The Spirit Moves by Carol J. Perry

Some cozy mysteries are either too cookie-cutter or too bland to keep my interest. The 4^th book in the Haunted Haven series is a pleasant but never boring read. I liked the haunted player piano and dog Finn on the cover. Many ghosts can be found in Haven, a small town on the Florida coast, but the locals never mention the ghosts to tourists. The ghosts are usually pretty friendly, and appear and talk with some of the residents. Ghost Billy, who plays the piano, sets the mood when he plays familiar tunes in the restaurant of Haven House Inn. Ghost Lorna gives Maureen, the Inn’s newer owner, fashion and other advice.

A group of mystery writers, a bookseller and a ghostwriter meet at the Inn, along with a visiting police officer and the local police chief. Two recent unsolved crimes have tourists cancelling hotel and dinner reservations, and a beach wedding is relocating to another town. Maureen and her sweetheart Ted, the restaurant’s chef, have to come up with promotions to attract customers and solve the crimes. A weekend trip to Key West made a nice change of pace. I quite enjoyed this mystery, although it wasn’t quite as cozy as the previous book, Haunting License, which has Maureen organizing a fishing tournament. The earlier books are Be My Ghost and High Spirits. Readalikes include Haunted Ever After by Jenn DeLuca and Interview with a Dead Editor by Shanna Swendson.

Brenda