The Ghost and the Bogus Bestseller (Haunted Bookshop Mystery)
About the Book
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.
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
My Thoughts
The Ghost and the Bogus Bestseller by Cleo Coyle is the long anticipated sixth book in
The Haunted Bookshop Mystery series.
Penelope Thornton-McClure co-owns Buy the Book with her aunt, Sadie Thornton in Quindicott, Rhode Island.
A nicely dressed female customer is looking for a book recommendation and Penelope directs her towards Shades of Leather, the current bestseller.
After the customer looks at the author’s photograph, she gets upset and takes off with the book—without paying for it.
Penelope noticed that the woman left her gloves behind and they smell of cinnamon.
One call to the bakery gets Penelope the customer’s name and address thanks to a raffle.
Penelope with her resident 1940s ghost, Jack Shepard head to Emma Hudson’s apartment where they find her dead at the bottom of the steps.
While Chief Ciders is quick to rule it a suicide, the sleuthing duo have their doubts.
When a mysterious accident is brought to Penelope’s attention, she has a feeling that it is connected to Emma and Shades of Leather.
Who is behind these strange killings and what do they have to do with the book?
Penelope and Jack must work quickly before the killer claims another victim.
Fans of The Haunted Bookshop Mystery series have been waiting ten years for The Ghost and the Bogus Bestseller.
If you are new to the series or fail to remember all the details, do not worry.
The author gives readers all the information needed on the main characters, the bookshop and the town.
Penelope, Jack, Spencer, Aunt Sadie, Seymour, Eddie and Bookmark (the cat) are back for another adventure.
Jack is a dashing character with a sexy voice and a chilling presence.
He has a unique point-of-view being from a different era, provides humor and I love his 1940s lingo.
Penelope is an intelligent widow who loves books.
However, she has yet to recover from her husband’s suicide and this case brings back old feelings and memories.
Penelope and Jack have a good working relationship.
You can feel the chemistry between them, but they are separated by time.
Cleo Coyle has a lively writing style which sets the stage for the book with her vivid imagery.
Her writing allowed me to imagine the scenes in my head.
The 1940 dream scenes came alive with her descriptions.
We get a glimpse into Jack’s life and his old cases.
They also provide clues to their current mission.
The mystery is complex with various twists to it.
I liked following Penelope and Jack’s investigation to figure out the who and why.
There was some repetition of case details that I could have done without along with the cliché Chief Ciders. I liked that Seymour was included in the investigation.
Spencer and his new friend, Amy Ridgeway added to the story.
Amy is a precocious young lady and I liked how her story turned out (it will have you chuckling).
Come along to Quindicott for an exciting venture with Penelope and her ghostly PI, Jack Shepard in The Ghost and the Bogus Bestseller.
In honor of the tour, the author is hosting a giveaway. You can click
here to enter or use the Rafflecopter form below. Thank you for reading my review of this new cozy mystery. I am featuring
Christmas Cake Murder by Joanne Fluke tomorrow. It goes back in time to visit Hannah Swensen and her family before she opened The Cookie Jar. Have a beautiful day and Happy Reading!
Kris
The Avid Reader
