3.5 Stars.

Going in, I absolutely thought this was a young adult book (wrong). I absolutely thought it would be vaguely creepy (also wrong). And I thought it was like a new era Westing Game (sort of right, sort of wrong).

However unspectacular the solve is in this (and while it isn’t bad, it also isn’t great), it’s certainly better than that of the Westing Game, which remains one of the greatest disappointments of my reading life despite having read it waaaay back when I was 8 years old.

This too is a treasure hunt of sorts that is (kind of) based out of a creepy old house. And oh, how I wish we’d gotten more of this house! Though I semi-enjoyed some of the capering around Boston, I would have preferred that the bulk of the game take place in the house, which we get enough of descriptively to become enthralled by but not enough plot-wise for that to become fully realized.

I also wish that more of this book had been plot and less of it has been character study, especially given the over-sentimental, schlocky direction that the story ultimately takes for most of the characters. Racculia is clearly a very talented writer and thus I would imagine is capable of more subtlety in this regard.

Tuesday is easy to like and her backstory more deftly constructed than some of the others. Dex is all of the cheesiest, most maudlin parts of a stereotype. And Archie...is really kind of a dud. Lyle was delightful (wish we’d gotten more of her), as was her husband, the architect of this whole game from beyond the grave.

I enjoyed this for the most part but would have preferred it with less syrupy sentimentalism.

A unique and flawed cast of characters, a rich dead man, and a mystery game that must be solved in order to win an inheritance, mystery readers who cut their teeth on Ellen Raskin's The Westing Game need look no further than Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts! While there is a very small ghost element in this novel, readers who pick it up based solely on the might be disappointed that the plot does not revolve around talking to or communing with ghosts, rather, the characters must face and let go of "ghosts" from their pasts.

I was fortunate to receive a free ARC of this book from Netgalley. The above thoughts, insights, or recommendations are my own meek musings.

Now, despite what the title and blurb would have you believe, there wasn’t a whole lot of scavenger hunting going on and there was only one ghost Tuesday was in communication with. Going into this book, I was really excited- the descriptions and cover were amazing. However, I was disappointed to discover that around about the 60% mark I was losing interest and seriously struggling to finish the book. The cover, title, and blurb made it out to be a macabre scavenger hunt with a main character who communes with spirits. What it ended up being was more a character driven novel about the various inter-connected people taking part in the hunt.

It’s not that it was poorly written or the story was boring, it just wasn’t the book I thought I would be reading. It was less scavenger hunt caper and more constant internal monologues from the various characters on why they were being so crappy to each other during the hunt. There were a few too many 1%’ers bounding around for my taste, too.

This book has a lot of amazing aesthetics and it has intriguing enough characters to keep me reading, but I’m not entirely sure what the author was aiming for. It was a vastly different novel than it was described as, but it wasn’t necessarily a bad one. If I had known the actual premise of the book, I probably would have enjoyed it more. Instead, I found myself impatiently waiting for the hunt to get back on.

!Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts! was definitely an interesting and well written book, with a lot of delightful Gothic and spooky influences. The trivia within it was utterly fascinating as well. It was just a lot different than I had expected the story to be which is probably why I wasn’t over the “moon” about it like many other reviewers. In the right hands with the right expectations, though, I think this book will be a winner.

Full review on my blog.

This book has a similar feeling to Racculia’s other novel Bellweather Rhapsody- very compassionate and sweet. I would recommend this book to people who liked Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine.

It took a bit to get into the story but as it progressed I became more engaged in the game and seeing how it all played out. This is not a spooky ghost story but rather the ghosts from the past that can haunt your thoughts and feelings so if you are looking for a ghost story this is not the focus.
The focus of this book is solving puzzles and following clues to win big bucks! Tuesday Mooney is pulled into the game because of her exceptional investigating skills. The premise is that a very wealthy and eccentric Bostonian - Vincent Pryce - has died and posthumously bequeaths his fortunes to anyone who can win his game. The money is very tempting but so is the side game of murder and mayhem that Tuesday uncovers as she works her way through crazy characters and clues.
No Spoiler Here - just two thumbs up for a fun read. Thank you to NetGalley and HMH for the review copy.

Tuesday Mooney, prospect researcher (how many books use this as a character's job? This position sets her up perfectly for the rest of the book), is quiet, pale, and wears a lot of black. She has one good friend, Poindexter "Dex". Investment banker by day but with a flamboyant gay man who likes to wear dresses and makeup in his off time. He is the one standing next to Laila "Lyle" Pryce when her eccentric husband dies at a fundraiser Tuesday's nonprofit is running (though, why is she signed up as a volunteer? She works for the company). It is also Dex who sends Tuesday a link to the newspaper article announcing that Vincent Pryce (yes, really) has left clues around the city for people to solve a mystery that will lead them to inherit from his vast estate.
Tuesday is also approached to help by a man she identifies as Nathaniel Arches, a wealthy man whose family was in a feud with Vincent Pryce. But he has his own reasons for wanting to get to the end of the game; reasons he doesn't want to share with Tuesday.
She begins the game by asking her 15-year-old neighbor Dory to join in but drops her as soon as Dory's father asks. Which was interesting--most stories would have Tuesday forging ahead with her friendship with Dory no matter what rather than complying with her parent's request.
I wouldn't go as far as saying this is a "grown-up Westing Game" like some other reviewers but it certainly has elements of fun and mystery that make it a quick read.

Four stars
This book came out October 1st
ARC kindly provided by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

If you like madcap mysteries featuring a cooler-than-cool heroine and her dapper sidekick, this book might be for you. Tuesday Mooney is the kind of character I so want to see transferred to the screen. She’s hip without trying to be hip, and super smart, plus she can see ghosts - all of which makes her a dangerous person to cross.

The story here is so intriguing - weird rich guy dies and leaves his fortune in a treasure hunt. Imagine all the trivia night commanders who would totally respond to this kind of challenge in your town, then amplify that into the urban environs of present day Boston and you’re in for a wild ride.

While the story is clever and well-told, it is Tuesday and her friends who make this story special. Fun, fun, fun!

Well, I am a huge Racculia fan. Her novel, THIS MUST BE THE PLACE has stayed with me for years. TUESDAY MOONEY TALKS TO GHOSTS is a poignant romp (I know, those words don't really go together but trust me, it"s true). You will never find characters so sad, so brilliant, so imaginative in any other book. Just wonderful writing and the plotting is genius. Read it. Read it now.

This book was bonkers in all the best ways, and I am totally here for it. An eccentric billionaire dies, leaving his wealth to whomever can follow the clues he's cleverly laid out around the city - as long as they get there before everyone else does? ...um, YEAH. Sign me up.

I thought the plot was interesting and well executed (if you look super hard, I'm sure you could find stuff to nitpick at, but doesn't that tend to take the fun out of things??). Tuesday was a fun protagonist to root for, especially because sometimes she did crazy things that were completely not appropriate to the situation around her - but seemed like something that someone would really do. I enjoyed the host of side characters (and there were quite a few) - and thought each of them added something to the story, as opposed to being filler characters (those are the worst, just saying). The mystery surrounding Tuesday's past was super intriguing and the mystery she gets herself caught up in even more so. Some things I totally saw coming *pats self on back,* while others were complete shockers (my FAV).

And last, but certainly not least, can we all just say a huge thank you for a book that comes out in October that's a bit spooky but not horror, and a bit gory but not gothic, and a bit funny but not over-the-top?? I definitely enjoyed this one, and I would recommend it to lots of people - but especially book clubs looking for an October pick!

I loved Kate Racculia’s last novel, Bellweather Rhapsody, because it combined so many of my favorite elements—quirky, smart outsiders, the realities of life butting up against the unexpected, and sharp, funny writing. This means I was nervously excited to learn she had a new novel out this month. It is so hard to duplicate that combination. It’s like going back to restaurant you loved years ago and finding a favorite dish to be mediocre. Imagine then, how happy I was to fall in love with Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts. Racculia loses none of her edge in this twisty novel about a goth-ish introvert named Tuesday who becomes part of a citywide treasure hunt after a flamboyant billionaire dies and promises a part of his fortune to anyone who can solve the mystery.

Tuesday is an unusual young woman. Her independence and laser-focused mind serve her well as a researcher for a large hospital, but she hides a burden, that of having lost her best friend when she was 16. There were never answers about what happened to Abby, but she has taken up residence in Tuesday’s head, talking to her when the mood strikes. Tuesday’s next-door neighbor is a lonely 14-year-old whose father works a lot. He allows Tuesday to tutor Dorry. She has her own ghosts; her mother having died two years ago. She joins Tuesday on the hunt because one of the items purported to be part of the treasure is a pair of goggles that allows the wearer to see ghosts. She knows it’s crazy, but…what if it isn’t and she can see her mother again?

As if one billionaire isn’t enough, Tuesday also meets Archie, one of the heirs to a large manufacturing corporation. His interest in the hunt is unclear, but his interest in Tuesday is not. His presence is problematic for Tuesday’s only friend, Dexter. A buttoned-up, gay financial analyst with a penchant for breaking his relationships, high heels, and karaoke, he doesn’t want to share her, especially because it means less attention for him. This crew of misfits are all on the trail, but of what? Very little is known about the dead man, so what lies at the end of this hunt? Is it one prize? One winner? Or is it something more?

On the surface, Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts is a mystery. But the novel goes far below the surface—literally and figuratively. Literally, because the first clue leads to a subway station and the second to an old, unused concert hall several stories underground. Figuratively, because there are four characters who appear one way, but have so much else going on underneath. Racculia gives Tuesday, Dex, and Dorry baggage and stories that light up their humanity, making them feel real. Just as important, is the underlying motivation for each. It’s not money. They’re lonely. Each in their own odd, unique way, even as they function at high levels in society. They’ve lost a part of themselves and need to find it as much as the supposed treasure.

Amidst this engaging, amusing ball of odd, there is only one character who doesn’t seem to fit. Tuesday, Dorry, and Dex had so many marvelous layers, as did several of the other lesser characters, but Archie was flat. In the beginning I understood why he was there, but then when his story expanded it wasn’t as interesting. He was the weakest link in the novel, but it’s a minor point because I loved reading this book. It charmed me, made me laugh, and kept me guessing. Despite having no magic in it, it is a magical novel.

Tuesday Mooney is a thirty something independent woman who assembles a team of unique individuals almost by accident to solve a puzzle left by an eccentric man of great wealth. Tuesday and her gang work their way around Boston discovering clues and learning more about the deceased, about one another, and mostly about themselves. I had hopes for a fun caper of a book. It was fun at times and fun, of caper at times. It was also a little discombobulated at times. I enjoyed the overall storyline, but got bogged down as the plot was supposed to be picking up. As the book was trying to close, it felt like there were so many questions left to be addressed and lots of vague possibilities left hanging. Perhaps this is to allow for another installment?

Review: 5 Stars

Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts was one of my top 10 most anticipated releases of the second half of the year. I expected it to be good, but I was absolutely blown away. As soon as I read the synopsis of this one I knew that I wanted it, but I’m shocked that this book appears to be flying under the radar. This book was such a fun, unique read that had me hooked from the start. I woke up early and went to bed late so I could fit in more reading time. I finished this book in two days despite working. Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts was so much fun and I can’t stop raving about it.

The plot is what grabbed my attention and the reason I was so excited for this book. A billionaire, Vincent Pryce, died and in his obituary, that he wrote himself prior to his death, he invited people to participate in a scavenger hunt to win his inheritance. The puzzles and clues hidden across the city made for a fun game, but the conflicts between characters added a whole other level to this plot. Vincent Pryce collected supernatural objects and had an obsession with Edgar Allen Poe, so the scavenger hunt had an eerie feel to begin with, but the main character Tuesday really helped add to that vibe as well as she felt like a Tim Burton character.

I loved every single one of the characters. Tuesday was my favorite and she had a mind for solving puzzles and investigating people. Her best friend Dex made me laugh a lot, but it was her teenage neighbor Dorry who truly got my heart. Tuesday and Dorry’s friendship warmed my heart. Dorry was struggling with grief after losing her mother and Tuesday really helped Dorry just by being a friend to her. All of these characters felt so real to me and had me so emotionally invested.

The climax and the ending of this story felt so satisfying. While I didn’t want the story to be over, it left me with such a good feeling. Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts really got me into a fall vibe and I can’t wait for it to be out in the world so I can make all of my friends read it. It was just so unique and so much fun to read and experience. I hope that this book gets the recognition that it deserves because people won’t want to miss this one.

When a billionaire dies, Tuesday participates in citywide scavenger hunt that leads her through the streets of Boston. Clues, puzzles, and connections to literature make this a fun, interesting read. It's both adventurous and imaginative.

Thanks to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for an ARC in exchange for a review

I may have been predisposed to like this book - I really dug [book:Bellweather Rhapsody|18222740], the marketing copy for this referenced [book:The Westing Game|902], and a larger portion of the book takes place in areas of Boston I live and work and NAILS the setting.

A small eclectic cast of well-drawn characters get caught up in the search for an eccentric millionaire's fortune with a city-wide series of riddles and puzzles. This book handles the puzzle-y side of things in the way I hoped The Westing Game would when I read it - there's enough description going on without needing to actually provide the puzzles. Character arcs are well-plotted, and the plot was page-turning and engaging. I've really enjoyed both of the books I've read by Kate Racculia, and I look forward to seeing what she does next.

If you're looking for the perfect fall, slightly Halloween-y book, this is just the one to pick up. Tuesday is just slightly weird- an introvert with a secret ghost she talks to and few real life friends. But thanks to her job and her closest friend, Dex, she's about to get embroiled in a bizarre, Poe-influenced game set up by a recently deceased wealthy eccentric to possibly earn part of his fortune. It's slightly funny and slightly morbid and just thoroughly enjoyable. I found this to be entirely pleasant reading.

I really enjoyed this book. It would be a great read for mature teen readers and everyone who likes puzzles and mysteries. Tuesday is a loner and that makes her very good at her job as a researcher for the local hospital. She targets big donors for fund raising. When a wealthy patron dies at a fund raiser his obituary sets in motion a scavenger hunt for a prize and part of his fortune. Great characters join together to follow the clues. A few twists and turns to keep everyone on their toes. As for the title, Tuesday's best friend died when they were sixteen and she's convinced that she is playing the game with them. An easy read with fun and mystery. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is the third novel by this American author, the first two being 'This Must Be the Place' and 'Bellweather Rhapsody'. In this book when billionaire Vincent Pryce (a huge Edgar Allan Poe fan) dies, he leaves a treasure hunt with the winners getting a part of his fortune. Tuesday works as a researcher for a hospital fundraising committee and was present at his death. There she met another wealthy man who offers her money to team up with him in the game. Tuesday loves puzzles and horror movies etc., so seems to be the perfect partner. She also talks regularly to the ghost of her long missing friend. This is a fun story, part mystery with a lot of humour.

Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts is my new favorite book. I got an e-book copy from Netgalley and I plan to buy the audiobook when it is released. That's how much I love this book! At first glance, it seems kind of corny. An eccentric billionaire dies and leaves behind a scavenger hunt for anyone to play, with part of his estate being one of the prizes. But this book is full of surprises. That's one of the things I love about it. Other things I love are the quirky, lovely characters with shadowed pasts and broken hearts, the way odd bits of the story seem to connect, the references to Poe and Shakespeare and other literary sources, the emphasis on imagination and kindness and the importance of our dreams. This is one of those rare books truly worth multiple readings. If you are about to dive into Tuesday Mooney's world for the first time, you are very fortunate.

Tuesday Mooney is a loner with a fascination with mysteries and puzzles who does not like people or socialization much. When Vincent Pryce, Boston’s most eccentric billionaire, dies—leaving behind an epic treasure hunt through the city, with clues inspired by his hero, Edgar Allan Poe—Tuesday’s adventure begins with the aid of with one amazing friend, one teenage mentee, a handsome heir she aims to solve the mystery.

To solve Pryce's complex treasure hunt, the players must confront ghosts from their pasts to help them make it to the finish line. An incredibly witty, fun, macabre, and fast-paced adventure, any logophile would love this book. My only disappoint with it, is that there are not more ghosts. I'm looking forward to seeing what else Kate Racculia has in store for us.

A quirky novel that encompasses many genres, ie. ghost story, coming of age, romance, mystery, to name a few. I loved this book and the characters. Totally unexpected plots with twists and turns, a one of a kind great read. I highly recommend.