Ghosts — Bill Noel

Chris Landrums idyllic life of retirement on the South Carolina barrier island of Folly Beach just got turned upside down. After more than two decades, his ex-wife, Joan, calls to wish him a merry Christmas. He can tell she wants to tell him something more, but their conversation is cut short before he learns anything. Somethings up.

A second call from Joans best friend delivers startling news. Joans husband has just been killed in an automobile accident in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, and Joan wants Chris to investigate. Even though its hundreds of miles from Chriss peaceful beach cottage, he agrees to help.

Meanwhile, Chriss best and strangest friend, Charles, joins the working world as a bartending private detective, two jobs he stumbles and bumbles through with equal measures of incompetence. Country Cal, an aging country music singer and new bar owner, hires Charles to catch a petty thief who is stealing bourbon and cash. Heather, a psychic and Charless main squeeze, blames ghosts; since no one can figure out how the culprit is breaking in, she seems to be right.

Unfortunately for Chris, hes got a little more to worry about than missing booze. It looks like Joans husband was murdered. Now, Chris has to find the culprit before he becomes the next victimhardly a day at the beach!