Calamity James can see the dead, but that doesn’t mean she likes it. Calamity James, a reluctant paranormal detective, returns to her hometown for the first time in ten years to attend her aunt’s funeral. When the local sheriff blackmails her into helping with a missing persons case, Cal can’t say no. Using her unique gift, sharp wits, and even sharper tongue, Cal flirts with death to solve the case. In Red River, the dead talk, and Cal is the only person who can hear them.

After weeks of struggling with life in a small town and her new job as a special deputy, Calamity James finally sinks her teeth into a case. The Red River Junior Beauty Pageant is underway, and when a teenage contestant ends up dead, it’s up to Cal to find out what happened. The ghost girl is convinced she’s been murdered, but Cal isn’t so sure. Things in Red River are never what they seem.

When a string of disappearances turns deadly, Special Deputy Calamity James takes the case, but a new face in Red River is interfering with her investigation. Agent Albert Wong works for a special sect of the FBI—he wants Cal’s help, and he’s not above threatening her to get it. As Cal balances her growing workload, a vengeful spirit makes devious plans in the mountains. Even if Cal solves the case, she may not be able to save Red River.

After revealing a big secret, Calamity James is on the outs with the one person she can always rely her sister. As the Red River Founders Celebration approaches, descendants of the town’s original settlers are mysteriously targeted for murder, and Cal hunts down a ghost with a grudge.