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A paranormal mystery. A ghost whisperer, a celebrity, a child and a ghost or two round out the cast of characters as romance and murder combine to provide an enjoyable read. ( )

I found Dead People to be a pretty interesting read. I enjoyed the premise and the character development. Cassie, a ghost whisperer, is hired by rock star Luke to rid his house of a ghost. Antics ensue. That's a very brief summary, but I don't want to spoil anything for those who decide to check it out for themselves! The author does a great job of getting the reader connected to the characters. In addition to Cassie & Luke, there is Luke's daughter Erin and a ghost friend of Cassie's named Joe. Joe provides quite a bit of comic relief. Really the only issue I had with this book was the sex aspect. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind sex in books, but in this story it seemed somewhat gratuitous and out of place. This is the first in a series, and I'll likely keep reading to see what happens to Cassie and company. ( )

This is a "romance" thinly veiled as a paranormal. In the first handful of pages there is reference to oral deeds - and it continues from there. The main character Cassie is obsessed with needing, wanting, thinking about sex. There is no romance. The paranormal is tucked in around all her repressed fantasies and references. In the first few chapters it was clear that scenes are contrived to put Cassie with the male musician. You can learn what not to do in writing from this book. Even for .99 I feel like asking for my money back. Contrived and amateurish. ( )

Dead People is a romance wrapped up in a ghostly mystery. There is more emphasis on the romance than the mystery. In fact, if you are looking for a classic whodunit that keeps you guessing until the end, then this isn't the book for you. Like Ramer's other book, Cattitude, the mystery is more of a howdunit and whydunit than a whodunit. The bad guy is made obvious by the author early in the book, but there are a few mild red herrings thrown in to make you wonder if it might possibly be someone else.

The attraction between Cassie and Luke starts off immediately but it's not in-your-face instant attraction. The reader isn't hit over the head with it from the get go. They are both dealing with personal baggage that makes them keep their distance and resist each other. Luke is suddenly a father to a daughter he didn't even know he had and whose mother is a junkie. Cassie is independent and spunky but also has self-image issues and has given up on finding love due to always being treated like a freak by boyfriends, classmates, and family because of her ghost whispering. She has learned not to expect anything from people and to keeps her distance. She prefers the companionship of Joe, her ghostly friend and sidekick. I really liked Joe's character and wished he had a bigger part in the book, but it looks like he will have a book of his own in the next installment of this series. I also liked the fact that Cassie wasn't the perfect heroine with the perfect body, though at times I think there was a little too much focus on it.

Overall, I liked the story but sometimes the dialogue didn't work for me and was a little confusing at times. In one case, I couldn't figure out what Cassie was even responding to. On the other hand, Cassie is a bit of a smart ass and there were several good verbal exchanges or snippets of narrative that gave me a chuckle. Unfortunately, there were a lot of typos in this book and it did start to distract me along with a few other nitpicky things.

Dead People was a good read and I feel it is well worth the time for a reader who likes a romance with a light mystery and some ghosties, a sassy but lonely ghost whisperer, a conflicted but sexy songwriter, a little girl with emotional baggage, and a not-so-scary haunted house with a temperamental ghost. Cassie and Luke's story seems pretty wrapped up at the end so no major cliffhangers but the story does leave the door open for the next book involving Joe the Ghost. I'll definitely be looking for it!

Rating = 3 (I Liked It)

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