Doom with a View: A Merry Ghost Inn Mystery

Melanie West and her grandmother Liza are finally ready for the grand opening of their B&B and have received their first guests: six members of a senior reading group. Everything is looking up until one of the guests is found lying dead in the driveway. Melanie is horrified to discover that he fell from their balcony and that the grumpy detective on the case thinks it’s murder. Melanie and her grandmother are told to stay out of the case, but they need the case solved before the next guests arrive, and the grumpy detective doesn’t seem to be in a rush. With the help of their laughing ghost, they’re determined to find answers before their inn’s reputation is ruined.

Doom with a View is a delightful read, charming and quaint with an eerie undertone of a killer in the house and a weirdly cozy presence of a laughing ghost. In true cozy fashion, nothing feels too dangerous, and the tone stays fairly light but weaves in the seriousness of life. Melanie and Liza have a sweet relationship, encouraging and often leading each other straight into trouble. They’re both spunky and have found a second chance in the inn. The town is the perfect setting for the inn, for it’s very quaint and welcoming. There’s a touch of potential romance, mainly in the background, but it hints at something maybe to come. Doom with a View is the second book in the Merry Ghost Inn Mysteries by Kate Kingsbury.