It's not such a perfect weekend to encounter a polka dot bikini clad ghost in the surf waiting for over forty years for Curtis to come for her before she crosses over. Tessa North was a Hollywood starlet in the late 1960s and died just after Bobby Kennedy was assassinated. She is now destined to frolic in the surf until she can cross over.

Emma has just begun to accept, and capitalize, on her gift of communicating with spirits. And with the help of Granny Apples, her several great-grandmother, is learning to help spirits to the other side. It's very hard when, like Tessa, the spirit refuses to believe they are dead. As Emma begins to look into Tessa's death, not only can't she find any evidence of foul play, she can't even find anyone who is willing to admit Tessa is dead. No wonder Tessa doesn't believe she's dead!

Emma is a likable character, backed by the sometimes outrageous Granny Apples who is an anachronism all her own, but fits well enough into the twenty-first century. The mystery is neatly plotted, the events from forty years ago coming to a head in modern times, involving Emma in a more personal way than she expected as she finds her ex-father-in-law knows more about certain events than he is letting on.

Phil is learning how to deal with a girlfriend who not only solves murders, gets in life-threatening situations, but also talks about and to ghosts on national television. This is a solid choice for readers who like their mysteries with a bit of woo-woo and a lot of humor.

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry