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Ghost on the loose ISBN: 9780440863809
Dunwoodie, Helen
Published by Corgie Yearling, 1998
Lady Maisie McNeil, a ghost since the 1745 rebellion, lives in an Edinburgh house with Robert Menteith, his lady friend, Petronella, and her two daughters, Bryony and Rowan. The girls resent having had to move in with Robert and do all they can to disconcert him. Maisie is delighted by this. She hates Robert and is out for revenge. Unbeknownst to Petronella and the girls, Robert writes slushy romantic novels under the pen name his mother used for the same purpose. Maisie has discovered he has written her into one of his novels, making her into a wimpish, romantic heroine. Maisie, who died fighting for her castle, is having none of this, and while she never appears to anyone, she manages to infiltrate Rowan's consciousness. The truth does come out after Maisie trashes Robert's study in a rage, and the girls come to terms with Robert, who is quite a nice bloke after all. The characters are well drawn, particularly feisty Maisie. Robert is shown as very particular and fussy - traits which Petronella accepts and even encourages. The girls find the couple's romantic two-some moments hard to take, and their resentment is entirely believable. An excellent yarn.
Age: 10+