Sloppy Joe by Kelly Young

Another fun visit with ghost codger Joe as he drags Carmen into solving a double murder. The interesting premise of the Haunted and Harassed series will appeal to paranormal cozy mystery readers who enjoy a touch of humor and a fast-paced read. An amateur sleuth from the grave teams up with a reluctant partner to solve the murders of fellow ghosts so they can find peace.

The main character, Carmen, is blessed with (or cursed with as she sees it) the ability to see and hear the ghost of the former owner of her home. A 92-year-old curmudgeonly spectre, Joe grows on both Carmen and the reader as his kind-heartedness shines through. In this second (and a half) book of the series, Joe has some new tricks up his sleeve, the most impressive of which is his ability to appear as his younger self, a James Dean/Fonzie look alike. As you can imagine, this makes both Carmen and the two dead women more receptive to having him pop up unannounced. What doesn’t change is his butchering of old adages and use of derogatory terms. “Revenge is best served from beyond the grave” aptly describes the essence of Joe’s interference in solving cases of wrongful death.

Carmen, her husband Bass, and their two funeral owner friends Pat and Will, assist Joe in finding the killer of two high society women who are at each other’s throats even in death. The former friends accuse each other of cheating with their respective husbands and of poisoning each other. Joe enlists Carmen’s help in finding the truth about their deaths as she has the ability to see their ghosts and to assist others in seeing them as well. 

I enjoyed this well-written spooky (but not frightening) tale of sleuthing partners from two different realms joining forces to bring justice to the ghosts of two murdered women. Although it can be read as a stand-alone novel, I’d recommend reading book 1 in the series and then delving into this one. If you enjoy crime solving, you’ll love being part of Joe’s afterlife! Get the books!