The Ghost and the Dead Man's Library (Haunted Bookshop Mystery)
Bookshop owner Penelope Thornton-McClure has just received a rare collection of Poe's complete works. Rumor has it a secret code, trapped within the pages, leads to buried treasure. But it seems everyone who buys...dies. Now Pen will need resident ghost P.I. Jack Shepard to help crack the case.
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The Ghost and the Dead Man's Library (Haunted Bookshop Mystery) Reviews
The female-sleuth of this series is Penelope Thornton-McClure and she lives in the small town of Quindicott, Rhode Island. No, really." This statement appears in Chapter 1 of this book, which is the third in the series. "It was a dark and stormy night.
Jack was murdered in the bookstore many years ago and has never left - that is, his spirit has never left. At first she thinks she is going crazy but eventually she learns to accept his presence. I'm pretty fascinated by the idea Ms. The interesting thing about "Buy the Book" is that it has a resident ghost in street-smart private investigator Jack Shepard. Peter lives in the old Chesley family mansion that Penelope describes as being creepy.
And only Penelope can 'hear' him. With her aunt Sadie, she runs a bookstore in downtown Quindicott called "Buy the Book".
She is a widowed mom of a 10-year old boy named Spencer.
With the help of her ghost Jack, Penelope solves the mystery. In fact he has helped her solve a couple of murders.
This mystery revolves around some rare and valuable old Edgar Allan Poe books he gives them to sell. Kimberly came up with for this series and I'm really looking forward to reading more of her books.
Penelope and Aunt Sadie are on their way to visit an old beau of Sadie's, Peter Chesley.
Overall this is a much more solid installment then the second book Pen, Jack and Spencer all develop it is nice to see Pen especially show a little backbone finally when the situation calls for it. Fun, fast and easy read. . Call to the pre-consignment sale of the estate of an old friend of her Aunt's a rare set of Poe books is purchased and then purchased again by mysterious new readers in the town for exorbitant sums of money. Well Pen and the gang are at it again and that is not necessarily a bad thing. This is a tale worthy of Edgar Poe himself. All is well and good until the people who purchase the books start to die.
I can't wait for the next book in this series to be published. I LOVE this author and this series that she's created.
The main character in this series is Penelope Thornton McClure who is a widowed mother and co-owner with her aunt Sadie of a New England bookstore. A lot of their profit comes from their dealings in rare and collectable books and that particular sideline is what brings them into the mystery of the dead man's library. In particular it is a series of Poe works that is behind all of the murder and mayhem because as it turns out there has long been a rumor that like another famous fictional code there is supposedly a Poe code to be found in these particular books. Sure the plot tends to wander a bit at times but more often than not that is the way of the cozy and it doesn't bother me one bit. Not only does he help Pen solve the mystery, which she has to solve because she is a suspect and also because her life seems to be in danger but he also adds color by relating tales of his own cases that in some ways parallel the mystery Pen is working on. The whole mystery revolves around an eccentric wealthy family with a Newport mansion and a large collection of books.
Once again the team that is Alice Kimberly has produced a real gem that kept me on the edge of my seat as I was totally drawn into Pen's world. This series isn't just about mystery, it is also about life and even the normally mundane chore of cooking breakfast isn't ignored. The plot flows well and the reader isn't left without any clues that might help them solve the case before Pen does. What could be more enjoyable for mystery book lovers than a mystery series set in a mystery bookshop. As usual with these authors the writing is crisp and intelligent and the characters have depth and are believable. Along with Penelope is her ghost friend Jack Shepard who gives her advice and encouragement along the way but alas sometimes she doesn't listen too well. Any cozy fan that doesn't read this book and this series will be missing out on a real treat.
Jack is a page right out of noir fiction and was a PI in his former life before being murdered in the very building that houses Pen's bookstore. The atmosphere of these books is light but still serious enough to make the story believable and a great continuity of characters helps to keep this series glued together in a very admirable manner. This code is said to lead to a great treasure and needless to say that possibility has the power to bring out the worst in some people. I have thoroughly enjoyed each entry in this series and this third book was no exception. As one reads this series one gets attached to Pen and her family and the authors give Pen all of the trials and tribulations that one would expect a woman in her position to have.
Overall, a good read in the series. What is appealing in this book are the range of relationships that are explored. Penelope and Spencer also adapt as only mother and son can. Penelope finds her voice after all these years of being a pleasant 'yes woman.'. We learn more about Aunt Sadie's past. Penelope, Spencer, Aunt Sadie, and Jack, among the regular characters, have continued with their lives since the second book. I like how the author does not pick up each book where the previous one left off, but rather has her characters continue to develop and grow.
They proved more interesting and captivating. The mystery moves along somewhat predictably, but I found it taking back stage to some of the other side stories. Easiest to follow if one has read her previous stories, the book could also stand alone. Like her previous novels, Kimberly draws the reader into the story from the first chapter. Penelope and Jack move forward with their odd present/past tense romance.
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