Book Review: Ghosted: Disappearing Acts

Ghosted: Disappearing Acts is the latest novel by Paula Light of Light Motifs II. It’s part mystery, part suspense, and part James Bond, with a twist of romance.

The book opens with main character Lily finding out that her brother Jack has died under unusual circumstances in Aruba. The first chapter is delightfully titled “Dead men don’t pay alimony.” The mystery element builds from there, and then towards the end, the suspense/James Bond-ish element comes out to play.

There are lots of visual details in the book, from the Ikea kitchen table to Lily “taking in his yummy jeans-clad self, so handsome in a plain white shirt and scuffed brown leather jacket.” That just happens to be my dream man dream outfit from about 20 years ago. I also liked “her long legs were encased in snug mocha boots” — I would like my own pair of snug mocha boots, please and thank you.

There was mention of “ballerina stripping,” which made me wonder if that’s a thing that I’ve just never heard of. A Google search turned up a bunch of porn hits, and after some confusion I realized that it made sense in context had I been more attentive, and there was no actual porn involved.

Accents can be hard to capture effectively in writing, but Lily’s sister-in-law’s Texas drawl is done very well.

Peanut butter cups make an appearance along the way, a favourite that I share with Paula.

I really enjoyed this novel. It had a lot of different elements—a little something for everyone. There are enough hints to keep you guessing without being predictable.

There’s also a bit of a who’s who (albeit rather loose) of guys that made an appearance in my life, including a Russian dude whose name may or may not have been real but who my friends and I nicknamed Boris.

So, if you’re looking for a fun novel for some Christmas reading, this is it!

Ghosted: Disappearing Acts is available on Amazon (affiliate link).

Visit Paula on her blog Light Motifs II.

You can find my other reviews on the MH@H book review index or on Goodreads.