The Ghost and the Bogus Bestseller (Haunted Bookshop Mystery)
by Cleo Coyle
About the Book
The Ghost and the Bogus Bestseller (Haunted Bookshop Mystery)
Paranormal Cozy Mystery
6th in Series
Berkley (September 25, 2018)
Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
ISBN-10: 0425237451
ISBN-13: 978-0425237458
Digital ASIN: B078VX9SNF
Penelope Thornton-McClure and her bookshop's ghost-in-residence Jack Shepard are back on a new case in this delightful paranormal mystery from New York Times bestselling author Cleo Coyle.
A big bestseller leads to small town trouble.
Bookshop owner Penelope Thornton-McClure didn't believe in ghosts, until she was haunted by the hard-boiled spirit of 1940s private investigator Jack Shepard. Now Jack is back on the job, and Pen is eternally grateful...
After an elegant new customer has a breakdown in her shop, Penelope suspects there is something bogus behind the biggest bestseller of the year. This popular potboiler is so hot that folks in her tiny Rhode Island town are dying to read it--literally. First one customer turns up dead, followed by another mysterious fatality connected to the book, which Pen discovers is more than just fiction. Now, with the help of her gumshoe ghost, Pen must solve the real-life cold case behind the bogus bestseller before the killer closes the book on her.
My Review
This series began years ago, but the author took a few years off. Now she’s back and continuing this charming cozy mystery series. I read the first book in the series when it was originally released. I loved it, but never had a chance to read the following books. I was thrilled to see a new book being released and I jumped at the chance to review it. It’s actually the 6th book.
It features a widowed bookstore owner, Penelope Thornton-McClure, and her sidekick, Jack Shepard. Jack is a ghost. He had been a private investigator in the 1940’s. Only Penelope can communicate with him. Not even her young son can hear him.
When a customer has an emotional breakdown after seeing the latest best seller, Penelope gets curious. Then, the customer turns up dead and Penelope enlists the help of her local ghost to find a killer. However, more bodies turn up dead and the sleuthing duo knows they have no time to waste in cracking this case.
Even though I missed a couple of books, it didn’t matter. I jumped right into the story and fell in love with Jack and Penelope all over again. I devoured this book. I enjoyed every minute of it. The characters and the story are well-written.
It’s actually two stories in one. Through a dream sequence, Jack takes Penelope back to his time in the 1940’s where he has a missing author to find. The author does an excellent job of bringing the 1940’s to life. Both the scenery and the dialogue feel authentic to the 1940’s. It does not disrupt the story to go between both time periods.
The Haunted Bookshop is a captivating, quaint series. I feel as if I was right there with the characters in trying to solve this case. The ending took me by surprise and I love when that happens. I’m looking forward to more books in the series.
For reading challenges:
Craving for Cozies Reading Challenge 2018
Literary Escapes Reading Challenge 2018 (Rhode Island)
FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.
About the Author
Cleo Coyle is a pseudonym for Alice Alfonsi, writing in collaboration with her husband, Marc Cerasini. Both are New York Times bestselling authors of the Coffeehouse Mysteries--now celebrating nearly fifteen years in print. They also write the nationally bestselling Haunted Bookshop Mysteries, which were originally published under their second pseudonym, Alice Kimberly (The Ghost and Mrs. McClure, The Ghost and the Dead Deb, The Ghost and the Dead Man's Library, The Ghost and the Femme Fatale, The Ghost and the Haunted Mansion). Alice has worked as a journalist in Washington, DC, and New York, and has written popular fiction for adults and children. A former magazine editor, Marc has authored espionage thrillers and nonfiction for adults and children. Alice and Marc are also bestselling media tie-in writers who have penned properties for Lucasfilm, NBC, Fox, Disney, Imagine, and MGM. They live and work in New York City, where they write independently and together. You can learn more about Cleo, her husband, and the books they write by visiting www.CoffeehouseMystery.com.
Author Links
Visit Cleo online: www.coffeehousemystery.com
Friend Cleo on Facebook:www.Facebook.com/CleoCoyle
Follow Cleo on Twitter: https://twitter.com/cleocoyle/
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Sounds like a great series.
ReplyDeleteGreetings, Yvonne, and thank you for the kind review of our new Haunted Bookshop Mystery. Marc and I appreciate the time you took to help us welcome Jack and Pen back to sleuthing. We're already at work on their next case, and we'll keep everyone informed on the pub date. We promise it won't take another ten years! Thanks again, and...
ReplyDeleteHave a Happy Halloween season!
~ Cleo Coyle