Given to me as a gift. It's a cute concept, and enjoyable except for the weirdly stilted language that seems to plague this kind of genre fiction--e.g., "that was my favorite book as a youth." Really? Not just "as a kid"? I thought that character was supposed to be a "youth" in the 1960s, not the 1860s. How does stuff like that get past the copyeditor?

Some of the reviews indicate that the series is funny, but I didn't find much to ha-ha about in this one. I'd like to go back and read the first one to get Granny Apples's full backstory and to see if Jaffarian really is the "literary heir apparent to Lucille Ball," as the back cover copy claims. ( )

A good, fun read, but not the best one of the series. The premise is a bit out there, even for a ghost story and the drama between Phil and Quinn didn't interest me.

Emma gets called out to Las Vegas by her Mentor (and BFF's fiance) to help his mother, Dolly, with a ghost haunting her townhouse. Soon after her arrival, Dolly disappears, an old mobster dies and the police are questioning the timing. Seems the old mobster isn't willing to buy into the adage "you can't take it with you", and the rest of the plot all becomes part of the "out there" premise. It didn't feel so much like a whodunnit as it did a bit of a caper; a nice change of pace.

If you like cozy ghosts and cozy mysteries, Ms. Jaffarian writes some of the best out there with characters that act their age without being mundane and plots that aren't cookie cutter and I look forward to reading the next one (already on my pile). ( )

Ms. Jaffarian has switched publishing the Ghost of Granny Apples mystery series from Midnight Ink to Berkley with the fourth full-length novel, Ghost of a Gamble. This means we get a mass-market edition rather than a trade paperback edition, which is cheaper, but smaller. Personally, I prefer the covers designed by Ellen Lawson and executed by Doug Thompson to those designed by Diana Kolsky and executed by Robert Crawford. Fortunately, the quality of the writing remains the same.

Book one, Ghost à la mode, was about solving the murder of Elizabeth 'Ish' Reynolds, also known as 'Granny Apples'. She was famous for her apple pies. See chapter 10 of that book for why she was called 'Granny' even though she was only 41 when she was hanged. Poor Granny had to wait until her great-great-great granddaughter, Emma Miller Whitecastle, was 44 to have her name cleared/murder solved. Even then, Granny had to put up with Emma refusing to believe she could see and hear ghosts.

In book two, Ghost in the Polka Dot Bikini, Emma and Granny tried to help the ghost of a young woman who may or may not have been murdered. Emma had to question her ex-in-laws and some of their friends.

None of my county's libraries has book three, Gem of a Ghost, so I'm having to depend upon reviews of it to know that the connection for Emma that time was a friend of her Harvard student daughter, Kelly. By the way, according to a synopsis for the electronic novella, Dummy of a Ghost, Kelly Whitecastle has inherited her mother's ability. (Elizabeth Miller, Emma's mother and her connection to Granny, can only hear ghosts. Emma's brother was accidentally killed in childhood and Kelly's toddler brother, Oscar, is her father's son by his second wife. So we don't know if only the women of Elizabeth's family inherit the gift.)

This time Emma is drawn in to the case through her friend and mentor, respected medium Milo Ravenscroft, the very man who introduced her to Granny. Milo is engaged to Emma's best friend, UCLA professor Tracy Bass, who was responsible for their meeting. The book is set in Las Vegas because that's where Milo's mother lives. Being in his mother's presence seems to short-circuit Milo's powers, so he can't help her.

Dolly is an ex-Vegas showgirl and a current fortune-teller of the fake variety. She's also a fan of Emma's even-handed TV show about the paranormal, 'The Whitecastle Report'. Is there a genuine haunting? If so, is it a murder to be solved or does the ghost have some other reason for hanging around?

If you're hoping for a connection to the sleazier side of Las Vegas, you won't be disappointed. If you're wondering if Emma's life will be in danger, it will.

NOTES (pop culture references, fictional and real name-dropping, character facts, and non-spoiler tips to help those who've read the book find things again):

Chapter 1:

a. Nicholas Foster, a baby who's thrilled to stare at a light fixture for hours (won't that hurt his eyes?), is the first baby Emma has seen up close for a long time, not counting her ex-husband's son, Oscar.

b. Emma's daughter, Kelly, is now in her third year at Harvard. She graduated high school in the first book.

c. Dolly Meskiel, Milo's mother, has dubbed the light fixture 'Lenny the Lightbulb. She's described.

d. It's 2014 and Emma and Granny listened to a book on tape instead of compact disc during the drive from Pasadena. Her car had only an audio cassette player?

e. Dolly tells Emma about Nicholas' parents, Detective John and Susanne Foster.

f. Watching Nicholas helps Dolly supplement her earnings as a fortune teller.

g. Dolly's home decor is described.

h. June Cleaver was the mother in the old 'Leave It to Beaver' TV show.

i. This is the first time Emma has encountered a very young child who can see spirits. (They're not uncommon.)

j. Nicholas stares at the light fixture whether it's on or off.

k. Emma hears something.

Chapter 2:

a. Emma's description of Las Vegas is rather insulting.

b. Emma is staying at the Venetian Hotel.

c. Milo Ravenscroft was born and reared in Las Vegas.

d. There's a Disneyland comparison and Emma makes a joke about their cartoon characters.

e. Tracy tells Emma that everyone calls Milo's mother 'Dolly' when Emma is surprised that Milo does.

f. Milo talks about his childhood. He'd skipped two grades by the time he was thirteen. He graduated college at 20.

g. Milo bought his mother her townhouse with the royalties from his books. His mother thinks he's found a slick way to make money. This is where we learn Milo can't use his powers when he's with her.

h. Milo and Tracy are not thrilled with his mother's and her parents' desires for their wedding.

i. Granny loves Vegas. Emma thinks about the times she'd visited there when she was married to Grant.

j. We learn why Phil isn't with her.

k. 'The Whitecastle Report' is a cable TV show.

l. There's a 'CSI.' reference. (Granny, I know you're dead, but your eager hope you'll get to see a dead body in a casino disturbs me. You do realize that someone would have to DIE for that to happen, right?)

Chapter 3:

a. The heredity part of Emma's gift is mentioned while she, Milo, and Tracy speculate whether Dolly has any paranormal abilities.

b. Milo has no idea who his father was. His mother told him she came from New York and her family disowned her when she came to Las Vegas to be a dancer. (I smell potential future book material.)

c. Milo summarizes his mother's various jobs. She was in her late 50s when she became a fortune teller. The name of her shop is The Raven's Craft.

d. We learn how, why, and when Milo Meskiel legally became Milo Ravenscroft.

e. There's a 'Finding Nemo' reference as well as Captain Nemo from Jules Verne's' classic novel, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. (That book was one of Milo's favorites when he was young.)

f. Granny thinks of Edward G. Robinson, the actor famous for playing gangsters. Bugs Bunny even squared off against him in 'Racketeer Rabbit' (with a bonus appearance by Peter Lorre). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2ZMLdGpf6Q

g. Granny watches old black and white crime films with Dr. Miller, Emma's dad. He does something that makes her wish she could work the remote control, not that she calls it that.

h. Milo tells them about a hood named Nemo who was once involved in a casino robbery.

i. Emma finds an entry on Wikipedia.

j. Nemo the hood was born in 1928.

Chapter 4:

a. It's early May.

b. Granny and Emma talk about Kelly, who has a new boyfriend. I'm guessing the difficult time Kelly had was in Dummy of a Ghost.

c. Granny reminds Emma about what happened between her and an archeologist named Dr. Quinn Keenan in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania last summer. See book three.

d. Emma hasn't heard from Quinn since her trip to Australia in the Fall. She thinks about the tension between her beau, Phil, and Quinn there.

e. Milo will be giving a lecture based on his latest book. He explains why there will be no demonstration of his powers during it.

f. Granny uses a word she learned from hanging out with Kelly and her friends. She also listens in on the classes.

Chapter 5:

a. There's more description of Dolly's home.

b. Emma looks at photos of Milo and his mother.

c. Emma has recently gotten reading glasses.

d. There's a Jimmy Hoffa and the opening of Caesar's Palace in 1966 reference.

e. Moe Dalitz, the Father of Las Vegas, is mentioned.

f. Emma meets Suzanne Foster.

g. Kelly was fascinated by keys when she was little.

Chapter 6:

a. We get some description of Fremont Street.

b. Dolly's shop is directly across from the Golden Nugget.

c. The shop is both 'The Raven's Craft' and 'Crafty Beads'. It's described.

d. Madame Dolly gives 15, 30, or 60-minute sessions. The rates are posted.

e. Emma meets Megan, the great-niece of Dolly's partner, Madeline, who handles the bead half of the businesses. When Emma asks if Madeline has any children, Megan says she never married. (Hey, it's her great-aunt. Megan's not going to speculate if the woman ever had sex.)

f. Emma buys a gift each for Kelly and Kelly's friend, Tanisha.

g. Madeline was showgirl in the 1960s, same as Dolly.

h. Emma hears about Madame Dolly's competition, Lady Laura (Laura Crawford).

Chapter 7:

a. Emma inserts her cell phone earpiece in when she's talking with ghosts so others won't think she's crazy.

b. Granny talks about a rest home she visited.

c. Madeline's last name is Kurtz. She's Dolly's best friend and like an aunt to Milo.

d. Milo has a feeling something could endanger Emma. He doesn't know what.

Chapter 8:

a. Lady Laura's wagon is described. So is Laura.

b. Laura says something strange about Emma.

c. Laura has a Mona Lisa smile.

d. Laura makes an announcement that alarms Granny.

e. Laura is more gifted than she realizes. Emma recommends she meet Milo.

Chapter 9:

a. Kelly's friend, Tanisha Costello, can also communicate with spirits. We're told what happened when Emma insisted she be mentored. We're given Tanisha's background, too.

b. Granny uses a phrase that Phil uses with his sons.

c. Emma meets Quinn, who is in Las Vegas for a bachelor party. He introduces her to the groom-to-be, Bob Emmons.

d. Granny mentions Indiana Jones.

Chapter 10:

a. Quinn and Emma discuss Phil.

b. Emma tries and enjoys something.

Chapter 11:

a. Megan got some news from her mother that upset her.

b. Emma tells Granny (and Quinn chimes in) about masculine pronouns being used for both men and women when they're not specifying which gender they're talking about. I guess Granny has learned that nowadays 'gender' is used instead of 'sex' to indicate a man or woman because she's not confused. In her day it was a word used for parts of grammar.

Chapter 13:

a. The ghost that showed up at the end of the last chapter smoothly objects when Granny calls him a gangster.

b. We learn why Lenny the Lightbulb died.

Chapter 14: Lenny is very upset to learn about Dolly's predicament.

Chapter 15: 'Twofer' is short for 'two for one'. For example, a woman of color would count as both a person of color and a woman for a company that needs to hire a few employees who aren't white men.

Chapter 16:

a. Dolly drives a silver Honda.

b. We meet Detectives John Foster and Howard Garby. Yes, it's Nicholas' father. His partner is older than John is.

c. Tracy makes a snark [smart remark] about Jimmy Hoffa. (She doesn't like authority.)

d. John Foster snarks about the sixth sense. He also considers ghost stuff creepy.

e. John Foster knows about the Lucky Buck Casino robbery. Garby says Las Vegas history, especially gangsters, is John's hobby.

f. Milo assures John about his son.

Chapter 17:

a. Emma's mother has a friend named Sarah who has a dog named Crackers. Granny enjoyed playing with Crackers. Emma has a reason for mentioning that visit to Sarah.

b. Emma gets something she didn't expect.

Chapter 18:

a. Milo talks a little more about his childhood after the police leave.

b. Granny compares Lady Laura to Archie, the Millers' Scottie, sniffing the wind.

Chapter 19:

a. Emma and Quinn visit the Desert Sun Nursing Home. Emma reacts when she hears Grant's TV show from one of the televisions.

b. Emma talks to Gloria, a woman of color at the reception desk.

c. Gloria suggests she speak to the director, Gene Garby.

d. Gene Garby grew up in Boulder City.

e. Quinn and Emma talk to a resident named Claudine Houser, who is having her 93rd birthday that day. Her remarks about her son and his wives made me smile.

f. Emma starts to see ghosts in the area near the front door. One of them is Claudine's husband, Bert.

g. Gloria is not the receptionist. Maria is, but she's probably on break.

Chapter 20: The Lucky Buck Casino was family owned. It was built around the same time as the Boulder Dam, but it's gone now. The names of the guy who started it and his sons are given.

Chapter 21: Gloria's surname is Youngblood.

Chapter 22: Granny calls Quinn 'Indiana'. (Now I have the Raiders of the Lost Ark theme in my head.)

Chapter 23:

a. Emma and Quinn are visited by Lenny.

b. Granny uses another modern expression.

c. Phil is at the hotel. Granny and Lenny discuss Quinn and Phil. (Quinn has red hair.) Phil's remark to Quinn made me smile as much as the ghosts' discussion.)

d. Granny gives Emma the name of a pizza joint.

Chapter 24:

a. A most unwelcome ghost crashes the party.

b. The Desert Sun's director's mother's name was Lola. She was a waitress in Boulder City.

Chapter 25:

a. Phil and Quinn have to explain about the Mohave Desert to Emma.

b. Phil and Quinn's interactions irritate Emma.

c. Quinn gave his mother a pink taser last year.

d. The three hear about a local legend.

Chapter 26:

a. The local legend is true.

b. Emma has yet to try to make Phil eat tofu. (First saw tofu when my uncle & my Vietnamese aunt were visiting in the late '70s or very early '80s. It didn't look very appetizing. Can't recall if I ever had any.)

c. Emma mentions Addy from book three.

Chapter 27:

a. John tells Emma his partner's father's name.

b. John tells Emma more about Howard.

c. There's a Baby Huey (the cartoon/comic book character, not the singer) reference. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1kpz8nxnk4

d. John makes a comparison that pleases Granny.

e. There's a 'The Mod Squad' mention.

Chapter 28:

a. John called his captain.

b. Emma and Kelly toured Hoover Dam when Kelly was 14. The next day they visited the Grand Canyon. We find out what Grant was doing then.

Chapter 29:

a. We get some background info about Laura Crawford.

b. Granny has plans for Quinn. Phil offers to teach him how he communicates with Granny.

Well, I enjoyed Ghost of a Gamble. The interactions between characters, both living and dead, were interesting.

Dog lovers: we're just as out of luck as the cat lovers with this entry. Archie and another dog get one mention each and no appearances. ( )

Ghost Of A Gamble is the fourth book in the A Ghost Of Granny Apples Mystery series and the first published by Berkley. There are two e-book novellas also available.

This is a really delightful series and this was a wonderful addition. I thought it was a little less light hearted than previous books.

Milo, Emma's mentor and fellow psychic, has asked her to visit his mother, Dolly, at her home in Las Vegas. Dolly is a retired dancer on the strip and now does fortunetelling. When Emma arrives she doesn't sense the presence of any spirits, but does notice that the young infant that Dolly is sitting is fascinated by the light fixture in the ceiling. Dolly refers to it as Lenny the Lightbulb. Emma soon learns that Lenny is in fact Lenny is a deceased Vegas hood. Lenny and another hood, Nemo, had robbed a casino but Lenny had never given Nemo his share of the loot. Nemo has vowed that he will do whatever is necessary to get his share of the money. Just after Dolly visit Nemo, he dies and Dolly goes missing. They soon find out that Dolly is being held by some of Nemo's people until the spirit of Lenny lets them know where the stolen money is hidden So Emma and her friends are off to search for Dolly and to try and contact Lenny's spirit.

All the main characters are back once again to help Emma get to the bottom of this mystery. Yes and the cantankerous Granny Apples is back to lend hand. Granny is such a wonderful character and her use of modern clichés will have you laughing.

Will definitely be watching for the next book in the series. ( )

Ghost Of A Gamble is the fourth book in the A Ghost Of Granny Apples Mystery series and the first published by Berkley. There are two e-book novellas also available.

This is a really delightful series and this was a wonderful addition. I thought it was a little less light hearted than previous books.

Milo, Emma's mentor and fellow psychic, has asked her to visit his mother, Dolly, at her home in Las Vegas. Dolly is a retired dancer on the strip and now does fortunetelling. When Emma arrives she doesn't sense the presence of any spirits, but does notice that the young infant that Dolly is sitting is fascinated by the light fixture in the ceiling. Dolly refers to it as Lenny the Lightbulb. Emma soon learns that Lenny is in fact Lenny is a deceased Vegas hood. Lenny and another hood, Nemo, had robbed a casino but Lenny had never given Nemo his share of the loot. Nemo has vowed that he will do whatever is necessary to get his share of the money. Just after Dolly visit Nemo, he dies and Dolly goes missing. They soon find out that Dolly is being held by some of Nemo's people until the spirit of Lenny lets them know where the stolen money is hidden So Emma and her friends are off to search for Dolly and to try and contact Lenny's spirit.

All the main characters are back once again to help Emma get to the bottom of this mystery. Yes and the cantankerous Granny Apples is back to lend hand. Granny is such a wonderful character and her use of modern clichés will have you laughing.

Will definitely be watching for the next book in the series. ( )