A chance encounter teaches a lonely young woman that there’s more to life and the afterlife than she imagined in the enjoyable debut novel from Favis, first in the Zackie series. Fia Saunders has become something of a recluse in order to hide from the ghosts who harass and attack her. Then, one day, after she witnesses Cam Ramsay and his rescue dog, Zackie, escort a soul to the next world, she realizes she’s not alone, and that others can see ghosts, too. While Fia’s normal response to provocations by ghosts has been to hit them back, Cam and Zackie, who is actually an immortal entity who acts as a guide to the afterlife, begin to teach her how to counsel ghosts and help them cross into the afterlife. When a malevolent spirit derails Fia’s training by trapping souls in a farm house, Fia, Cam, and Zackie team up with a television ghost hunter to give the wayward souls peace. Favis handles the paranormal aspects with aplomb and keeps the story moving quickly without pausing for lengthy explanation, though the rushed climax is a bit disappointing. Readers will look forward to the soul-saving trio’s further adventures. (BookLife)