The Death of the Ghost's Wife

by Ima Ahorn

Darren loves his job as a tour guide to Edinburgh’s haunted houses, yet he doesn’t believe in ghosts.
After losing his job, he moves to a small village on the west coast to look after his grandmother while she recovers from a broken foot. Caring for his granny has its challenges. Her cat runs for cover every time she practises the bagpipes, and she believes she’s living with the ghost of Darren’s long-dead grandfather. Things get weirder when Darren starts a new job as a cleaner, especially when he meets an old man claiming to be a ghost. A ghost wanting him to investigate the suspicious death of his wife.

A light-hearted mystery set in beautiful Scotland.

231 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 17, 2025

About the author

Ima Ahorn begeistert sich für Reisen, fremde Kulturen und das Leben in der Natur. Schon als Kind verschlang sie Abenteuerromane, Märchen und Geschichten über Entdecker. Bereits damals bedauerte sie, dass die Zeit der großen Entdeckungen inzwischen vorüber ist. Ihre Liebe zur Fantasy und fantasievollen Welten kam später dazu.

Heute schreibt Ima Historische Fantasy. Ihre Helden leben in einer Zeit, als es auf unserem Globus noch unerforschte Gebiete und unentdeckte Wunder gab. Als es möglich war, dass sich irgendwo noch Drachen und Zauberer verbergen.

Ihre Inspiration findet Ima auf Reisen, in Romanen und den Berichten früher Entdecker.

Reviews

[Pandorica · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5

The Death of the Ghost’s Wife by Ima Ahorn is a cozy mystery that, while starting off a bit slow, quickly finds its footing and becomes a really enjoyable read. The first couple of chapters took some time to build momentum, but once the story picked up, I found myself invested and flying through the pages.

The mystery itself was somewhat predictable—I had the culprit narrowed down to three suspects halfway through and was down to two by about the three-quarter mark—but that didn’t take away from the overall charm of the book. Sometimes predictability in a cozy mystery isn’t a flaw, and this one still delivered a satisfying experience.

Darren, the main character, shows genuine growth throughout the story, which made him easy to root for. The side characters were also a highlight: memorable, well-written, and easy to connect with, adding a lot of warmth and personality to the narrative.

Overall, the writing style is accessible and easy to read, with solid pacing once the story gets going. If you’re in the mood for a light, cozy mystery with likable characters and a gentle whodunit, this is definitely worth picking up.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Dave Measner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scottish ghost mystery.
Darren Bagshaw loses it on a client of his ghost walk tour, and loses his job in the process. With fate's fickle timing his roommate kicks him out at the same time, but a broken foot by his beloved granny Erika leads him to the back of beyond to help her with her convalescence. With all around him conspiring to direct his life he ends up with a job as a cleaner for a real estate agent. Darren's abrasive personality puts him in conflict with almost everyone he meets, and at the beginning of the book leaves him as a less than sympathetic hero. An encounter with a ghost at one of the houses he is cleaning leads to the mystery of this story, and a fine one it is. Several interesting characters and a plotline that keeps you guessing along with our protagonist makes for an interesting read and the beginning of a series that hopefully has many outings in it's future.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an intriguing story that kept me guessing. The old people are dying without rhyme or reason. Darren goes to granny Erica's cottage, and the door is unlocked and her purse and phone are there!!?? No granny!!?? This got the adrenaline pumping. I wondered if Erica would survive the ordeal. I was upset and mad at how callous some people can be towards older folks and death. A drama filled and suspenseful read. I voluntarily read a free copy of this book provided by book sirens and am giving an honest review.

[Karla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this mystery story. The characters were quite interesting as well as the setting. Darren is a self absorbed young man who doesn't have much patience for others thoughts and has a hard time restraining his less then complimentary opinion of them. He's moved back to his grandmother's home to help her out while she recovers from her broken foot. As Darren settles into the village life, he works at being more thoughtful. The story gets more involved as surprises pop up.

[Jodi Sweet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this! Grandma Erica is so much fun. I never knew what she was going to do or say. It made her perfect! Darren is a typical guy who is over sure of himself and it sometimes gets him in over his head. But he’s coming around. I think being around his grandmother is going to help. And also finally admitting that ghosts are real!

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Light-hearted and entertaining, I really enjoyed this book. A fast-paced story set on Scotland's beautiful west coast.