SKETCH ME IF YOU CAN: A Portrait of Crime Mystery - Sharon Pape

From the back of the book: Police artist Rory McCain never needed a partner to create a likeness of a suspect. But now, working as a sleuth on the side, she's got a partner who's been dead for over a century....

When Rory's favorite uncle dies suddenly, he bequeaths to his niece a beautiful Victorian home and a list of clients from his private detective business. As Rory tries to get settled in the house, she is startled by a ghost from the 1870s---federal marshal Ezekial Drummond, aka Zeke---who was helping Uncle Mac with his cases. In exchange, Mac had agreed to help Zeke find the killer who had shot the lawman in the back.

When Zeke proposes a similar partnership with Rory, she balks. Having a ghost as a housemate is bad enough. But as she's drawn into one of her uncle's unsolved cases, Rory finds she needs the help of an experienced investigator---even one who is stubborn and old-fashioned, cantankerous and sexist---not to mention long dead. Faced with a cold-blooded killer, Rory may even need the marshal's ghostly help in staying alive herself....

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Paranormal mysteries can be tricky. Some can feel forced, sort of gratuitous ghosts. Thankfully, Zeke's definitely a ghost of substance..at least as much as a ghost can be substantance-y.

I liked the dueling dialogue between Zeke and Rory. Zeke is old-fashioned and ornery and Rory is modern and touchy and the sparks are flying like crazy, especially when they are working out how to exist in the same house.

The mystery was portrayed well and I like how Rory realizes her abilities as a true detective and not just in name only as a sketch artist with a badge.

I still want to know how he got to Mac's house from the Wild West, so it's a given I'll be buying the next in the series, TO SKETCH A THIEF. It's in the shopping cart!

Four sketching beans....