It's A Ghost's Life

Murder by Design #5

by Erin McCarthy

When the bitterly cold days of January descend on Cleveland, Bailey Burke finds her “Put It Where?” home staging business is as frozen as her toes. The only bright spot is the return of her friend Ryan after his, ahem, eviction from heaven. Especially since no other dead people seem to be harassing her in recent weeks.

Yet when her grandmother’s bingo buddy turns up frozen solid in a stranger’s back yard, Bailey is the only one who finds the death suspicious. Bailey knows fashion and she knows Vera, a one-time film star, would not be caught dead, literally, in a stained nightgown and cheetah-print boots. Determined it prove it is homicide and not dementia, she enlists Ryan’s help to investigate, despite his ghostly limitations.

This time Bailey is ready to play it smart, solve the crime, have the bad guy do the time… only all is fair game when it comes to eccentric backstabbing biddies at bingo.

Genres: Cozy Mystery, Mystery, Paranormal, Audiobook, Ghosts, Fantasy, Chick Lit

174 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 20, 2019

About the author

USA Today and New York Times Bestselling author Erin McCarthy sold her first book in 2002 and has since written over a hundred novels and novellas in teen fiction, new adult, and adult romance. Erin has a special weakness for high-heeled boots, beaches and martinis. She lives in Ohio with her family, two grumpy cats and a socially awkward dog.

Reviews

[Erin McCarthy]

Bailey's back with more bumbling mystery solving and pop ins from random ghosts. I love writing this series and got to vent about harsh winters! Haha.

[Emmalynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bailey just can’t get a break.

[Loretta TheMoodyRedhead · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another ghostly day

This is another good one and I'm excited to say that now Alyssa know Bailey's scary secret. Yay! I hated her having to lie and dodge questions.

There's two more ghosts in need of Bailey's medium help, so I'm sure that'll be resolved in the next book. Also, Bailey and Jake are going go the most haunted place in America - Key West. That'll be a riot for Bailey. Not.

[Emily Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bailey Burke was shopping with her friend Alyssa, her grandmother Burke, and her grandmother’s stylish and vibrant 95-year-old friend Vera. She was thinking of Jake Marner, her super-hot detective boyfriend who sort of believes that she really sees ghosts. It started when Ryan showed up, dead eight months and suddenly there he was, telling Bailey she had to solve his murder. After that, other ghosts made an appearance.

While on a date with Jake, Bailey’s grandmother called her, distraught that Vera had just been found dead and frozen in the backyard, headfirst in the snow! As she and Jake were leaving the bar, Vera popped up for a moment. Bailey knew something was off about her death – she would never go outside like that in a thin nightgown and a pair of $2,000 mohair high-heel boots! She was the very epitome of fashion sense! When Jake called the other precinct to find out what the investigation showed, they were saying it was dementia! Bailey had been shopping with her a couple hours ago – Vera was not at all confused as they said. If the police wouldn’t investigate this obvious homicide, then Bailey would do it! Would the murderer try to stop her if she seems to be making progress?

This was a good story that I really enjoyed. The characters were very well portrayed so that the reader could actually feel their personalities. Adding Ryan the ghost to the mix was really fun since his irreverent joking always got a rise out of Bailey. Follow the clues with Bailey and see if you are able to figure out who would have killed Vera – and why!

[Suzanne Hare · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vera, her grandmother’s vibrant and outgoing friend, lived life with passion and a great sense of style. After spending the day shopping with Vera and her grandmother, Bailey was shocked that Vera had been found frozen to death in her backyard that same night. Bailey is a medium and her ghost friend Jake shows up saying they have a quota. Vera also shows up, meaning it was murder. The police believe she was just a mixed up old lady, so it is left up to Bailey to solve her murder.

This is a great paranormal cozy mystery about a woman who sees ghosts. The characters are full of personality and are likeable if not a bit kooky and unique. The murder mystery is chalked full of dead ends, surprising twists, dangerous situations and unerpected obstacles. The main character has to juggle her family, friends, romantic interest, her job, and demanding ghosts, all while trying to solve a murder no one believes is a murder. It is witty, charming and funny. This book is part of the Murder By Design series but can be read as a stand-alone, only be prepared to want to read all the books in the series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

After the death of her best friend Ryan, Bailey Burke discovers she is a medium. But not your average medium; no, she only sees dead people that have been murdered. When her grandma’s best friend and bingo buddy Vera is found dead having frozen solid in her backyard, Bailey realizes more is happening than meets the eye when Vera appears before her.

If that isn’t bad enough, Ryan’s ghost also starts making appearances and tells Bailey he has been evicted from Heaven and that she must meet a quota as a medium. He is here to help her, but Bailey doesn’t know how her boyfriend Jake is going to feel about how his once partner and rival is somehow back in the picture.

Bailey is a bumbling medium who is still learning the tricks of the trade, so she relies on her intuition and accidental circumstances to guide her through. This is a delightful cozy mystery written with humor, quirky and fun-loving characters, lots of madcap adventure, mystery, and tons of twists and turns.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lisa Spofford · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Cute, Lighthearted Summer Beach Read.

Unfortunately I skipped books 2-4 in this series, so I missed some key material. However, despite this, it was pretty easy to pick it back up again. I found this book to be cute. It was lighthearted and fun, without any deep-seated issues or significant past hurts. Bailey already has a boyfriend and there isn’t a crisis in their relationship to overcome. She has already moved past her earlier feelings about her best friend. She finds out that she has a monthly quota of murders to solve and is visited by multiple ghosts while trying to do so. Her friend Ryan gives a little guidance and Bailey has a series of misadventures along the way. In some ways it reminded me of a lighter version of a Janet Evanovich mystery with a combination of comedy and a mystery to solve with an established romance continuing in the background. This one wasn’t as funny as the car racing series, but I’d say it would be a good beach read for this summer, so give it a try.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Angieleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Erin McCarthy is fast becoming one of my favorite cozy mystery authors. Though the series started outside of my comfort zone, I've come to love her writing and the uptight, neurotic Bailey.

This was a bit different as Bailey knew that Vera had been murdered, but Vera didn't really show herself too often to Bailey. Ryan's back because he managed to get himself kicked out of heaven (please tell me it's not because he changed the words to the hymns or asked Jesus if he knows how to twerk), which is actually not all that surprising!

Bailey's grandmother makes me miss my own Irish Grandmother who died twenty-three years ago. Bailey's father absolutely surprised the heck out of me, and I really hope that her mother dislodges the giant log that is stuck in her rectum.

I really liked Elizabeth Klett's narration for the first four books, so it was a bit weird to have a new narrator (Kristin Price) for this fifth installment.

Sadly, there are only two books left in this series, but I hope there will be more in the future!

[Erin Hockman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bailey is at it again another ghost and another murder of course! Bailey is just getting use to her relationship with Jake she is getting comfortable with having the perfect boy friend. When an unexpected death turns in to another ghost wanting to cross over and find out how the died.
Another crazy adventure! Jake is starting to get use to the ghosts and the crazy that is Bailey.
Her world has been turned upside down but she has decided to get a hold on this medium thing especially because Ryan is back she needs to balance her life and the ghosts.
I really loved this book I love the characters and I have really come to like her mom is this book she has turned into a bad a$$.
As Bailey learns to deal with more ghosts and balance her life this crazy tale was just perfect. I could not put it down a must read!!

[Tammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

another entertaining installment where Bailey has to solve a murder so a ghost can cross over. This time the ghost is her grandmas best friend Vera. Now who would want to kill Vera who is in her 90's anyways? Ryan, who is Baileys best friend who happens to be a ghost who was murdered when he was a cop in the first book, is helping Bailey to uncover clues to solve the case and he also informs her that he got news from up above that Bailey has to meet a monthly quota. Bailey has no idea what that even means, she just wants to be left alone with her new boyfriend.
Bailey and her new boyfriend take off to Key West for a much needed vacation and then she discovers that Key West along with New Orleans is one of the top 5 most haunted places in the country. oh boy!!
Looking forward to the next book in this series and whos ghost is going to pop in on vacation with Bailey.

[Melenareads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun book in Erin McCarthy's Murder By Design series!

Bailey is hilarious as the owner of the home staging business who just happens to see ghosts and solve mysteries on the side. I love her and Jake together, too. Especially after following their relationship from the first book to now.

She has a lot to deal with this time with the return of her best friend Ryan's ghost and the murder of her grandma's bingo buddy. I like that the ghost/medium twist to these books. It adds a fun layer to the characters and makes the mysteries interesting.

This book, like the others in the series, is just the right length for a quick read with a little mystery and a lot of humor.

Thank you to the author for providing an ARC for an honest review.

[Marty Tool · Rating 4 out of 5]

By her own description Bailey is the world's worst medium, and it's all true. Murder and mayhem follow Bailey everywhere until she solves their murders, not that she wants to do that, but it's kind of what she does when not working her regular job, haphazardly she gets it done. Along beside her are Grandma Burke and her boyfriend Jake, a homicide cop by the way and lots of humor. I always look forward to Bailey's misadventures, as she bumbles her eay to solving the crime and her supporting cast of characters. Only question is what ends up happening with Margaret, hopefully that will be in the next book as we knew it would be quite awhile before it would be looked into.

[Sherri Geisler Locke · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is part of a series and this is of course the fifth in the series and the first I have read. While it would be better had I read the other four first I managed to get through it without being totally lost but now will go back and purchase the first four and read them in order and reread this one when I get here. My recommendation is to read them first to last. But if the rest are as fun as this one it will be worth it. Bailey just would prefer to not be a medium who sees ghosts but still they come to her for help and she continues to solve their mysteries, spreading laughter along the way.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[moxieBK · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a Ghost’s Life (Murder by Design # 5) — Erin Mccarthy; Narrator: Elizabeth Klett (14 chapters) Feb. 26, 2023

After a lively get-together with Grandma and her bingo friend, Bailey finds out that the friend was found dead at home.

Bailey is compelled to figure out who did it after the deceased pays her a visit. Later, after telling her best friend she sees ghosts, she gives her a book with a recipe on how to make the ghosts stop. Unfortunately, it backfires, with ghosts coming up to here out of nowhere.

Further, her deceased friend who helps her solve the mysteries, Ryan, keeps giving cryptic messages that have her wondering and worrying.

Great characters and plot.

Four stars.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Bailey's grandmother's friend Vera is found frozen to death, Bailey knows it was murder -because if it wasn't, the ghost of Vera wouldn't have appeared to Bailey. But there is no evidence of foul play, and Bailey has a lot of important things happening in her everyday, practical life. So she almost lets her investigation go, until it won't let her go.

This series is good for laughs, and the characters are developing so satisfactorily that there is no doubt I will read the next one when it comes out.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Learning about medium skills from a crappy book from her bestie, bad plan. No protection, no sealing things- living nightmare of dead activity ahead honey. Try something from Rosemary Althea instead!

Mostly hilarious encounters with her also ghost seeing Gran, cop boyfriend, and dysfunctional parents. Add in the dead former partner of her beau, combined with random drop in spirits. So fun to read!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Penny Hickman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first book for me in this series and it was great. Bailey is supposed to be a medium, but you would never know it, she is terrible at it. Ryan, Grandma Burke and Vera are funny and great characters. Vera is 95 and all about fashion, Ryan is a ghost and former partner of Bailey's boyfriend Jake, who is a cop. There is a murder, the police determined it was a case of dementia, but Bailey knew better. Join her and the gang, alive and dead, as they solve the murder.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Juliet Minerva Swift · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this one was my favourite of the series, hands down! From the previous novella I could tell that the writing style was improving and the characters were becoming more rounded and fuller. I also could see a little less constant bad treatment of women and more plot.

And this book absolutely carries all this forward and shows such an improvement. I really like the cold winter setting, especially as it played a part in the mystery. Quite early there was a mention of a clue (Stanley’s cufflink missing) that made me understand that was the killer so I wasn’t super surprised at the end. But overall Bailey is getting even funnier and I like that the grandma was appearing often, and seems that she will be on page a lot in the next books too.

Vera was also so cool, so I was very sorry that she was the victim, I wish we could have seen her more on page, or even as a ghost. Ryan has reappeared??? Which I was not expecting, but it was done in a way that I like.

I also liked how we could see Bailey trying her best to improve as a medium, with not great results, and I hope to see more of this too in the future books.

I am really glad I continued with this series when I was feeling so lukewarm at the start, because it turned into lots of fun.

[Brenda Moser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fun and entertaining book to the series. The author does a great job bringing a cast of colorful characters .. both dead and alive .. and weaves a laugh out loud murder mystery. She brings both the characters and scenes alive with her descriptive writing and vividly painted scenes. I loved the characters banter as well as the story line and would recommend this book.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.

[Jodi Sweet · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book that I’ve read in this series. I had no trouble following it at all! I also plan on reading more of it and hopefully finding time to read from the beginning. I really liked the characters. I was also shocked at who the murderer was. It took me by surprise. Especially the reason why. Looking forward to more!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kathy Bryson · Rating 4 out of 5]

When you can talk to the dead, Christmas takes on Dickensian proportions! While not a Scrooge, our heroine was hoping for a chance to focus on her needs for a change instead of worrying about her relationship with boyfriend, trying to navigate her parents’ rocky relationship, or taking responsibility for Grandmother even with incentive to just think of boyfriend. A lovely picture of caring amid murder and mayhem and excellent character development!

[Karla Andrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bailey, Bailey! Always getting into trouble. Lol. I love the mystery solving that she does. And how she love jake. Jake, I secretly think he sees ghost. And he sees her dead best friend. That’s my theory. I can’t wait for the next book. I have a feeling it’s going to take place while they are in Florida on a vacation.

[Heather W · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this, my first story from Erin McCarthy. It has terrific characters and a lot of humour to go along with the murder aspect of the story. I loved the ghosts that kept popping up. There is even time for romance.

I am looking forward to reading more in this series. Kudos to the author!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jeanne Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 1st book I've read written by Erin McCarthy; she has done a great job at writing a good book; I can’t wait to read more of her books.

The story line caught my attention at the very beginning and kept me interested throughout the entire book.

I loved the chemistry between the characters.

I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.

[Pat Eroh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this fun story of Bailey and her antics. I have not read any of these stories in the series prior but looks like I might have to because this book is so interesting and fun. I highly recommend this book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Leann McKay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bailey Bailey Bailey......she just can’t catch a break. I am loving this series! Bailey is a reluctant medium who just doesn’t really want to see dead people. And the dead people are needing her help! A fun walk on the dead side.

[Marianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such fun to read! I really liked it! It has lots of humor and pitfalls for Bailey. I'm full of smiles for this one!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book five in the Murder by Design series it is well written, and I found myself smiling throughout it. I hope there is going to be another book in this series. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Cali Jewel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Laugh out loud fun, emotionally exciting, magically engaging and action packed adventure filled with danger, mystery, paranormal thrills and heart pounding twists... was a great read from beginning to end. This is a great read and I look forward to the next Murder by Design adventure.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun, entertaining read. I enjoyed the twists and turns of this story. The mystery and family aspects of the story are fun to read. The story is easy to read and get into.

I enjoyed the audio version of this book and the narrator.