The Mysterious Case of the Missing Ghost - A Review & Giveaway

 Review

THE MYSTERIOUS CASE OF THE MISSING GHOST
By Michele Pariza Wacek
The Third Redemption Detective Agency Mystery 

When Emily Hildebrandt takes the call from a new client for the Redemption Detective Agency she thinks it's a case of missing husband. And it is...sort of. It's just that the missing husband has actually been dead for a decade and it's his ghost that's missing! While Emily is ready to call it quits and even Mildred seems to agree, Aunt Tilde is adamant they help her old friend Ruth and if that means finding a missing ghost, so be it!

Peculiar things happen in Redemption, Wisconsin. A new case for the Redemption Detective Agency starts off as a missing husband then morphs into a missing ghost, a con, and murder! I loved how the mystery progressed from one issue to another with the zany antics of Aunt Tilde, Mildred, and Nora making me shake my head and laugh! The root of the story is a sad one. A grieving widow desperately missing her late husband and being cruelly taken advantage of. Sadly, elder abuse is common and comes in many forms, despicable scams such as the one  here are too common. I love how each problem led to a new avenue to investigate and each resulting answer led to a satisfying conclusion.

Emily is the wonderful level headed office manager who does her best to keep things running smoothly at her aunt's detective agency. I love how, even as she tries to reign the others in, she fulfills their requests even as she has her doubts. I wonder what Trisha is scheming and Emily needs to dump Jerome. He's a condescending ass. She's picked up on a few red flags, but she keeps dismissing them. I can't wait for her to finally realize he's a jerk and let him have it before completely walking away. 

I absolutely adore this series. The banter, the wacky dialogue that can make your head spin as well as Emily's will have you in stitches. Don't get me started on ghost butts. But at the bottom of it all is the heart. The kindness. Which Emily seems to forget. The ending made me so mad. Not the solution of the mystery, but what happened afterward. I can only hope that Emily will come to her senses and realize what really matters. 

THE MYSTERIOUS CASE OF THE MISSING GHOST is a fast paced madcap mystery with heart. You'll find yourself laughing then smiling as the pieces come together. I'm eagerly awaiting the Redemption Detective Agency's next case! 

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 The Mysterious Case of the Missing Ghost (The Redemption Detective Agency) by Michele Pariza Wacek

About The Mysterious Case of the Missing Ghost

The Mysterious Case of the Missing Ghost (The Redemption Detective Agency)
Cozy Mystery 3rd in Series
Setting - Redemption, Wisconsin in the 1990s
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Love-Based Publishing (September 2025)
Number of Pages ~200

Emily Hildebrandt is learning to settle into some of the very strange cases that come through The Redemption Detective Agency’s door.

Like Aunt Tilde’s friend Ruth who claims she’s lost a ghost.

How does one lose a ghost? Apparently when the ghost decides to walk out the door.

But, to make matters more complicated, it’s not just any ghost but the ghost of Ruth’s dead husband. Who was murdered decades ago under very suspicious circumstances.

Emily has no choice but to go back in time and figure out what really happened to Ruth’s husband, in order for everyone to rest in peace.

A spin-off from the Charlie Kingsley Mystery series! The Redemption Detective Agency is a funny, twisty cozy mystery series set in the 1990s featuring silver sleuths solving cold cases. Great for fans of the Thursday Murder Club.

About Michele Pariza Wacek

 

A USA Today Bestselling, award-winning author, Michele taught herself to read at 3 years old because she wanted to write stories so badly. It took some time (and some detours) but she does spend much of her time writing stories now. Mystery stories, to be exact. They're clean and twisty, and range from psychological thrillers to cozies, with a dash of romance and supernatural thrown into the mix. If that wasn't enough, she posts lots of fun things on her blog, including short stories, puzzles, recipes and more, at MPWNovels.com. Michele grew up in Wisconsin (hence why all her books take place there), and still visits regularly, but she herself escaped the cold and now lives in the mountains of Prescott, Arizona, with her husband and southern squirrel hunter Cassie. When she's not writing, she's usually reading, hanging out with her dog, or watching the Food Network and imagining she's an awesome cook. (Spoiler alert, she's not. Luckily for the whole family, Mr. PW is in charge of the cooking.)  

Author Links: 

Website https://MPWNovels.com  

Facebook https://Facebook.com/MichelePWauthor  

Instagram https://instagram.com/themichelepw  

Purchase Link Amazon

The Mysterious Case of the Missing Dog Walker - A Guest Post, Review, & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Emily Hildebrandt to Cozy Up With Kathy today. You can fine Emily on the pages of the Redemption Detective Agency Mystery series by Michele Pariza Wacek. THE MYSTERIOUS CASE OF THE MISSING DOG WALKER is the second book is the series and was released last week.

Musings From Emily Hildebrandt about “The Mysterious Case of the Missing Dog Walker”

Let me begin by saying I’ve never been a dog person. Nor have I ever been a detective.

I like order. And calmness. I’m happiest when everything is in its proper place and I have a tidy to-do list where I can cross tasks off as I complete them.

Dogs and investigations are none of those things. There’s always an air of chaos and messiness surrounding both being a detective and having a dog.

Which is why this particular case was so aggravating. Not only was I the one in charge of the case, but it was a case about a missing dog.

Except I was told the dog wasn’t missing. Actually, that’s not true. I was told the dog never existed in the first place.

Ugh. Talk about things not being neat and tidy.

Anyway, despite being everything that I hate, I have found myself starting to warm up to being both a dog person and a detective.

Much to my surprise.

Let’s start with becoming a dog person. I never thought I would EVER own a dog, much less a large, scruffy, yellow lab mix that sheds constantly.

And yet…I now have Scout. Although, in all fairness, Scout chose me.

He was a stray who wouldn’t let anyone touch him until I came around. And it’s a good thing he did, because I never would have cracked this case without his help.

Which leads me to becoming a detective. I’m discovering that I have a bit of knack for investigating. I never dreamed this would be the case, but it seems I’m pretty good at cracking cases.

And, dare I say it, I’ve even discovered that I’m enjoying it.

Just a little. I still prefer my spreadsheets and checklists and bringing order to a chaotic detective agency. But I’m finding it’s a nice break to get my hands dirty with a case or two. 

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THE MYSTERIOUS CASE OF THE MISSING DOG WALKER is Book 2 of The Redemption Detective Agency, is a funny, twisty, romcom cozy mystery series set in the 1990s featuring silver sleuths solving cold cases, cats, dogs and an opposites attract love triangle. Great for fans of the Thursday Murder Club. 
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Review

THE MYSTERIOUS CASE OF THE MISSING DOG WALKER 

By Michele Pariza Wacek
The Second Redemption Detective Agency Mystery 

 

Emily Hildebrandt continues to find herself in the most mind boggling situations since moving to Redemption and becoming the office manager of her Aunt Tilde's detective agency. A dog that may or may not have existed and may or may not have gone missing, a husband who may be a rotten cheating scoundrel with a wife who is way too interested in an influential family are not the themes of a television show, but rather the new cases of the Redemption Detective Agency. While her aunt and friends prepare for their stakeout, including who's bringing what in the way of snacks, Emily starts to look into the case of the dog who went missing a year ago. However, she comes up with more questions than answers.

 

The second Redemption Detective Agency Mystery brings lots of laughs as Emily tries to navigate the confusion and outlandishness that is the detective agency and its "detectives". Quick comments that go round and round, at times I felt I was in the middle of an Abbot and Costello routine, and laughing just as hard. The aunt, the cousin, what dog, who? I'm still grinning. I also am enjoying the romantic aspect...or non romance as it were. I know where, or more importantly who, Emily should be placing her attention, despite Mildred. I have a feeling more is going on with another character-and it's not good. 

 

I'm really drawn to the uniqueness that is Redemption. I love learning more about its past and can't wait as more comes to light. I have a feeling there's a lot more shadiness coming and hope the Redemption Detective Agency is ready for it. I also enjoy that the series is set in the 1990s. At one point Emily was trying to memorize something on a sheet of paper and I was thinking why doesn't she quickly take a picture of it with her phone. Then it dawned on me this was the 90s. Heck, in 1990 I didn't even have my own computer let alone a mobile phone and was sending my film out to be developed! I certainly appreciate the difficulty of detecting without our current tools.

 

Lots of laughs, quirky characters, and a puzzling mystery make THE MYSTERIOUS CASE OF THE MISSING DOG WALKER a fantastic fast paced read. I love this series and can't wait to learn more about this mysterious town that truly is one of the characters.

 

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 The Mysterious Case of the Missing Dog Walker (The Redemption Detective Agency) by Michele Pariza Wacek

About The Mysterious Case of the Missing Dog Walker

The Mysterious Case of the Missing Dog Walker (The Redemption Detective Agency)
Cozy Mystery 2nd in Series
Setting - 1990s Wisconsin
Publisher: ‎ Love-Based Publishing (June 18, 2025)
Print Length ~200 Pages

Emily Hildebrandt is not having a good week.

First off, she’s tasked with looking for, of all things, a missing dog. And not just any missing dog, but one owned by the aunt of Nick Stewart’s girlfriend, Trisha.

Like she wants anything to do Nick. Ever. She’s dating someone new and ready to take her life back.

Except…that missing dog case takes a strange turn when the owner tells her she never had a dog.

Why would Trisha lie about a missing dog? Or is Trisha’s aunt the one is lying?

As Emily digs deeper into the case, she uncovers far more than she bargained for.

A spin-off from the Charlie Kingsley Mystery series! The Redemption Detective Agency is a funny, twisty cozy mystery series set in the 1990s featuring silver sleuths solving cold cases. Great for fans of the Thursday Murder Club.

About Michele (PW) Pariza Wacek

A USA Today Bestselling, award-winning author, Michele taught herself to read at 3 years old because she wanted to write stories so badly. It took some time (and some detours) but she does spend much of her time writing stories now. Mystery stories, to be exact. They're clean and twisty, and range from psychological thrillers to cozies, with a dash of romance and supernatural thrown into the mix. If that wasn't enough, she posts lots of fun things on her blog, including short stories, puzzles, recipes and more, at MPWNovels.com.

Michele grew up in Wisconsin, (hence why all her books take place there), and still visits regularly, but she herself escaped the cold and now lives in the mountains of Prescott, Arizona with her husband and southern squirrel hunter Cassie.

When she's not writing, she's usually reading, hanging out with her dog, or watching the Food Network and imagining she's an awesome cook. (Spoiler alert, she's not. Luckily for the whole family, Mr. PW is in charge of the cooking.)

Author Links: 

Website https://MPWNovels.com  

Facebook https://Facebook.com/MichelePWauthor  

Instagram https://instagram.com/themichelepw  

Purchase Link Amazon  

It will be available on Kindle Unlimited soon. The 1st book in the series - The Mysterious Case of the Missing Motive is now available on Kindle Unlimited. 

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Loch Ness Murder - A Spotlight

Today I'd like to shine a spotlight on a book related to one I just finished. Loch Ness Murder by Michele Pariza Wacek is the second book in the Charlie Kingsley Novella series. Note, there is a series of Charlie Kingsley Novellas and a series of Charlie Kingsley Novels. As of 6:30pm eastern October, 19, 2024 the e-book version of this novella was free!

Blurb:

Redemption wouldn’t be Redemption without something weird going on in one of its lakes.

In this case, residents are torn between it being a Loch Ness Monster (named “Locky”) or some other water-based supernatural creature.

So, to set the record straight, two scientists come to investigate.

But then one of them is found dead.

Specifically, drowned.

In the lake.

There are teeth marks on the body … and they appear to be from an actual Loch Ness Monster.

Charlie has no choice but to dive headfirst into this investigation, before another victim surfaces.

Passport to Spy - A Review & Giveaway

 Review

PASSPORT TO SPY by Nancy Cole Silverman
The Second Kat Lawson Mystery 

Kat Lawson is in Munich, Germany ostensibly as a reporter for Travel Life magazine writing about winter attractions. In reality, she's working for the FBI looking for information about a hidden cache of artwork stolen by the Nazis. She has no trouble getting close to her target, a charismatic museum curator, but unfortunately, she's also caught the eye of a suspicious Russian, a gatekeeper receptionist, and a protective sister. Soon Kat gets in deeper than she ever imagined. Will she get out alive?

Though I'm generally a stickler for reading series in order I didn't have time to read the first Kat Lawson mystery before this one. However, PASSPORT TO SPY works perfectly well as an introduction to the series. In fact, it seems as if it is the first book in the series as this is Kat's first assignment. I never felt as if I was missing anything and the book works perfectly well as a stand alone mystery, though I am quite looking forward to see what happens next.

Both intriguing and captivating the second Kat Lawson mystery has mysteries to unravel, though Kat's job is not to solve them. Instead she's supposed to get close to the museum curator and merely gather intelligence. Kat not only gets close, but gets more involved than her handler wants and discovers more than she should. I love how she's able to incorporate her cover story into her real work, as I got to learn about the winter activities and tourist spots around Munich. I also appreciated how Kat was able to keep calm as things spiraled out of control.

PASSPORT TO SPY is an exciting mystery that's part thriller, part historical fiction, and all fun.

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Passport to Spy: A Kat Lawson Mystery by Nancy Cole Silverman

About Passport to Spy

Passport to Spy: A Kat Lawson Mystery
Historical Mystery 2nd in Series
Setting - Germany
Level Best Books (June 6, 2023)
Print length: ‎ 268 pages

After losing her job as an investigative reporter for The Phoenix Gazette, Kat Lawson has a new gig. The FBI has asked her to work undercover as a reporter for Travel International to cover Munich, Germany’s festive holiday scene—an excuse to get close to Hans von Hausmann, a very charismatic and popular museum curator suspected of hiding a cache of stolen masterpieces believed to be part of the World’s Largest Art Heist. The job comes with lots of perks: airfare, travel expenses, the opportunity to see the world...and for a seasoned reporter like Kat, nothing she can’t handle. But, when a trusted source is found dead, Kat realizes the tables have been turned. Armed with evidence that will expose a cache of artwork stolen from museums and the homes of wealthy Jews during the 2nd World War, Kat must find a way to avoid being caught by the German Polizie, who have enough evidence to charge her with murder, and those who want her dead to keep their hidden treasures forever secret. The hunter has become the hunted; now, Kat has a target on her back.

About Nancy Cole Silverman

Nancy Cole Silverman spent nearly twenty-five years in news and talk radio, beginning her career in college on the talent side as one of the first female voices on the air. Later on the business side in Los Angeles, she retired as one of two female general managers in the nation’s second-largest radio market. After a successful career in the radio industry, Silverman retired to write fiction. Her short stories and crime-focused novels—the Carol Childs and Misty Dawn Mysteries, (Henry Press) are both Los Angeles-based. Her newest series THE NAVIGATOR’S DAUGHTER, (Level Best Books) takes a more international approach. Silverman lives in Los Angeles with her husband and a thoroughly pampered standard poodle.

Author Links: 

Website www.nancycolesilverman.com  

Facebook Nancy Cole Silverman | Facebook  

Goodreads: Nancy Cole Silverman (Author of Shadow Of Doubt) | Goodreads  

Purchase Links - Amazon  

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