*received for free from netgalley for honest review* cute cozy mystery for the most part, were things i didnt care much for but not enough to ruin the book, would read more from this series

In this 10th book in the humorous 'Bailey Ruth' series, the heavenly emissary is sent to Oklahoma to prevent a miscarriage of justice. The book can be read as a standalone.

*****

Bailey Ruth Raeburn is deceased but still very active. She works for 'Heaven’s Department of Good Intentions', which sends emissaries to Earth to help people in trouble. Emissaries are supposed to be discrete, unnoticed, and silent. Nevertheless, Bailey Ruth can never manage to remain inconspicuous, and her supervisor is reluctant to send her on missions. Still, when an emergency arises Bailey Ruth is dispatched to Adelaide, Oklahoma to save a drowning woman.

Bailey Ruth rescues the woman, an antiques dealer named Fran Loring. It turns out Fran was running from the scene of a murder when she fell into the pond. Fran claims she saw a dead woman and panicked, but it's likely she'll be the prime suspect. Bailey Ruth believes Fran is innocent, and aims to make things right.

The murder victim is Sylvia Chandler, the second wife of Arthur Chandler, an oil magnate who's on his deathbed. Since her husband fell ill Sylvia has been running the oil company, and has plans of her own for the business.

Since Arthur Chandler is dying, his son, two daughters, and their spouses have gathered at the Chandler mansion. Each of these people would benefit from Sylvia's death, but Acting Police Chief Howie Harris - who's a rather dim bulb - considers them 'too elite' to be questioned.

Howie himself has underlying motives, since he hopes to replace Police Chief Sam Cobb, who's on leave. Thus Howie kisses up to Mayor Neva Lumpkin and says he'll solve the case quickly WITHOUT incurring police overtime....all of which is important to the mayor. Howie plans to arrest Fran, and - as far as he's concerned - case closed.

Bailey Ruth will have none of it though, and takes on the guise of Detective M. Loy to question the Chandler family members - and other persons of interest - herself. Luckily, Bailey Ruth can teleport and 'magically' change her outfits, so she can go anywhere and be anyone. Thus Bailey Ruth can be dressed to the nines and in a restaurant one moment, and wearing a black suit and standing on a suspect's doorstep the next. Moreover, Bailey has an ally in her quest to save Fran Loring. Lead detective Don Smith has taken a shine to the antiques dealer and vows to help clear her name.

Bailey Ruth is a hoot. She has good detective instincts; sneaks into (absent) Police Chief Sam Cobb's office and uses his computer; searches through file cabinets; leaves helpful messages on Acting Chief Howie Harris's' desk; etc. Surprisingly for a ghost, Bailey Ruth can also eat and drink, and she freely digs into the bag of M&Ms Sam Cobb stashes in his desk.

The book isn't very realistic (the lead detective dates the prime suspect), but it's an enjoyable cozy mystery. In addition, Bailey Ruth's numerous outfits and delicious meals add a fun element to the story.

Thanks to Netgalley, Carolyn Hart, and Dreamscape Media for a copy of the book.

This is my first reading of A Bailey Ruth Ghost Novel. The plot was easy to follow and I did not feel that I missed anything by not reading the first 9 books in the series. I listened to the audiobook and found the narration to be a bit over the top. It came across as comical how upbeat and southern the narration was.

This is a cozy mystery with a Heavenly emissary sent from the Department of Good Intentions. While Bailey Ruth is sent to earth to help those in difficultly, she breaks a few rules along the way. But even the rules are broken with the best intentions.
Sent to a house full of family drama that leads to two murders, Bailey Ruth uses her skills and supernatural gifts to save the innocent and see justice is done. It is a cute story that has you wondering what Baily Ruth is going to do next and who is the killer.
There are twist and turns to the plot and the characters are enjoyable. I want to thank Net Galley for the opportunity to listen to the audio version narrated by Ann Marie Lee. The narration, voices and accents make this an enjoyable story to pass the time on a road trip or just getting chores done around the house.
Not familiar with Carolyn Hart, I now want to read or listen to more of her stories as this one was very entertaining.

Thank you Net Galley for an audio ARC of Ghost Blows a Kiss by Caroline Hart. This was the 10th in a series and my first from this author. Cozy mysteries must not be my cup of tea. I did like the Heavenly helper though. Fran has been plotted against for a murder and receives help from a Heavenly helper Bailey. Although the narrator was lively and did a great job

Ghost Blows a Kiss by Carolyn Hart is the newest in the grand dame of cozy mysteries offerings. I love Bailey Ruth Raeburn. She is a heavenly emissary from the Department of Good Intentions in heaven. She is the perfect character, using both meanings of the word. She is a highly effective emissary but one who had trouble following the rules. The rule most difficult for her is the one admonishing about being seen by humans. She just can't seem to function that way. Her supervisor from the department, Wiggins, has seemingly adjusted to the fact that that is how she operates. With her Oklahoma accent and her highly attuned sense of fashion, Bailey Ruth is the perfect character and ALWAYS solves her crime. She has made friends on earth despite the fact she's been gone for years and the best of those is Chief Cobb, Adeline's Chief of Police. She is dismayed to learn that he is on a leave of absence and has been replaced, temporarily she hopes, by Howie, who is incompetent at best. Don Smith, a detective has taken charge of this case, a trumped up charge of murder against Fran Loring, an attractive young widow who happened to be in the wrong place.

Bailey Ruth is a throwback to the time when she was alive: 50's probably. She has left her long-suffering husband in Heaven chasing his own pursuits. Bailey Ruth has advantages over earth-bound detectives: she can remain invisible, she can tele-transport from place to place, and she can take human for whenever she likes, dressed however she wants to be dressed. Hence, her alter ego. Detective M. Loy, or officer or special agent. Bailey Ruth is a hoot. She is the best character in the cozy genre and her books are always worth the read. This was a good mystery. The culprit was one of several I had pinpointed but could never narrow down to one. Bailey Ruth hung in there and "got her man." It was an enticing story.

I listened to the audiobook version. If ever there was a perfect pairing between character and read, it is Ann Marie Lee. She is Bailey Ruth. Her old-fashioned charm combined with her lovely accent, bring Bailey Ruth alive as no other could. She captures the other characters well but as this is a first person narration, the character of Bailey Ruth is primary. What a fabulous book and a fabulous listen!

I was invited to listen to the audio of Ghost Blows a Kiss by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #ghostblowsakiss

When I requested this audiobook from Netgalley, I did not realize this was the tenth book in this series. Having said that, I enjoyed this story and had no problem following the story. This series stars Bailey Ruth Raeburn, a dearly departed person who is given the opportunity to return to earth. She is given an assignment by Heaven's Department of Good Intentions, the problem is that she has problems following the rules for Earthly Visitations. Bailey Ruth is sent to her old hometown of Adelaide, Oklahoma to find a woman drowning in a pond. She rescues her while remaining invisible, but it quickly becomes apparent that there is more to the story. She knows there is more to do to complete her mission. Bailey Ruth finds herself caught up in a web of family secrets, loyalties and lies and if she can't fix the situation, an innocent person, Fran, will be locked up for a long time.

I don't usually read paranormal cozies, but this was a fun story. Throughout the story Bailey Ruth is disguised as Detective Lot which enables her to question people and gather evidence, which she then leaves for the Adelaide police. She is smart, well dressed (often described), organized, compassionate, and entirely thrilled to be able to enjoy good food, especially at a favourite restaurant from her living days. Her skills help keep innocent victims from being blamed for crimes. This is a good mystery with lots of suspects, hints and red herrings. I really enjoyed the narration by Ann Marie Lee. Her voice was a great fit for Bailey Ruth and her expression and inflection added much to the story. A great one to listen to. If you enjoy fun cozy mysteries, then I recommend you pick this one up.

Ghost Blows A Kiss (A Bailey Ruth Ghost Novel)
Carolyn Hart
This is the 10th book in the A Bailey Ruth Ghost Novel series. In this book Bailey must solve the mystery without Sam Cobb.
Bailey Ruth Raeburn is a ghost; she works with Heaven’s Department of Good Intentions and The Department of Divine Intervention. Bailey has the best of intentions, and she works diligently no matter her assignment. She is also a bit unpredictable. Fran is under suspicion of murder. Bailey Ruth Raeburn’s isn’t sure of her assignment; it could be saving a drowning woman, solving a murder, helping out the Chief of Police, or helping two people fall in love. Baily disguises herself as Detective M. Loy as she investigates the crime. There are plenty of suspects.
I like Bailey Ruth; she is fashionably dressed, funny, determined, caring, shrewd, and organized. Bailey was a fun character. This is a short book with only 175 pages. I didn’t dislike this tale, I’m just not sure I liked it either. Author Carolyn Hart went a little wild with descriptions. It didn’t become involved in this tale. I almost felt as if the author was winging it.

Bailey is a ghost... or an angel depending, who works for Heaven's Department of Good Intentions. Part of her job is being sent back down to Earth to help those who are in need, though there are rules she has to follow - the rules for earthly visitations. Try as she might, Bailey often struggles with staying completely quite or unseen, but her heart is in the right place. Follow Bailey as she tries her best to find the true murderer and save Fran from being wrongfully arrested.

First of all, this book was SO fun. Regardless of the murder aspect of this one (which is one of my favorite genres) Bailey is so easy to love with her great personality and huge heart. She is sassy and comical and boy does she love her clothes (even if no one is going to see them because she's invisible. This had some "Clue" vibes and I adored listening to Bailey and following along as she tried to find the real killer.

This is part of a series but can be read as a stand alone. Sent from Heaven's Department of Good Intentions back to her hometown, Bailey Ruth must intervene to save Fran from drowning. But things go from bad to worse when poor Fran is implicated in a murder. Bailey Ruth can't just leave her to fend for herself - it's just not her nature. Bailey Ruth must save Fran even if it means breaking the rules set by the Office of Divine Intervention. Bailey is quite the detective and a fashionista to boot. We hear a lot about her fashion choices. She is quite adept at dropping clues for the local police department to aid in their investigation -to save her client of course. The narrator is quite entertaining.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this advanced review copy. In return, I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape media for the early listen. What a fun quirky cozy mystery. Again another listen I did not realize was a series. Will have to go check out the others in this series. Really enjoyed the mystery and the narrator did a wonderful job telling the story. Get ready for a ghostly fun read.
Most of the characters were likable and not one dimensional.
Will recommend