In this book Jack is working on another one of his cases. In this one a dame wants helping finding her dog. In present time Penelope is helping a woman with some books at her store when she gets a look at the author of the latest book is adamant it is herself and runs out with the book. When Penelope tracks her down she finds the woman is dead. What happened to Emma Hudson? Who killed her and why? Or did she just commit suicide!

As Pen delves into this latest adventure Jack shows her not everything is what it seems. When Pen's son shows up home with a friend in tow she finds out that Amy's father died and her mother shipped her off instead of letting her go to his funeral.

Pen also learns alot about the author of the latest book or in this case various authors who contributed to the story and in this case the story is more real than fiction. Which leads Pen to learn about Emma and what she was hiding. This also brings Pen and Jack to 1947 and a case Jack had which led to a woman hiding from her past.

I love the way this book is part in current times part in Jack's time. The relationship between them is so cute even if it is impossible. As Jack is dead and Pen is very much alive. If only they were alive in the same time they could definitely have something. I think in some ways Jack helps Pen feel more alive than her deceased husband did. Can't wait to see what will be next for Pen and Jack, of course hopefully we won't have to wait as long!

Thank you very much for allowing me the opportunity to read this book! I appreciate the kindness. <3

While I’ve read and liked the Coffeehouse Mystery series by Cleo Coyle, this is the first of the Pen and Jack books I have read. I think I probably should have started with the first of the series. I just couldn’t get into the book. I found Jack’s intrusions into the story distracting and dated. I’ve given it a 3 but will probably come back with a different rating after I’ve read the previous books.

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!!!!

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.

This is book 6 in the Haunted Bookshop series. It can be read as a stand alone because somehow I missed the first 5 books. Cleo Coyle has several great cozy series and it's been a long wait for this story. Jack, the ghost of a 1040's private eye is released from his grave when Penelope and her aunt remodel their bookstore. He's been on every investigation with Pen and is helping discover what happens when a woman has a breakdown in the store when she see's her picture on a book jacket. This is a good mystery and the small Rhode Island town is a nice setting for this cozy series. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

What a great mystery full of humor and characters you will never forget. When a bestseller titled Shades of Leather is stolen by a woman who claims it is her in the author picture, Penelope is after her and stumbles over murder, but she isn’t working alone. She is accompanied by Jack, the ghost of a dead gumshoe from the fifties who helps her out with every 1950’s expression ever written. I found myself laughing out loud! I found this book well written, funny and multilayered.

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.

The Ghost and the Bogus Bestseller is the sixth book in the Haunted Bookshop Mystery series, and is quite a long-anticipated book considering the last one came out around 2009. I had been a big fan of the series, but admittedly lost interest when I saw there was no further book in sight so I literally jumped at the chance to read this when I saw it. Then I wondered if I had to read the other ones again in order to remind myself of the characters and events, slightly panicked as I really did not have the time, but once I started the book, realized I didn't have to do that. The author made it really easy to slip back into Penny and Sadie's world and I truly enjoyed that fact and the book.

Penelope, Sadie, Jack, Spencer, Seymour, and Eddie are definitely back for another great adventure and I really felt like I slipped into their world so easily, despite it being almost ten years. Jack, by the way, is a ghost who is attached to Penelope (a tale told in another book) and I have always loved his 1940s slang and way of looking at things. I always imagined he has this really sexy voice to go with his looks (he is able to take Pen to his time in her dreams), and love the scenes when he is around. He also has a unique perspective which helps her look at things differently from how she would see them. I often wondered what the author would do with Jack though if and when Pen finds someone and develops a new relationship. I think it would be awkward to have Jack in the background making comments during the more intimate moments, you know? What I really enjoy about the characters however, is the way they treat each other. It's not one of those novels where the police are put down or seen as not doing their jobs and I rather like that, but I could have done without the cliche Chief Ciders. There is little sneaking into things, but people finding out information through random events which make it seem more realistic. I definitely enjoyed Seymour a lot more in this one and thought his character was funny and interesting. I would love to see a lot more development for him as I think there is a lot going for him.

I really enjoyed the events in this novel, even if I found the mystery easy to solve and pretty much knew who the murderer was almost from the beginning. But it was definitely fun watching Pen and Seymour sort through the clues trying to figure out who the author of the bogus bestseller was as well as who was the murderer. The author has such an engaging writing style that knowing who did it didn't really matter (which is why I love her Coffeehouse Mystery series so much); I was just along for the ride and the entertainment. That being said, I don't want to downplay the mystery as it was complex and full of twists and turns. I also liked how Jack's past cases connected with the current one - so neatly done.

The Ghost and the Bogus Bestseller was a great new addition to the series and I really hope there are more coming our way and we don't have to wait almost ten years before the next one. Because it's been so long between books, I don't think it really matters if you've read the previous books or not, although you might want to read them just because. I like the relationship Penelope has with Jack and love the trick of Pen carrying a token from Jack's past which enables him to leave the bookshop with her. It's a neat little twist that opens so many doors and continues to make this series so successful.

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.

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.

What a delightful and unique cozy mystery! Apparently a 1940's PI Jack Shepard was killed in the very bookstore in which the widowed protagonist Penelope Thornton-McClure joined her Aunt Sadie as co-owner. Jack Shepard totally exudes the part of a "hard-boiled" private investigator replete with period vernacular. Jack has been tempered just a tad, however, by Penelope (Pen) as she introduces her modern-day sensitivities to Jack.

A customer abruptly gasps at the back jacket of their current bestseller and flees the store with the book but without paying. Pen was able to track down the lady but discovers her body, an apparent suicide. She doesn't think so.

I particularly enjoyed the appropriately named chapter titles and the little quotes to kick off the chapter. Besides well-known name quotes, the author(s) manage a few pearls of their own, several of which produced a chuckle. I also enjoyed the knowledge (or the thorough and effective research) imparted regarding classic books and authors, some of which I'd forgotten but produced an "oh, yes..." There were also a couple racy innuendos and tongue-in-cheek puns, intended.

The setting is a little town in Rhode Island and although this is set as #6 in the series has no problem standing alone. The main characters from the previous series entries are back along with popular support members and each provide a rich component to the well-plotted mystery. The writing style is fun and the pace steady. The flashback dreams where Jack takes Pen back to 1947 with him to experience one of his cases has you wondering briefly about the interruption to the storyline until you see how it's incorporated into the main plot. You may think you know who is behind the deed, but you won't guess the entire story or motive. The story has a lot of personality and delivers a satisfying conclusion.

I was given the download by the publisher and NetGalley for this book tour and greatly appreciated the opportunity to read and review. I'll be looking forward to #7 in the series! Recommended for readers who enjoy a different and clean, intelligent cozy mystery with a paranormal bent in their amateur sleuths.

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.

Cleo Coyle continues her Haunted Bookshop series with The Ghost and the Bogus Bestseller. Penelope Thornton-McClure is hot on the trail of a customer who freaked out over the newest blockbuster bestseller in her bookstore and then ran off with the book. Penelope finds the woman DEAD and smells a rat. Then another death connected to the novel. What is up with this novel? Penelope is tracking down what's bogus about the book with the aid of her ghostly gumshoe, the private and very dead detective Jack Shepherd. Parallel tales of literary bunk entwine in the story. Highly recommended.

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.

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.

Are you a fan of the old timey mysteries of Dashiell Hamett and Raymond Chandler? Pulp mysteries? Then you will like one of the main characters in this book and the adventures/life lessons he helps our femaie bookseller have to solve her hometown murders. A woman falls to her death...or did she? A professor was killed in a car accident...or was he? A neighbor falls down a flight of stairs...or was she pushed? Penelope and Jack work together again to find out why a bestseller might be linked to all these deaths, and who might be causing them!

This was SO fun. A longtime reader of Coyle's Coffeehouse Mysteries, this was my first foray into the world of Penelope and Jack.

I really liked the mystery in this book. It was well thought-out and unpredictable. It involvs a racy novel and straight-laced townsfolk (haha), a couple of very precocious kids, a mystery book shop owner, and a '20s gumshoe ghost. What could possibly go wrong?

One of the things I liked is the authenticity (maybe a *smidge* TOO authentic) of the ghost, Jack. His speech, his outlook, and his thoughts are very '20s-centric, and it adds a lot to the story. The "ghost part" of the story isn't hokey at all, and neither is Jack's role in the investigation unbelievable. Rather, it definitely adds color.

I'll definitely be reading the other books in this series.