Happy Monday?

It's Monday, again. I think the most universally groaned about day of the week, right? And understandable considering it's the first day back for most of us after a weekend off and the first day in a long week until the weekend hits again. By Tuesday things are already looking better just because Monday is out of the way.

For me, Mondays also usually mark a start day on a new book (yay!) after a weekend of reading (or not in some cases). It's back to the norm, back to the routine, and for me, reading is very routine. It's my way of attempting to wind down and relax at night before bed. It's rubbed off on my fiance as well. He has to have something to read at night and has discovered the strange quirk that seems to affect so many of us: not being able to end the day unless a new book is begun.

Weird, isn't it? If I finish my book before I go to sleep, I have to settle on a new one and at least read the opening pages before I can turn off the lamp and sleep. Yeah, readers' quirks.

I found myself in just this situation last week when I cracked open E.J. Copperman's Night of the Living Deed, a cozy paranormal mystery "debut" from Jeffrey Cohen, author of the Double Feature mystery series. 'Course I then found myself staying up later than planned as I was sucked into the story!

I'd won the book the week of its release by answering Copperman/Cohen's movie questions about ghostly inspirations. A certified movie buff myself, I love that Cohen ties this into his books. It's a theme in his other series and it carries over just slightly in the new Haunted Guesthouse series. For example, Alison Kerby (heroine of the new series) gets her name from the main characters in Cary Grant's 1937 film, Topper (which I've yet to have the chance to see and am sorely tempted to buy). I've heard that a remake starring Steve Martin is currently in production.

There are other film/tv inspired names as well, including Maxie Malone and Phyllis Coates.

In the book, Alison Kerby, newly single parent and now owner of a fabulous historic oceanfront home in Jersey, has plans to open a guesthouse (Not a B&B, a guesthouse!). Seeing as how she's invested all of her savings into the project and is doing most of the renovations herself, she can't afford any distractions that might throw her off schedule. And that includes distractions in the form of the two ghosts in residence. Maxie Malone and Paul Harrison, the former home's owner and her PI, died in the house. The official report is suicide, but the spectral pair insist it was murder and want Alison's help in proving it. But it's not until Alison starts getting threats herself that she agrees to step in as part time investigator.

Night of the Living Deed is a fun mystery with some truly lovable characters! Perfect stuff for a Monday night start to get you through the week, eh? I think so : )