How to Marry a Ghost [Mass Market Paperback]

Hope McIntyre (Author)

Book Description

Series: How to. . . | Publication Date: February 1, 2008

Ghostwriter Lee Bartholomew heads to New York to be the maid of honor in her mother's wedding/ commitment ceremony (even though she's still married to Lee's father) and to interview for the job of ghostwriting an autobiography by aging rock legend Shotgun Marriott. But her time in the States doesn't go quite as she planned. First she learns she lost the ghostwriting job to a much younger, ambitious hustler named Bettina. Then the body of a man in a wedding dress washes up right after Lee's mom is married in a beautiful oceanside ceremony-and he turns out to be none other than Shotgun Marriott's estranged son! When Bettina is also murdered, Lee finds herself stepping into the dead woman's ghosting shoes-before the killer strikes again.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Ghostwriter Lee Bartholomew leaves London for Long Island to attend her mother's barefoot commitment ceremony in McIntyre's second engaging romp to feature the self-proclaimed neurotic (after 2005's How to Seduce a Ghost). Lee also hopes to snag a memoir gig from reclusive rock legend Shotgun Marriot, but faces competition from fellow scribe Bettina Pleshette. When the body of Marriot's son washes up on the beach, and then Pleshette's corpse is discovered on Marriot's East Hampton estate, the suspects include not only Marriot but also Lee's stepbrother's girlfriend, Frannie, whose fibs and shady past put her in the spotlight, as well as Frannie's son, caretaker of the Marriot estate, who's burdened by his own bumpy history. A strange Miss Havisham–like seamstress, who happens to have a riveting and dangerously familiar manuscript for Lee to critique, complicates Lee's hunt for the killer. This funny, complicated and wise mystery is sure to gain the author new fans. (Jan.)
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.

From Booklist

Business and pleasure bring Londoner Lee Bartholomew to the Hamptons in McIntyre's frothy follow-up to How to Seduce a Ghost (2005). Lee, a ghostwriter, is slated to serve as maid of honor at her mother's commitment ceremony to Phil (a man so rich Lee has dubbed him the Phillionaire) and interview aging British rocker Shotgun Marriott, a guest at the affair. Shortly after her arrival, two suspicious deaths wreak havoc with Lee's plans: Shotgun's estranged son, Sean, washes up on the shore (in a wedding dress, no less) and the body of rival ghostwriter Bettina Pleshette is found, pierced with an arrow, in the nearby woods. Bettina, it turns out, had already secured a deal to pen the story of Shotgun's life. Lee (imagine Bridget Jones, but without the food and cigarette addictions) sets her mind to solving the murders as she takes over the writing of Shotgun's biography. Though the mystery here is fairly lightweight stuff, the pseudonymous McIntyre vividly portrays the East End of Long Island and the eccentric characters who live there, any one of whom might be capable of murder. Allison Block
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (February 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446616028
• ISBN-13: 978-0446616027
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 0.8 x 6.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #960,009 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Marrying a ghost?, January 10, 2011

By 

Michelle Mitchell (Hendersonville, TN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Marry a Ghost (Mass Market Paperback)

The title is misleading if you are concrete about your reading. The book is pretty good, although it flows very well at the beginning and becomes disjointed about 3/4 of the way through. It is almost like the action stops and another book should start when she returns to England. That being said, it is a great "cozy" book as another reviewer stated. It isn't rocket science, but it is a good read. Like other readers I tend to cast the book as a movie in my mind while I read it, and it would be interesting to compare who other folks see as the characters. Shotgun is an old rock-n-roll star and reminds me of Keith Richards. Lee, the protagonist who is the 'ghost' writer, could be portrayed by a number of popular actresses, but I kept imagining Sandra Bullock. The most fun character in the book in my opinion is Tommy, Lee's initial fiance. He's a hoot! He is innocent and completely lacking in social graces...I kept wanting to buy him a clue! Have fun with this book :)

4.0 out of 5 stars Great ghost writing cozy mystery, November 15, 2007

By 

Dawn Dowdle "Mystery Lovers Corner reviewer" (Lynchburg, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How to Marry a Ghost (Hardcover)

Ghost writer Lee Bartholomew is on Long Island, NY, to attend the commitment ceremony between her mother and American billionaire Phil "Phillionaire" Abernathy. They can't get married because her mother is still married to her father.

While there, Lee plans to interview secluded rock star legend Shotgun Marriot. Unfortunately her ghostwriting rival Bettina Pleshette had the same idea. Marriot's son washes up on shore during the ceremony wearing a wedding dress. He's been murdered. Soon after, Bettina is also found murdered.

Marriot is one of the prime suspects. As Lee begins interviewing Marriot, she also begins investigating who could have killed both of these people. She doesn't believe Marriot is guilty. Can she uncover the truth without putting herself in grave danger?

This is the first in this series that I have read. I really enjoyed Lee. I also enjoyed the Long Island residents she interacted with. I would love to see them in future books.

I thought the author did a great job of creating a believable scenario and helping us uncover the clues along with the protagonist. The author's humor made this cozy mystery an enjoyable read. I highly recommend this book.

1.0 out of 5 stars poor book, July 28, 2007

By 

B. Narasimhan (Santa Clara, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How to Marry a Ghost (Hardcover)

I am not sure why this book has such great reviews. I felt the book was very boring. The characters were poorly developed and for some reason it seemed as if, for no apparent reason, everyone just had to open up to the main character, Lee, and spill all the secrets they knew. She just had to ask and everybody was happy to open up and spill their guts. It is very strange indeed!