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How to Live With a Ghost
Newspaper reporter Jess McCallister dreamed of finding an old house with character where she could put down roots and leave the drama of her dating history behind. With its echoing, timeworn rooms and historic past, Fox Hollow has everything she wants and one thing she doesn’ a ghost with a track record of getting rid of the previous owners.
When her only neighbor turns out to be reclusive novelist Dan Sinclair, the two form an unlikely partnership to discover the fate of a man who vanished in a massive tornado a century ago. As she follows her journalist’s instincts, Jess becomes more deeply entangled in a modern day who is vandalizing the forgotten pioneer cemetery on her land, and is it the same unknown assailant who is trying to run her out of Sand Creek Township? Or will the Fox Hollow ghost live up to its reputation and turn Jess’s dream home into a nightmare first?
As odd incidents turn sinister, Jess realizes there’s more at stake than helping a ghost find closure; the forces who want her gone will stop at nothing to make her leave, and on top of it all, she’s fallen in love. Jess finds herself swept into an adventure she didn’t sign up for as her determination to live her lifelong dream is overshadowed by the danger of losing her heart again.
When her only neighbor turns out to be reclusive novelist Dan Sinclair, the two form an unlikely partnership to discover the fate of a man who vanished in a massive tornado a century ago. As she follows her journalist’s instincts, Jess becomes more deeply entangled in a modern day who is vandalizing the forgotten pioneer cemetery on her land, and is it the same unknown assailant who is trying to run her out of Sand Creek Township? Or will the Fox Hollow ghost live up to its reputation and turn Jess’s dream home into a nightmare first?
As odd incidents turn sinister, Jess realizes there’s more at stake than helping a ghost find closure; the forces who want her gone will stop at nothing to make her leave, and on top of it all, she’s fallen in love. Jess finds herself swept into an adventure she didn’t sign up for as her determination to live her lifelong dream is overshadowed by the danger of losing her heart again.
387 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 15, 2025
7 people are currently reading
9 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 17, 2025
Wonderful read !
A great first novel. Strong female lead character with an excellent supporting cast of friends and associates. Enough details to paint the pictures in your mind but not clutter up the flow of the story. I had to force myself to not gobble this one up like a piggy; I managed to ration it out over three days and was sad when it ended. I hope the author has another book in the works.
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A great first novel. Strong female lead character with an excellent supporting cast of friends and associates. Enough details to paint the pictures in your mind but not clutter up the flow of the story. I had to force myself to not gobble this one up like a piggy; I managed to ration it out over three days and was sad when it ended. I hope the author has another book in the works.
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December 16, 2025
Jess McCallister is ready for a new start, fixing up an old house. The farmhouse, 15 miles from "town" and a bit ramshackle, is reportedly haunted, but Jess is more interested in restoring the woodwork than she is in silly rumors. But Jess and her Belgian Malinois, Raider, aren't in residence long before strange things start happening. IS there a ghost? Or does the old farm have secrets of a more corporeal and current kind?
A career newspaper reporter, herself, Wichmann's mystery deftly entwines rich knowledge of pioneer history with modern-day rural life. The protagonist, Jess, is down-to-earth and very relatable. Jess' friends feel familiar and are soon friends of the reader, as well. Raider is especially well-written and dog-lovers will enjoy the interactions with dogs in the book; they are realistically endearing. I especially appreciated that our heroine was enjoying a rich and fulfilling life on her own terms when the Love Interest is introduced, and it remains a pleasant subplot that doesn't lead the story. The paranormal elements are handled really well, keeping the reader guessing, and providing a very satisfactory conclusion.
This debut novel by author Melinda Wichmann is absolutely delightful; we can only hope it is the first of many.
A career newspaper reporter, herself, Wichmann's mystery deftly entwines rich knowledge of pioneer history with modern-day rural life. The protagonist, Jess, is down-to-earth and very relatable. Jess' friends feel familiar and are soon friends of the reader, as well. Raider is especially well-written and dog-lovers will enjoy the interactions with dogs in the book; they are realistically endearing. I especially appreciated that our heroine was enjoying a rich and fulfilling life on her own terms when the Love Interest is introduced, and it remains a pleasant subplot that doesn't lead the story. The paranormal elements are handled really well, keeping the reader guessing, and providing a very satisfactory conclusion.
This debut novel by author Melinda Wichmann is absolutely delightful; we can only hope it is the first of many.
December 18, 2025
Great book!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Had a hard time putting it down. Highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good mystery with romance thrown it. Can't wait for the next book!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Had a hard time putting it down. Highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good mystery with romance thrown it. Can't wait for the next book!
December 28, 2025
A great read! The storytelling made for an "unputdownable" read that satisfied the imagination and the heart. A mashup of characters that included an old farmhouse, a Malinois, a DIY-savvy protagonist and a compelling ghost.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews