Mrs. Morris and the Wolfman (Salem B&B Mystery, #7)m by Traci Wilton

 Publication August 23, 2023

The cover is what drew me to this new-to-me series/book. Having not read previous books in the series, I went into it blind but had no trouble sorting out who was who and the relationships quickly. Now, true, I rather wished I knew more about how the ghostly Jack came to be not just there but visible to Charlene Morris but, hey, something tells me I'll be delving back into this series to play catch up soon. As it was, simply knowing he was there, no one else could see him, and he had been a doctor when alive were enough to satisfy me. As for Avery, her sheer energy pretty much wore me out. Ah, youth. Toss in some fun guests, one of whom found out fishing isn't always a leisurely activity, all of whom we're nicely introduced to, and you'll feel right at home.

The mystery itself was intriguing. Who killed Elise during the theater's reopening bash and showing of Lon Chaney's "The Wolfman"? And what's with all the talk of werewolves and ghosts? Well, the story is set in Salem, so such talk is perhaps not that unusual but, whoa, where is all that anguished howling coming from? How could an evening of popcorn and old movies go so wrong? Could the bouquet of wolf's bane have somehow been the weapon? The spouse is always the obvious first suspect, which Darren surely doesn't help with his insistence on opening the theater up again asap. Why is he so secretive about his past? A worker in fear of losing their job? Oh, so many suspects, not to mention red herrings. Charlene, with her seemingly unstoppable need to help others, has her work cut out for her if she hopes to help Sam, the detective, figure out what's going on, not to mention subtly share herbal knowledge Jack is somehow able to find. Did you know ghosts can use computers? 

Bottom line, although it took me a bit to fall into the rhythm of the book, especially since the viewpoint seemed to switch periodically, I enjoyed my intro to this series. I mean, who doesn't love a spooky mystery? Thanks #NetGalley and #KensingtonBooks - #KensingtonCozies for inviting me to spend some time at Charlene's B&B. I'll be back.