Maxwell and Antoinette ‘Toots’ Rawlings take a cabin on the moored Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA, now a luxurious hotel…and that’s when their unusual adventures begin. At dinner, they see the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, which is impossible; they are long dead. Once home, the two ghosts appear to them – they hitched a ride in the trunk. In the middle of writing her latest romance novel, Toots has to cope with interfering spirits, and the sudden appearance of her grandson, Andrew. The boy is sullen and unresponsive, and Max takes it on himself to draw him out. Toots explains to Andrew about the two ghosts in their house, which he finds cool. If coping with him wasn’t enough trouble, Toots’ daughter comes visiting, announcing that her boyfriend refuses to marry her, and she is pregnant. They all huddle together to form the ‘plan’ which will save the daughter’s relationship – with the two ghosts providing helpful suggestions.

With Ghosts of the Queen Mary, Karen Truesdell Riehl leads the reader into a quirky world of a romance writer – while hounded by two friendly ghosts. The writing is crisp and the dialogue real. The interaction between Max and Toots is lively, and Andrew adds an interesting dimension to this short novel. Parents will relate to his sullen, withdrawn attitude, and smile as he changes. I would have preferred more interaction with the Duke and Duchess of Windsor and how they ‘feel’ being ghosts. If you are interested in something unusual, Ghosts of the Queen Mary will entertain.

Ghosts of the Queen Mary by Karen Truesdell Riehl is an amusing tale involving an elderly couple embarking on a weekend cruise on the Queen Mary. Formerly sailing as a troopship across the Atlantic during World War II, the Queen Mary is known to be a haunted ship. Since 1967, it is permanently docked in California as a hotel and historic attraction and is listed by Time Magazine as one of the top ten most haunted places in America. Toots and Max board the ship with the prospects of having an enjoyable and perhaps haunted weekend. They are not disappointed when the ghosts of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor keep them company. What they do not expect is that the ghosts follow them back to their home and get entangled with their domestic problems.

Ghosts of the Queen Mary is an amusing story from Karen Truesdell Riehl. Toots, a sexy romance novel writer, and her gentleman husband Max are both in their sixties but this does not stop them from having fun with each other. They are definitely amiable characters with their sense of humor and zest for life. The plot becomes hilarious when the ghosts of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor come home with them uninvited while they have to deal with financial problems, a grandson and his noisy parrot, and an unhappy daughter who is jilted by her groom-to-be. And when Toots’ old flame comes into the picture, the plot takes a different path. If you want to have a hilarious read, this book is definitely for you!