Death Never Takes a Holiday

In the third of the Ghostwriter series, the author keeps us turning those pages and waiting for the next installment. As the main character, Jake O'Hara, and her coterie of colorful fellow ghostwriters and extended family lead us up and down Manhattan in the chase for the murderer, we get to eat, drink and be merry with a witty and fun group. Enough plot for any mystery devotee. Enjoy!

Noreen Wald's Ghost Writer series is full of fun, witty and imaginative characters as well as simple but twisted plots. All in all, these books are great fun for series mystery readers looking to take a holiday.Death Never Takes a Holiday plunges Jake O'Hara, a ghost writer of mysteries, back into crime solving along with her fellow Ghost Writers. When attending the Crime Writer's Conference with her mother, Maura, and Gypsy Rose as well as her on again off again paramour Dennis Kim, Jake witnesses two murders.Former movie star Holly Halligan and Senator Charles Fiure's deaths cast suspicion on everyone especially the third panelist, cat burglar turned bestseller, Rickie Romero. Jake must discover who killed the Senator and the Star and if and how their lives were linked. Once again the reader gets to follow Jake's pals Modesty, Too Tall Tom and the always intriguing Ben Rubin (Jake's other love interest).As they search the streets of Manhattan and the alley-ways of the past - Jake discovers more than she has bargained for. Jake also learns to deal with her mother's upcoming wedding, her feelings for both Dennis and Ben as well as the possibility that Modesty may have met the love of her life. Will Jake succeed in unmasking the murderer before meeting an untimely end?

Jake O'Hare wants to be a writer, but since living in Manhattan is so expensive, she mostly ghost writes for "real" authors. Jake resides with her mother in their inherited condo. Since ghosting is traumatic, Jake and some associates have formed Ghosts Anonymous to enable them to accept their roles in life. When she is not ghosting, Jake seems to always work a homicide investigation, but death is far from her mind today.Jake intends to enjoy the St. Patrick's Day festivities starting with the parade. Following that event, she plans to attend the Greater New York Crime Writer's Conference that is being given at the Plaza Hotel. At the opening panel, former movie star Holly Halligan, Senator Charles Fiume, and former cat burglar Rickie Romero lead a discussion on "Turning Your Career into Murder." Before they begin, a leprechaun places a pitcher of green beer on the table. Following a toast, the three panelists drink. Two of them convulse and die. Only Romero, a recovering alcoholic failed to actually imbibe the green suds. Jake, her fellow ghosts, and the rest of her motley crew begin to nvestigate the double murders.DEATH NEVER TAKES A HOLIDAY is an amusing amateur sleuth mystery that gives readers keen insight into the role ghost writers play in the publishing world. However, the tale is laced with too many characters involved in too many subplots, leaving bewildered readers struggling to follow the action. Noreen Wald shows her talent that sub-genre fans will appreciate, but hopefully she will save some of her subplots for future novels starring the delightful Jake.Harriet Klausner