Ghost story

Good sequel to Arizona Wild. This one picks up where the previous book left off, just after the murder of seven-year-old Gillian. Mojo is attending the funeral for the little girl, which feels especially odd to her, as the child's ghost is sitting next to her. Mojo is determined to do her best to find out who murdered the child, with or without the help of her cop boyfriend, Tucker.

This investigation isn't the only thing Mojo has going on in her life. She is also worried about her sister, Greer, who is being blackmailed over something in her past. Greer also has a philandering husband who is missing. Mojo's other sister, Jolie, is in the midst of a career change that doesn't make much sense, so she worries about that, too. Add in random other dead people that pop in and out of her life, and it's no wonder that she frequently doesn't know which way is up.

Mojo also has a stressful relationship with Tucker. The chemistry between them is smoking hot, which means they have a hard time keeping their hands off each other when they are together. But Tucker's divorce wasn't that long ago, and Mojo isn't all that certain that Tucker is completely over his wife. When his two children freak out over the death of their friend Gillian, Tucker moves back into the family home to reassure them. Unfortunately, that just adds to Mojo's fears.

I liked the relationship between Mojo and Tucker much more in this book. Mojo is able to express her fears to him, rather than just push him away. I thought that Tucker was pretty darn patient with her fears, and that he did everything he could to show her where his heart belonged. I liked the teasing that went on between them, especially over her addiction to the "Damn Fool's Guide" books that she constantly refers to. I loved the fact that he believed her about seeing dead people, and that he would listen when she would tell him what they said. His protectiveness was great, and he had an excellent track record of showing up just when he was needed. I hurt for him at the end, when his son ended up in the hospital, and he needed Mojo so badly. I loved how it worked out, and the end was pretty sweet.

The suspense of the story was really good. A fair amount was going on. There was Gillian's murder, and the search for who did it. When Danny was also hurt, the question became one of whether the two were connected. I had my suspicions about the culprit, and the final confrontation was intense and very scary. If it hadn't been for one of Mojo's other ghosts, it would probably not have ended well. Then there was Greer's story. She was being blackmailed over something from her past before she joined Mojo's family. She didn't know who was behind it. To meet the blackmailer's demands, she was sucking her husband's accounts dry. He had also spent money himself, trying to buy off the blackmailer. Then he turned up dead, shot multiple times and left in the desert, and Greer was a suspect. At least, until his ghost showed up in Mojo's house, wanting to clear her name. Though he didn't know who did it, he had some ideas. There was also some surprise information provided by his first wife, which sent Mojo off to Greer's hometown, just in time to save Greer's life. That confrontation had a couple of interesting twists to it that I didn't see coming.

I loved the various ghostly characters (okay, MOST of them). The teenager, Justin, just about broke my heart with the way that he was so worried about his mom and his dog. I loved that he took little Gillian under his wing and was able to interpret her signs for Mojo. I laughed a bit at the way he teased Mojo about her relationship with Tucker. The security guard who took care of Mojo's dog was cute with the way he enjoyed sitting in her car and pretending to drive. But the one who surprised me the most was the one who showed up at the end and offered to be her partner at the bar. I didn't realize he was a ghost the first time he appeared - and neither did she!

I'd really love to see another Mojo book! ( )

Arizona Heat by Linda Lael Miller is a 2017 HQN publication.

Just for the sake of clarity this is the second book in the Mojo Sheepshanks series. This two -book series has been reissued with new titles and new cover art.

I read the first book, originally titled, ‘Deadly Gamble’, several years back and loved it. However, I never got around to reading the second book. When I saw this one on Overdrive, I checked it out without even reading the description because I read everything I can by Linda Lael Miller.

But, when I realized I had the second ‘Mojo’ installment I did a happy dance!! Yay!!

The book starts off on a very somber note, as Mojo attends the funeral of a murdered child. But, the thing is, the child’s ghost is Mojo’s constant companion and will be until her murderer is found out, something the newly minted detective is determined to discover, with or without the help of her boyfriend, Tucker.

To make matters worse, Tucker’s children were friends with the murder victim and are traumatized by her death, prompting him to move back in with this ex-wife temporarily, for the sake of his kids.

If that weren’t bad enough, Mojo’s sister is being blackmailed and her philandering brother-in-law is missing.

I am so happy Mojo is getting a little added time in the spotlight. I would love for Linda add more books to this paranormal romantic suspense series. It is so good!!

Mojo is a terrific character, strong, yet conflicted, determined, but vulnerable, but most of all she’s smart and compassionate and will eventually make a very good detective, especially if she continues to receive help from the other side.

The book is fast-paced, with a touch of screwball humor here and there, as well as a super sexy and steamy romance filled with just the right amount of conflict and angst. The story has heart and emotion as well as suspense and action.

I don’t know why the series stopped suddenly because there is lots of room for character and relationship growth and the ending did hint at future installments which really has my curiosity peaked.

You will want to pick up the first book, ‘Deadly Gamble’ published in 2006, or the newly released digital version of the book, ‘Arizona Wild’, before starting this one.

I highly recommend this series to lovers of paranormal romance and romantic suspense and maybe even to those who enjoy contemporary western romance.

4.5 stars ( )

Absolutely LOVE it!!!! Mojo is adorable and Tucker is (wow!) undeniably sexy. Miller brings her characters alive. I lent it to a couple of friends and they couldn't put it down. Highly Recommended with Deadly Gamble of course!

2nd book in this series. Mojo's abilities seem to be expanding as she gets further involved in her relationship with her cop boyfriend. Mojo will need her abilities and all the mortal and ghostly help she can get to solve a case of a murdered child and another case involving her 'sister'. ( )