Working for the Highland Psychiatric Hospital certainly has its ups and downs, but it is his daily encounters with what he believes is a ghost that proves to be more of a challenge for Dr. Gritz Goldberg.  You see, Zelda Fitzgerald once occupied Gritz’s office space, and she may never have left.

While he is having his lunch, Gritz receives an urgent page.  There is a jumper on the roof of the old Bethany Park Hotel.  Gritz rushes to the scene to discover the man is his former caregiver, Theloneous “T” Royal.  The truth of the matter is that T was not jumping; he was getting a breather from a couple of very chatty women.  However, T has other issues he needs to discuss with Gritz.  T has a repeat visitor, the ghost of Mordecai Moore, a man charged, convicted and executed for a murder that occurred more than 60 years ago.

Few truly believe that Mordecai was a killer, and now his ghost seems to be asking for help.  Gritz and his friends dive into a case that goes beyond the realm of the normal.   It may take a miracle or two to solve this case.

THE PAST IS NEVER DEAD is a pretty apt title for this new series – the past truly can come back to haunt you!  In this case, the characters, for the most part, all have no issues believing in the afterlife.  This allows the author to delve into an area that I find fascinating.  I do believe in spirits; I have sat at this computer, with no open windows in the room, a number of times and smelled my late grandfather’s cigarette smoke.  No one in my house smokes, so there is no other explanation.  I take comfort in his “visits.”  It is refreshing to find a character with the same belief who is willing to tackle something that others may find crazy.

With a steady pace and plenty of superb detail into the Jewish faith, I think David Schulman’s debut is sure to win him a large readership.  Check out THE PAST IS NEVER DEAD and enjoy!