Deanna Oscar goes to New Orleans, a place where ghosts and psychic powers are accepted as commonplace, for a job interview. She plans to be a psychology professor at a college but there are other things in her future. The grandmother she never met dies and leaves everything to Deanna, including her ghostly presence. A host of unusual characters become part of the new life Deanna finds herself in. Between them and the sudden jolt her life has taken, the poor young woman is out of her element. Using her psychic abilities she tracks a killer but only after enlisting the help of her grandmother and The Lotus Circle.

I began reading this book with the thought that I’d read only the first chapter or two. Two hours later, I’d read the entire book. It is a compelling read, swift moving and witty, with plot twists that shocked me. Deanna’s grandmother, who makes her appearance at the start of the book and remains a central character right up to the ending, is the most realistic ghost I’ve seen. She is everything a grandmother should be, except she’s on the Other Side. Ms. Dragon’s plot is heavily influenced by the fact that Deanna has a psychic gift and uses it to figure out who the killer is. It does take on more than a psychic slant when the crime solving begins in earnest. In the end, this is a story about a woman finding the path to her true self while putting to rest old ghosts, both real and in her personal life. Deanna learns to deal with family and personal issues far removed from the crime and her grandmother, which is the part I liked the best about this story. I’m Okay, You’re Dead is well written and enjoyable. I can’t wait to see what Cheryl Dragon writes next. If it’s as good as this book is, it is sure to be a satisfying read!

Reviewed by: Marlene