Ellen Hart is the mistress of mystery. An Intimate Ghost is no exception to the wonders of the remarkably talented, award-winning author known for her intricate plots, witty dialogue, flawless characterizations, and engrossing stories. An Intimate Ghost, the continuation of the Jane Lawless series, touted as the best one yet, has been deservedly nominated for a Lambda Literary Award and the Golden Crown Literary Society Award for 2005.

Jane Lawless has had formal training as a restaurateur, consummate chef, and caterer. In the continuing saga about the amateur detective, wedding guests start acting weird after ingesting gourmet food catered by her company. WHO poisoned the food, WHAT did they use, WHERE was it executed, WHEN did they do it, and WHY… are the questions Jane wants to figure out. Never mind that the police have started their investigation. Jane could be found culpable, and wants to clear her company’s name. Even if the wedding hadn’t been for her friends, Nick and Lauren Clifford, and Nick hadn’t ended up in critical condition from a drug-induced dive into an empty pool, Jane still would have had to solve the mystery. It’s not surprising that she enlists the help of her trusty sidekick, Cordelia Thorn, if for nothing other than comic relief. Jane and Cordelia are just hysterical together and they make a perfect crime solving team.

The fact that Cordelia, the creative director of a repertory theater, is a bit pre-occupied when her sister, Octavia, literally drops her kid in her aunt’s lap and takes off for stardom, doesn’t stop the dependable Cordelia from helping her best friend Jane. Cordelia is hardly the mother hen type and her life is disrupted beyond compare by the addition of niece Hattie. Ellen Hart depicts the toddler so convincingly that this reviewer almost got up on more than one occasion to prepare a “kid friendly” snack, but was reminded that she was just a fictitious character.

Hart is not only a master mystery writer, but her storytelling is as delectable as restaurateur Jane Lawless’s culinary treats. An Intimate Ghost is appetizing, fulfilling, and deliciously funny with Jane’s deadpan humor and Cordelia’s catchy comebacks. Hart also writes with a contemporary flair that goes a long way to add to the believability of the story. Even the cars Jane and Cordelia choose to drive fit their personalities perfectly.

In An Intimate Ghost, nothing is ever as it seems even when things seem to be crystal clear. Readers will find the story riveting, and the conclusion of each chapter keeps the reader hungering for more. To me, this is mystery writing at its best and I am quick to recommend anything penned by this outstanding and deserving award-winning author. Ellen Hart has written another funny, fast-paced, first rate, five plus star novel. Do not miss this gem. I highly suggest you purchase a copy today!