I came to Salem to review a haunted hotel. It was supposed to be the assignment that proved I could do more than assist the editors at my Manhattan travel magazine.

The Salem Heritage House has everything a Halloween story needs: a long history, rumors of a ghost, and a midnight séance planned for its reopening. My best friend Holly and our French bulldog, Jasper, join me for the trip. Jasper is dressed for the occasion. I’m trying to look as though I belong here.

Then the hotel’s new chef turns out to be Brad Collins, a man from my past. Seeing him again is complicated enough. When the hotel owner is murdered during the séance and Brad becomes the prime suspect, complicated turns dangerous.

I’ve been seeing ghosts since I was a child, though I’ve never found a convenient way to explain that to anyone. Now the ghost of a sea captain seems determined to get my attention. The living guests are keeping secrets, too, and I can’t tell which of them is hiding a reason to kill.

With Holly, Jasper, and a remarkably perceptive cat named Pyewacket nearby, I start looking for answers. I came to Salem hoping to write a story about the hotel. If I can’t discover what happened at the séance, someone else may decide how my story ends.