GHOST ON THE CASE

5 stars out of 5

Heavens to Murgatroyd: How on earth have I missed this series? For sure, it's an oversight that won't happen again. The late Bailey Ruth Raeburn is a delightful character, and I'm already looking forward to her next sleight of body experience.

Bailey Ruth, you see, died in a boating accident years ago. Now, she's in Heaven, working for the Department of Good Intentions in 27-year-old form (her choice of age to remain forever and ever). She's also got impeccable fashion sense; part of the fun of the book comes as she chooses - and describes in detail - the outfit she's picked to fit each occasion.

Those occasions, though, provide the real story. Her job as an Emissary for the Department takes her to earth via the Rescue Express to help those in need of investigative intervention. On terra firma, she's able to travel invisibly to and from anywhere at will as well as appear as a human being (the latter ability is frowned on by the Department except in absolute emergencies). This time out (down??), she's sent to Adelaide, Oklahoma, her old hometown. It seems a young woman named Susan Gilbert has received a phone call claiming that her younger sister Sylvie has been kidnapped - and the fee for her safe return is $100,000. Susan is far from wealthy, but as the secretary to a filthy rich businessman, she has access to the safe in which he keeps at least that much cash on hand plus a few other valuables.

Aided by calls from the kidnapper telling her exactly what to do and when, Susan manages to steal the money - with the intent of confessing the theft to her boss and promixing to pay it back over time. But shortly thereafter, the businessman is found dead - murdered - and his safe is open and empty. The police investigation centers on Susan - especially when the box containing the money turns up in her car's trunk and other items from the safe are found elsewhere on her property.

Bailey Ruth, of course, is convinced that Susan is innocent and being framed - and she sets out to prove it. Her efforts put her back in touch with an old friend and police officer, one of the few earthbound humans who knows who she is and what she now does for a "living" (no doubt they have a history from previous books in the series). Together, they conclude that only a handful of people who were at a party at the murdered man's home the night of the theft could have had sufficient knowledge to pull off the murder and shift the blame to Susan. But which one? And is there a ghost of a chance that Bailey Ruth will figure it out before her own boss yanks her back to her Heavenly home and Susan is charged with the murder?

Ah, you'll just have to read it to get the answers to those questions. This is the perfect book (and series) to pick up when your head needs a break from psychological thrillers and heavy-duty murder mysteries. The publisher, via NetGalley, was an angel for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Ghost on the Case by Carolyn Hart (Berkley, October 2017); 268 pp.