Haunted to death

When a young woman in a wedding dress plunges from a balcony to her death, is it a tragic accident or murder? Peter Penwell and JP Broadway, the stars of the reality TV showDomestic Partners, are bringing their skills to Woods Hall, a new project in the Detroit suburb of Pleasant Woods. Once a beautiful family home, the house has fallen into disrepair, and rumors abound that it's haunted. Twenty-five years earlier, the owner's bride, young Emma Wheeler-Woods, died by falling off a balcony while wearing a replica of Princess Diana's wedding gown during a Halloween party. While the legal status of Emma's death has never been determined, everyone says her spirit hasn't left the house since that fateful night. Peter and JP are totally up for the challenge when Fiona Forrest, who's just inherited Woods Hall, hires them to bring the house back to its former grandeur. The project offers the perfect combination of fix-it-up and potential mystery, just the way Peter and JP like. As the projects get underway, though, a series of events makes the two men unsure of whether the house is really haunted or they're just having really bad luck. The Domestic Partners, who are also lowercase domestic partners, decide they need to find the truth about Emma even if it means doing some amateur detective work. A series of detours, like a potential new pet, serve as both additions to and distractions from the main event. A fun read that might have been stronger if it had been all mystery or all something else. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.