Spooky Business

Spooky Business (2020) S.E. Harmon (The Spectral Files)

Rain Christiansen is settling into life with Danny. They both work for the cold case unit, which uses Rain’s (non-publicized) talent as a Medium to help solve cold cases. The fact that Rain worked as a profiler for the FBI doesn’t hurt.

But the FBI wants him back, and his old boss has asked him to interview a serial killer to see if the victims can be located (and if the killer had added his wife to the total)–all of which are complicating his relationship with Danny.

Rain’s parents bought the land next door, and are now able to interfere at will.

My mother opened her mouth gleefully, and my father, now my favorite parent, shoved a spoonful of the questionable mac and cheese in it. “Mjfsnuf,” she mumbled.

She stared at me without speaking. Her mouth moved silently, and I figured she was counting. She put the pentagon-shaped stone in my palm, and when I opened my mouth, she sent me a warning look. “I’d like you to remember I have another one of you, and I’m willing to make do with just my first-born.”

Rain is still prickly with everyone, but he’s finally accepted that he is a medium and can talk to ghosts, and is learning how to deal with the ghosts in his life. Unfortunately, he’s not really learning fast enough.

The mystery was ok. There were a couple issues where I lost track of who did what and was related to whom and how, but it wasn’t too bad (esp for a self-pubbed book).

But the strength of the story was the characters, and I did adore the back and forth.

I could see the writing on the wall. I leaned over my Echo. “Alexa, order a family size bag of Skittles.”

Kevin pointed at me. “You’ve always been the brains of this team, Christiansen. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”

“Alexa, order a rifle with a scope.”

It was fun, and I enjoyed it and it worked into the limited scope I have for books right now (nothing too dark, nothing too grim, nothing with an unhappy ending, lots of humor).
Rating: 8/10

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