Maeve Gardner kills people for a living. A dodgy occupation perhaps, but as ghostwriter for the long-running Simon Hills mysteries, Maeve has planned the perfect murder time and again and she enjoys it. She dreams of writing something under her own name someday rather than babysitting her adopted character Simon, but at least she’s writing. And as one of the burnt-out souls who’ve run away from dry land to live on London’s waterways, she has the joy of working from the home she a colorful houseboat. Life on the canals is grand, but when her cheating ex-boyfriend turns up floating face down in the water outside her boat, murdered, and the police arrest her, the plot takes a wayward turn.
Suddenly, Maeve is thrust into one of her own crime dramas, complete with missing money, violent thugs, extortion, and conspiracy. Only this time, there is no real-life Simon Hill to come to her aid. Instead, with the help of friends from the river–India, owner of a popular floating bookshop; Paul, the exceedingly attractive landlord of the local pub; and Ash, Maeve’s quiet, nerdy neighbor who is keeping some secrets of his own–Maeve may have a shot at saving herself.
As Maeve and her motley crew of would-be investigators find themselves wondering if they are in over their heads, a killer lurks and won’t hesitate to kill again… (Summary via Goodreads)
WOW !!! A Ghostwriter's Guide to Murder by Melinda Mullet was so fun to read !!
In A Ghostwriter's Guide to Murder readers are introduced to main character Maeve Gardner, her loveable dog Captain and a group of people who become true friends when she finds she needs their help and they deliver !!
Maeve lives on a houseboat and writes about murders for a long standing Simon Hills mystery series. Little did she know that she was going to become the main suspect in a real life murder !!! Maeve catches Captain biting into a rubber tire bumper on the dock. When she goes to check it out, she finds money hidden into the hole. She knows it isn't hers so she returns it to it's hiding spot and goes to the police to report it. When she returns with the cops, the money is gone !! And while the police are there, they discover a body floating in the water .... and it turns out to be her ex-boyfriend, Gavin.
Maeve hasn't seen Gavin in months since they broke up and he moved on with the woman he cheated on her with. Even though she hated him and what he did she didn't want to have him dead and to die that way. But the police aren't so sure and when the murder weapon is determined to be something on her boat with her fingerprints on it, she is arrested for his murder.
Luckily while Maeve is at the police station her friends, India, Paul, and Ashley decide to do some investigating themselves. Soon each of them has their own line of research going and hopefully one of them will clear Maeve.
Fortunately Maeve is released from jail and can also help with the investigating. She needs to clear her name so she can return to her life of just writing about murders.
I have found that books written with characters living on houseboats is quite fascinating. I am not a boat person and am very claustrophobic so you would never find me doing it but I cannot help but appreciate those that do, even if it is in a story.
Readers will enjoy this book with the author providing viewpoints of the main characters by designating chapters to what they are doing. It allows the reader to see all the different "balls in the air" that this story requires .... and even though Mullet doesn't designate them for Captain, you are provided with little tidbits here and there.
If you cannot tell, I will say it to be sure, I highly recommend grabbing your copy of A Ghostwriter's Guide to Murder, a comfy seat and let Mullet entertain you for a spell.
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