Customer Reviews

Merry, Merry Ghost (Bailey Ruth Mysteries, No. 2)

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Merry, Merry Ghost by Carolyn Hart

When the intrepid "Heavenly Emissary"(or Ghost ) Bailey Ruth, from previous book "Ghost at Work", is sent back to Earth on the Rescue Express, little did she know that she was going to be watching over the wrong person. Bailey is thrilled to be back at Christmas time and is soon at work busily trying to prove in her ghostly way that the wealthy woman, Susan Flynn did not die of natural causes, but was murdered.

This wonderful Christmas Cozy mystery has enough twists and turns to keep you happily occupied for quite a while. There are plenty of characters to suspect and numerous red herrings to plague and enthrall you. Although this book is the second installment in this new series, it certainly may be read as a `stand alone' book. You will have no trouble at all following what is going on. This is a very sweet series, with no foul language or earthy romance to fill the pages. Bailey is the epitome of the 1940's or 50's zany wacky heroine who can get herself into a tight jam; but she has the intelligence and determination of a heroine from 2010 to get herself out of the jams without masculine help. This series is sure to appeal to both young and old, cozy mystery lovers, speculative fiction lovers and just plain old mystery lovers!!

Merry Christmas!

The "ghost" whose name is Bailey Ruth, last seen--or not seen!--in author
Carolyn Hart's mystery "Ghost at Work" is back on earth. She's back to
Oklahoma, and this time it's at Christmas. This tale is sure to put you into a
holiday spirit--with a lot of spice.

Now, I don't mean sexual spice, because Bailey's beloved husband is in
heaven, and she only enjoys nice men in nice ways. The book is delightfully
free of rough language, too.

However, there is murder! This book would I'm sure be considered a "cozy,"
and is very unlikely to give anyone bad dreams. Bailey Ruth's supervisor
frowns on the term "ghost," and indeed, Bailey is on earth--in Oklahoma--to
do heaven's work. She has precepts of behavior to observe. She observes
them pretty much in spirit, but not so much in fact!

Like "Ghost at Work," this is a delightful read. It would be fun to read
the other book first, but not necessary. And I don't think reading this one
first would spoil your pleasure in then reading that one. "Merry, Merry
Ghost" is a great Christmastime tale!

This is my first Carolyn Hart novel, and it is fun. Merry, Merry Ghost is not the stereotypical modern novel with lots of detailed violence scenes. It is a mystery in the tradition of Sherlock Holmes or Father Blackie with a sense of humor. Hart gives us a lot of suspense, such that we are a little uncertain of the perpetrator until the end. Carolyn Hart spices the story with numerous humorous antics of the detective.

Merry, Merry Ghost is a story of Bailey Ruth Raeburn, who is an especially rare detective in that she is dead. Bailey Ruth is sent from heaven on a mission as a guardian angel for Keith, a five year old boy who has many enemies and few friends. Bailey's supervisor instructs her to avoid being seen or noticed and to protect the child without seeming to be a ghost. Bailey, of course, is destined to be noticed and must do things her way. The results are often amusing.

Early in the story we learn that Keith is the long lost heir to the Pritchard fortune. Competing against Keith, however, are others mentioned in the current will of the very wealthy Susan Pritchard Flynn, who was unaware that she had blood relatives. When she becomes aware of Keith she announces that she intends to revise her will. The scene is set for intrigue and murder for a high stakes share of the fortune.

Hart's book is an easy read with fairly well defined characters and interesting plot twists, many the result of the interference of Bailey Ruth. I recommend Merry, Merry Ghost. It is a good mystery with frequent humor dispensed as a result of Baily Ruth the well intentioned guardian angel.

After a long and happy life Bailey Ruth Raeburn and her beloved husband Bobby Mac died, as they would have wished, together and while they were having a wonderful time. Heaven is - well just Heaven but Bailey Ruth gets restless from time to time, missing her favorite earth activities of helping out those in need. And, Heaven, being Heaven has a solution to her problem - the Department of Good Intentions. She has once again managed to get another assignment in the Heavenly Department of Good Intentions despite the strong reservations of the Department Head. It would seem that Bailey Ruth should be a perfect match for these assignments, after she is nothing but a mass of Good Intentions but there are just so many Precepts, rules that must be followed while on earthly missions, Bailey Ruth has every intention of following each and every one of those rules but sometimes circumstances just seem to conspire against her and despite her, well good intentions, and the rules just simply have to be broken. Still she fully intents to full each and every rule as she sets out on her new assignment, but things begin to go wrong when she is sent off before briefing is finished. When she once again finds herself in Adelaide, Oklahoma - her earthly hometown she feels that her assignment should go well. A young boy is left on the doorstep of the finest house in Adelaide with nothing but a note stating that he is the son of the long missing and now dead heir to the family fortune, a child that none of the family knew existed. Bailey Ruth believes that this assignment should go easily, the little boy, Keith, is sweet and charming, his grandmother is quite willing to accept him and provide for him. It seems as though little Keith will be part of a true Christmas miracle with very little intervention needed from Bailey Ruth. All too soon though she is once again reminded what the road to Hell is paved with.

This is the second in the Bailey Ruth series of Heavenly cozy mysteries. These are sweet, gently funny stories reminiscent of the 'Topper' movies. Bailey Ruth manages to get herself into, and out of one unlikely and zany fix after another with a never ending change of wardrobe all selected to set her red hair off to it's best advantage. These are not meant to be puzzlers, the mysteries are secondary to the gentle humor of Bailey Ruth's escapades.

Bailey Ruth Raeburn is one of the most delightful and wonderfully quirky characters to come along in some time. She's an amateur sleuth in the best traditions of the genre' and the fact that she also happens to be a beautiful, wonderfully impetuous red-headed ghost who can't quite seem to adhere to the Precepts for Heavenly Visitation makes her all the more delightful. I'd not read any books by author Carolyn Hart before but I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for more of her work, particularly any that features Bailey Ruth. This second novel in this series is a thoroughly delightful read that's bound to bring many a smile to your lips and warm your heart at the same time. Highly recommended.

I live in Oklahoma. Carolyn Hart is one of our state treasures! Now I know why. Being an Oklahoman I approached my first Carolyn Hart book with a presumption that perhaps this book would be "Okiefied". If you've ever been here, you know what that means. But from the very first page I was hooked by Hart's extraordinary talent and writing style and could not put the book down until I was finished. Merry, Merry Ghost has a flavor reminiscent of the Thin Man movies, of Nick and Nora Charles. The characters came to life easily for me in a marvelous shade of film noir. The storyline was delicious and it kept me guessing who-done-it until the very end. Merry, Merry Ghost is funny, exciting and suspenseful, written with the mystery lover targeted and hooked with just the right dose of mischief. I highly recommend this book! It was especially rewarding since the story unfolds during the Christmas season. This would be a great gift for the mystery lover in your life, Order a copy today!

Carolyn Hart out-Dickens Dickens in her own Christmas Carol. Bailey Ruth Raeburn, the spectral heroine, is most assuredly dead -- otherwise Hart's story would not have its marvelous magic. Bailey Ruth, one of Heaven's intercessors, is assigned to help Susan, proud matriarch in Adelaide, Oklahoma. When a long-lost grandchild appears on Susan's doorsteps as she's making out her will, Susan's heirs -- especially debt-ridden Gina and her brother Tucker -- are less than merry and bright. Susan's son, who died in the Iraq War, left behind a boy, Keith, who Bailey Ruth must protect. When Susan dies under mysterious circumstances, it's up to Bailey Ruth to figure out who in the dysfunctional clan would wish her harm. Certainly it couldn't be Peg, whose selfish boyfriend wants Susan to bankroll a brand-new clinic. Or Peg's mother, who wants Susan's house for her own. Or Tucker, who freely admits all he wants is the ranch Susan put him in charge of. Or bankrupt Harrison.

Despite Heaven's own version of the Prime Directive, Bailey Ruth is going to have to pull some ghostly mischief -- fashionably attired in whatever she chooses of course -- and make sure Susan's will protects Keith while a potential murderer gets the scare of his or her life.

Christmas magic only adds to the charm of Carolyn Hart's prose and characters. Bailey Ruth may be ghostly, but as a heroine, she's solid, sassy, smart and full of heart,

Though all the characters do not return from the first book, enough do to give the series the kind of continuity that is appealing to series reader.

Even though Bailey Ruth has a hard time following all the rules that are set forth by the Department of Good Intentions, she is given a second chance to help out the family of a little boy who is abandoned on the doorstep of a home in Adelaide, Oklahoma.

Susan Flynn, the family matriarch, never knew that her son Keith had fathered a child before his untimely death. Now all has changed for this ailing woman and it's her desire to change her will and provide for this sweet little boy. Unfortunately, that will not settle well with the hangers on in her life and one of them decides that Susan has already lived too long and it's time to dole out the wishes of her original will and get what they rightly deserve.

With Bailey Ruth's help, the local police department is guided into realizing that Susan's death was no accident and and that there just might be an ulterior motive for all the strange goings on.

I didn't read the first Bailey Ruth mystery, Ghost at Work, so I'm pretty sure that's why when I began reading this book I felt a little lost with the terminology Bailey Ruth used, such as adven-mission, a word she concocted to describe her missions back to earth to help people. But I soon got into the swing of things and I liked Bailey. She's smart, funny, and a bit of a clotheshorse. In this story she's sent back to her hometown of Adelaide, Oklahoma to protect a little boy who stands to inherit millions when his ill grandmother passes away. Susan Pritchard, the grandmother, didn't even know she had a grandson until someone drops him off on her doorstep. She was going to leave her estate to her deceased husband's family. Now, with the appearance of a blood relative, she is obliged to change her will. Someone, however, wants to make sure she doesn't. Poor Susan is killed before she has the chance to change the will, but the killer wasn't counting on the presence of a certain ghost in the form of Bailey Ruth Raeburn who is intent on setting things right before she shuffles back off to heaven! A great series. I must read the first book now.

It's almost that time of year again, and what better way to get us in the holiday spirit than a visit from a well intentioned ghostly detective who absolutely loves Christmas? Her name is Bailey Ruth and she felt so strongly about the yuletide that the jingle of the Salvation Army kettle made her feel "warm as toast." She finds heaven a lovely place to be, but Christmas is not observed there as it is on Earth. She misses "sugar cookies shaped like stars and iced in red. Main Street ablaze with red and green lights and plenty of tinsel," plus so much more.

In addition to Christmas she loves to be sent as an emissary to help those on Earth with a problem. However, she's concerned that she hasn't found favor with Wiggins, who runs the Department of Good Intentions and selects those who will receive earthly assignments. Truthfully, she had been guilty of quite a few infractions on her last visit - too frank, acted in haste, impetuosity.

However, when a very special assignment comes to Wiggins's attention he remembers how very much Bailey Ruth loved Christmas and decided to give her another chance. First, of course, he extracts a number of promises from her - she will not appear, not speak aloud when she isn't there, and "remember that carrying discrete objects while not in the flesh" was unnerving to people.

Then she's off on the Rescue Express directed to find out everything she can about people around Susan Flynn and safeguard a little boy. It seems that a very wealthy woman in Adelaide, Oklahoma had recently discovered that she had a grandchild and decided to change her will to leave most of her estate to the little boy. However, what's a Christmas story without a Scrooge-like character? One of the woman's would-be heirs is determined that a new will never be signed.
Who might that be?

Leave it to a sprightly spirit to answer that question and keep almost all of her promises to Wiggins.

- Gail Cooke