to Christmas, Susan Flynn is suffering from congestive heart failure and may not have many more months left on this earth. Though very wealthy and well-respected in the community, she has suffered personal tragedy and still suffers from a great deal of grief. When a young boy is dropped off on her front doorstep, it turns out he is the grandson she never knew she had. The joy he brings her is obvious but his existence complicates things as it relates to who will receive her fortune upon her passing. Bailey Ruth Raeburn (our protagonist) is sent from heaven to ensure his safety from those who might wish him harm. As with the first book in the series, Bailey Ruth has a hard time sticking to the "rules" of a heavenly emissary on earth and things don't turn out quite as planned.

Many of the issues I had with the first book have been resolved in this one and I truly enjoyed it from beginning to end. The murder doesn't occur until you are well into the book, but it did keep me guessing until the end. Very heavy on atmosphere and a large dose of humor make this a good holiday read. There is a strong religious component (the main character is an angel/ghost/emissary sent from heaven) but it's not preachy in the least.

Overall: A fun, light read that was better than the first book in the series. This one earns a solid 4-star rating from me.
5 people found this helpful
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Silly!

A very silly book. A waste of time.
2 people found this helpful
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Christmas story

This is an easy read. Good Christmas Story. Uplifting. It was good to read over the holidays. I had not read any other books Bailey Ruth Mysteries. Great for a teenager.
2 people found this helpful
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A really outstanding book on every level

I read Book One in this series and I was extremely impressed by the skills of this writer, being an author myself (As "DH Parsons" here on amazon) I do more than just read a book, I tend to analyze it. This woman is really an engaging and talented writer, and NO she is not a personal friend, never met her. Her novels are some of the most fun "cozy" mysteries I've ever read. Scratch that, they are THE MOST FUN cozy mysteries I've ever read. You just don't want to put these books down. I just bought Book Three and will begin to read it this evening. I will, no doubt, read all of the books in this Bailey Ruth series, and then go on to some of her other series. Excellent stuff, just excellent! And I believe this is the first FIVE STAR review I've actually ever given for a book here on amazon. Kudos Ms. Hart.
1 people found this helpful
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Three Stars

It was a little predictable.
1 people found this helpful
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A fun addition to the series

A Christmas time assignment sends Bailey Ruth back to her hometown -- but some confusion in relaying her instructions in the rush of getting on her way leaves her with a sweet child to protect and a murder to solve. A number of likeable but still plausible suspects keeps you guessing until the end of the story. Bailey Ruth manages to get into both tense and amusing situations, holding your interest and having you cheer her on to success to prevent her being sent back "home" in disgrace. I'm looking forward to more books in the series.
1 people found this helpful
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A different kind of mystery

This was a mystery that stayed within a family. With the help of the main character, a ghost who doesn't necessarily follow direction, the crime is solved. I really enjoyed this book with the ghost being the main character. Ill be adding the rest of the series to my TBR list.
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Different type of murder solved.

This book was good. A different look at a murder mystery solved with the help of a ghost.
Well written and easy to follow.
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Needed to Listen to Some Christmas Spirit

I like this story about a ghost named Bailey Ruth sent down to earth supposedly to help a very young boy meet his grandmother for the first time but things don't go easily for Bailey Ruth when things go terribly wrong and she wants to help but has her own rules as a ghost to follow. This story takes place during Christmas time and it was just what I needed to listen to on audiobook.
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Fun read

It was a joy to read this in depth family drama with all it's humerous dialogue. The writing is very well done. I looked forward to seeing what kind of trouble Officer M Lot could get into and Who Done It. Bravo Carolyn Hart.