An Enchanting Case of Spirits (The Gin & Tarot Club)

An Enchanting Case of Spirits (The Gin & Tarot Club)

When a fortieth birthday celebration leads to a ghostly visitor, four friends find themselves navigating surprising mysteries and spiritual hijinks, in this clever debut from Melissa Holtz. Alyssa Mann isn’t adventurous, not since her husband died and she found herself the single mom of a teenage daughter. But there’s no way to avoid celebrating the big 4-0, so when her best friends drag her out for drinks and a tarot reading, she throws caution to the wind and decides to see what the spirits have to say. It’s all fun and games, until she wakes up the next morning with a wicked hangover—and a ghost perched on the edge of her bed. Sheer panic sends her running to get help from Nick West, the (very attractive) detective who lives next door. When he finds no one inside, Alyssa has to accept that she really did see a ghost. As the dearly departed keep appearing, Alyssa and her friends do their best to learn how to control her newfound power. Trading insults with ghosts, tracking down family heirlooms, and getting closer to the skeptical but helpful Nick is more fun than Alyssa imagined. But when looking into one ghost’s past reveals unexpected—and unwelcome—facts about Alyssa’s late husband’s death, she discovers she just may be in over her head. "Part rom-com, part ghost story, part love story, and all heart. This is a fun novel with a little bit of everything for everyone." —Red Carpet Crash "A perfect weekend read for fans of Emily Henry and Sarah Adler." —San Francisco Book Review “ An Enchanting Case of Spirits is a book I would typically classify as a cozy mystery, but this book definitely has more teeth than your average book in that genre. Still, it has all the right ingredients including romance, mystery, murder, and even a collection of opinionated ghosts.” —Game Vortex " An Enchanting Case of Spirits by Melissa Holtz is a must-read. Its blend of cozy mystery and paranormal abilities is a recipe for a captivating read that will keep you turning the pages long into the night.” —Tessa Talks Books "A laugh-out-loud mystery that blends the supernatural with the murder mystery in a way that’s irresistibly charming.” —Words & Books & Things “I adored this cleverly penned tale of realistic woo-woo.” — Books and Bindings Melissa Holtz is a former publicist and marketing expert in the romance genre. Now in an advisory role to several bestselling authors, she consults on industry marketing trends. An Enchanting Case of Spirits is her debut novel. 1 Five of Cups Another spoonful will dull the painful truth. My youth is gone. A carton of ice cream is gripped between my legs like my life depends on it not slipping from my clutches. A cool autumn breeze flits through the open window next to my whitewashed sleigh bed, and I shiver as it races up my exposed arms. I consider closing said window but refrain, too comfy to move from under the heavy down comforter and matching gray sheets I'm currently curled beneath. My lips wrap around a tarnished silver spoon-a wedding present from my mother-and a chill settles over me. Whether from the draft or cold dessert, I'm not sure, and I couldn't care less either way. Less than nine hours remain of my fortieth birthday, and I'm alone, eating my ice cream as though it's my last supper. My eyes are fixed on the harvest-yellow walls, a color I adored once upon a time but now resent because I'm no longer the carefree wife and mother who chose that cheerful shade. Birthdays come and go, and the next may not be promised, but it's just a day. Tomorrow, all the calls and messages will stop. I'll be one year closer to my own death, with nothing but wrinkles and cellulite to keep me company. Dramatic much? My phone chimes from the nightstand and I ignore it. It's been going off all day with messages commemorating a day I'd rather skip from family and friends who know this yet refuse to oblige me. Almost immediately, the phone rings, and I know that either I answer or risk a wellness check from the police, courtesy of my well-meaning friends. There's no doubt it's Lanie or Nina on the other end of this call. Both of my best friends are dogs with a bone, and neither will stop until I shut off the phone or scream down the line that I'm alive. Sighing, I grab the black smartphone and push accept. "I'm breathing. You can stop calling," I drone, sounding pathetic even to my own ears. "Well, that's a relief." Lanie's dry tone just barely hides the irritation she works so hard to conceal. "I thought you'd managed to drown yourself in Chocolate Salted Fudge Truffle or that nasty riesling you adore." I hear Lanie's deep breath before she continues. "Alyssa, you can't hide from your birthday." "But I'm going to give it my best try," I say, eyeing the now-empty ice cream container with contempt, sending a thanks up to the gods that she didn't attempt a video chat. If Lanie Anderson saw my current condition, she'd stage a full-on intervention. All traces of i