A Salem B&B Mystery Book 10
Author: Traci Wilton
Genre: Mystery
Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #: 9781496748829
Kensington Cozies
368 Pages
$8.99; $7.99 Amazon
August 26, 2025
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Charlene and her spectral companion, Dr. Jack Strathmore, are moved by crystal healer Isabella Perez's story about her missing sister, Marisol, a talented psychic of uncommon natural gifts. The spooky season is the ideal time to contact the departed for some answers, could someone from the other side reveal the truth about her disappearance... and the location of the priceless bejeweled statue she took with her?
Jack mistrusts Marisol's fiancé, Rico Flores, but any number of suspects had reason to wish Marisol ill, including an embittered stalker obsessed with the talented bruja, a jealous rival witch, and a shady businessman more given to more dirty tricks than treats. Charlene's beau, Detective Sam Holden, is on the case, but unmasking the culprit may require an assist from beyond the grave. Thank goodness it's Halloween, when the veil between the living and the dead is at its thinnest...
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After the death of her husband, Charlene Morris moved to Salem, Massachusetts and opened a B&B. What she didn't know, however, was that the Victorian house she purchased came with its own permanent guest -- the ghost of the previous owner, Dr. Jack Strathmore. Now Jack and Charlene have a close relationship with each other; after all, he gave up heaven to stay with her. But in the ens,uing years, Charlene has fallen in love with an all-too-human man, Detective Sam Holden, who doesn't believe in ghosts. Charlene has tried to tell him several times, but he refuses to believe. Now Charlene's "adoptive" daughter Avery can see Jack, thanks to a recent bump on the head, but it's only the two of them and their cat, Silva.
It's close to Halloween, and Charlene has a houseful of guests occupying every room. Most of them are there to enjoy what Salem has to offer on this particular holiday (after all, where is a better place to be than Salem?); except two of them - Isabella Perez and her boyfriend, Rico Flores, are there to find out the truth about her elder sister Marisol's disappearance two years ago. Isabella hopes that with the veil between the living and the dead being thinnest around Halloween, that she can contact Marisol for her own personal reasons.
It's not until a young woman is murdered during the graveyard tour, right in front of Charlene's guests, that Charlene thinks something very real and very sinister, is going on. Now she knows that even though she has a lot to keep her occupied, she must try and tell Sam one more time about Jack, and hope that she can keep Jack from accidentally slipping away somewhere he isn't meant to be...
I have to say that I had a difficult time reading this because I knew it was the last in the series. That and the fact that I was always team Jack. Sam seemed hart to me, and Jack was much more easygoing. I was always hoping that a second chance meant a second chance at life, but ah, well. Needless to say, I was torn by the ending. Don't get me wrong; it ended nicely. I don't think I am giving anything away here since I have skimmed other reviews who have already stated it.
But the story was handled well, and it was as interesting as all the others. There is plenty of action, and the characters are believable. Some are likeable; some not so much. But even the subplots concerning the guests are worth reading about.
The mystery isn't easily solved. There is a lot going on here, both with Charlene, her household, and people she knows. You want the best for Isabella while hoping it all will work out for everyone else. And the climax is all that we could wish for (well, some of us, anyway). The ending is bittersweet, but the author does a remarkable job of bringing it all together for one final book. Kudos to Ms. Wilton. Highly recommended.
I was given a copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.
More on Traci Wilton's Books: https://www.fantasticfiction.com/w/traci-wilton/
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