How to Marry a Ghost

Lee Bartholomew #2

by Hope McIntyre

Ghostwriter Lee Bartholomew heads to New York to be the maid of honor in her mother's wedding/commitment ceremony (even though she's still married to Lee's father), and to interview for the job of ghostwriting an autobiography by aging rock legend Shotgun Marriott.

But her time in the States doesn't quite go as she planned. First she learns she lost the ghostwriting job to Bettina Santa Cruz, an ambitious hustler much younger than Lee. And the body of a man in a wedding dress washes up right after Lee's mom is married in a beautiful oceanside ceremony--and he turns out to be none other than Shotgun Marriott's estranged son!

When Bettina is also murdered, Lee finds herself stepping into the dead woman's ghosting shoes...and trying to solve a murder before the killer strikes again. 

Genres: Mystery, Relationships, Fiction

354 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Hope McIntyre is a psuedonym for Caroline Upcher.

Reviews

[Susan Gottfried]

A lot of unhealthy relationships.

[Aprille Villarreal · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's the third book in a series and I haven't read the first two. It is good, and entertaining and I actually like the ending. It just drags out where it's unnecessary. Like she didn't get where she was going until half way through.

[Nancy Christie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed the book, in part because I'm a fan of anything Brit and any kind of cozy mystery, and in part because being an author, it was fun to read about a protagonist who was also "in the biz."
I look forward to reading more of her work.

[Lola · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series was entertaining. No great mystery or edge of the seat suspense but good quick airplane reading.

[Elaine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had to skip most of the last 100 pages. Found the character in this story not likeable enough. Too flakey to believe .

[Barbara · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were several dead people involved in this story. But the ghost wasn't who I was expecting!

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable indeed.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although this is the third book in the series, it is the second one I have read. It will probably be the last. McIntyre does not write believable characters except the heroine. All the others are two-dimensional caricatures. I am told this could be said about many crime/mystery books, but I have read many that were much better written. She reminds me of James Patterson in her inability to flesh out a character. She is much better than Patterson at dialogue, so in that sense this is a better book to read than his "nursery rhyme" mysteries. On a positive note, it is a quick read and the plot moves at a consistent pace. She uses the time-tested method of inserting a cliff-hanger at the end of every (and I mean "every") chapter. This serialization works for her and improves an otherwise weak story. There are way too many holes and unanswered questions. For instance, what happens with the crooked, conniving inspector? Who gets which property in the will? Why would an ordinarily sane person murder a woman out of jealousy when there is no evidence of infidelity? What happens at the end of Martha's book? Too many questions, too little patience (on my part).

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ghostwriter Lee Bartholomew leaves London for Long Island to attend her mother's barefoot commitment ceremony in McIntyre's second engaging romp to feature the self-proclaimed neurotic (after 2005's How to Seduce a Ghost). Lee also hopes to snag a memoir gig from reclusive rock legend Shotgun Marriot, but faces competition from fellow scribe Bettina Pleshette. When the body of Marriot's son washes up on the beach, and then Pleshette's corpse is discovered on Marriot's East Hampton estate, the suspects include not only Marriot but also Lee's stepbrother's girlfriend, Frannie, whose fibs and shady past put her in the spotlight, as well as Frannie's son, caretaker of the Marriot estate, who's burdened by his own bumpy history. This was funny, complicated and a real page turner.

[Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book seemed to have all the ingredients that I love : a writer protagonist with a house in Notting Hill, an unsolved mysterious death in the past, a close-knit island community. It should have been a fabulous read but actually it was only so-so. Too many cliches, too many incomprehensible relationships : the aging rock star and his murderous wife, the protagonist's mother and her billionaire lover, young Rufus in love with a woman a decade older. I finished it out of a sense of duty but I did not think this was a well-written mystery.

[Terri · Rating 2 out of 5]

Basically an ok read. I'll now go back to find the first in the series. I know what 'ghost' is in the title, but otherwise, the title makes no sense to the book. The main character is an English ghost writer who travels to the US to write the story of an aging British rocker. Nothing works out very well, and I don't care for many of the characters in the book. The first ghost writer is murdered and then there's another, and there are twists you don't see coming. But, it just didn't draw me in with the writer or the people.

[Nicole · Rating 1 out of 5]

I like mysteries, I like British people, and I like cheeky heroines. These things were all promised to me by the summary, but the novel didn't deliver. The narrative was uneven, with the protagonist veering between bumbling ditz and sharp-minded observer from chapter to chapter. The only truly engaging character is killed off, and the ending is beyond unsatisfactory.

Why are all of these crappy books being printed in hardcover?

[Erin Dombrowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

the mysteries in these books are what kept me interested. thank god these books are not focused on the romantic plot-line...because I would've stopped reading a while ago! that being said, two books-worth of lee bartholomew's neurotic and fear-laden lifestyle and romances is more than enough for me. I might pick up the third one if there's ever a day when I have absolutely nothing else on my shelf to read.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book took me a little longer to get into than her first (How to Seduce a Ghost). I wasn't as interested in the setting and Lee was not as neurotic out of London as she is in London. However, I stuck with it and I'm very glad I did. A character I really liked from the first book showed up and I got more into the plot. Lee feel back into her neurosis and the book redeemed itself.

[Cindi Kelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this one but not as much as the first one. Probably because it was set in America this go around. I got to thinking and I guess you'd consider these cozy. But they aren't the cutesy cozy mysteries I'm use too. I do enjoy British mysteries. So I guess I'll dub this British Cozy Mystery.

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great read in this series. Ghostwriter Lee stumbles into two murders when she agrees to write the story of a onetime rock star living in seclusion in the Hamptons. Lots of storylines and interesting characters.

[Laura kater · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think everyone would like it and it's set in the Hamptons so it's fun knowing this place. It's a murder mystery and I whats sure who did it until the end,which made it even better.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book, but a slow read... Plus, it did keep me guessing until close to the end.

[Annie · Rating 1 out of 5]

This author desperately needs an editor.

[Regan · Rating 4 out of 5]

MUCH better than the first one. I hope How to cook for a ghost come to the U.S. soon.

[Janice · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just loved this book - the mystery was a real page turner. Sure some of it was a little predictable but with as many mysteries as I read that is bound to happen!

[Jerrica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series...so much better than I thought it would be. I can't wait for the next book...not sure when it will be out but soon I hope.

[Lisa Sarnowski · Rating 2 out of 5]

Slow read; definitely needed some editing

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a great book, but certainly enjoyable.

[Sam · Rating 1 out of 5]

never really got captured, by the book. Always seemed like something, was missing.