Once again Abby Kimbal is seeing spirits/apparitions, this time in Cape Cod with Ellie in tow. Abby and Ned are helping out Leslie while her husband is in the hospital, so Ellie is staying with them. They jumped at the chance to stay in Ned's friend's home in Cape Cod for a little vacation. Ellie and Abby are "being tourists" but head home due to a storm heading their way. Once in the house, they begin to see a crying spirit and feel sadness in the house. This sets Abby off on a genealogical search to see who the spirit is, what happened to make them so sad and to investigate the area. With other guests and characters with varying levels of paranormal abilities, Abby takes us on a tour of the area and the history surrounding the house and her ancestors. Ned is not in this book as much as the others, but when he is present, his relationship with Abby is strong and developing, even though she often questions herself about the timing. Ellie is sweet, yet seems to be 10 going on 30 at some times, then a young girl at others. The relationship she and Abby share is interesting and I am looking forward to seeing where it will go in future books.

If you enjoy history and/or genealogy along with a mystery, then this series will entertain you very much. It is not a cozy mystery, but it is a cozy read. I have enjoyed this series for the history aspects. ( )

This is book #4 in the Relatively Dead series. Abby Kimball is now living with her boyfriend Ned Newhall. They receive a call from a friend, Leslie, asking them to take care of her daughter Ellie for a few days as her husband George is having surgery. As it turns out Ned has a friend who owns a house on Cape Cod and it has become available. So the plan is Abby and Ellie will go ahead and Ned will join them later when his work is done. Abby, Ned and Ellie all share the ability to see dead people as long as they are their ancestors but it is a bit of a surprise when both Abby and Ellie sense sadness in the house when they arrive then they both see a woman sitting on the porch weeping during a storm. Abby recognizes her as her great-great-grandmother Olivia, who she has encountered before when Olivia was younger. It becomes her mission to find out why Olivia was on Cape Cod in the same house and most importantly, why she was so sad. Her search will lead her to many clues that will help her solve the mystery of Olivia's sadness.

I haven't read the other books in this series and I was really expecting a cozy mystery. I would put this as more of a paranormal mystery. The author did a great job of giving just enough background information on these characters so I had no trouble getting to know them or their stories. I enjoyed the interactions between Abby and Ellie and I truly liked all the characters in this book. I kind of had a general idea of why Olivia was sad but I hadn't figured it out completely until the end. I only gave this book 3 stars because for some reason it just lagged for me and I couldn't totally immerse myself in the story like I usually do. I can usually sit for hours and get involved in a story but it took me quite a while to get through this book. It did pick up for me a little past the halfway point and I did like how the ending was revealed. I would like to go back and read the other books in this series at some point.

I received a digital version of this book free from the publisher, Beyond the Page Publishing, via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. ( )

Watch for the Dead by Sheila Connolly is the fourth book in the Relatively Dead series. Abby Kimball wakes up to a call at 5:30 a.m. It is Leslie Walker asking if Abby and Ned Newhall (her boyfriend) will watch Ellie (Ned is Ellie’s biological father, but Ellie does not know) for a few days. Her husband, George is having a gall bladder attack and needs to go to the hospital for surgery (had similar attacks before and doctor warned them). They are happy to take care of Ellie especially when they get an opportunity to head to Cape Cod for a few days. When Ellie and Abby enter the house, they feel a presence in it. They discover that the spirit they are feeling (and see during a storm) is Olivia (she is crying during with rain falling around her). Olivia is Abby’s great, great grandmother. Abby wants to know why Olivia is so sad? So Abby starts researching into this branch of the family tree to get more information. Abby contacts her mother and father to invite them to Cape Cod. She is hoping her mother will remember something about Olivia. Abby, though, is in for an unexpected surprise. Read Watch for the Dead to see how Abby, Ned, and Ellie are faring with their gift and what they find out about Olivia.

Watch for the Dead really cannot be read as a stand-alone book (you can try, but you will be a little confused). It is extremely helpful to read the first three books in the series (to understand the characters and everything that is happening in the series). Watch for the Dead is an easy to read (nice flow) and quick read (I do not mean it is a short book). I finished Watch for the Dead in just a couple of hours. I am hoping there will be more growth with the characters (Ned, Abby, and Leslie) in the next book. They have not developed enough over the four novels. I am really tired of Ellie’s mother and her attitude. For the sake of her daughter, she needs to get with the program (Leslie has a bad attitude and she really does not treat Abby and Ned appropriately). I was glad to see more of Ellie in this book. She is so accepting of her gift and a smart young lady. Overall, Watch for the Dead is good book and I look forward to reading more books in the Relatively Dead series. I give Watch for the Dead 4 out of 5 stars (I liked it).

I received a complimentary copy of Watch for the Dead from NetGalley in exchange for an honest evaluation of the novel! ( )