Chance of a Ghost

Praise for E. J. Copperman’s
Haunted Guesthouse Mysteries

Old Haunts

“Wisecracking though level-headed, Alison is the kind of person we’d all like to know, if not be…Great fun with a tinge of salt air.”

—The Mystery Reader

“An entertaining and spellbinding tale in which the ghosts come across as real as each brings melancholy and humor.”

—The Mystery Gazette

“Copperman’s Alison Kerby is my kind of protagonist. She’s realistic and knows her weaknesses…Best of all, she has a dry sense of humor…Leave your disbelief behind. Pretend you believe in ghosts. You’ll certainly believe in Alison Kerby as a perfect amateur sleuth.”

—Lesa’s Book Critiques

“I knew
Old Haunts
was gold before I finished reading the first page.”

—Fresh Fiction

“
Old Haunts
is like an old friend (or your snuggy blanket)—dependable, solid, and just what you need it to be.”

—Night Owl Reviews

“I was most looking forward to reading about The Swine’s infamous return and I was not disappointed. The Haunted Guesthouse series is something you must pick up if you love cozies and/or paranormal books.”

—Panda Reads

“Funny sometimes, charming sometimes, a little unnerving sometimes.”

—Gumshoe Reviews

An Uninvited Ghost

“[A] triumph…The humor is delightful…If you like ghost stories mixed with your mystery, try this Jersey Shore mystery.”

—Lesa’s Book Critiques

“Funny and charming, with a mystery which has a satisfying resolution, and an engaging protagonist who is not easily daunted…Highly recommended.”

—Spinetingler Magazine

“Each page brings a new surprise…This series is one to follow. Craftily written and enjoyable.”

—The Romance Readers Connection

“Fabulous!…
An Uninvited Ghost
is something classic with a modern twist.”

—Panda Reads

“There are several series out now featuring protagonists who can interact with ghosts. Some are good, but this one is the best I’ve read. Alison’s spectral companions are reminiscent of Topper’s buddies, funny and stubborn and helpful when they want to be…I look forward to Alison’s next spooky adventure.”

—Over My Dead Body

“E. J. Copperman is certainly wonderful at weaving a great mystery. From the very get-go, readers are in for a treat that will leave them guessing until the final chapter…Alison Kerby is a wonderful character…If you love a great mystery like I do, I highly recommend getting this book.”

—Once Upon A Romance

Night of the Living Deed

“Witty, charming and magical.”

—The Mystery Gazette

“A fast-paced, enjoyable mystery with a wisecracking but no-nonsense, sensible heroine…Readers can expect good fun from start to finish, a great cast of characters and new friends to help Alison adjust to her new life. It’s good to have friends—even if they’re ghosts.”

—The Mystery Reader

“A delightful ride…The plot is well developed, as are the characters, and the whole is funny, charming and thoroughly enjoyable.”

—Spinetingler Magazine

“A bright and lively romp through haunted-house repair!”

—Sarah Graves, author of the Home Repair Is Homicide Mysteries

“[A] wonderful new series…[A] laugh-out-loud, fast-paced and charming tale that will keep you turning pages and guessing until the very end.”

—Kate Carlisle,
New York Times
bestselling author of the Bibliophile Mysteries

“Fans of Charlaine Harris and Sarah Graves will relish this original, laugh-laden paranormal mystery…[A] sparkling first entry in a promising new series.”

—Julia Spencer-Fleming, Anthony and Agatha award-winning author of
One Was a Soldier

“
Night of the Living Deed
could be the world’s first screwball mystery. You’ll die laughing and then come back a very happy ghost.”

—Chris Grabenstein, Anthony and Agatha award-winning author

Berkley Prime Crime titles by E. J. Copperman

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEED

AN UNINVITED GHOST

OLD HAUNTS

CHANCE OF A GHOST

Chance of a
Ghost

E. J. COPPERMAN

BERKLEY PRIME CRIME, NEW YORK

THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP

Published by the Penguin Group

Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA

Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada
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Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s
imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business
establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over
and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

CHANCE OF A GHOST

A Berkley Prime Crime Book / published by arrangement with the author

PUBLISHING HISTORY

Berkley Prime Crime mass-market edition / February 2013

Copyright © 2013 by Jeffrey Cohen.

Cover illustration by Dominick Finelle.

Cover photos:
Flock of Birds
© Alexusssk;
Painted Background
© iStockphoto/Thinkstock.

Cover design by Judith Lagerman.

Interior text design by Kristin del Rosario.

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or
electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of
copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group,

a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,

375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

ISBN: 978-1-101-61916-2

BERKLEY
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PRIME CRIME

Berkley Prime Crime Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,

a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,

375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

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PRIME CRIME and the PRIME CRIME logo are trademarks of
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For my father, and anyone who deals in paint

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Regular readers of these books must be awfully tired of reading the same names praised effusively and thanked profusely time after time. On the other hand, you’re choosing to read the acknowledgments, so clearly it’s something you find interesting. For me, it is a necessary and pleasurable obligation. Many people work awfully hard to get my words to you in the best possible light. How could I
not
take time out to notice and appreciate their efforts?

Some very special thanks this time, to start: Maryann Wrobel, the
real
box office manager at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, New Jersey, was kind enough to take me on a tour and show me how the office works. I told her I might write about fictional intrigue and murder connected to a character who had her job, and she smiled. Thank you, Maryann. The Count Basie is a beautiful place to see a show, and I hope to be there again very soon.

Those who offered advice on homemade fingerprint kits: Michael Silverling and Marianne Macdonald could not have been more helpful. The same is true of Dave Bennett, Sue Epstein, Carola Dunn, Sara Hoskinson Frommer, Carl Brookins, Theresa de Valence, Thomas B. Sawyer (my favorite name in all of crime fiction), Tony Burton and Margaret Koch. Thank you, and remind me never to commit a crime when you’re around.

Of course, thanks to the invaluable D. P. Lyle, the one and only resource to a crime fiction writer for all things medical, to teach me about arrhythmia and what kind of outlets a toaster would have to go through to electrocute someone. You can’t ask just anybody about this stuff, and I have rarely met anyone as selfless. Thank you, Doug.

Thanks, in other matters, to Linda Landrigan, Lynn Pisar, Damon Abdallah, Sue Trowbridge, Dru Ann Love (for getting the Carly Simon reference), Paul Penner, Mikie Fambro (for the ride to the airport), Matt Kaufhold and everyone who invested their money with absolutely no chance of a return in the movie
Scavengers
. You all know who you are, and so do I. Words are insufficient, but all I can offer.

There is no way I can allow you to read these acknowledgments without seeing the name Shannon Jamieson Vazquez, the incandescent editor of the Haunted Guesthouse Mysteries (and the late lamented Double Feature Mysteries), who knows every single time I’m trying to finesse something and never ever lets me get away with it. She is at least as important a factor in your enjoyment of these books as I am.