Ghost to the Rescue

Bailey Ruth #6

by Carolyn G. Hart

New York Times bestselling author Carolyn Hart’s ghostly gumshoe Bailey Ruth Raeburn is frequently amusing…but this is the first time she’s been a muse.

When you wish upon a star, you get…Bailey Ruth? You do if you’re a little girl whose mom needs help and you touch the soft heart of Supervisor Wiggins at Heaven’s Department of Good Intentions. Granted it’s not the usual task of an emissary, but then again Bailey Ruth is not your usual emissary. So Wiggins dispatches the spunky spirit to her old hometown of Adelaide, Oklahoma, to help a single mother and struggling writer find some creative solutions to her problems.

Deidre Davenport is just about broke, trying to support her two children, and has her hopes pinned on getting a faculty job with the Goddard College English department. Jay Knox, who is in charge of the writer’s conference she’s participating in, will decide who gets the job, but he’s more interested in her body than her body of work.

Not long after his advances are rejected, Knox turns up dead—and Deirdre’s fingerprints are found on the murder weapon. Bailey Ruth knows Deirdre is innocent, and that the professor’s lewd behavior is bound to have rubbed others the wrong way. Now she must find out who really knocked off Knox...if Deirdre and her family are ever going to have a happy ending.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Paranormal, Fiction, Audiobook, Cozy, Ghosts

288 pages, Hardcover

First published October 6, 2015

About the author

Also writing as Carolyn Hart.

An accomplished master of mystery with 46 published books, Carolyn Hart is the creator of the highly acclaimed Henrie O,Death on Demand, and Bailey Ruth Raeburn series. Her books have won multiple Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity Awards. Letter from Home (2003), her standalone mystery set in Oklahoma, was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. Her latest book is Dead by Midnight (William Morrow/HarperCollins, 2007). She is one of the founders of Sisters in Crime, an organization for women who write mysteries. She lives in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma."
New Books: Dead By Midnight Carolyn Hart


DEAD BY MIDNIGHT by Carolyn Hart On Sale March 29

The police say suicide. Annie Darling suspects murder. Max is unconvinced until Annie follows a trail behind the dead woman's house.

Annie unravels the mystery of a towel hidden at midnight in a gazebo, the interesting lack of fingerprints on a crystal mug, blood on a teenager's blue shirt, and the secret of a lovers' tryst. Max plunges deep into the woods to find incriminating evidence.

Annie sets the perfect trap for a merciless killer, but her cell phone rings and Death is on the line.

www.CarolynHart.com

And for cat lovers:

DEAD BY MIDNIGHT by Carolyn Hart

I love to have fun when writing a mystery. If I laugh, I think a reader will laugh. In the Death on Demand series, I especially enjoy writing about Annie Darling's ditzy mother-in-law, Laurel Roethke. Laurel is usually excited about a new interest, something that surprises and often confounds Annie.

In Dead by Midnight, Laurel creates Cat Truth Posters, which she wants Annie to hang in the bookstore. Annie thinks books should be the store's focus, but the posters enchant her.

Each poster features a cat's photograph with a caption. Here are three of the Cat Truth posters;

. . . a silky furred, mitted, and bicolored Ragdoll stretched out on a red silk cushion, looking as comfy as Eva Longoria in a Hanes ad: Go with the Flow.

A rectangular-muzzled, green-eyed, cholocolate colored cat appeared as brooding as a Gothic hero: Always Say Yes to Adventure.

. . . a thick-furred, piebald Siberian forest cat, its white front a brilliant contrast to a charcoal back and head. Its face appeared almost angelic: Always try a Smile First.

And yes, one of the posters points to a killer.

Fun for me and fun, I hope for readers

Reviews

[Una · Rating 3 out of 5]

Carolyn Hart has long been one of my favorite authors and I have always thoroughly enjoyed this series, however, this one seemed to drag a bit and there were way too many descriptions of the outfits that Bailey Ruth was choosing. Yes, Bailey Ruth is very vain and I dearly love fashion, but the descriptions seemed to interrupt the flow of the story a bit too much. The story was a good one and kept my interest, but I started getting frustrated with the interruptions and just wanted the story to continue.

[Hali Jacobs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy Bailey Ruth in this series. I can't wait for the next one. A ghost that solves crimes. I can't get enough of this character.

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have always loved the Bailey Ruth books. They have all been so good and fun reading until...dun dun dun...this one. It rehashed the story so often I thought I was in Groundhog Day. Too much emphasis on her clothes. That being said I finished the book and will consider the next book in the series. Hope it picks back up.

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sometimes you just have to wonder about the ridiculousness that author’s get away with. Even I am beginning to wonder why I read the books in the series, but I do. I think it all boils down to hope – I hope that each book will be better.

The premise is good, an emissary from Heaven sent back to earth to help a deserving person who is in some sort of peril. Unfortunately, the emissary from the department of good intentions (really, I could not make that up myself) seems more interested in her current wardrobe then following precepts set out and when you would think that a heavenly emissary would be infused with some sort of special power to right the wrongs, you would be wrong. Bailey Ruth, the aforementioned ambassador, seems to be just as much in the dark as everyone around her.

Deidre Davenport is trying to keep her financial life in order and is crossing her fingers for a teaching position in the English department of a local college. Smarmy Jay Knox, who is in charge of the department and will be making the decision, is found dead and it looks like Deidre is the one with the most reason for wanting him out of the picture. With Deidre’s fingerprints on the champagne bottle, it is up to Bailey Ruth and her curious tactics to clear Deidre and ensnare the real culprit.

With multiple wardrobe changes and too many names bandied about, the story is eventually told. Unfortunately, there is too much rehashing of the story line and too little story progression. The reader is easily bored and finds that they are wandering over to the bookshelf to see what else they could sink their teeth into.

[Linda Brue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bailey Ruth never met nor memorized a heavenly precept that she couldn't break within moments of arriving upon Earth to begin her mission. Poor Wiggins, heavenly train station master, certainly has his work cut out for him in managing this beguiling, frustrating, true-hearted, and--let's say "creative" emissary from heaven. He knows she always means well. But her missions constantly go awry. This time she has a simple job--Deirdre, a young woman writer now alone after her husband deserted her, with two children to support--has writer's block. She just can't seem to get a story idea down on paper, and she is in desperate need of money to provide for herself and her children. Bailey Ruth, a former English teacher, should be able to help with that, right? So how does it come to happen that in less than a day Deirdre is in danger of being arrested for murder?

The sixth book in this series, and I've loved each and every one. Bailey Ruth is a good-hearted person who just can't seem to help getting too involved with the people she is supposed to inspire and encourage. She can't seem to obey the precepts of her job (especially numbers 1, 3, 4, 5, & 6). Number 4 (remaining invisible) might not even be there, for all the attention she pays to THAT one. But she does SO enjoy fashion! And although she does not want to admit it, she is rather vain about her appearance.

If you want a gentle read that will leave you chuckling and will leave a smile on your face when it ends, try Hart's Bailey Ruth series.

[Linda Wallace · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually rate the Bailey Ruth books as a 4, but this one didn’t seem to have the same compelling plot as others. I find Bailey Ruth a charming character and love her fashion changes, but the outfit changes seemed a little excessive this time, but then again, not every book,can be as good or better than the previous. I’ll definitely read more in the series.

[Chelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Despite the great reviews, I found this book very slow and read only 3/4 of it and have lost interest.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Ghost to the Rescue” is a light-hearted murder-mystery that begins when heaven’s emissary Bailey Ruth Raeburn is sent to Adelaide, Oklahoma to help struggling author Deirdre Davenport to not only get the teaching job she applied for at Goddard College, but to help break her writer’s block by giving her inspiration. What Bailey and the financially broke mother of two don’t expect is that Professor Jay Knox the womanizing chair of the writer’s conference and the job selection coordinator will be murdered and that Deirdre is the key suspect.

Fast-paced and humorous Bailey Ruth breaks the rules to uncover the identity of Jay Knox’s killer before Deirdre is arrested for murder. Disguised as Officer Loy and new magazine editor Judy Hope she unearths clues to Jay Knox’s seedier side discovering more than one motive for his death, giving any evidence to Police Chief Sam Caleb and Detective Sergeant Hall Price for further investigation.

With twists that include a budding romance between Hal and Deirdre, blackmail, a rejected lover and another death, the action never stops as suspense and tension build. Well-written with witty dialogue as Bailey Ruth spars with Paul Wiggins, the head of Heaven’s Department of Good Intentions the plot progresses smoothly to a surprising murderer and motive at the end.

Carolyn Hart creates realism and complexity in her characters as they struggle to hide their intense dislike and possible motive for murdering Jay Knox. Desperate and broke Deirdre Davenport is open, spontaneous, smart and determined to get the job in the creative writing department at Goddard. A good-looking single mom she becomes prey to the advances of the spoiled, dissolute son of one of Adelaide’s influential families. A sleazy womanizer Professor Jay Knox stubbornly refuses to give up on his prey until he ends up dead and she becomes the chief suspect. But Bailey Ruth Raeburn a heavenly sleuth and fashion connoisseur is certain she can find the killer. Straightforward, resourceful, spirited and often impulsive she enlists the help of confident and commanding Police Chief Sam Cobb and the ruggedly handsome Detective Sergeant to uncover the identity of the real culprit.

Like all of Carolyn G. Hart’s Bailey Ruth series, I thoroughly enjoyed “Ghost to the Rescue” with its unique ghostly approach to solving a murder mystery.

[Gretchen Bernet-Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun read and easy to follow but a little bit dated in writing style and attitude, with copious amounts of clothing references and repetition to drive a point. In this story author Carolyn Hart has a penchant for describing the characters faces, hairstyles and outfits from head-to-shoes and no man or woman is safe from a fashion/personality critique. This is achieved through the protagonist Bailey Ruth Raeburn, a spirit from Oklahoma who is written in first-person and being a ghostly soul can get away with it. She is a sticky-beak, a bit of a schemer, who helps people in trouble even when they are not aware of it. In this case her earthly friend Deirdre is the person suspected of murder at a writers convention. I certainly hope writers conventions are not as self-centred and mean as this one, talk about cut-throat publishers and truly frantic authors. There is body morphing and deceptive clothing changes and at one stage ghostly Bailey admits that after various hair and costume deviations, she does like just being herself.

Meanwhile, in the resort-style setting, there is serious police investigation work going on which is combined with Bailey ‘helping out’ while ignoring the Precepts For Earthly Visitation and the coal-smoking train pick up from her boss Supervisor Wiggins. She notices/encourages comment between most of the characters except of course the murdered one whom I had no liking for anyway (and why wasn’t he a ghost?). There is a lot of discussion, surmising, guessing and general back-and-forth with many names and character changes to keep track of and I felt like Bailey herself. Quote ‘I concentrated to recall how I’d appeared to each person. The various personae were beginning to confuse me.’ She has interesting fashion sense but I am unclear how she can transform into a changed, fashionably clothed woman and be seen/unseen by living breathing ordinary people and not look like she drowned at sea. For example the frisson with handsome police chief Sam Cobb. Not to be taken too seriously although being an older series you can binge read to find out exactly what is going on.

[E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Ghost to the Rescue” by Carolyn Hart is part of the ‘Bailey Ruth Ghost Mysteries’ series. Bailey Ruth Raeburn is assigned to return to Earth to help writer Deidre Davenport, who is struggling to support her children and desperate to obtain a prestigious job and get past her writer’s block. There are many rules circumscribing Bailey Ruth’s visit, too bad she has trouble remembering them when a murder casts suspicions on Deirdre, and Bailey Ruth must prove her charge’s innocence, take care of her assignment, and dodge her supervisor until the killer is found. In other words, business as usual.

This paranormal mystery stars the intrepid ghost Bailey Ruth, who throws herself wholeheartedly into her assignments and constantly schemes to circumvent the strictures placed on her. She is such a joyous spirit and embraces her tasks so enthusiastically, that it is fun to watch her justify her actions—and her clothing choices! The glimpse of the vicious jockeying and challenges of being a writer gives an interesting twist to the story, but the best part is watching the various characters interact with the quirky ghost who assumes multiple personas.

It is obvious from the reactions of some of the secondary characters that several of them can claim previous interaction with Bailey Ruth but it’s pretty remarkable that her supervisor is willing to continue to send her on assignments, given how far over the line she goes—including her propensity for appearing and disappearing! Although this is part of a series, the tale can definitely be read as a stand-alone story and I think those who love cozy mysteries and/or whimsical ghost stories will enjoy it.

A copy of this title was provided to me for review, a version of which was submitted to Night Owl Reviews

[George · Rating 4 out of 5]

#6 in the Bailey Ruth Raeburn formerly of Adelaide, Oklahoma mystery series with humor. First of all, Bailey is dead and second she is an emissary from Heaven’s Department of Good Intentions who is dispatched to Earth to help individuals who are struggling. She is supposed to adhere to the department's 8 Precepts when on Earth, but can be counted upon to break as many as possible driving her supervisor Paul Wiggins batty while still managing to get the job done in very unorthodox fashion.

Bailey is there to help Deidre Davenport, a single mother of 2, who is just about broke, needs the faculty job she's applied for while Jay Knox who makes the choice wants her to have sex with him or she doesn't get the job. She is thirty something, has published several books with her last 2 unpublished and suffering from writer's block. Somehow Bailey is supposed to fix this all up so Deidre manages to come out on top. Yes, she manages to break at least 3 of the Precepts in the first few minutes of her arrival and repeatedly throughout the story. She is also working hand-in-glove with the local police chief.

Things become complicated when after Knox's advances are rejected, he turns up dead with Deirdre’s fingerprints on the murder weapon. Bailey is sure Knox’s lewd behavior has rubbed others the wrong way and must find the murderer if she is help Deidre.

[k.eleanor.s · Rating 1 out of 5]

You can skip this one without missing much.
I was really disappointed in the insensitive way Carolyn Hart portrayed the sexual harassment. It is absolutely unforgivable and horrific that a man in power would try to force a woman to sleep with him because she desperately needs a job and he is in charge of hiring. Quid pro quo should be treated as sexual assault. The situation that starts this story is basically swept away into a pile of “he’s sleazy,” instead of “he’s a PREDATOR.”

And I’m not even going to mention all the additional arrests that should have occurred based on the male faculty party where many underage and even under 18 year old girls were supplied with alcohol until consent was impossible. -oops! Guess I just mentioned it after all.- We should assume that the Police Chief looks into that after the murder investigation wraps up, but we should have seen that unfold because it’s a significant crime that Bailey Ruth should have helped uncover thoroughly.

These issues are not given enough gravity or significance in the story. Hart makes it seem like it’s not a big deal, which is demeaning to real life victims.
I was expecting better from Hart because I like this series.

[Barb · Rating 5 out of 5]

New York Times bestselling author Carolyn Hart's ghostly gumshoe Bailey Ruth Raeburn is frequently amusing...but this is the first time she's been a muse.
Supervisor Wiggins at Heaven's Department of Good Intentions dispatches Bailey Ruth to her old hometown of Adelaide, Oklahoma, to help a single mother and struggling writer. Deidre Davenport is almost broke, supporting two children, and hoping to get a faculty job with the Goddard College English Department. Professor Jay Knox is the one who decides who gets the job, but he's more interested in Deidre's body than her body of work.
Shortly after his advances are rejected, Knox turns up dead—with Deidre's fingerprints found on the murder weapon. Bailey Ruth knows her charge is innocent. Now, she must find out who really knocked off Knox if Deidre and her family are ever going to have a happy ending...
A cute 'musing' read. Keeps the pages turning. 5 stars.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bailey Ruth is sent back to Adelaide in response to a child's wish upon a star, to help a struggling single mother. Deidre is a writer, hoping for a job on the English faculty at the local college to support her kids. Jay Knox will decide between her and another, but he indicates he expects her to sleep with him to get the job. She is also stalled in her writing, and Bailey Ruth is supposed to inspire her. When Knox turns up dead, Deirdre is framed for it, so of course BR has to stay until she is cleared. Since this all occurs in the middle of a writers' conference (where Deirdre is one of the speakers), and Knox is such a repellent individual, there is a plethora of possible murderers for her to sort out. Good quick read.

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Around the Year in 52 Books 2018 Reading Challenge. A ghost story.

Deidre Davenport is in dire circumstances. She is in need of a good paying job, raising her two children with little help from their father, and now she is suspected of murder. Can Bailey Ruth solve the case and save this family? Deirdre was hoping to get a teaching job at the local college, but the man in charge of making the decision is a horrid man and now he is dead. Evidence points to Deidre, but there were many who did not like this man. Can Bailey Ruth point Sam Cobb toward the real murderer? Along the way, a bit of romance seems to be evolving. Great interactions between Sam and Bailey Ruth.

[Carole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bailey Ruth has another case; an author has hit a roadblock and needs some help getting past it. Her little daughter has sent a message to heaven requesting help for her mother since they are almost penniless and need a new book. Now Deirdre is being accused of murder, of the man she was hoping to get a job from at the college. Now Bailey Ruth has an even bigger job to do, clear Deidre of the murder.

[Val · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Bailey Ruth ghost novel. This time Bailey is sent to earth to help a young single mum attain a faculty job which will help her survival. Two people are up for the job. When Deidre Davenport refuses the lewd advances of the man in charge of the decision it looks as if the other person will get the appointment. When the decision maker turns up dead, the first person to be suspected is Deidre. Bailey Ruth has the job of proving Deidre innocent and exposing the real culprit.

[Regan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bailey Ruth returns (again) to Adelaide to rescue someone in need. This time it's actually a fun idea of a writer's conference with editor, agent and self-published characters. I do agree with Bailey Ruth though....she wants to venture off to ports outside of Adelaide....even though she's building a great working relationship with Sheriff Cobb I'd like to see her do some traveling.

[Susan B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the book, I liked the novelty of Bailey Ruth being an emissary tto earth. Being the sixth book in the series I kind of missed how the Sheriif Sam and Deteective Hal came to be looking for her ghost when the red head was sighted. NIce twist. A nice break from long drawn out novels. God summer or weekend read.

[Susan Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bailey Ruth worked overtime in this book. And kept breaking the 'precepts' by showing herself to people but she always had a good excuse ready! and keeping someone safe and out of jail trumps everything!

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carolyn Hart can take a dead person, create the Good Intentions Department in Heaven...and make a wonderful series....the pitfalls of being invisible, the realities of not being alive and the strict precepts to follow make for a great mystery full of laughs.

[Chrissy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book as part of my book club. It was easy to follow along without reading the first ones. It can be enjoyed independently. My favorite charactor was the litrle girl near the end, although I'm not sure her purpose.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy the Bailey Ruth series. And the narrator of the audiobooks does a good job of changing voices for the various characters. I think Bailey Ruth's obsession with fashion in this book went too far. She's been on the edge of pushing the envelope, but it was to the point of irritating in this book.

The murder mystery is always interesting and Bailey Ruth's efforts to help on behalf of heaven's department of intentions will have you chuckling.

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bailey Ruth called to help Deirdre Davenport, a single mom who is at a writer's conference and hoping to get a job at Goddard College. Her daughter Kate is at camp and her son Joey is staying with his Dad.

[Suzanne Bratcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Ghost to the Rescue" is one of my favorites of this fun series. If you're a writer and have ever been to a writers' conference, I can almost guarantee you'll enjoy it as much as I did. Filled with characters you'll recognize from this setting, the plot line will delight.

[Netta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining easy, one day read. Great for a gloomy rainy day.

[Desi Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVE Bailey Ruth!!! I am a big fan of Carolyn Hart, but I just love this series!

[Elsie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love this fun series set in Oklahoma. Bailey Ruth makes me laugh and anytime you can combine a good mystery with laughter, I am in.

[KIKI09 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good to the end

Love Bailey Ruth. Always getting in trouble with appearing and disappearing. It's always difficult to figure out- who done it.

[LORI WALKER · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good story, fast moving.