Ghosting My Friend: A Funderburke and Kaiming Mystery

by Chris Chan

How far would you go to get justice against the person who ruined your childhood? If you’re Isaiah Funderburke, vengeance will become an obsession. On the cusp of adolescence, Funderburke’s best friend Bertie was killed in a convenience store robbery. The crime was never solved. A decade and a half later, Funderburke is a private detective specializing in divorce work—but thanks to a wealthy benefactor, he only works for the children involved, as he helps expose embezzling divorce lawyers, corrupt judges, and other sinister forces that exploit young people. Every once in a while, he solves other serious crimes. With the assistance of his girlfriend and fellow investigator Nerissa Kaiming, a high school history teacher and former teen mother who now runs a program mentoring girls in similar situations, Funderburke dedicates his life to saving kids who can’t save themselves.

When identity thieves steal Bertie’s name for a credit card fraud, Funderburke’s enraged, and he decides to track down the criminals behind the “ghosting.” Along the way, Funderburke turns up clues connected to Bertie’s murder and tries to find out who killed his friend all those years ago…but digging into the past may threaten his future.

Genres: Mystery

222 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 28, 2023

Reviews

[Jeff Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was superb on every level. Satisfying as a private detective mystery, but most satisfying in the story told, and the characters involved. Life was really breathed into Funderburke and the surrounding characters. I really liked how serious situations were handled and what the main character had to confront in himself. The best fiction gives you insights into the human person, and this aspect is exceptionally well done here.

[Laraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Isaiah Funderburke - love the name!- is a young man who has never been able to move on from the death of his good friend, Bertie Godspeed, whose murder was never solved. Due to the circumstances of his difficult childhood, Funderburke has devoted himself to the cause of helping children who are suffering through divorce or who are being exploited. He also works as a private detective solving crimes. And now Funderburke feels the past reaching out to him again, when he discovers that his beloved friend, Bertie, has had his identity stolen, leading to the assumption that this same person may have had a hand in his death. The painful memories of loss and grief are being dredged up again, sending him on the search for the perpetrator. The resolution to this mystery is very satisfying and unexpected.

Isaiah has also, along the way, acquired a most interesting group of friends, who support and love him. There is something very heartwarming about this aspect of the book, along with its themes of overcoming adversity and embracing forgiveness. There is humour here too, both in the perceptions of the narrator, Isaiah, and his responses to the people around him. The characters are quirky, have interesting and sometimes confronting backstories, but it is Isaiah who ultimately draws you in. An engrossing read!

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chan has delivered a mystery of dedication to the memory of a friend. A dear friend whos name has been stolen. Isaiah is a great hero. If only everyone could have such a friend.