What's a Ghoul to Do? (Ghost Hunter Mystery, #1)

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What's a Ghoul to Do? (Ghost Hunter Mystery #1)

by Victoria Laurie (Goodreads Author)

3.82 of 5 stars 3.82 · rating details · 3,749 ratings · 309 reviews

M.J., her partner Gilley, and their client, the wealthy, de-lish Dr. Steven Sable, are at his family's lodge, where his grandfather allegedly jumped to his death from the roof-although Sable says it was foul play. But the patriarch's isn't the only ghost around. The place is lousy with souls, all with something to get off their ghoulish chests. Now M.J. will have to to que...more

Mass Market Paperback, 281 pages

Published April 3rd 2007 by Signet

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Lists with This Book

Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke

Abby Cooper, Psychic Eye by Victoria Laurie

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith

Best Cozy Mystery Series

7th out of 676 books — 666 voters

What's a Ghoul to Do? by Victoria Laurie

Paranormal Cozy Mysteries

4th out of 149 books — 117 voters

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Nov 28, 2009 faeriemyst rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, mystery-cozy, brain-candy, authors-behaving-badly, library-loan, author-cuts-nose-off-to-spite-face, you-could-not-pay-me-enough-to-read, abandoned-series

I was really excited to read this book because I love the Psychic Eye Mysteries Victoria Laurie also writes. I'm not a picky reader, but I'm sorry, this didn't quite do it for me and I ended up very disappointed.

I was hoping they'd be different from the P. E. Mysteries, but still have similar elements of style. Even though I like romance, this book was supposed to be a mystery, hence A Ghost Hunter Mystery on the cover, but the mystery is thrown in around the rather awkwardly written romance bet...more I was really excited to read this book because I love the Psychic Eye Mysteries Victoria Laurie also writes. I'm not a picky reader, but I'm sorry, this didn't quite do it for me and I ended up very disappointed.

I was hoping they'd be different from the P. E. Mysteries, but still have similar elements of style. Even though I like romance, this book was supposed to be a mystery, hence A Ghost Hunter Mystery on the cover, but the mystery is thrown in around the rather awkwardly written romance between M. J. and Steven. I did think the first chapter was good because I thought M. J. would be different than Abby and more antisocial and a bit cranky (at least that's what I got from the first chapter), but then she ended up giggling throughout the whole book (seriously). What I like about the P. E. Mysteries are that they are fresh, fun, very well written, and the characters are (for the most part) believable. Not to mention, I got extremely tired of reading Steven's choppy English ('what do you say...?', 'Yes, that too', etc.), which made the dialogue even choppier and flatter than it already was, not to mention irritating as all get out. I don't know why V. L. couldn't have made him more fluent in English, especially since he was so well educated, it would only have been a small tweak in the plot. But I've noticed Ms. Laurie has a bit of a redundancy problem in her books, even if I do love Abby Cooper, Psychic Eye, which has the 'liar, liar, pants on fire' repetition, where when someone lies, Abby's 'inborn lie detector' goes off with that chant.

Overall, the dialogue was choppy, the plot and mystery were subpar, the characters were clichés and unbelievable (Doc was a nice addition though), and the whole book badly needed editing. I would not recommend this, although I'm sure many (as seen in the numerous four and five star ratings) would like this as it's not completely horrible; it's just not very fresh even if the subject is interesting. I haven't quite made up my mind if I'll pick up the next in the series.(less)

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Feb 12, 2013 Ashley (The Bibliophile's Corner) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Originally on my blog

Cover Talk: I’m pretty sure I’ve said it before, but I just love covers for cozy mystery series. They are always so eye-catching.

Why I Read It: The Book Nympho is doing a read-a-long for the series this year and I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to finally get my hands on this book .

Characters: M. J.’s medium skills are more than just a job. It’s all she’s ever known. Watching shows like Ghost Whisperer and Medium, I always picture characters with this gift like th...more Originally on my blog

Cover Talk: I’m pretty sure I’ve said it before, but I just love covers for cozy mystery series. They are always so eye-catching.

Why I Read It: The Book Nympho is doing a read-a-long for the series this year and I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to finally get my hands on this book .

Characters: M. J.’s medium skills are more than just a job. It’s all she’s ever known. Watching shows like Ghost Whisperer and Medium, I always picture characters with this gift like this as tough, but prone to crying. A lot. That is not the case here with M. J. She is definitely tough, and instead of of crying, she

Gilley is M. J.’s partner and without him, she would be lost. Between one night stands with lovesick men and trying to get M. J. into the dating world, Gilley runs the hardside of the business. I think perhaps the most interesting part of his character is how scared he is of the homes that M. J. is trying to bust. He stays in the van and monitors safely from the inside.

Steven Sable Jr., A.K.A. Dr. Delicious, provides quite the case for M.J. Good looking and successful, his business just might be the big profile case that M. J. needs. The only really irritating thing about this character is his English. Or rather, his not knowing English that well. I just find it a bit unbelievable that a successful doctor in the U.S. doesn’t have a solid grip on the nations language. But maybe that’s just me.

Plot/World-building: From the first page, Laurie did a great job at pulling me in. M. J. is in the midst of a case, seals up a portal, and calls it a day. I really love M. J. and her blunt, no-nonsense attitude about her gift. There is no beating around bush and she does not talk to clients softly. She is upfront from the beginning and “sorry-not-sorry” if you don’t believe her.

After Steven convinces M. J. to take his case, the trio head up to his hunting lodge and are immediately thrust into a haunted situation. The TV’s are turning on, people are getting pushed on the stairs, the elevator is going up and down on it’s own. Some creepy things for sure, but to make it even more interesting, there is someone very much alive trying to stop Steven and M. J. from solving his grandfather’s “suicide”.

The only part of this book that bothers me a bit is the romance between Steven and M. J. I just don’t particularly care for them together, but more than that, I just don’t care for Steven that much. Sure, he’s good looking, but dear lord, he needs to learn English…

Final Thoughts: Ghostbusters, mediums, creepy house, pesty ghosts. It was definitely a great read and I can’t wait to read the rest of the series.(less)

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Jan 31, 2013 Drebbles rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2007

Although ghost buster M.J. Holliday finds Dr. Steven Sable attractive, they initially clash when he wants to hire her to investigate strange happenings at his grandfather's lodge. M.J. doesn't allow her clients to help her but Sable insists and she reluctantly gives in at the insistence of her partner Gilley. Although his death was labeled a suicide, Steven isn't convinced his grandfather killed himself and is hoping his ghost will help clear things up. When they get to the lodge, they find ther...more Although ghost buster M.J. Holliday finds Dr. Steven Sable attractive, they initially clash when he wants to hire her to investigate strange happenings at his grandfather's lodge. M.J. doesn't allow her clients to help her but Sable insists and she reluctantly gives in at the insistence of her partner Gilley. Although his death was labeled a suicide, Steven isn't convinced his grandfather killed himself and is hoping his ghost will help clear things up. When they get to the lodge, they find there is more than one ghost there, but at first the ghosts seem to be playing harmless pranks like turning on all the TV sets in the lodge, even when they are unplugged. But the ghosts soon turn violent and Gilley is hurt. Not only that, but when M.J. and Steven are trapped and almost killed they realize it's not only ghosts they are dealing with but a very much alive murderer.

"What's a Ghoul to Do" is the first book in Victoria Laurie's new Ghost Hunter Mystery series and it's a nice beginning. Laurie is a talented writer who makes the paranormal aspects of the book very real and believable. She does a good job of explaining M.J.'s powers and how she picks up on the energy of ghosts and how she's able to help the ghosts cross over once they are ready. Adding to the believability is how all the characters accept the existence of the ghosts - there's a wonderful scene in the book where a character matter-of-factly plays chess with the ghost of Steven's grandfather. There's a nice sense of humor throughout the book like when M.J. calls out "ghost is clear" after ridding a house of its ghostly inhabitants and the fact that Gilley is actually afraid of ghosts. M.J. also has a pet parrot, Doc, who adds a lot of humor and fun to the book. All of the characters, Gilley included, are well developed. M.J. is a nice heroine, good at her job, attracted to Steven, a/k/a/ Dr. Delicious. Her longtime friendship with the gay Gilley adds a lot to the book. Steve is one of the best-developed characters in the book, largely due to his tumultuous relationship with his father. Laurie straddles a fine line with his character as his first language is not English and he tends to mangle words, which could have been annoying after a while, but is instead endearing.

"What's A Ghoul to Do" is a good paranormal mystery. (less)

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Jan 28, 2013 Sally906 rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, mystery

MJ Holliday and her partner, Gilley are ghostbusters. She is growing very popular ridding places of spooks who seem to want to linger for various reasons. Gilley is terrified of ghosts – but a whiz with the broken down equipment that is required to assist locating recalcitrant ghosties – he stays outside in the safety of the van. Dr. Steven Sable, hires them to find out what happened to his recently departed grandfather. The grandfather has been written off as a suicide victim and he has been se...more

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May 25, 2012 Laurel Bradshaw rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: cozy-mystery, ghosts, paranormal, boston, 21st-century

I almost gave this 4 stars, but I think it has room to grow as a series. I liked the ghost hunting aspect. Some of the spectral activity seemed a bit over the top, but the author is a clairvoyant and a police psychic, so I'll give her the benefit of the doubt. I loved the gay sidekick, Gilley, and the African parrot, Doc. M.J. I'm not too sure about yet - perhaps her personality will develop more in time. Steven Sable - nice romantic interest, but the running joke with his English started wearin...more

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May 01, 2012 Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars

I picked up this book because my fiancé recommended the series. Since we have the same taste in books I figured that I was in good hands. Now, I will admit that at the beginning I was concerned that this story would just be another see-through dime store romance novel with a little paranormal thrown in but I was pleasantly surprised that I managed to read through it as quickly as I did. The Author's wit and sarcasm as well as a strong female character really do make this book worth reading. If...more

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Nov 18, 2011 Duesterwald-Online rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romantasy

Inhalt:
M.J Holliday hat eine außergewöhnliche Gabe – sie kann mit Geistern kommunizieren und ihnen helfen, ins Jenseits überzutreten. Gemeinsam mit ihrem besten Freund Gilley betreibt sie daher eine Geisterjägeragentur.
Doch die finanzielle Lage sieht alles andere als rosig aus und so kommt der Auftrag des reichen Dr. Steven Sable gerade zur rechten Zeit.
Steven hat vor kurzem das Haus seines verstorbenen Großvaters geerbt und irgendetwas stimmt dort nicht. Außerdem bezweifelt er, dass der Tod s...more

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Aug 17, 2011 Danni rated it 3 of 5 stars

What's a Ghoul to Do? is the first book in the Ghost Hunter Mystery series by Victoria Laurie. In it a medium, by the name of M. J. Holliday works as a ghostbuster, going to haunted homes and coaxing ghosts into crossing over (Or trapping them in another dimension if they're not quite willing to do as she asks.) But she seems to have met her match when Dr. Steven Sable Jr. asks her to help him figure out what really happened to his grandfather, who has yet to cross over. The problem? Apparently...more

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May 17, 2011 Kathy Davie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, romance

I'd'a given it a 2.5 but it's not possible.

What is with this title? There are no ghouls in this story at all? Wait. I know. At the printer's, they threw the wrong cover on the wrong story… Unless…this is part of the hokiness and "ghoul" is supposed to be cute for "girl"?

Anyway, it's the first in the Ghost Hunter paranormal romance series.

The Story
This is cute. Ghostbusters 'R Us. A psychic partners up with her childhood playmate: she sends ghosts on to their eternal reward and he handles the bu...more

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Dec 09, 2007 Laura rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: chicklit, paranormal, december2007

I was so excited to read this, as I love the author's Abby Cooper Psycic Eye books. Unfortunately, the only thing that pulled this up from 1 star is Doc the pet bird. There was far too much set up, like the whole first half, before I felt like we were into any kind of mystery. And I just did not buy any of the forgetting of English slang, struggle with words. It just sounded so fake, and really got to be distracting. I don't plan to read any others if this really does turn into a series.

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Jun 04, 2011 Lura (The Life of Serendipity) rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone that loves a Ghoulish mystery ; )

M.J. Holliday has two rules. One, she and her partner, Gilley Gillespie, work alone; and two, she doesn't date clients. But when handsome Dr. Steven Sable needs her help, the specter-spotting sleuth is ready to break both of her rules.

It seems the hot doc's grandfather jumped from the roof of the family lodge in an apparent suicide. But Dr. Sable knows in his bones it was foul play, and strange things keep happening at the lodge. He'll hire M.J. and Gilley- but only if he can come along. Hey, th...more M.J. Holliday has two rules. One, she and her partner, Gilley Gillespie, work alone; and two, she doesn't date clients. But when handsome Dr. Steven Sable needs her help, the specter-spotting sleuth is ready to break both of her rules.

It seems the hot doc's grandfather jumped from the roof of the family lodge in an apparent suicide. But Dr. Sable knows in his bones it was foul play, and strange things keep happening at the lodge. He'll hire M.J. and Gilley- but only if he can come along. Hey, the duo needs the money- and looking at eye candy all weekend doesn't sound to bad, either...

But once they reach the lodge, the three realize they're dealing with more ghosts then just Grandpa Sable's. And the spooks keep playing nasty tricks on their human visitors. To the untrained eye, it would appear that ghouls just want to have fun. But M.J. knows they're communicating their distress- and it's up to her to figure out why...

I picked this book up because I've read Victoria Laurie series, Psychic Eye Mystery which I totally love. I read this book and thought to myself that Victoria Laurie knows what she's doing! She writes great books that keep you interested and on the edge of your seat. I really loved reading 'What's a Ghoul to do?' and I can't wait to get the next book in the Ghost Hunter series Demons are a Ghoul's best friend!

Plot - ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ I really enjoyed the plot. It had that certain something that kept you wanting to read more and more.
Writing - ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ The writing was good and I really enjoyed reading Victoria Laurie's work! What I loved that I didn't have to go and look up works, or I didn't go through the book wondering when it was going to be over.
Characters - ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ I really thought the characters were well thought out and molded. I really enjoyed M.J. ball busting seriousness and her sixth sense for the ultra-weird, Gilley's flirtatious attitude and hacking abilities, and Dr. Steven Sable's dedication to his patients and his non-stop prodding in trying to get M.J. to loosen up and to have a good time.

Mary Jane 'M.J.' Holliday - M.J. has always been able to communicate with the dead and help them cross over to the other side. Now some cross overs are easy and quick but some can be right now nasty and dangerous if she isn't careful. M.J. and her partner, who is also her long time best friend, Gilley have be hired by Dr. Steven Sable to prove the his Grandfather did not commit suicide. M.J. agrees to do the job, but their is on complication; Dr. Sable wants to come along and that is a big no-no in M.J.'s book. She doesn't want to bring him along afraid that all he would do is get in the way, but he won't have it any other way. M.J. is a ball busting, serious woman when it comes to her work. She doesn't fool around while she's around the dead fearing that they might come across friendly and nice, but can't turn ugly if they don't like what they see that M.J. is doing.

Dr. Steven Sable - Steven Sable is sure that his Grandfather, Andrew Sable, did not commit suicide. So he hires M.J. even though he is a total septic when it comes to communicating with the dead and other such paranormal nonsense. He wants proof that M.J. can do what she says she can do before hiring her and making her mad in the process. Even though M.J. warns him what he might found out about his Grandfather might not be pretty, Dr. Sable wants to know the truth, even if it might not be what he expects.

Gilley 'Gil' Gillespie - Gilley is M.J. long time gay best friend who has a thing for 'one night flings' and then his all business. But that isn't the case when Dr. Steven Sable comes with them on their ghost hunt. Gilley finds himself having a crush on Dr. Sable. When M.J. informs him that he will be going into the said 'haunted' house with her and Dr. Sable he is totally against it. He is the van guy and he has no desire to go and face any ghosts. Which is a good thing and a bad thing...

Overall I give this book ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ - no more and no less!(less)

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Oct 20, 2012 Suzanne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, suzanne-s-2012-reading-challenge

M.J. Holliday is a "ghostbuster" (not like you see in the movie Ghostbusters, but she's also a medium, so more similar to a supernatural version of what you see on the ghost hunting shows on TV), and she and her partner Gilley land a job for Dr. Steven Sable, whose Grandfather supposedly jumped to his death from the roof of his house. Dr. Sable doesn't believe his father would commit suicide and wants M.J. to find out the truth.

Dr. Sable's character kind of bothered me. It is like the author we...more

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Aug 20, 2011 Shellys♥ Journal rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: year-2011, chick-lit, fiction, paranormal, series

MJ is a medium (she talks to dead people) and a ghostbuster. She and her long time friend Gil run a little business out of Boston. One day a wealthy Dr. walks into the office with a big case in upstate NY. His Grandfather has recently died, and he has seen his ghost on the property. Will MJ and Gil help him find out what happened?

I really enjoyed this twist on the old chick-lit mystery. MJ is a likable and independent characters. She's not dingy and crazy things do not keep happening to her - ex...more

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Sep 10, 2011 Ariel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ghost-hunter-mystery

I am trying to get in some spooky reads for the R.I.P challenge over at Stainless Steel Droppings. It's my favorite time and challenge of the year. I am also trying to tackle the massive TBR pile of books I own so this killed two birds (ravens) with one stone. I think I grabbed this one a thrift store based on it's cute pink cover and stashed it away for this challenge. This book falls on more the chick lit side but since it had ghosts I'll say it qualifies.

The story centers on M.J. Holliday, a...more

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Feb 12, 2011 Babs rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-paranormal

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 20, 2009 Hannah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit, urban-paranormal, cozy-mystery

Really great fun; if anything, I think I'm going to like this MJ series better than Victoria Laurie's Psychic Eye mysteries.

MJ makes a very spunky heroine who doesn't push the "tough girl" image into overdrive as so many other heroines do. She deals with her personal issues with minimum drama, which I find highly refreshing. Doc the parrot is hilarious, and so is her gay partner Gilley. Their antics never failed to crack me up; I think I nearly chortled drink up my nose when Gilley broke his 'fa...more

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Oct 14, 2012 Crystal Woehrle-Logan rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Fun at first, but became fairly disappointing. I enjoyed the idea of the sexy, well-educated Doctor having a problem with English colloquialism, but then the author just brought it overboard with the constant "Yeah, that too" every time he's corrected. A few times might have been funny, but from 1/3 of the way in, it became EACH time. Overkill.

The characters became more and more flat as the story went on. The main protagonist is also rather slow on the uptake.

The mystery was engaging, if obvious...more

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May 31, 2012 Laurian rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, girlie, mystery

I have two friends who I trust with book reviews say that this was a pretty good book to pick up. I picked it up the other week from the library with high hopes. Luckily, those hopes were pretty well met. I had expected something that was fairly well written, silly, filled with sexual angst, and lots of paranormal activity. All of those were met.

I think this is Laurie’s second series. I know I have her psychic investigator series on my shelf for years (but have yet to read it). This series follo...more

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Apr 13, 2010 Nicola rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: cozy

This is the first in the Ghost Hunter series featuring MJ who had a brief cameo in Victoria Laurie's Psychic Eye series. The main characters in both series are very similar. MJ is head-strong and won't suffer fools gladly and the reason why she has been so successful as a ghost hunting is because she has her rules and doesn't bend them. Unfortunately these rules are shattered when a gorgeous doctor approached her about his Grandfather's death.

It is a fast paced book with characters who you immed...more

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Nov 06, 2012 C. rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: up-to-2012

It’s fun to follow an author's voice for the first time; like opening a fresh music album. It’s an instant change from other narration. You ascertain quickly if you like your guide and if the contents keep your interest. Even if the spiritual realm works differently, I happily boarded Victoria Laurie's ride in "What's A Ghoul To Do", 2007. Fiction is meant to entertain without needing to match real life and I was keen on a professional ghost hunter.

Maybe because I read profusely, I've noticed so...more

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Nov 17, 2011 Sandie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-ghost-paranormal

I have liked the book well enough from the beginning but I didn't really get into until somewhere in the middle to end of book. The first half was pretty bland....but it got better as the pages turned.

I liked the whole ghostbuster business, thought that was pretty cool. Kind of reminded me of Trixie Belden or Nancy Drew books I used to read as a teen, but now with a grown woman and ghosts!

M.J. was an all right leading lady....I don't feel like I really got to know her in this book. The guys, I...more

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Nov 30, 2009 Lolly's rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-mys-suspense, part-of-a-series

Okay, so I'm a flibbertigibbet; I'm wishy-washy, flaky. So sue me. I've been rethinking my original impressions of this book and came away with the awful realization: I got snowed by the bird. I was so entranced by Doc (who was the most well-rounded character of all) that I completely ignored the annoying flaws of this book, the most glaring of which was the idiotic foreign-speak of the love interest, Dr. Steven Sable. C'mon, the guy's supposed to be educated! You can be educated and foreign wit...more

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Sep 02, 2009 Awallens rated it 4 of 5 stars

M.J., her partner Gilley, and their client, the wealthy, de-lish Dr. Steven Sable, are at his family's lodge, where his grandfather allegedly jumped to
his death from the roof-although Sable says it was foul play. But the patriarch's isn't the only ghost around. The place is lousy with souls, all with
something to get off their ghoulish chests. Now M.J. will have to to quell the clamor-and listen for a voice with the answers...
I am a fan of this author's Psychic series so couldn't wait to see what...more

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Feb 28, 2013 Heather Book Savvy Babe rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, paranormal-romance, review-on-blog, chick-lit, urban-fantasy

I listened to the audio from Audible, and it took me awhile to get into this book. Actually, I almost didn't finish after listening to the first half. For some reason, on audio, the humor came across mostly silly, not so much funny (there was a lot of eye-rolling on my part). But, I did enjoy M.J Holliday, the ghost hunter/buster and her quirky sidekick, Gilley. I decided to give the second half a chance and wound up enjoying the book.

What's A Ghoul to Do? is a light-hearted, fun read. I don't k...more

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Apr 11, 2013 Ron rated it 3 of 5 stars

A girlfriend who knew I liked paranormal/urban fiction recommended this to me. I was put off by the pink cover and glaring shi shi cover so it took me a while to get around to reading it. Overall, I wasn't blow away by it. It was good, but relatively simple and straightforward. I liked the building of suspense crafted by the author and I really enjoyed her gay business partner, even if he was severely undeveloped as a character. I felt he was more of a stock character than a living, breathing pe...more

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Apr 01, 2012 Christina rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: borrowed, fantasy, vampire

Ein lustiges Buch. Ich fand das Buch sehr witzig, ich mag ja so paranormale Liebesgeschichten. Auch wenn diese Liebesgeschichte ein bisschen anders ist, aber es gibt ja noch Folgebände, auf die ich mich schon freue. Laurie hat einen witzigen Erzählstil, ich möchte hier noch mal ein großes Lob an die Übersetzerin aussprechen, die Stevens Sprachfehler gut übersetzt hat. Ich kenne zwar das englische Original nicht, aber ich stell mir das gar nicht so einfach vor, englische Redewendungen ins Deutsch...more

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Jun 04, 2011 Paula Mitchell rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011

This book was great with the difference in characters M.J. is not out to impress men or socialize much past her circle of friends and her tech best friend. Gilley is a happy gay man (I don’t know that their are unhappy ones) who spends much of his time doing research from M.J when he’s not doing that he’s trying to get her meeting a nice man to settle down with. Dr. Steven Sable is European roots who came to Boston to be closer to his grandfather, but unfortunately time ran out on his grandad. N...more

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Jun 04, 2010 Becky rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-and-thrillers, owned, 2010, fantasy, humorous, reviewed, romance, blog_etb, challenge-1010

I picked up this book on a whim at the thrift store after being drawn in by the cover. Well, no, I take that back, not the cover, but the little devious looking piggy-ghost on the bag the girl is holding. I just thought that it was adorable in a "Sure, come closer... yeah, closer... Mwahahahaha!" way.

Click for larger image!

Anyway, so I picked it up on a whim, and was actually surprised by it. I liked it quite a bit. The premise and set up reminded me quite a lot of Charlaine Harris's "Grave Si...more I picked up this book on a whim at the thrift store after being drawn in by the cover. Well, no, I take that back, not the cover, but the little devious looking piggy-ghost on the bag the girl is holding. I just thought that it was adorable in a "Sure, come closer... yeah, closer... Mwahahahaha!" way.

Click for larger image!

Anyway, so I picked it up on a whim, and was actually surprised by it. I liked it quite a bit. The premise and set up reminded me quite a lot of Charlaine Harris's "Grave Sight", only this was good. To be perfectly honest, once that connection clicked in my head, my initial thought was "Oh shizzle." But I gave it a fair chance, and was rewarded by something decently written, not creepy at all (at least in the sexual tension department - it did have a little bit of a creepy ghost factor, or maybe that was just because I was reading it at night by flashlight...) and amusing.

Speaking of... There was quite a bit of sexual tension here, minus the sibling aspect, and it made things interesting. M.J., the main character, was quite conflicted about her feelings for a certain "Dr. Delicious", and in a reasonable and believable way. She is not someone who does the whole social dating scene. She doesn't dress up, she's not girly and doesn't play games and is willing to wait for what she wants. She's self-reliant and sure of herself, for the most part, so her confidence doesn't feel fake or put-on or snotty. She just seems genuine, and not Super-Tough-Independent-Girl.

I liked the interplay between M.J., Steven, and Gilley. They were quite humorous and fun. Plus M.J. had a parrot, which at first I thought was a silly gimmick, but was done well. Doc (the bird) was a character unto himself, and rather than being a one-time mention for quirkiness, or a single-use plot device, was counted and treated as a family member. You could tell that M.J. took her bird-parenting seriously, and that the others accepted the bird as a matter of course. Of course, that's not to say that Doc didn't help move certain things along, like a little awkwardness to break the ice between Steven and M.J. Speaking of Steven, I really enjoyed his broken English and the way that his vocabulary faux pas would lighten the mood or create the little misdirection needed to distract us from something important. Of course, if I'm writing about that, then it's kind of failed in the attempt of distracting me because I recognized it as distraction, but the characters didn't and the story still moved right along, so I'll count it as good.

This was definitely light and fun, but, at times, the writing seemed stiff and awkward to me. For instance, M.J. is supposed to be from the South, but the only southern characteristic she had was in her use of "honey" and "sweetie" and the too-much-used "my friend". I can't hear that phrase without thinking of John McCain now anyway, but it's just not a phrase that sounds natural to me... ever. It sounds forced and fake, even when it is not meant to be. M.J.'s guidance to the spirits she encountered was also stiff and kindergarten teacherish. I get that sometimes the communication between dimensions was hard to deal with, and that spirits can be reluctant to chat, but it just seemed a mite condescending to me at times.

I was a eensy bit disappointed with the mystery resolution. I'd wanted it to be one where I say "WOW! Who would have guessed that!" but rather it was a kind of "Yeah, that makes sense. What's on TV?" (Well, I would have said that, if I watch TV, but I don't really.)

I liked this, but it wasn't great. Funny, but not gut-busting funny, or the kind of funny that really lingers and makes you giggle at odd moments so as to make people look at you like you're crazy. But still amusing. I will read the next book in the series if I happen to stumble across it, because this was nice and light and fun, and the characters were interesting and entertaining, but I doubt it will become a favorite. (less)

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Mar 02, 2013 Alysson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult, ebook, ghosts, library-out, pages-200, needs-review, read-in-2013

Oooo that was such a fun book. I was thoroughly entertained the whole time, and I loved the characters. Gilley had me laughing out loud from his first appearance. M.J. didn't really jump out at me though, I liked her enough but she was missing that certain something. And Steven's "Yes, that too" when she corrected his English got a little annoying, but not too much. While i would have appreciated more ghosts and eerieness to the mystery, I liked that it went beyond abd that the supernatural elem...more

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Oct 11, 2010 Bird rated it 1 of 5 stars

I fully admit I didn't even make it half-way through this book before stopping. Not only that, but it took me months to make it that far (I carried it around in my purse, and only read it while waiting in line at stores), and I found myself dragging my feet every time I had a few minutes to read it.

The characters leave something to be desired. Each of them was a walking stereotype. Flamboyantly gay assistant, gorgeous best friend (so good looking men walk into walls when she's around), and a Eur...more

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About Victoria Laurie

Victoria Laurie is the New York Times bestselling author of 21 books and counting. With three separate series in full swing, Victoria divides her time between her two adult mystery series, (The Psychic Eye Mysteries, and The Ghost Hunter Mysteries), and her children's middle-grade adventure series, Oracles of Delphi Keep.

As a professional psychic, Victoria's protagonists - psychic Abigail Cooper,...more

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Books by Victoria Laurie

Abby Cooper, Psychic Eye (Psychic Eye Mystery, #1)

Better Read Than Dead (Psychic Eye Mystery, #2)

Demons are a Ghoul's Best Friend (Ghost Hunter Mystery, #2)

A Vision of Murder (Psychic Eye Mystery, #3)

Killer Insight (Psychic Eye Mystery, #4)

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What's a Ghoul to Do? (Ghost Hunter Mystery #1)

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