Kim Deister
I love the smart humor and quirky characters of this series! This one is probably my favorite thus far, with the addition of Trixie and Coop. The pacing was on point, and the mystery was fun to read, even if it was solved a little differently than is usual in this series.
My only real complaint is the neverending “romance” complications between Stevie and Win. The primary complication being that Stevie lives on the plane of the living, and Win, as a ghost, does not. Not something that is conducive to a relationship. In the last novel, several times, Win touches on the subject, lamenting that he can’t fully disclose his feelings for her until he finds a way back to her plane, not wanting to put her life on hold while she waits for something that might not ever happen. Fair. However, the one attempt at romance Stevie has had was dismissed early on in the series, leaving her open for a potential relationship with Win. Now, in this book, she’s dealing with jealously regarding Win’s former earthly romance, and those he “must” be pursuing on the other plane. It feels to me as if this star-crossed lover situation had long since been established, Yet in this book, there’s a lot of the “does he/she like me” vibe to it. That felt weird, as it seemed they’d largely gotten then under control and created a stronger dynamic between them in earlier books.