I want to take a moment to say how excited I am that The Pilot is purchasing The Country Bookshop.

I’ve been enjoying working with them on stories for their events over the years and am looking forward to an even closer working relationship.

Ghost in Trouble

By Carolyn Hart

William Morrow, 2010, $19.99

Hart returns with another mystery featuring Bailey Ruth Raeburn. Bailey Ruth is an emissary (not an angel) from Heaven’s Department of Good Intentions, who is called upon to occasionally help out the residents of her hometown.

This time she is asked to help save the life of Kay Clark, but to Bailey Ruth’s surprise, Kay turns out to be an old “frenemy.” Of course, one of the precepts of being an emissary is that you only appear when necessary, but that seems to be a frequent occurrence for Bailey Ruth, leading to all sorts of issues.

Hart has a lot of fun with this character, who can change her clothes just by imagining a new outfit.

The Echo of Violence

By Jordan Dane

Avon 2010, $7.99

This is one of Dane’s “Sweet Justice” series, which is filled with lots of action as well as romance. Alexa Marlowe is an agent for the Sentinels. She must team up with Jackson Kincaid, a mercenary with whom she has worked before, in order to save a group of school children who have been taken hostage.

Jackson has the reputation of selling his services to the highest bidder, but he has a hidden agenda.

A little on the rough side, but a good read.

Death Message

By Mark Billingham

Harper, 2010, $7.99

This is a wonderful mystery set in the U.K. Tom Thorne, a detective investigator, keeps getting photos of murder victims on his cell phone. Thorne can’t quite understand why this is happening to him, but throws himself into the investigation, which could lead to trouble in both his personal and professional life.

Out of the Shadows

By Joanne Rendell

New American Library, 2010, $15

Clair Fitzgerald has been told by her mother that they are somehow related to Mary Shelley, author of “Frankenstein.”

It’s only after her mother’s death that Clair decides to pursue the truth of the matter. Researching Shelley leads her to Kay, a Shelley scholar, and Clair is hooked. DNA research proves the family connection, and Clair heads off on a search for letters and a long-lost journal, learning a lot about herself on the way.

Contact Faye Dasen at fdasen@thepilot.com or (910) 693-2745.