Karen S. (BoysMom) - My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Fun, quirky, cozy mystery series debut.
Wheeler-Dealer is the first book in author Rita Moreau's fun and quirky cozy The Ghost and Camper Kooky Mystery series. With its retirement-age protagonists, memorable secondary characters, and road trip storyline, I was primed for a good story before I even finished the first chapter! When 60-ish Mabel Gold's husband leaves her for a younger woman, she decides to buy an RV and head west with a friend and her husband. But when a member of their traveling group is murdered, Mabel and the flamboyant ghost who came with her used camper investigate, hoping to win points with St. Peter so the ghost can finally enter the gates of heaven.
Mabel Gold is the plucky divorcee who tells the story and is able to see and communicate with Irma, the Airstream-tied spirit of a Las Vegas madam. I enjoyed their extensive backstories, which really allowed me to gain a complete picture of these two sassy characters (and many of the others, too) and form a strong connection to both. The murder plot unfolds at a deliberate pace, but the meticulous preparation lays a solid foundation for what is to come and for the series going forward. As the reason for Irma to move along from purgatory is the completion of good deeds, she assists Mabel and Lili in getting to the bottom of what's going on. There's never a dull moment with Irma around, and Mabel had me laughing a number of times as well. However, the story could benefit from some cleanup of repetitive mentions of characters' concerns or explanations. Still, I definitely look forward to getting into the next book in the series.I recommend WHEELER-DEALER to cozy mystery fans who enjoy more mature main characters and a bit of the woo-woo and ghosts in their stories.
