Maureen is out of a job, and needs a new place to live. Lo and behold she gets a notice in the mail from a lawyer in Florida that she now owns an Inn. Taking her trusty golden retriever Finn along, she heads southwards. First day she finds a dead guy on the porch and becomes the number one suspect. Good story, good mystery and fun new series. Look forward to reading more.

Cozy mystery fans will enjoy this, but I was surprised to see such one-dimensional characters and weak writing from a seasoned author.

Our main character is utterly forgettable, so much so that you may find yourself reading the book and asking "Who is Maureen?" She is unlikable and unrelatable, and the other characters don't add to the storyline. This reads like a teen author's first pass as a book, and it was a slog to get through. There are also numerous spelling and grammatical errors.

Be My Ghost
by Carol J. Perry
Kensington Books
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this fun cozy ghost story!

Our gal of the story inherited an Inn that is well known to be haunted. It is booked often by ghost hunters. Our gal doesn't believe in ghosts when she first gets the Inn but on the first day she is there, she finds a dead body. Then she has a talk with a ghost! She finds that there are plenty of ghosts there.
She is the primary suspect in the murder cases and she needs all the help she can get but she doesn't know anyone. But she finds help in the most otherworldly places!

It's a fun mystery with lots of clues, great characters, cute dog, loveable ghosts, and more! Enjoyable read and highly recommend!

The cover of this cozy mystery is so cute. The beginning of the book was difficult for me to get into but, I enjoyed the fun ghosts who reside at the haunted inn. A fun, quick murder mystery read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC. All opinions are my own.

After the business she’s worked at for ten years closes, Maureen is at a crossroads when she receives a letter informing her she’s inherited an inn in FL, from someone she’s never met. With nothing to lose she moves down to assess the situation, and finds herself running an inn that is in financial trouble, a murder within the first few hours of her arrival, a cranky manager and of course there are ghosts.
A great start to a new cozy series of which I’m already looking forward to the second book. The inn setting, along with its eccentric and unusual inhabitants, set the stage for many enjoyable books in this series. Well fleshed characters, a good plot and writing make this book easy to like. If I found any negative it’s the fact Maureen inherits the inn from someone she’s never heard of and does nothing really to find out why. Besides the murder, she’s more concerned with evening meals and redecorating and less curious as to why the inn was left to her which would be my first priority. She doesn’t even ask the lawyer to explain. I realize this is probably the plot for another book in the series, but it comes across as completely implausible.

Maureen and her Golden Retriever Finn make a good team. They hit the road to Florida to take over an inn that she inherited. Unfortunately the inn came with a dead body. She sets out to uncover the mystery.
#BeMyGhost #NetGalley

Maureen Doherty lost her job as a fashion buyer at one of Boston's top stores, Bartlett's due to the store closing. With no plans on what her next steps will be, she is surprised to learn she has inherited a bed and breakfast in Haven, Florida from someone she doesn't even known.

Maureen and her Golden Retriever Finn, hit the road to Haven to check out her inheritance. When she arrives, it's to find there are 4 permanent tenants and a ghost hunter staying there due to rumors that the inn is haunted. On the same day that she arrived, she finds the same ghost hunter dead in a rocking chair on the porch.

I enjoyed this book; however, what I didn't understand is why the sheriff would even look at her for the crime when she never even met the victim. Luckily, that didn't last long as it was very evident someone was setting her up.

This looks like it's going to be a good cozy series with likeable characters and I would recommend it.

Please note: I was given a copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley.com. All opinions are my own.

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of BE MY GHOST (Book 1 of the Haunted Haven Mysteries) by Carol J. Perry in exchange for an honest review. Maureen Doherty is having a terrible day; she lost her decade-long job to bankruptcy before she returned home to an apartment she can no longer afford. Unemployed and contemplating homelessness, Maureen receives an extremely timely mystery inheritance. Surprise! Maureen, you’re the new owner of a Florida inn. Maureen now has a home. Woot! However, there’s a catch, or two. When Maureen’s arrival is greeted by a dead body and a business-as-usual attitude by employees and town officials, Maureen has to re-assess how much she doesn’t want to be homeless. Maureen further reconsiders when she finds out that, amongst the usual transient and long-term guests, a cadre of ghosts have taken up permanent residence. Most of the townsfolk, living and dead, are very welcoming, but not everyone is thrilled to about Maureen joining the community; it seems like someone’s determined to frame her for murder.

I liked this book and thought it was a good start to a new series. I recommend this book to fans of cozy mysteries featuring murder, inns, inheritance, financial problems, dogs, cats, and ghosts.

#BeMyGhost #NetGalley

cozy-mystery, inheritance, greed, ghosts, Florida, innkeeper, murder, murder-investigation, restoration, senior-citizens, cats, dog, amateur-sleuth*****

Maureen inherits an inn in Haven, Florida just as her career in Boston as a retail buyer comes to an end after ten years with the closing of the department store she has worked for since college. This venture is a new one for her and there is little actual money involved as the place has turned into a money sink. And the manager resents her. But a resident ghost likes her. Say what? Yup, the place is said to be haunted by the ghosts of former visitors. But the problem right now is that Maureen is the chief suspect in the murder of a ghost hunter who was poisoned the same day that she arrived! Let the sleuthing begin! It's a marvelous story with clear and interesting characters, plot twists, red herrings, and more. Loved it!
I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

A great start of new cozy mystery series by Carol Perry. Maureen Doherty inherits a haunted inn in a small town of Haven, Florida. Having no idea why the late owner left it to her, she packs up and moves down there with her golden retriever Finn. Surprise- the inn actually haunted and overrun with ghost hunters. When one of them ends up dead not only is Maureen forced to accept that her resident ghosts are real, she she's accused of the murder and has to prove her innocence.
Together with bartender Ted, her new ghost friend Lorna and her lawyer Nora she sets out to find a killer and figure out how to turn the inn from a failing venture into a thriving boutique hotel.

A new cozy mystery series that’s quite enjoyable. The main character Maureen inherited an inn in FL. She finds out it’s haunted, ghost hunters love her inn, and she finds a dead body there too. What a roller coaster, enjoy the ride.

Be My Ghost begins with Maureen Doherty cleaning out her office in a Boston store that is now closing. Unsure of what the future hold, Maureen gets a notice that she has inherited an inn in Haven, Florida from someone she doesn't know.

Haven is famous with ghost hunters who believe the inn is haunted. (It is!) A famous ghost hunter is staying on the property when Maureen and Finn, he golden retriever, arrive at their new home. Maureen discovers the dead body and the mystery begins.

There are many guests and employees who could be the murderer. Elizabeth, the hotel manager, Ted the bartender/chef, on of the 4 elderly employees who live in the inn, the husband/wife ghost team or could it be someone else.

I love this story. It's not like most cozy mysteries where the main character immediately starts investigating. I enjoyed the way that Maureen goes on with trying to spruce up the inn, interacts with her ghost friend, Lorna and meets people from the surrounding businesses. I can't wait until the next book to see where it takes Maureen and Finn.

Be My Ghost by Carol J. Perry is an excellent cozy mystery that is the first in a new series: A Haunted Haven Mystery.

This series takes place in a small, quirky, quaint, and picturesque seaside town in Haven, Florida. The author gives it a very old-world, colonial, and possibly even a Havana-ish feel with all the modern conveniences.

I really enjoyed Maureen Doherty and Finn. They are the perfect main characters to feature this new fish out of water book. (Who doesn’t love an adorable golden retriever?!) Maureen is mid-30s, which is awesome, and she is down on her luck after her department store/job in Massachusetts closes, but the first mystery presents itself when she is given an old Inn in Florida by a seemingly unknown elderly woman. After moving in, Maureen discovers a death on the premises, but it is so much more then meets the eye...as it is a ghost hunter guest...and it is a murder. Plenty of potential culprits are present, everyone seems to have secrets of their own, and it seems that the Inn really is haunted. Maureen is trying to grapple with all of this, while trying to keep herself off of the suspect list, figuring out the dire financials of the Inn running in the red, all the while trying to get her life back on track.

With the help of good-looking bartender/chef Ted, Nora (her lawyer), Lorna (I’ll leave the reader to find out who she is), and a whole host of quirky and fun live-ins and neighbors, the reader is taken along for a ride that takes place during Halloween (the best holiday ever!!!!).

The murder/mystery was spot on, the character cast was awesome, there are plenty of mysteries yet to be solved, a ton of source material for future books, and an awesome female main character that is smart, reasonable, realistic, likable, and has a love for adorable cats, dogs, and coffee alike.

I really, really enjoyed this book and I am very much looking forward to where this series will go. I think it will end up being one of my favorite and go-to cozy mystery series for sure.

An awesome read. 5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Kensington for this awesome arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 8/31/21.

New series by one of my favorite cozy authors even exceeded my expectations. When the store where Maureen Doherty has worked as a retail buyer for the past 10 years closes, a mysterious inheritance leads her to Haven, Florida and a haunted inn. From the outset, I fell in love with her character and her golden lab, Finn. The untimely death of a ghost hunter on her first night there motivates her to solve the mystery while trying to save the inn. Delightful characters band the story moves at a rapid pace. Maybe the murderer was a trifle evident, but getting there was truly a treat. Hope the wait for the next in the series isn't too long.

I enjoyed this book very much. It's fun and has great characters, including the ghosts. The story and mystery are interesting and fun. I hope to read more. #BeMyGhost #NetGalley

This was a great read! I’m excited to know that it’s part of a series and there are more books coming!

Maureen Doherty is closing out the professional chapter in her life as a buyer for a long established Boston department store that is closing its doors. Unsure of what the future holds, she leaves the building for the last time and heads to her apartment not even sure how much longer she can stay there with no paycheck coming in.

When she gets home she finds a letter from a law firm in Florida asking them to call her about a bequest that was left to her. With nothing tying her and her golden retriever, Finn, to the area, she decides to make the move, even if she doesn’t know who her benefactress was.

Arriving in Haven, Florida Maureen and Finn discover their new home is an old, supposedly haunted, historic inn right near the Gulf Coast waterfront, When Maureen finds a guest dead, she quickly becomes the prime suspect and vows to find the murderer and save the inn. But who to trust and who had the means, notice and opportunity to kill the man and set Maureen up to take the fall? All in a days work if Maureen is going to save the inn that is now her home.

A great start to a new series from the talent Carol J. Perry. I loved her previous series based in Salem, MA and I was curious how she would parley Florida into her style…boy did she deliver! A great cozy for mystery lovers and fans of Perry’s.

I was not prepared for how much I was going to enjoy this book.
Maureen is a fantastic character and the inheritance she receives is such a mystery, that it adds an intensity to the story.
As a huge fan of this author, I’m excited to give Be My Ghost 5 stars.
#BeMyGhost #NetGalley