How
to Marry a Ghost
A
Lee Bartholomew Mystery
Hope
McIntyre
Mysterious
Press (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 0-89296-014-0 (0892960140)
ISBN-13: 978-0-89296-014-9 (9780892960149)
Publication Date: January 2007
List Price: $24.99
Synopsis (from
the publisher): Londoner Lee Bartholomew is a loner by nature who
prefers to live vicariously through other people. Content with her job
as a ghostwriter, Lee is always eager to coax secrets and scandals from
showbiz personalities and sports greats. And ghosting writing former
rock star Shotgun Marriott's autobiography could be the plum job of her
career-if he reveals what really happened one tragic night.
Leaving the comforts of home, Lee travels to New York to attend her
mother's wedding to a rich American businessman. Yet she's also there
for an even more important gig-an interview with Shotgun to write his
story. Cruising along the beach on the tip of Long Island, Lee stumbles
upon a newsbreaking story when the body of a man wearing a wedding
dress washes ashore. Even more shocking is that the man is Shotgun's
estranged son.
But fear soon strikes her after another killing hits much closer to
home. Now the darkness around her lonely beach house seems alive with
prying eyes and malevolent visitors. As for Shotgun Marriott, he's a
charming, talented rogue who's also lying through his teeth. And
probing too deeply into his dark world may be last thing Lee ever does
…
Review:
Ghostwriter Nathalie "Lee" Bartholomew travels from London to the
Hamptons in her second mystery, How
to Marry a Ghost
by Hope McIntyre, to interview for the opportunity to write the
autobiography of legendary rock star Christopher "Kip" Marriott, also
known as Shotgun Marriott to the media and his fans. Her primary reason
to visit to the US, however, is to attend the commitment ceremony of
her Mother to Philip Abernathy, her beau of 6 months, a local
billionaire whom Lee has dubbed the "Phillionaire". It is, perhaps,
mere coincidence that Shotgun and the Phillionaire are neighbors.
Soon after Lee gets settled in the area two murders occur. The first is
the discovery of the body of Shotgun's estranged son who has washed up
on shore, wearing, somewhat inexplicably, a wedding dress. The second
is of Lee's rival in the ghostwriting business, Bettina Pleshette,
whose body is found in the woods near the edge of Shotgun's estate. The
most likely suspect in both murders is Shotgun himself, yet Lee
discovers there may be other reasons why someone would want these two
people dead.
How
to Marry a Ghost is a complex
mystery that has a promising start but will likely lose some readers
along the way. The murders take place very early in the book, yet the
story meanders for long periods without any obvious effort to bring
about a resolution to the crimes. The author deserves credit for
creating an intricate plot with generally interesting characters and
atmospheric settings, and those willing to stick with it will be
rewarded in the end. But the many tangential subplots, and especially
the seemingly endless, largely irrelevant, and at its best, wearisome
storyline about Lee and her on-again/off-again relationship with Tommy,
make the book feel far longer than it really is.
Special thanks to Hachette Book Group for providing an ARC of How to Marry a Ghost for this review.
Review Copyright © 2007 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved
Have you read How to Marry a Ghost? How would you rate it?
Mysteries in this series …
How
to Seduce a Ghost
Mysterious Press (Hardcover), October 2005
ISBN-10: 0-89296-013-2 (0892960132)
ISBN-13: 978-0-89296-013-2 (9780892960132)
How to Marry a Ghost
Mysterious Press (Hardcover), January 2007
ISBN-10: 0-89296-014-0 (0892960140)
ISBN-13: 978-0-89296-014-9 (9780892960149)
Omnimystery
keywords for How to Marry a Ghost
...
Location(s) referenced: The
Hamptons, London, England.
