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 … 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.
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Oh my goodness, I was so glad to see Jack again! I have missed him so!!!
Penelope and Jack are one of my favorite sleuthing teams, and they are finally back and find themselves in one of their most challenging cases yet. It all starts when a customer comes into Penelope’s bookshop and runs out in a panic, while taking a book without paying for it. Little does Penelope know how complicated things are getting ready to get for her.
It was great seeing all the characters I have come to love again. As with the other books, readers get a glimpse into Jack’s past. That is one of my favorite things about the series. Penelope and Jack make such a great team together. It is the continued development of these two characters that make this one of my favorite series.
One of my favorite things about the book were the clever titles of each chapter with a quote from various people, characters, or books. It hinted at what each chapter would be about! It made the flow of the book seamless in my opinion.
This is a great mystery, with plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing! Hopefully, we won’t have to wait too long before seeing Penelope and Jack again!!!!
Unlike any other cozy I have read. A ghost / “alter ego” for the protagonist who helps solve the mystery? How unique. Jack and Penn are so different, yet compliment each other well. Like french fries and a chocolate milk shake. Penn is a mother and I appreciate her relationship with her son throughout the book. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. An entertaining read!
Read my complete review here: https://cozyexperience.com/the-ghost-and-the-bogus-bestseller-book-review/
I am so happy that this series is back. This new one picks right up where the old series ended. Pen and Jack are back in their bookstore solving murders. Pen and her Aunt Sadie own and operate a book store in a small Rhode Island town. Jack is their resident ghost. He was a PI in 40s who was murdered in his office, now the book store. The season’s best seller is a racy thriller but no one knows anything about the author. When a customer recognizes her picture on the back of the DJ and rushes out Pen decides to visit her to see how she is doing. Pen of course stumbles across a dead body. The police think it is a suicide, Pen and Jack know better. Together they set out to solve the murder. I really like bookstore and small town setting. The characters are a lot of fun. The mystery was very good with a few surprises. This series does not have to be read in order. Enjoy this fun cozy biblio mystery.
Synopsis:
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. (Goodreads)
Review:
The characters are well developed and well rounded. Pen and Jack make an awesome sleuthing duo and you can tell that they care about each other. Even though Jack has a gruff rough exterior, you can tell he has special feelings for Pen. I really like his 1940’s jargon, that made him seem more realistic to me. Pen is smart, hardworking and caring, and she cares a lot about Jack. I also enjoyed getting to know Pen’s aunt, Sadie and the mailman Seymour (he was one of my favorites). I thought they added a lot to the story.
The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and through much of the book I felt like I was right there, watching all of the action taking place. The mystery is carried on throughout the entire book and it was not easily solved. There were enough suspects to consider and clues to sift through. The red herrings were plentiful and added to suspense.
I like the premise of the book: a 1940’s detective and a modern day bookstore, where there are plenty of mysteries. I really enjoy ghost cozies and this one is well written and quite enjoyable. It reminds me of some of my other favorites and that is a good thing.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted ghost cozy mystery. I am going to go back and read the other books in this series.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Berkley Publishing Group, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.
Jack and Penelope are back, and I couldn’t be happier! I’ve read every book in this series, waited a very long time for this book to come out, and I was not disappointed. Penelope is a strong woman who has the love and support of family and friends. I love the relationship between Penelope, and Jack, her “spirited” private eye. Penelope is the only one who can communicate with Jack, and he helps her to solve crimes, that she inadvertently gets involved in, by giving suggestions and clues of cases he solved in the past. This is a riveting book and series, and I was glued to the pages. I didn’t want it to end. I hope there are many more books in this series, and I don’t have to wait so long for the next one to come out!
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Jack and Pen fans Rejoice! This series is back with a brand new mystery! New readers Rejoice! The authors have written this mystery in a way that you can jump right in with this new mystery and feel right at home.
Penelope Thornton-McClure got more than she bargained for in her bookshop, but now that she has gotten to know Private Eye Jack Shepard she wouldn’t have it any other way. You see, Jack is a ghost from the 1940’s, killed in the shop in 1947, and he has saved her more than once. Together they have solved quite a few mysteries too.
A new book has just been released and it has been flying off the shelves. When a well to do customer falls apart in the store after a peek at the book jacket, Pen becomes concerned. That and the woman ran out of the store without paying for the book. When Pen tracks her down she makes a horrible discovery, the woman is dead and was killed not long before Pen’s arrival. The police say suicide but Pen doesn’t think so. There is a whole lot more about this bestseller than the story within the pages and with Jack’s help Pen is going find out what it is, even if it means making contact with a killer.
I was so excited to hear this series was returning. Book #5, The Ghost in the Haunted Mansion was released in 2008. Ten years later our patience has been rewarded. Don’t worry if you have forgotten details about the characters or if this is a new series to you. The characters are all introduced like this is the first book in the series. They are some incredible characters too. Jack, Pen, Aunt Sadie, co-owner of the bookstore, mailman Seymour, and Bookmark, the cat, are all back.
The author’s style of writing really set a scene and give readers a delightful mystery. Well-written and well-plotted the story is full of twists and turns that make the book very hard to put down. I really love the trips back in time Jack takes Pen on via her dreams. She and readers get to see how one of his old cases played out and helps her see clues to the current mystery.
These authors never fail to give readers an impressive mystery. I was so excited to start reading this book but was sad to see it end. I am so happy to have reconnected with these characters and truly hope we do not have to wait 10 years to visit Quindicott again.
What a delightful series, back after a few years between the 5th and 6th books. Penelope McClure returns to her hometown with her young son after her husband’s death, joining an aunt running a bookstore and living upstairs. What she didn’t expect was that the ghost of a PI named Jack Shepard, murdered in what is now the shop’s event space in 1947, would be living there, too, and that the two of them would form a most unusual relationship. The plots are quirky and fun, as befitting a ghost and Mrs. McClure, and typically revolve around the shop and books, and the stories include tidbits about bookselling and the publishing business.
Crazy storyline. Fun, but almost too many possible culprits. It’s pretty good if you can get past one of the main characters being a ghost, you’ll enjoy this cozy mystery.
Entertaining audio book about Penelope Thornton-McClure and her bookshop’s ghost-in-residence Jack Shepard. Penelope Thornton-McClure didn’t believe in ghosts, until she was haunted by the hard-boiled spirit of 1940s private investigator Jack Shepard. Sometimes I wish I had a ghost that would help me at times like this one does.
After an elegant new customer has a breakdown in her shop, Penelope suspects there is something bogus behind the biggest bestseller of the year. The customer who had the breakdown in the shop turns up dead at her home. Penelope & Jack put together clues to find out the story behind the bestselling book and the murder.
“Theories are fine to start, but the case don’t end till you find hard evidence”
Penelope Thornton-McClure,widow with a young son moved back to Rhode Island after her husband’s death. Using her savings, she and her Aunt Sadie renovate the bookshop she now co-owns with her aunt Sadie. But no one knew about the ghost of Jack Shepard, a 1940s Private Eye who communicates with Pen. In previous books in the series Penelope has, with the help of Jack, solved a few murders. And that continues here.
With twists that haven’t seen the light of day since “Fifty Shades” Pen and her friends find out just who wrote a book rocketing the bestseller list, and why the author seems like more than one person. Whoever is at the center of this is eliminating their co-writers, and again, Penelope and Jack are on it. Just wait till you figure it out and see who it might be
There has been some negative backlash by those who are and aren’t Cleo Coyle fans: that they took too long before #6 was written; that the premise is contrived; and other things. This particular series albeit set in my home state, isn’t my favorite of all their work, but who doesn’t love a good mystery and a glass of coffee milk? Recommended 4/5
[disclaimer: This was a library book]
Jack is a truly great ghost to have as a pal. Penelope (or Pen as her friends call her), has cute bookstore. The latest bestseller is selling like hotcakes. However, after a customer has a breakdown after seeing the author’s picture; Pen and Jack have a lot of sleuthing to do.
This is a fast paced story that was totally enjoyable. Pen and Jack are a great detective team. There were plenty of suspects who had a reason to murder. The story plot is fun and entertaining. This is a fun series that I will continue to follow. Purchased the paperback at B&N and plan to pass the book on to our senior center. Cloe Coyle is a fun author to follow, her books are great.
great series
Though not my first book by Cleo Coyle, this is my first in this series. I’ve already added the book one, THE GHOST AND MRS. MCLURE (written as Alice Kimberly), to my TBR.
Before getting into my review, I’d like to quickly say, I love books with short chapters, titled chapters (reminds me of my Nancy Drew days), and quotes (or other interesting information) before each chapter. This book has all three! A fun reading triad for me.
THE GHOST AND THE BOGUS BESTSELLER is a wonderfully crafted whodunnit. With the action taking off at a fast pace in the first chapter, I found myself turning the pages quickly in my quest to solve this mystery. I finished in one breathless, head spinning sitting.
While the whole 1940s gumshoe character was never a favorite of mine, I very much enjoyed PI Jack Shepard the ghost. There were so many times he had me laughing out loud. The relationship with Jack and series protagonist, Penelope “Pen” Thornton, was a pleasure to read, and I look forward to more adventures with them.
With a feeling of old meets new, THE GHOST AND THE BOGUS BESTSELLER has a little something for every mystery reader.
Who would have thought a dead gumshoe could be so much fun? Right from the beginning, the presence of a stereotypical 1930s private detective thrown into a modern world comes through loud and clear. This mystery is all about keeping things light. The dialogue between the protagonists comes through as a relationship between two people with a genuine attraction to each other.
The story moves along briskly, thanks to the banter between the two main characters. There are enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing about the whodunnit part of the mystery. This isn’t a story filled with deep character development or intense descriptions, but one that relies on an overabundance of cliches straight out of an old movie. The formula works, helping to give readers of The Ghost and the Bogus Bestseller a mystery to solve along with that mysterious fun factor.
*I received a free copy of this book which I voluntarily chose to write an honest review for.
So I can fully admit that this was the first book in the series that I have had time to read but it was still great regardless. I did not really feel like I was missing anything as I met Pen and her ghostly partner in crime. The combination of the two flows quite smoothly with the mystery as well as the book theme as they talk back and forth working to solve the murder that the cops claim is a suicide. Other characters are equally as fascinating making for a wonderful story that was just full of surprises with a twist at the end. If you like cozy mysteries with a ghost and book theme I bet you will really enjoy this one. I totally loved it so I give it 5/5 stars.
My first (and not my last) from this team. I was intrigued by the
fact that the authors are a husband and wife team. Very cool.
I am sorry that I’ve missed the others all 5 of them. This one was a sure stand alone as I am sure the others are.
The Ghost and the Bogus Bookseller was just fun. The characters are charming even the ghost.
You’ll be on a bit of a ride following as Pen tries to do the
sleuthing and solve the mystery. She has some help along the way with the bookshop resident ghost Jack. Jack was a detective so he has all the skill to help solve the crimes.
I am looking forward to some backtracking and picking up a few more in this series.
I received a complimentary copy.
THE GHOST AND THE BOGUS BESTSELLER by Cleo Coyle
The Sixth Haunted Bookshop Mystery
Jack Shepard, the ghost of a 1940s private detective is back on the scene. A slightly snobbish customer has fled Buy the Book, unpaid novel in hand. It’s more than the theft that concerns Penelope Thornton-McClure, it’s the older woman’s reaction to the latest bestseller. Concerned, Pen, accompanied by Jack, tracks the woman down. What they discover is a slightly decrepit apartment, a talking bird, and a dead body. While it appears that the troubled customer committed suicide, the scene doesn’t quite add up. Pen and Jack agree-it’s murder!
Almost fifteen years ago I met a man. He was a little rough around the edges, but dashing, charming, and mysterious. I developed a major crush. Oh, I knew it would never work out between us, after all, he was dead…and fictional, but that didn’t stop me from dreaming. Then he disappeared. For ten years I didn’t hear from him, you might say he ghosted…but now Jack Shepard is back and better than ever!
After a ten year hiatus, the sixth Haunted Bookshop Mystery continues as if practically no time had passed and while readers may appreciate more subtleties if they’ve read the previous books in the series, especially how Jack and Pen met, it is certainly not necessary to appreciate this captivating new mystery that is both timely and timeless.
Cleo Coyle skillfully weaves a mystery filled with intersecting stories, past and present. It gives a look at literary snobbishness and academic condescension in the face of mass popularity as well as the perils of publishing. What’s fascinating is how Jack shows cases from his past that shed light on the current mystery. The way in which Jack and Pen can be together is magical, and a fun trip to the 1940s for readers. But the mystery is just part of it.
THE GHOST AND THE BOGUS BESTSELLER illustrates how past choices can affect the present. It deals with love and loss, courage and partnership. Jack’s been helping Pen, not only solve crimes, but believe in herself, heal herself and learn to love again. Welcome back, Jack.
FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a copy of this book in the hopes I would review it.
Does art imitate life or is it the other way around? Does anyone ever really write a book by themselves? This book gives us so much to question and ponder.
When a harried older woman seems to have a melt-down in the middle of Pen’s bookstore, rushing off with the latest bestseller, of an erotic nature, Pen and best ghost sidekick are tossed into an otherworldy investigation to what the heck is happening!
Starting off very noir, in 1947, in Jack Shepherd’s time and world, most of the book takes place in present day, with modern technology. However, when necessary, and when reflection seems to draw upon a similar case from the past, Jack is able to take Pen back with him to when he was a P.I. full time. The language differences were fun to bounce around.
While the action moves at a quick pace and there are plot twists aplenty, the tension rises the closer you get to the end. You will find yourself flying through the pages.
This book also motivated me to rummage around and reorganize my own library.
You will never get the same opportunities and emotions from digital books.
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.
Loved the book. I have been waiting for a long time to read about what antics Pen and Jack get into. When Emma comes into the store and see the cover of a book she goes off the deep end. She almost runs over someone in the street and then commits sucide? Pen knows there is somehting upand with Jack’s help she will find out what is going on.
Then we have Amy who is a guest of Spencers. Will we ever hear from her mom?
All the characters are back..unt Sadie, co-owner of the bookstore, mailman Seymour, and Bookmark, the cat. The authors know how to tell astory to keep the reader turing the pages. There are so manyu twists and angels you will be shocked at the end.
It was fun to read Jack help her by letting her in on an old case. It really helped Pen with some clues.