Author: Carolyn Hart
ISBN: 978-0-06-087437-7

Click Here To Purchase Merry, Merry Ghost (Bailey Ruth Mysteries, No. 2) 

Bailey Ruth Raeburn is a Ghost.  Bailey and her husband Bobby Mac Raeburn were killed in a boating accident while together and having a great time which was as they would have wished.  Bailey goes to Heaven and gets cabin fever once in a while as she was very good at helping people out of their various problems.  Heaven has a department for this called "The Department of Good Intentions."  Bailey gets a new assignment from the Department Head and although there are many rules to follow (Bailey is not good with rules) while on Earthly missions, Bailey Ruth has every intention of following the rules but sometimes situations arise to get in her way and rules are broken.
 
Bailey has been sent to earth to guard a small boy who has been returned to a family that he did not know about.  Nor, did the family know about his existence.  It's the Christmas season and the setting is a large ranch in Adelaide, Oklahoma where his Grandmother, Susan, and several other people reside.  He is the last male heir in the family as he is the son of Susan's son who was lost in the war.  Susan's son, Mitchell, had run away following an accident that killed his sister, and joined the service and his parents did not know where he was.  Susan was notified of his death while in the service of his country but did not know of a wife or child.  When the boy arrives, he has proof that he is Mitchell's son and Susan asks her lawyer to substantiate the claim.  Susan has no other blood relatives and insists on making the boy her sole heir.  Her previous will leaves her home, a ranch and money to her in-law relatives.  Being the good person that she is she wants to be fair and leaves her in-law relatives life use of the house and ranch and $200,000 each.  Then she notifies the family about what she is going to do.  This starts a real fire storm as the in-laws (including her sister-in-law and niece, along with another niece and nephew and an old friend of her late husband's) are trying to change her mind about leaving everything to her grandson.   Unfortunately, this results in the murder of Susan supposedly before she had a chance to sign a new will and eventually the murder of the lawyer's secretary.
 
Enter, Bailey Ruth.  Bailey can appear and disappear at will and is always seen by children.  So Keith has an "invisible" friend as far as the others in the house are concerned.  She watches him closely and realizes that he has a protector in the family in Peg, Susan's niece.  But, Bailey doesn't keep a close enough watch on Susan, the grandmother.  Bailey keeps bending the rules and giving tips to the chief of police about what is going on by writing on the blackboard in his office and signing her name as Officer M. Loy.  She has a way of getting things done but she rarely escapes her mentor who comes to scold her frequently.  There is suspense up until the end as to who killed Susan and how it will affect the heirs.  The other victim is a secretary who had some information regarding a new will and tried to sell it to one of the heirs.  But, which one?
 
Carolyn Hart is one of my favorite authors.  She has written many books featuring the owner of a Mystery Book Store called Death On Demand and also a Henry O series featuring a scholar who solves murders.  But, this new series about Bailey Ruth has really grabbed me.  This is the second book.  The first is called Ghost at Work and was delightful.   Ms Hart's books are so entertaining and it would be great to read the first one before this but it's not really necessary as the stories are different and the circumstances are explained fully.  It's a wonderful Christmastime tale and I can't wait to see the next one.  So have a good read.