Wendy Roberts - The Remains Of The Dead (Book1)

A Ghost Dusters Mystery

Sadie Novak has got the kind of job that kills cocktail chatter dead: She owns Scene-2-Clean, a crime scene cleanup company. And if wiping up after murders weren't enough, she can also see and talk to the ghosts of the victims.

When a grieving relative hires Sadie and her employee, ex-cop Zack Bowman, to clean up after the murder-suicide of Trudy and Grant Toth, Sadie figures she's bound to encounter at least one chatty ghost. But instead she finds herself talking to Kent, a man she meets at the scene who is very much alive--so much so that Sadie agrees to go on a date with him.

When a ghost does appear--the oddly silent Trudy-- the spirit seems determined to prove her husband's innocence, and inspires Sadie to track down the real killer. But as Sadie scours the crime scene, she quickly realizes that she's in way over her head, that Kent has a strange connection to the dead couple, and that someone wants her to give up the ghost ... for good.

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Sadie Novak has a unique occupation that might seem to be disgusting for most people but for her is a salvation to do something good for those left behind. She mops up the blood and guts after a crime scene has been cleared from police. But her job goes far beyond mopping since she developed the ability to see and talk to certain ghosts who died innocently.
Her new assignment brings her and employee Zack to the house of Trudy and Grant Toth - and most certainly she excepts a ghost to show up. It is her goal to help those souls to move on and no longer hang on their earthly life.

But Trudy, the victim, is different. Obviously she was killed by her husband who later killed himself but when the strange, mute ghost tries to communicate with Sadie all she understands is that Trudy believes it wasn't her husband who killed her.
With that being understood Trudy moves on and leaves Sadie with doubts in the watertight evidence the police gathered. Did Trudy try to tell her that Kent, Grants best friend, killed her ?

Sadie begins to investigate on her own with a disastrous outcome, endangering the life of others and her own.

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The Remains Of The Dead is a very easy and cozy mystery that nonetheless is entertaining and suspenseful.
Sadie's blunt way of dealing with the ghost and telling them they have to understand that they are dead so that they can move on shows, that she accepts that she has a gift but clearly could life without it. She is good at heart, helping those that suffer through their grief by not making it more difficult as it is.
Her partner Zack fell a bit short. He's the ex-cop who keeps everything in perspective. He knows of Sadie's gift but doesn't want to have much to do with it in the beginning.

All in all I enjoyed reading this first installment of a paranormal mystery series and am eager to follow up with the second novel Devil May Ride. A third publication in this series is planned for end of 2009 with the title Dead And Kicking.

Rating:
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Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Signet (December 4, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0451222687
ISBN-13: 978-0451222688