Charlene Morris knew Salem, Massachusetts had a spooky reputation. But when she decided to open her B&B there, she expected guests—not ghosts… find a handsome man with startling blue eyes in her bedroom. Terror turns to utter disbelief when he politely introduces himself as Jack Strathmore—and explains that he used to live here—when he was alive. He firmly believes that someone pushed him down the stairs three years ago, and he won’t be able to leave until someone figures out who. If Charlene wants to get her business up and running in time for the Halloween tourist rush, and get this haunting houseguest out of the way, she’ll have to investigate. Though truth be told, this ghost is starting to grow on her . . .
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MRS. MORRIS AND THE GHOST by Traci Wilton
The First Salem B & B Mystery
After the sudden death of her husband Charlene Morris finds remaining in Chicago to be too difficult. Ready to start a new life she buys a gorgeous old home, sight unseen, in Salem, Massachusetts. With a plan to turn the place into a classy Bed and Breakfast in time for Halloween Charlene knows she has her work cut out for her. What she doesn’t count on is the handsome man in her house, a man who says it’s his house, a man who’s actually dead. Jack Strathmore, the previous owner, happens to be a ghost and is thrilled that Charlene can actually see him for he needs her help to find his murderer. As Charlene finds herself more and more attached to her handsome ghost she grows more and more determined to discover what happened to him. Will Charlene be able to open her B & B or will she alienate everyone with her probing questions about Jack, a man who supposedly died of natural causes?
MRS. MORRIS AND THE GHOST is a delightful first entry to a mystery series. We start with a likeable protagonist. Charlene Morris is a mature, capable woman recovering from a devastating loss, but looking to start fresh. We then discover a charming and very attractive ghost, although prone to bouts of jealousy and temper. Then there’s a good looking detective who is keen to help our widow. And we can’t forget the entitled cat who is also able to see the ghost. Add in a variety of interesting characters from the winery owner who may be a witch to the ghost’s wife who certainly is a b…. well, you can finish the rhyme.
A gorgeous old home, a ghost, and Salem, Massachusetts, featured in one book will always pique my interest and this first Salem B & B Mystery didn’t disappoint. I enjoyed watching Charlotte transform the house and make contacts in the town. Although I’m not a fan of love triangles, there is a compelling one here. It’s actually kind of a square as four people are involved. Charlotte is still grieving her husband who was her soulmate. She had no interest in developing a new romantic relationship, even though lots of men have been flirting with her. Yet she’s drawn to Jack like a moth to a flame. He’s a ghost, they can’t have a future together…or can they? And then there’s Detective Sam Holden, a man who’s not shy about letting Charlotte know that he’s interested in her…and that he’s willing to wait.
MRS. MORRIS AND THE GHOST adds compelling characters to a well plotted mystery to create an engaging read. The Salem B & B is off to a great start and I, for one, would like to book a reservation!
FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a copy of this book in the hopes I would review it.
A fun and unique first book in the Salem B&B Mystery series. Charlene Morris, a widow, buys a B&B in Salem, Massachusetts only to find it haunted. Resident ghost Dr. Jack Strathmore, is the handsome and temperamental former owner. With some reluctant help from Detective Sam Holden, they solve the mystery of Jack’s death. The story is well written with plenty of twists and likeable characters, including a mischievous cat named Silva. I’m ready to book a night at the B&B and read the next book in the series.
Light read just right for the Halloween season
I understand about reviews being necessary to the authors, but why do some of the reviewers feel the need to be so negative? This story, in my humble opinion was a great story! The main characters were fun, endearing, and very believable, even Jack, the spirit. The plot was easily followed, throughout all it’s twists and turns, and the ending was very surprising and very satisfactory. I highly recommend this book.
I was introduced to this author through a Facebook party and the books sounded interesting. This is the first book in the series, set in Salem, Massachusetts, with the main character, Charlene moving there from Chicago. Charlene has lost her husband and is looking for a fresh start so she has decided to buy a mansion, only having seen pictures online, and open a Bed and Breakfast. In this book she is getting settled in and getting things ready to open for business. I enjoyed the setting for the story and the preparations that Charlene is going through to open her business. I liked seeing all of the behind the scenes set-up that she is going through and the various “people” that she meets. The story did seem a little slow in places, but I enjoyed the mystery and the resolution. I think that this will be an interesting series and I am looking forward to seeing how the history of Salem will play a part in future books.
It was a cute book, however, I felt the plot was predictable and formulaic. I chose not to read the other books in the series.
Series: A Salem B&B Mystery – Book 1
Author: Traci Wilton
Genre: Cozy Mystery/Paranormal
Publisher: Kensington Books
Page Count: 336
Publishing Date: July 30, 2019
A new cozy book mystery series “A Salem B&B Mystery” from Kensington Books comes Mrs. Morris and the Ghost from the seasoned writing duo of Traci Hall and Patrice Wilton.
Moving to a new town and a new home comes with its problems. But when you add in the ghost of the former homeowner who believes he was murdered, moving to a new place is no longer the biggest concern. Newly widowed Charlene finds that she can’t ignore the ghost or the list of suspects.
Charlene, like many people who have gone through the loss of a loved one, is sad, lonely and determined to start over. This makes her likable but vulnerable on many levels. Other characters such as the ghost, Jack are interesting. I would prefer to have seen more of future returning characters in this first book. The setting of Salem is natural to believe when it comes to ghosts and holds a true fascination for people but for a paranormal story, it is also somewhat cliché.
Mrs. Morris and the Ghost is technically well-written prose with twists but is a bit slow and tedious at times. The premise behind the story has been used as a plot for many other books in many other genres and it is difficult to make new and exciting. The twist in this book is that Charlene becomes romantically enamored with Jack the ghost.
Unfortunately, this does not work in the long run. For a story to suspend disbelief it must be plausible to the reader, and I did not find this story credible. It becomes difficult to believe that a recent window which was and is still in love with her deceased husband would become romantically involved with anyone so soon. But a romantic entanglement with a ghost is even more farfetched. Ultimately, a relationship with a ghost would lead nowhere, romantically, emotionally or physically. And this is what made the story hard to enjoy, knowing that no matter how much the characters liked or loved one another, it would, in the end, be unfulfilling and bring nothing but unhappiness. For this reason, I cannot say that I enjoyed this cozy book.
The outcome of Charlene’s investigation uncovers the killer and the person’s identity and motive may come as a surprise to some readers. With additional development of characters and a bit less of the ghost romance aspect, the series could become popular and entertaining. But for me, the romantic interest simply did not hold up and detracted from the overall story and my enjoyment.