Melanie and her grandmother, Liza, along with their resident ghost Orville/Arthur, are doing very well with their Bed and Breakfast on the Oregon coast. Sully's Landing is such a charming town and everyone would like it to stay that way.

When an outside real estate developer tries to bulldoze his way in with ideas of a huge arcade taking the place of long-established businesses, the locals are divided and some would rather see the man rot in hell.


But when their friend Doug is taken in for questioning, Liza insists they clear his name.
But will it be at the cost of their own lives? Because the killer is leaving some pretty harsh hints for them to keep their curious noses out of other people's business!

The love and friendship between Melanie and her grandmother, Liza, is a beautiful theme in these mysteries. Melanie is still searching for her missing mother but will the ladies live long enough to find out any news?

I read this entire book with a pot of tea and the rain pelting my windows and it was a perfect afternoon.


Netgalley/ Crooked Lane Books October 09, 2018

I have not read any of the series so far. My understanding is that this is book three. The grandmother/granddaughter relationship made me miss my grandma. I really enjoyed that relationship. Love a book with a doggie sidekick.

The coastal setting along with the well developed characters, and thrilling mystery plot work make this a great read. I loved that the ghost portion of the story was somewhat toned down from other paranormal mysteries, I don’t like when it is overpowering. I had enough doubts while reading who the culprit was that I was still surprised at the end. The addition of a second mystery plot surrounding the vanishing of Melanie's mother was also interesting.

Be Our Ghost is a delight cozy mystery. Loved the plot, setting and the quirky cast of characters. I highly recommend this book to mystery fans. I received an arc from the publisher via Netgalley and this is my unbiased review.

A nasty real estate developer arrives in Sully’s Landing, home of Melanie and Liza's Merry Ghost Inn, with plans to build an amusement arcade in the lovely cliff-side town.

The inn is doing well thanks to the Laughing Ghost tenet who brings people in by the load. But when the developer ends up dead it's Liza's friend Doug is named a suspect. This just can't be and Melanie and Liza will do anything to help even if it includes Liza being kidnapped.

absolutely enjoyed it. the ghost is a fun touch. wish there was more to it than the bits of laughter . unfortunately I guessed who the murderer was, was a little too obvious. would definitely read more by this author. I was given a free book through Netgalley. My review is freely and honestly given

The relationship between grandmother (Liz) and granddaughter (Melanie) is great. The hunt for the missing mother is ongoing. The main mystery for this book is a developer is killed and one of the suspects is a friend. The ghost that haunts the B & B is trying to communicate with Liz & Melanie. Melanie's has a romantic interest - Officer Ben Carter. We also have a pet dog - Max.

I received an arc provided by NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an honest review. Thank you. - Enjoying the series and look forward to more.

I liked this latest entry in the series. The mystery had me and the characters guessing. I do see character development with Liza and Mel which is nice so soon in a series. The author also does a nice job incorporating many of the townspeople, no matter how briefly.

My quibbles: the poor use by Liza and Mel of the ghost. Why don't they make a better effort to develop a positive relationship so the ghost helps out in a more direct, clear way in their cases? I realize they have Cindi to help, but the guests only seem to eat breakfast, they never check in or ask questions of their hosts. Less details about gardening, more about their actual business (other than cooking breakfast).

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Be Our Ghost by Kate Kingsbury was another delightful afternoon read for me. I enjoy returning to Sully's Landing to find out how Mel, Liza and Orville/Arthur are doing now that the B & B is up and running.

I love the relationship between Mel and Liza. You can tell that they truly love and care about each other. Ms. Kingsbury's description of the Oregon coast where Sully's Landing and the Merry Ghost Inn are located always makes me feel like I am there with Mel and Liza. All of the characters are very likable and I enjoy tagging along with Mel and Liza as they are doing their sleuthing in town. The continuing mystery regarding Mel's mother is also revisited in this book and may be resolved at this point. The plot was quickly paced, there were several suspects and the twists kept me guessing until the reveal.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. All of the above opinions are my own. I would like to sincerely thank Crooked Lane books for providing me with the ARC.

Thank you Net Galley and Crooked lane books for letting me read and review this book.
This is the first book of this series I have read by this author and a new author for me too.
Melanie and her grandmother Liza are a great laugh and running the B and B .Fun to read and a good plot .
I will be reading Kate's first 2 books in this series. Perfect cozy mystery for me.

I thoroughly enjoyed the plot, atmosphere, and characters. I would recommend the book to friends and family for their reading pleasure.

Melanie and her grandmother Liza run the Merry Ghost Inn, a B&B on the Oregon coast, and are also amateur sleuths that seem to beat the police to the punch in solving local murders. In this third installment in the series the duo find themselves looking into the murder of a businessman who threatened to change the charming coastal town with the addition of an arcade, but at the cost of losing a popular local business.

When the ladies are threatened by the killer, they continue to put themselves in jeopardy to prove a close friend’s innocence. With quite a few red herrings, you won’t quite figure out who the murderer is until closer to the end.

We also see another chapter in the ongoing search for Melanie’s Mother and Liza’s daughter. If you’re a fan of the series you won’t want to miss the latest upgrade date on Melanie’s search.

Another great addition to another great series by the author. Definitely one to add to your list of books to read this season!

Be Our Ghost is the third installment of the A Merry Ghost Inn Mystery series set in the seaside community of Sully's Landing, Oregon and featuring Innkeepers Melanie West and her grandmother, Liza Harris. Things at the B&B have been busy but thanks to their new assistant, Cindi Metzger everything is running smoothly and their resident laughing ghost, Orville has been remarkably quiet.

Pushy Portland real estate developer Jason Northwood, has plans to build a huge, noisy arcade and bar in the heart of the charming downtown which will mean the loss of several popular businesses as well as destroy the cozy feel of the town. Tensions are running high among the townsfolk with the locals taking sides both for and against the development.

A late night meeting of the Planning Commission in Northwood's hotel suite, leads to an early morning discovery of the developer stabbed to death. The only real suspects in the man's death are the members of the commission which include Doug Griffith, owner of the hardware store and pub, and Liza's "special" friend.

Determined to clear their friend's name and track down the killer, Melanie and Liza, along with Melanie's furry sidekick, Max set out on a dangerous investigation. Despite the warnings of Melanie's romantic interest Officer Ben Carter not to get involved, the ladies soon discover that more than one of the prominent members of the town council have something in their past that they are desperate to keep hidden.

As in the past, Orville reappears with his haunting laughter and subtle clues that point the ladies in the right direction to solve the crime. The continuing secondary plot of the series, involves Melanie's search to find out what happened to her Mother who disappeared when she was just four years old. Her search via the internet continues across the pond in England and a startling discovery is made.

A fast paced plot that draws you in from the first page, the return of many well loved characters will not disappoint readers of the series.

I received an advanced copy of Be Our Ghost from NetGalley via Crooked Lane Books. While not required to write a review I am more than happy to offer my honest opinion.

The body count is rising at the haunted Merry Ghost Inn. The ghost, Orville, has become more active laughing and moving things around and trying to communicate. Melanie West and her grandmother, Liza, love the peace and quiet of the Oregon coastline where their Bed and Breakfast Inn is located. Trouble begins when a local businessman, Jason Northwood, pushes council members to vote for a huge games arcade with a bar he wants to build. Hours after the meeting, Northwood is dead. The author sets up numerous well-known townspeople as suspects. Liza is determined to clear her friend, Doug Griffith’s name with Melanie’s amateur sleuthing help.

I found book three as enjoyable as the first two stories. The plot immediately captured my attention and kept me wondering who the villain was and what their motive could be. The interwoven mystery of Melanie’s missing mother is another interesting part of this plot, and I enjoyed the progression of that investigation, also. Delicious recipe included for your enjoyment.

Note: Spider sightings! Just skip a couple of lines and keep reading. 😊

I reviewed an arc provided by NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books. Thank you.

A truly charming series! This book was full of laughs and also a really well written mystery. This series has been incredibly enjoyable from the very first book and I love how the characters and story has developed! Definitely a great read!

Be Our Ghost is not a paranormal mystery in the strict sense. There is a ghost who plays a small role, occasionally laughing and leaving the obscure clue, but by and large Be Our Ghost is a straightforward cozy. Liza and her granddaughter Melanie run a bed and breakfast, but in their spare time they are not adverse to investigating murder - particularly when their good friend Doug is the prime suspect in the death of a rich developer.

Liza and Melanie are believable as amateur investigators, leaping to conclusions, worrying about whether they are doing the right thing, and asking plenty of questions. Though it may be realistic, it can also irritate readers. I also was a bit discomforted by grandmother and granddaughter dating brothers.

Be Our Ghost is a good cozy, but far from an excellent one. In the past I’ve read books by Kate Kingsbury which have been far better. As a result I was expecting more.

3 / 5

I received a copy of Be Our Ghost from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

— Crittermom

Thank you NetGalley and especially Crooked Lane books , for whom I managed to add a new genre to my favourites!.

This novel centers around Melanie and her grandmother who own an inn, and not just any but a haunted one at that.
That setting enough intrigued me to set off reading.
We start off with a tense atmosphere of their town being revamped by an unpleasant official guy who seemed to lock horns with almost everyone he crossed paths.
But before anything can proceed a murder takes place and the whole town seems to be suspect and we'll as not so.
Melanie and grandma seeing the predicament their town and police falling into decide to do some sleuthing but with dangerous consequences...

The book was a tedious read for me, every action of Melanie's and other characters were described to the dot.
I loved seeing complexities our MC Melanie faces and not just the murder and the glimpses we get into her past and how it's impacting her now. I love a fleshed out- flawed character. I absolutely adored her grandmother, whose stubborn quirky and also quite intelligent.
The events quite slow paced and sometimes boring since you feel there's no progess. Although I admired how the author kept it real by including the police case confidentiality (in other mysteries police and press were the same since all the details were locked). We do have a on duty cop around our MCs but it's refreshing to see how they managed to pull through their sleuthing through various characters and characteristics of people they had to face.
Very well done.
The mystery wrapped up quite nicely, keeps you uncertain and guessing but I only wished the book was condensed so it's would be able to hold on to its engaging quality.

This was a cute quick read. I honestly wished there was more of the ghost though which is why I wanted to read this book, plus the hints sometimes almost gave the killer away. I did feel this book did tend to trail off at times. Overall if you like cozy murder mysteries this is for you.

Kate Kingbury's newest addition to the Merry Ghost Inn is a delight. When a dear friend of Liza's is a murder suspect, she and her granddaughter, Melanie pull out all the stops for information. It is a fun and humorous cozy with a paranormal twist and a little romance added. The added mystery running through the series shows promise that it may be soon solved in a positive manner.....Here's hoping
I requested and received an ARC from NetGalley, gratis, to peruse and offer my opinion.

Be Our Ghost is the third book in this cozy mystery series, but the first one for me. I had no trouble diving into the world of Melanie and Liza, and their lives as amateur sleuths and professional inn-keepers. And yes, the Inn is most definitely haunted.

There’s a lot of suspects when a big shot from Portland is found dead in his hotel room, but what I enjoyed most were the interactions between grandmother and granddaughter. I loved how they went about doing almost everything together without question, because of their symbiotic relationship. I was also a big fan of Max, Melanie’s dog. Oh, and there’s a side story about Melanie’s mother that I found poignant.

I already have a lot of cozy mystery series on my TBR, but I’m definitely interested in reading the first two books of this one as well.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc.

This is the first book in this series that I have read and I will be reading the first two books next. This is a thoroughly enjoyable story that is well written and has a cast of characters that are captivating. Melanie and Liza become involved in a murder investigation when a real estate developer is murdered and Liza's friend is the main suspect. Add a dognapping and brake lines being cut to the mix. And let's not forget Orville the resident ghost of the inn, who helps the investigation out by leaving clues. This was just a fun, fun book to read.