Title: Ghost of a Chance
Author: Kate Marsh
Publisher: Obsidian; Penguin Group
Publishers Address: 375 Hudson St., New York, NY 10014, USA
ISBN: 978-0-451-22324-1
Genre: Paranormal Mystery
Price: $ 6.99
Reviewed by: Amy J Ramsey; www.trinagon.blogspot.com
Rating: 4.5

Many years ago, at the age of 6, Karma Marx (half-human and half-polter) was unaware of the power she possessed, until a tragedy occurred resulting in the death of her best friend. The Akashic League sentenced her to a wergeld, an indefinite term of servitude within their organization. Now she specializes in house cleaning and extermination, but it’s not your typical service. She doesn’t do windows, floors, or dusting, not even the eradication of rodents or bugs. Her job is to banish unwanted spirits, beings and entities that reek havoc in the mundane world. Contrary to her father’s (Mathew) beliefs, Karma has only vanquished one or two nasty beings. She usually takes them in as roommates, if unable to relocate them elsewhere.

Housing various creatures and forced into fostering a dysfunctional teen polter, Pixie, complicates matters further in her already strained marriage. Her husband, Spike, is a devious, conniving and cheating real estate agent, who detests and loathes otherworldly beings. When Spike offers to grant her a much desired divorce, she knew there had to be a catch, and of course, there was. He wanted her to clean one last house for him, the old Walsh’s house, and if she did not comply, he would make things extremely difficult for her. Having no choice, Karma reluctantly agrees to his terms.

Upon entry to the house, Karma and Pixie were intercepted by Adam Dirgesinger, the home’s former owner, and he’s furious about undesirable strangers invading his home. The situation turns ghastly after Adam uses his supernatural powers and seals the place up, trapping everyone inside for an unbearable twelve hours. Just when Karma thought things couldn’t get worse, her husband, Spike is found dead in the basement. Not only is Karma trapped in a house with an array of suspects, both humans and otherworldly beings, she is also locked-in with a murderer. Now, it’s up to Karma and Adam to solve this case before the spell runs out and the murderer is released into the mundane world.

Ghost of a Chance will have you questioning your detective skills. Just when you think you know who the murderer is, the author throws in another twist. Kate Marsh has created a spirited and vibrant world, where the characters and plot join together perfectly for an absolutely thrilling and invigorating read. I personally can’t wait for the sequel. This is a must read for anyone interested in Paranormal, Supernatural, and Mystery genres.

Kate Marsh grew up in a family where weekly library visits were a given. She spent most of her childhood with her nose in a book, usually a mystery. Kate started her career by writing nonfiction books about software, but her heart was always in fiction. After writing more than thirty romantic comedies as Katie MacAlister, she decided to indulge her passion for things mysterious and began writing about Karma Marx. Kate lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and dogs, and can often be found lurking around online. You can also find her at www.katemarshmysteries.com and also www.katiemacalister.com.