Get Lost in a Book ReviewsHow to Live with a Ghost by Melinda Wichmann
Two weeks was plenty of time for the ghost to introduce itself. It hadn’t, which confirmed my suspicion the tale attached to my new-old house was nothing more than a local legend.
That is the first paragraph in this ghost story set in Iowa. I thought it had a pretty good hook. Made me want to read more.
Jess McCallister, a divorced newspaper reporter whose dating history was also fizzling, decided it was time for a change. She moves to a small town in Iowa to a home in the country called Fox Hollow. The house has a history of being haunted. Jess doesn’t believe in ghosts.
Jess’s life is also built around training her dog for shows. Most of her social life is built around that hobby and those friends.
Jess knows a few people in the community, so she isn’t a total stranger. She soon meets her neighbor, a bestselling, sexy, action/adventure author who is her closest neighbor. He is interested in the ghost stories and becomes concerned about Jess living there alone.
As the story moves along, we learn about who is haunting the house and that there is a pioneer cemetery on her property as well as another historical site that might be connected to a lost treasure.
There is plenty of stuff going on in the community and I enjoyed the interaction between the characters. This one is difficult to label with a genre. The publisher shelved it in women’s fiction. I do think that is a good fit, but it almost feels like what I would think of as a cozy horror story.
It doesn’t really matter what it is labeled if the reader can find it on the bookstore shelves.
I loved the spooky scenes with the ghost and how Jess and her author friend handled them. Melinda is great at describing those atmospheric scenes.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a story with all these elements.
I met this author at a local author event a few months ago and as she told us about the book, I knew I needed to read it. This is Melinda’s debut novel.
Published December 15, 2025.
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Here are a few ghost stories I reviewed in the past you might check out if you’re new to my blog:
https://virginia-gruver.com/2026/01/02/murder-most-haunted-by-emma-mason/
https://virginia-gruver.com/2025/10/31/death-at-the-door-by-olivia-blacke/
https://virginia-gruver.com/2025/10/27/craven-manor-by-darcy-coates/
What I am currently reading:
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt – I had heard so much about this book I planned to read it. When I saw an adaptation was coming out on Netflix, I picked it up this week to read before the show airs on May 8th.
Dark is when the Devil Comes by Daisy Pearce – I will be starting this book later tonight. This was a NetGalley book given to me for a review.
I have had a couple Bookish Adventures this past week. May 2nd, I attended a local Book Fair put on by Beaverdale Books and the Des Moines Public Library. It was a day packed full of meeting authors and publishers, and lots of writing related organizations. I spent an hour that afternoon greeting visitors at my chapter of Sisters in Crime booth. That’s a great way to meet new readers and writers and promote our author’s books and acquire new members for our organization. The event is held at an event center that used to be a grade school in Des Moines. By the time I got home, I was worn out, but in a good way.
Today, May 7th, I attended an author event at Beaverdale Books at noon. Jess Lourey, Erica Ruth Neubauer, and Shannon Baker were there with their newest releases. Des Moines was their second stop on their book tour. I will be reviewing their books soon.
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Happy Reading!
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Rose LaCroix
