Ghost of a Chance

Supernatural mystery novel written by Yasmine Galenorn
How would you react to a translucent figure hovering over your bed in the wee hours of darkness?
If you’re like most people, it would probably involve a screaming exit from the bed.
For Emerald O’Brien, however, it’s just an annoyance.
Emerald, divorced mother of two children and a lifelong psychic trained by her “Nanna,” runs the Chintz ‘n’ China Tea Room (“Not Tea Shoppe, with the cutesy extra pe, but Room”) in the small town of Chiqetaw, Washington. Recently deceased romance author Susan Mitchell can’t speak but she can write ... her name and her plea: “I was murdered by my husband, but nobody knows. Help me.”
The official report says Susan died after slipping into a diabetic coma. But she was hospitalized four times in the previous year for low-blood-sugar seizures, which suggests a certain sloppiness on her part. Susan later appears to Emerald's son, Kip, followed by something dark, formless and evil.
Ghost of a Chance is the first of what is often called the ‘Chintz ‘n’ China series’ which features Emerald O’Brien. I enjoyed it well enough. It’s well-written with a good pace and I found the characters believable. Emerald struggles with problems common to divorced mothers everywhere -- including a disappearing and deadbeat husband.
However, I have to say it's also a fairly light read. I didn't find it to be the type of book that grips you to the point of letting dinner burn because you can't put it down.
Still, I like the addition of the supernatural -- the real thing, not a prank gone wrong. It adds a twist to what might otherwise be a basic mystery story.
It's not every day that a murder victim comes in person to plead for justice.