The number of novels with benign ghosts that catch my attention increases all the time. I think it may be something like the phenomenon of buying a new car. The minute I decide on a make and model, I begin to see them everywhere. Still, in the interests of expanding the readership of these often humorous books (because not scary), here are a few more, in no particular order. I should note that these books are generally presented either from the mortal’s POV or the ghost’s, occasionally both, and most take place in a small town – I’m not sure why.
The first is Foul Play in Franklin by author Pamela McCord, who writes two different paranormal mystery series, as well as some standalone novels. This one, like others I’ve mentioned in previous posts, takes place in the South – Franklin, Tennessee, to be precise. It contains a trope popular among cozy mystery writers – that of the inherited house, often Victorian, that comes with its own inhabitants.
In this book, the heroine, Erin, finds the unexpected ghost of the former owner and a talking cat. She has a near-death experience and awakens to find she can communicate with these spirits, and the ghost has an agenda. It’s an entertaining read, with humor, a small-town vibe, and a handsome detective for good measure.
McCord also writes the Pekin Dewlap series for middle-grade to YA readers, and here is one of her standalone books. The Continuing Adventures of Laurel Palmer, which also has a romantic component. Thanks to a little shove by her husband, the eponymous heroine wakes up dead. And there’s no sign of that white light people are supposed to go into. Now a ghost stuck on earth, Laurel is determined to find out how she can get into heaven. On her search for the light, Laurel meets Teddy Rule, a hunk of a ghost who coincidentally was also murdered by her husband. Turns out, he didn’t get that light either. As they work together to figure out what’s keeping them on this earthly plane, feelings develop. Not knowing if heaven will separate them, they must decide whether or not to cross over.
Next up is YA (young adult) Ghost Therapy by Mark Rosendorf, part of a seven-part series about a haunted high school. Each book in the series is written by a different author from Wild Rose Press, which must impose some restrictions on how they conceive the ghosts and the rules of the other world. In the first book of the series, fifteen-year-old Sam Anderson is haunted by the bullying he suffers each day within the school’s walls. Sam doesn’t believe the rumors until he meets Jessica, a former Pinedale student who died over one hundred years ago. She becomes his ally in standing up to the bully, with tragic results. Now Sam is one of the ghosts no one can see or hear. At least not until he meets a former military operative, now Pinedale’s newest Guidance Counselor, Mr. Copeland…
Once again, I’ll refrain from mentioning that my second feel-good novel features a ghost, too. He’s an irritable Victorian, trapped in a portrait, who needs a mortal to help him find his wife in the afterlife. The book comes out next week, in time for Halloween, and you can find out more about it here. If you feel like helping me out, you could mark it as “Want to Read” on Goodreads. It helps raise the book’s visibility. Thanks!
