The Seance

Bestseller Graham's latest begins with Christina Hardy, writer of commercial jingles and reluctant communicator with the dead, moving into her grandparents' old Victorian home, just outside of Orlando, Fla. After some Ouija board experimentation at a housewarming party, Christina starts hearing from the ghost of a dead police officer, Beau Kidd, believed to be the ""Interstate Killer"" whose murder spree came to an end when the officer was shot 12 years ago. A new rash of highway killings has thrown doubt on Kidd's guilt, and the ghost is looking for Christina to clear his name; with the help of ex-cop Jed Braden, they may be able to stop the real killer before he murders again. Graham peoples her novel with genuine, endearing characters and keeps the grisly murders tactfully backgrounded, though more fastidious readers will note some holes in the busy plot. Graham uses the bond between Christina and the intelligent, charming ghost as an intriguing parallel to the evolving Christina-Jed relationship, giving a unique paranormal twist to this able romantic suspense.(Oct.)