Ghost Detective Short Stories Series

Being one of the cemetery's two resident ghosts for three decades can be a lonely existence — even more so when your sole friend disappears for several days. While waiting for Clothilde's return, Robert decides to greet the newest arrival, an overly polite octagonarian who makes no claims of unfinished business. But as her story unfurls, it becomes increasingly likely the old lady's affairs and Clothilde's disappearance are closely related — in more ways than one.   Family Bonds is also available in the collection Unfinished Busines, Volume 1.

The screams reverberate through our cemetery as soon as the casket exits the church, with its large group of mourners in tow. A new arrival. Not everyone graciously comes to terms with suddenly dying and becoming a ghost. Hardly any of us, actually. Especially when the person who killed us still walks free.   Just Desserts is also available in the collection Unfinished Business, Volume 1.

At the farthest corner of the cemetery, a very special mausoleum stands vigil. Tall, solid, and spacious, it houses the remains of our town's Jane and John Does. The bodies nobody claimed. Two police officers arrive with a new urn, to be placed in a slot without a name. Clothilde and Robert, the cemetery's only resident ghosts, attend the funeral from their side of the veil. Most people need time to come to grips with being a ghost. Most people scream for days. When a young girl pops out of the urn without so much as a squeak, Clothilde and Robert know they have a challenging new case on their hands.   Lost Friends is also available in the collection Unfinished Business, Volume 1.

Life as a ghost can be a lonely existence and Robert counts himself lucky to have had Clothilde by his side for thirty years. They watch the seasons pass and the mourners weep. Other ghosts come and go as they deal with their unfinished business. When Clothilde makes quick friends with a new arrival, Robert marvels at seeing her laugh and behave like a teenager again — even if it means loneliness for him. She deserves some happiness. But when a second girl arrives in their cemetery, a pattern emerges. Robert and Clothilde must once again apply their crime-solving skills to go after their new friends' murderer.   Common Ground is also available in the collection Unfinished Business, Volume 1.

Double funerals are a rare thing in a tiny cemetery. Both deceased becoming ghosts even more so. While resident ghosts Clothilde and Robert wait for their new compatriots to emerge from their caskets, the screams coming from below seem tinged with quite a bit more... anger than usual.  The promise of "till death do us part" takes on a whole new meaning with the fresh arrivals.    Till Death is also available in the collection Unfinished Business, Volume 1.

In French cemeteries, "perpetuité" only lasts for a hundred years. If the deceased's family wants to keep their dead buried, they must pay the rent.  If not, the municipality will excavate the tomb to liberate the space for a new family. After the latest excavation, Robert and Clothilde find themselves faced with a ghost much older than themselves — along with the daunting task of solving a century-old mystery. Is it still possible to find eternal rest for their new friend?   Family History is also available in the collection Unfinished Business, Volume 2.

Solving crimes from the confines of a cemetery where no one can see or hear you can be difficult at the best of times. The victim's ghost usually won't remember who killed them, and the murder suspects can't hear the ghost detective's interrogation.  Even so, for the most part, Robert and Clothilde manage just fine.  However, discovering the name on a headstone does not belong to the body beneath it throws something of a wrench in their method. How can they help the ghost find peace when the police aren't even investigating the right murder?   Far From Home is also available in the collection Unfinished Business, Volume 2.

The cemetery's newest arrival seems more surprised to find herself dead than a woman in her seventies should be. Her mourners exhibit an equally perplexing level of shock. Robert and Clothilde, the resident ghosts, investigate the woman's unfinished business as usual, but before long, another newcomer joins them.  And another one. And another… Quiet companionship becomes a thing of the past while our ghost detectives battle an invisible and intangible foe. How long until Clothilde and Robert's cherished solitude returns?   New Beginnings is also available in the collecction Unfinished Business, Volume 2.

On the Day of the Dead, families decorate the cemetery's tombstones with chrysanthemums of all colors according to French tradition. Even amid the rainbow of petals, one grave stands out. The last resting place of the young man who died six months ago. His mother brings him roses, while lamenting that her son's "not there." As the resident ghosts, Robert and Clothilde can indeed confirm his absence in the afterlife — but it may not be for the usual reasons.   Heritage is also available in the collection Unfinished Business, Volume 2.

Depending on the quality of one's company (or the lack thereof), Christmas can be the most wonderful and heartwarming day — or the absolute worst. And of course, a nice covering of snow never hurts.  Clothilde and Robert never experienced a white Christmas in their thirty years as ghosts. As long as they had each other, nobody complained.  When the latest ghost arrives, buried the day before Christmas, Robert and Clothilde's decades-old traditions for the holiday are interrupted. Their new guest, impeccably polite though he may be, appears to have no desire to address his unfinished business.  Why does he linger if none of it matters to him?    Severed Ties is also available in the collection Unfinished Business, Volume 2.

The only way for a ghost to leave their cemetery is to solve their unfinished business. Some ghosts take a long time to accept this fact, and some accept the news gracefully. Others attack the messenger. It seems the new arrival will have trouble addressing his unfinished business from the confines of the cemetery. It also seems like his business isn't entirely... legal.

Waking up in a sealed casket on its way to be buried would freak anyone out. Who wouldn't scream themselves hoarse — and try to claw their way out? Anyone who dies with unfinished business wakes up as a ghost. If this wasn't enough, the casket will only release them once they accept their new status, adding a whole new level of terror. But today's arrival stays quiet until the last mourner, a young woman at the front of the funeral procession, finally leaves... That is when the screaming starts.