Review: A romance wrapped up in a ghostly mystery.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 4, 2011
Dead People has 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!  Word Count: approx. 89,900 (Novel)