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The Pit and the Passion: Murder at the Ghost Hotel Kindle Edition

by M. S. Spencer (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.5 3.5 out of 5 stars 6 ratings
See all formats and editions
At midnight, in the darkness of a deserted hotel, comes a scream and a splash. Eighty-five years later, workmen uncover a skeleton in an old elevator shaft. Who is it, and how did it get there? To find out, Charity Snow, ace reporter for the Longboat Key Planet, teams up with Rancor Bass, best-selling author. A college ring they find at the dig site may prove to be their best clue.

Although his arrogance nearly exceeds his talent, Charity soon discovers a warm heart beating under Rancor’s handsome exterior. While dealing with a drop-dead gorgeous editor who may or may not be a villain, a publisher with a dark secret, and an irascible forensic specialist, Charity and Rancor unearth an unexpected link to the most famous circus family in the world.
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  1. Print length
    303 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    January 22, 2018
  5. File size
    2007 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Cindy M: "Interesting, creative plot and well-writtendialog. Several twists you won't see coming, and plenty of tension; I readlate into the night and just couldn't seem to shut the Kindle off and get somesleep. Recommended!"

YCC: "Captivating, suspenseful, entertaining novel! Thisthriller kept me on the edge of my seat while I was reading it!"

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B078JY8RLY
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ The Wild Rose Press, Inc (January 22, 2018)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 22, 2018
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2007 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 303 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.5 3.5 out of 5 stars 6 ratings

About the author

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M.S. Spencer

M.S. Spencer

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Although M. S. Spencer has lived or traveled on five of the seven continents, much of her life was spent in Washington, D.C. as a librarian, Congressional staff assistant, speechwriter, editor, non-profit director and parent. After many years in academia (attending Vassar, Princeton, American University in Cairo, Harvard, and University of Chicago), she worked for the U.S. Senate, the U.S. Department of the Interior, in several library systems, both public and academic, and at the Torpedo Factory Art Center. She holds a BA from Vassar College, a Diploma in Arabic Studies from the American University in Cairo, and Masters in Anthropology and in Library Science from the University of Chicago. She divides her time between Maine and Florida. All of this tends to insinuate itself into her works.

Writing as M. S. Spencer, she has published sixteen best-selling murder mystery and contemporary romantic suspense novels. Her latest release is The Wishing Tree: Love, Lies, and Spies on Chincoteague Island.

You can find out more information about her and her work at the following places:

Blog: https://msspencertalespinner.blogspot.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/msspencermysteries

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/msspencerauthor

GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/msspencer

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/msspencerauthor/

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/m-s-spencer

MeWe: https://mewe.com/i/msspencerauthor

Customer reviews

3.5 out of 5 stars
3.5 out of 5
6 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

richard ferace
2.0 out of 5 stars too drawn out; ridiculous plot & characters
Reviewed in the United States on October 6, 2020
Verified Purchase
Rancor Bass is an arrogant fool. the plot was preposterous RE: Ringling mansion searches decades later that turned up clues was absurd. unbelievable coincidences I enjoyed only the local references to travel and restaurants, otherwise I would have quit after page 50.
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Vicky Burkholder
4.0 out of 5 stars Cozy romantic mystery
Reviewed in the United States on October 21, 2019
I’m not sure whether to call this a mystery or a romance because it’s both. There’s a decent cozy mystery going on throughout the book—actually several mysteries that the author deftly ties together by the end. And a rather hot romance—so beware. If you don’t like it graphic, there are a few areas where it’s a little intense.

And that’s my only real issue with this story. I was looking for a nice cozy mystery, not a hot romance. I wasn’t prepared for the bedroom scenes. Though the author did tone things down a bit in several areas, there was still a bit more in the sex department than I was prepared for.

Please, don’t get me wrong. I like a good hot romance as much as the next person. Heck, I used to be an editor for an erotic publisher so I’ve seen it all. And I don’t mind romance in a cozy mystery—it happens often that the sleuth eventually has a partner. What I didn’t like was being in the bedroom with them. Cozies don’t usually get this warm in the romance department. The relationships between the sleuth and the “love interest” evolve slowly—sometimes very slowly—over several books.

Still… the mystery was a good one with lots of red herrings and possible suspects. The sleuth—Charity—is a reporter for a local newspaper on a Florida Key. Her partner—Rancor—is a famous thriller writer. He comes across as a user—always begging money, using other people. He doesn’t seem to have any redeeming qualities and I’m not sure why Charity ended up with him other than he was a good lover. But he is central to the story as his family is deeply ingrained in part of the mystery.

Charity and Rancor travel all over—from Florida to Paris to London and back to Florida in their pursuit of truth. The mystery itself is almost a hundred years old and deals with two skeletons found in an abandoned hole of an unfinished hotel. The author did her research and it shows—though she did diverge a little on a lot of the details in order to fit the mystery in. It was a little disconcerting as she’s working with famous names but not with all the truth. Okay, it’s a fiction book, but if you’re going to use famous names, you can’t change their known history (which the author did). It is still a good read, though.

So… recommendations? If you don’t mind hot romance with your cozy mysteries, go ahead and pick this up. Or maybe a satisfying cozy mystery with your hot romance? Either way, it was a quirky, fun read so pick your poison.
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Rochelle Weber, Roses & Thorns Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars A Fun Romp and a Baffling Mystery
Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2018
Charity Snow is the ace reporter at the Longboat Key Planet. Of course, that means she mainly covers social occasions, but she’s first in line if anything exciting happens—like finding a skeleton in an elevator shaft of a hotel built by John Ringling and never opened. One of her favorite authors, Rancor Bass, is on the island researching a book about ghosts, so he joins her in the investigation. And on the side, they also investigate the disappearance of several manuscripts from his publisher. As time goes on, they begin to wonder if the cases are related.

I’ve enjoyed Ms. Spencer’s books since the very first. She grabs you with the first sentence and you find yourself tearing through the pages to see what happens next. The Pit and the Passion was a wonderful romp through the keys on the West Coast of Florida, Paris, London, and even Seattle with a truly fun and funny heroine, and an absolutely frustrating…leading man. Hero? You need to read the book to find out. Be sure you have plenty of time.
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