I've got to admit, the premise of a ghost somehow investigating a murder drew me in. I was probably more invested in the frustrating situation between Cordelia, the ghost, and Ruby, the living, then sorting out who killed Jake. I love such character driven stories. Their ability to even communicate seemed limited, so how could they work together? What fun to see how they gradually found and then smoothed out their means of communication, albeit Ruby seemed to have a tendency to misread or not even catch some of Cordelia's initially fumbling efforts. Next time something electronic goes poof at my place, I think I may simply blame it on wandering ghosts. Grin.
Cordelia and Ruby basically alternate perspectives, giving us a view of life, er, death from Cordelia's side and Ruby's struggling real life. While there is humor, there is also an air of sadness to the story, one that deals with more than one real world issue. While they're not situated in a bad area, they're not in a good one, either, hence life isn't easy for Ruby. In any case, as the book progresses, we get to experience the frustration Cordelia feels as a ghost watching things happen that she had no power in which to intervene. Cordelia hasn't even been dead long and is still learning the abilities and limits to her powers. Not exactly the ideal working relationship but somehow they make it work.
I found myself genuinely liking both Cordelia and Ruby, even if she never seemed to stop talking. The chasm that existed between the deal and living was seemingly insurmountable and we don't know much about either as the book begins. How will they figure out who killed Jake? For that matter, who'd want to kill Jake? Was his death somehow connected to Cordelia's mysterious, reported suicide earlier? Why can't ghosts remember the details of their death? Will Ruby discover any workable leads from Cordelia's awkward prods? What do Cordelia's "flashbacks" have to do with anything? Why are people fighting over Jake's not particularly great apartment? Why was Jake outside without shoes anyway? And....nope, more than enough teasers. Thanks #StMartin'sPress - #MinotaurBooks for introducing me to this bewildering but fascinating duo. I'm most definitely looking forward to book two after that teaser at the end from Ruby!
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