Daisy Gumm Majesty 06-Ancient Spirits

After the death of her beloved husband Billy, Daisy Majesty falls into a deep depression. Everyone worries about her, from her family to her late husband’s best friend, Sam Rotondo. She’s too depressed to eat and only mopes around the house.July passes into August, and Daisy continues to mourn; she doesn’t eat or work at her trade as a spiritualist. Although she’s in a very unsteady mood, she finally agrees to use the Ouija board for her longtime best customer, Mrs. Pinkerton. During this session, Daisy has her spirit control, Rolly, dispense some harsh truths, something she’s never done before.Daisy’s appalled, but everyone else is proud of her. Mrs. Pinkerton’s son (and Daisy’s best pal), Harold Kincaid, even offers to take Daisy to Egypt. Daisy doesn’t want to go, but her family insists, so she does.Once in Egypt, Daisy and Harold are not only plagued by the heat (it’s August, after all), but strange things happen to them. Sam Rotondo, who promised Billy he’d watch out for Daisy, hies himself to the Middle East. There, during one of a series of untoward events, Sam gets himself kidnapped in Daisy’s stead. Then something even more remarkable happens after Daisy, Harold and several Turkish fellows manage to rescue him.Neither Daisy nor Sam is quite sure what to make of their relationship once they return to staid and safe Pasadena, California. ANCIENT SPIRITS not only takes the reader on an adventure with Daisy, Harold and Sam, but warms the heart and soul.From BooklistEver since her husband Billy’s death, spiritualist Daisy Gumm Majesty can’t seem to summon the energy to eat, let alone summon spirits. When Mrs. Pinkerton, her best and wealthiest client, needs her help, however, Daisy can’t refuse. Mrs. Pinkerton’s spoiled rotten daughter, Stacy Kincaid, has once again run afoul of the law, and this time Daisy’s advice to her client proves to be exactly the medicine Stacy needs. As a result, not only does a very grateful Mrs. Pinkerton provide Daisy with a lavish reward, but Mrs. Pinkerton’s son, Harold, insists on taking Daisy with him on a trip to Egypt. Daisy’s adventurous trip to the Middle East not only turns out to be just the tonic she needs, it also marks a turning point in her relationship with Pasadena police detective and family friend Sam Rotondo. Duncan excels at integrating an abundance of fascinating historical details into the latest Daisy Gumm Majesty novel, and Ancient Spirits’ humor and colorful characters make it an excellent suggestion for fans of K. K. Beck’s Iris Cooper mysteries and Carola Dunn’s Daisy Dalrymple books. --John Charles