Another great cozy mystery by Cleo Coyle. When a famous necklace is stolen, it is up to the ghost to provide background information that helps solve the mystery. The author expertly weaves today with the 1940’s in a fascinating read.

It’s been several years since Penelope Thornton-McClure moved back to her hometown of Quindicott, Rhode Island, to help her Aunt Sadie run their Buy the Book shop, and with Pen’s publishing experience they have expanded the store physically while increasing their sales online. No small part of their success has been the seasonal Fall help of the nomadic Norma Stanton, who has a gift of being a book-whisperer able to find the perfect book for a customer’s needs. As much as Pen trusts the mysterious, vagabond woman with a talent for empathy and a love of reading, Jack Shepard is far less trusting. Perhaps that’s because the private investigator, who haunts the bookshop and travels with her through a coin, met his end due to a shady client almost seventy years ago. Construction of the bookshop brought back his ghost to help through a number of murder investigations, with the noir-esque gumshoe always providing jaded insight and crime-detecting knowledge. Perhaps that’s why he immediately suspects Norma’s “hobo” lifestyle, especially when a valuable necklace goes missing from the Inn where she’s been working in exchange for room and board.

The Tears of Valentino has a connection to Jack as well, as from the first chapter we learn that he was hired to track down the necklace when it first went missing in 1947. The jewels were a gift given by the legendary leading actor Rudolph Valentino to win back his ex-wife, and now both Pen and Jack are on the case in the present to prove Norma’s innocence, which is looking less likely now that she’s also disappeared. To give Pen a little more knowledge about the necklace’s legacy Jack takes Pen back into his own investigation through her dreams, where she becomes a “real” participant in his case. As they work to solve a jewel heist in two different timelines, Pen is helped in the current one by her friends from childhood known as the Three Musketeers, while in the past she goes undercover in a club where ladies buy dances from appealing young men and celebrity lookalikes. An insurance investigator and very angry Instagram influencers put on the pressure for Pen in the current timeline to track down the Nomad, clear Norma, and remove the cloud of doubt over a friend’s Inn.

Eight books into this series (and nearly twenty years since its debut), Pen and Jack have established a comfortable relationship investigating murders together while just tip-toeing into the line of romance. Logistically any actual romance should be impossible, but their time-tripping journeys into Jack’s memory sparks hints of the possibility. Jack’s rather outdated viewpoints never prevent the ghost from learning new tricks, with him continually being impressed by Pen and her resilience. The writing duo who write under the name Cleo Coyle celebrate the best of noir while giving it a modern twist, and the sparkling dialogue and witty banter will have readers wanting to delve into the old classics. The detective team of modern Pen and 1940s PI Jack shouldn’t make sense, but it always does, with Jack’s jaded outlook being balanced out by Pen’s “woke” optimism. This continues to be one of the most original and entertaining cozy/noir/paranormal mystery series of the past twenty years, and readers should hope that it continues for twenty more.

The Ghost and the Stolen Tears is the eighth book in Cleo Coyle's Haunted Bookshop Mysteries. This book follows the saga of a set of jewels through the decades. As with the rest of the books in this series, the author utilizes both modern day interactions and dream sequences, for Penelope to learn the history of the gems, including the number of former owners who have met with untimely deaths.

Even though this is a later in series book, the author includes enough backstory for each of the continuing characters to allow a new reader to jump in and enjoy this book without having to read the entire backlist to catch up. By including the dream sequences where Penelope interacts with Jack on his former cases, there is also the opportunity for the reader to enjoy two separate but linked mysteries in different time eras. I was concerned that this mystery was somewhat removed from the bookshop itself but the totally unexpected twist at the end brought the story full circle and made it so the bookshop was not just a setting without purpose.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Berkley Prime Crime and am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is book 8 in the Haunted Bookshop Mystery series. As long as Pen carries around the old nickle she found, her ghost can go with her. Jack is a gumshoe from the 40's that was gunned down in the building where Pen has her bookstore. When their part time assistant is accused of theft and murder, Pen works hard to clear her name. The case is tied to Jack's last job. I like this series and it's fun adventures. Wholesome and and easy read, can be read as a stand alone.

The Ghost and the Stolen Tears is the 8th Haunted Bookshop cozy mystery by Cleo Coyle. Released 4th Oct 2022 by Penguin Random House on their Berkley imprint, it's 288 pages and is available in mass market paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is a well developed series with an interesting paranormal twist. Bookstore co-owner/amateur sleuth Penelope is in "contact" with the consciousness of a long departed police detective who was killed almost 70 years ago. The books are set up in a way that very very cold case mysteries from decades ago get intertwined with modern day mysteries and bookstore owner Penelope saves the day by resolving the past and the present. 

This installment sees the past and present collide around a very valuable parure which has disappeared from a local celebrity's hotel room. Soon murder complicates the situation and Penelope can't just leave it alone since the incompetent local police have her friend and sometimes employee Norma in their sights as chief suspect. 

The language is clean, the violence is low-key and off scene. It would make a good commute or work read. I really enjoyed the tie-ins with period pulp fiction and theatre. Lots of fun. The authors have done their research on the era. It's *very* light and readers must bring a prodigious suspension of disbelief to the story.

Four stars. Definitely worth a look for fans of cozy mysteries. Since there are 8 books extant in the series at this point, it would make a good choice for a binge/buddy read. They can be read in any order and work well as standalone adventures.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Cleo Coyle returns to the Haunted Bookshop series with The Ghost and the Stolen Tears. Pen investigates the theft of legendary jewelery from the local inn after her part time worker is implicated in the theft. Norma, her helper, also works at the local inn and has vanished. With ham handed investigators and a trail of tragedy associated with the Valentino Teardrops, the infamous necklace, Pen gets busy. Her resident ghost, the detective Jack Shepherd, has prior history with the Tears in the 1940"s and he places Pen via her dreams back in 40's New York to sleuth the story of the Tears. Cute cozy and wonderful rea.

Oh what a fun read this was! Of course we picked this book just for the cover (a cat, a ghost and book shelves – what more does anyone want on a cover?), but we were pleasantly surprised with what we found between the covers as well.

We haven’t read any of the previous books in this paranormal, Haunted Book Shop Mystery series and we are fascinated with the resident ghost. Okay perhaps not a resident ghost, but definitely a ghost who was so very cleverly crafted by the authors (more on them at the bottom of the page). As all ghosts do, Jack appears in our present day existence, but he is forever bound to the time he became a ghost. I loved his 1940’s slang, dress code and manners. It truly give this book a lovely sense of authenticity.

Any meow – back to the story. Did you know that The Ghost and the Stolen Tears was inspired by a short story, “The Heavy Sugar” by Cornel Woolrich, published in 1947? How cool is that? We need to get our hands on that story as well.

Please don’t let the title mislead you the same way it misled Jack. The Stolen Tears are not a damsel in distress seeking revenge. These are a set of vintage jewels known as the Valentino Teardrops. When these jewels are stolen from the guest room of a drama queen Social Influencer, our story is set in motion. Yes, the teardrops do come with a history and being a drama queen runs in the family of our Social Influencer.

When history starts repeating itself, the reader should start making him/herself comfortable – you are going to be reading way into the night. If you plan on reading this tonight for Halloween, good choice!

Cleo Coyle is a favorite of mine! I have loved each and every novel by this husband and wife team! The coffee house mysteries and the haunted bookshop mysteries are always filled with crimes to be solved and delightful characters! This latest addition to the Haunted Bookshop The Ghost and the Stolen Tears is an exciting story of missing jewels and murder past and present!

Another hit by Cleo Coyle. I am a big Jack Shepard fan, so I devoured this book. I received a free ARC from NetGalley, but I also purchased the audio, so you know that I mean it when I say I absolutely loved this book and recommend it!

Pen is a bookseller with a ghost companion, a dead detective with a real knack still for solving cases. So when a friend is accused of stealing the famed Tears of Valentino, Pen calls on both her modern day compatriots and a deceased PI (who has a history with the jewels) to help her friend and solve the crime.

I've always enjoyed this series-the characters are unique, as is the set up, which makes for an enjoyable read. However, in this entry I found the sheer amount of characters confusing, especially in the part of the story set in the past.

Also a note-there is a brief mention of an attempted sexual assault, with the perpetrator later being described as "sweet" by the person he attempted to assault. This rubbed me the wrong way, for lack of better terminology, and threw me off of the story somewhat.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

PI Jack Shepard is back for another case with bookseller Penelope Thornton-McClure (Pen). One of Pen’s employees has been accused of stealing some famous jewelry at her other job working as a housekeeper at The Finch Inn. One of the inn’s guests had an antique necklace and earring set known as the legendary Valentino Teardrops. The same gems that Jack was tracking back in the 1940s.

Norma hasn’t been in Quindicott long, but she has had influence within the little town. She is pretty laid back, knowledgeable on many subjects, and loves to read. She is a modern-day nomad traveling from town to town in her van and teardrop trailer. She works where she can and moves on whenever the mood strikes her. The problem is this time she moved on right after the jewels were stolen. Pen and many others believe she is innocent. She hopes teaming up with Jack she can uncover the real thief so that Norma can return to Quindicott.

I love this series, its characters, and this book!

Pen and Jack make such a great team and the way they communicate is unique. Jack can get in Pen’s head and take her back in history to participate in his case where they can get clues that help them solve the present-day crime. Both cases are full of twists and turns and have Pen and Jack escaping from some by the skin of their teeth moments.

What makes this story so good is that Cleo Coyle is an expert at setting the scenes. Whether present-day or 1947, at The Finch Inn or the basement of The Martin Beck Theater, or Sadie and Pen’s bookshop or a high fashion house, Ms. Coyle brings each and every person and place to life. I felt at times like I was an extra on a movie set and other times like I was right there in the moment watching everything play out in front of my eyes. The words had my imagination running at high speed as I truly escaped right into the pages of this book. I even got the shivers reading the passage that was similar to The Birds. The first scary movie I watched as a kid.

I am so happy the author and publisher brought this series back because I cannot get enough of my favorite gumshoe and bookseller. I enjoyed each one and encourage you to read them all but the author does a wonderful job of making each stand on its own.

The Ghost and the Stolen Tears is a marvelous must-read mystery. I was engaged and entertained from the first page to the last. It is definitely one of the best books I have read this year. That is why you will see it on my Best Read of 2022.

I am excited to see we only have to wait until May 2, 2023, to get together again with Jack and Pen when The Ghost Goes to the Dogs will be released.

THE GHOST AND THE STOLEN TEARS by Cleo Coyle
The Eighth Haunted Bookshop Mystery

When bookshop owner Penelope Thornton-McClure visits her friend Fiona at the Finch Inn, she enters a world of chaos. An internet influencer is screeching that her jewels have been stolen. Norma, a nomadic woman currently working as a housekeeper at the inn and helping out at the bookstore, is soon accused of the crime. No one who knows her thinks Norma could be guilty, but when she disappears things look grim. PI Jack Shepard isn't as sure of Norma's innocence, but he knows that those jewels bring nothing but trouble, having worked a case involving them before he was killed. Now Jack and Pen, with the help of some friends, will have to figure out just who stole the Valentino Teardrops.

While the mystery is first rate, it's the characters that make THE GHOST AND THE STOLEN TEARS so special. From Pen and her aunt to her bickering buddies and most of the residents of Quindicott, they all create a cozy environment where you want to spend time. While I'm not a huge fan of children in my mysteries I do like Spencer. I especially like how his school project entwined with the mystery. It's the relationship between Pen and Jack that is the heart of this series, however. What's especially unique about their relationship is how Jack is able to bring Penny into his former world through her dreams. Instead of just telling her stories or giving her clues, Jack brings her into his world to explore, experience, and learn from his past. She's actually able to live it and bring the knowledge back to apply it to the present day mystery. By allowing her to do this readers also get the benefit of a historical mystery mixed with a modern day cozy.

There's so much I love about this series, not least of which is a certain ghostly detective. In addition to great characters I love the wordplay found in the Haunted Bookshop Mystery series. From the noirish speech of Jack to the fact that a woman with a teardrop trailer is suspected of stealing the Tears of Valentino, tidbits such as these enhance the writing and the story.

Multiple mysteries past and present entwine themselves in THE GHOST AND THE STOLEN TEARS with surprises happening in all timelines. Carefully plotted clues and characterizations come together creating a confounding mystery to tickle the little grey cells. With missing jewels and a woman on the run THE GHOST AND THE STOLEN TEARS is a hauntingly good read.

I just love Cleo Coyle books! This was no exception. I love the characters and the mysteries are always so good. Another great book by the author

I loved The Ghost and the Stolen Tears, and now I’m suffering a book hangover. I need another book with Jack and Pen and friends! If you’re a cozy mystery lover, I’m sure you’re familiar with the books by Cleo Coyle. The Coffeehouse Mysteries are extremely popular, but you may not be familiar with The Haunted Bookshop Mysteries. That’s probably because the series was on a really long sabbatical. Well, not really, but close to 10 years elapsed between the fifth book and the sixth book! I am so glad that they brought the series back because I adore it! If you haven’t read any books in the series, it’s okay for you to jump right in with this book! They are really easy to read as stand-alone books, and here’s why…

The characters in The Ghost and the Stolen Tears have lots of personality! They’re so well-written that they become real to you very quickly. They’re memorable because they’re a mix of funny, cranky, kind, inquisitive, reliable…I could go on since each character is so unique. The characters absolutely make this book very entertaining. The fact that Jack has been dead for decades also leads to some entertaining moments like when Pen tries to explain hashtags to Jack.

I love books (obviously, right), so the bookshop setting is right up my alley. It’s in a little town, so most of the residents know each other at least a little. But then there’s another setting…New York City. New York City in the 1940s that is. It’s where our ghost, Jack Shepherd, PI, lived, and it’s where he takes Pen when she’s dreaming. I loved these dreams because the crime they’re investigating is tied to show biz…the theater. Pen gets to see a young Charlton Heston, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, and a few others.

Once I started The Ghost and the Stolen Tears, I couldn’t put it down! It took me a little over a day to read, and that’s because I had to do other stuff that you have to do like eat, sleep, fold laundry. Don’t you hate it when life makes you quit reading? It’s definitely a page-turner, and I think you’ll find yourself so immersed in the book that you won’t want to put it down either! The mystery is well-plotted which makes the book flow seamlessly back and forth from present to past. It’s fun making all of the connections and solving the mystery along with Jack and Pen.

There is so much I loved about The Ghost and the Stolen Tears that I could go on and on, but I’ll let you discover these things on your own. It’s a book that I highly recommend! I think you’ll love it!

I have loved Cleo Coyle’s books since the first Coffeehouse Mystery came out, and The Ghost and the Stolen Tears is no exception!

Penelope and her aunt Sadie run a bookstore in Quindicott, Rhode Island. Norma Stanton, who lives the nomadic life out of her van and trailer, has become quite the helper working at the bookstore, and Pen is glad of her help. Norma has a wise, gentle way about her, and she’s always able to help people in the store. So when a young social media influencer staying at the Finch Inn claims that her vintage jewels, inherited from a family member, have been stolen, and Norma ends up in the crosshairs of the investigation, Pen finds it hard to believe. The problem, though, is that Norma is suddenly nowhere to be found, so it’s tough to refute the evidence mounting against her. Pen turns to Jack Shepard, PI (who may be dead, but who’s still very much present!) for help in clearing Norma’s name.

Coyle weaves the Valentino Teardrops through the story, past and present. I liked the way Jack took Pen back to his past experience with the Teardrops while he was alive and how she saw his case unfold through her dreams. She gets a sense of what Jack’s life and career was like through her dream travel with him. I thoroughly enjoyed the vintage gumshoe vibe of those portions of the story. The use of things she learned in dreams to unravel the mystery facing her in the present also worked well.

I also enjoyed seeing Pen’s son, Spencer, play a little bit bigger role. He’s working on a class project and he’s taken an interest in forensic evidence, specifically fingerprinting. His investigative skills nearly get him into trouble at school, but they come in very handy in solving the real-life mystery.

I look forward to the next adventure for Pen and Jack!

Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. All opinions here are mine, and I don’t say nice things about books I don’t actually like.

Ominously, Norma, a proponent of #vanlife, arrived in a small Rhode Island town accompanied by a murder of crows. The local school even closed for a “crow day” due to the feathery infestation. The townspeople embraced Norma anyway. However, when priceless jewels are stolen from a guest’s room, the inn’s part-time maid, Norma, is the prime suspect.

Penelope, Pen for short, was on her way to the inn to offer Norma a job at her bookstore. She can’t believe Norma would do such a thing! So, Pen and her 1940s noir PI ghost, Jack, investigate the crime. While investigating, Jack realizes he has already been on a case with the same jewels, the famous Tears of Valentino, back in his 40s heyday. He swears the jewels are bad luck to all that hold them.

It’s always a pleasure to hear Jack and Pen’s witty banner. Who knew that a forties dick and a modern bookstore owner would get along so well? Despite being from a notoriously sexist era, Jack is a pure gentleman. His snappy patter, loaded with 40s slang, is so much fun to decipher.

The mystery is challenging due to a school of red herrings making the motive as murky as a country stream. This clever merging of a cozy mystery with classic noir is an entertaining and intriguing way to spend an evening. 5 stars!

Thanks to Berkley, Great Escapes Book Tours and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.

📖My Thoughts📖

A bookshop, a ghost PI named Jack and a couple of murders, I’d say this combination is always the making of a delightful cozy mystery! This was a fun and entertaining moderate paced cozy mystery. This was the eighth installment in A Haunted Bookshop Mystery series, and though I think I would have been able to get a more thorough background of the characters if I had read the first seven books, it was ok to read this one as a standalone. I loved the relationship between Pen and Jack. They cracked me up several times. There’s just something about a good cozy mystery that always just seems to bring me to a happy place and this was no exception. It was easy to read and follow, included some great characters and had a plethora of twists keeping you interested. I think my favorite part about this book was the quotes at the beginning of each chapter. Overall this was another great cozy mystery that I recommend you add to your tbr list!
Thank you Netgalley, Cleo Coyle and Berkley Publishing Group for the opportunity to read and review this book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Ghost and the Stolen Tears: A Haunted Bookshop Mystery
By Cleo Coyle
Berkley
October 2022

Review by Cynthia Chow

It’s been several years since Penelope Thornton-McClure moved back to her hometown of Quindicott, Rhode Island to help her Aunt Sadie run their Buy the Book shop, and with Pen’s publishing experience they have expanded the store physically while increasing their sales online. No small part of their success has been the seasonal Fall help of the nomadic Norma Stanton, who has a gift of being a book-whisperer able to find the perfect book for a customer’s needs. As much as Pen trusts the mysterious, vagabond woman with a talent for empathy and alove of reading, Jack Shepard is far less trusting. Perhaps that because the private investigator who haunts the bookshop and travels with her through a coin met his end due to a shady client almost 70 years ago. Construction of the bookshop brought back his ghost to help through a number of murder investigations, with the noir-esque gumshoe always providing jaded insight and crime-detecting knowledge. Perhaps that’s why he immediately suspects Norma’s “hobo” lifestyle, especially when a valuable necklace goes missing from the Inn where she’s been working in exchange for room and board.

The Tears of Valentino has a connection to Jack as well, as from the first chapter we learn that he was hired to track down the necklace when it first went missing in 1947. The jewels were a gift given by the legendary leading actor Rudolph Valentino to win back his ex-wife, and now both Pen and Jack are the case in the present to prove Norma’s innocence, which is looking less likely now that she’s also disappeared. To give Pen a little more knowledge about the necklace’s legacy Jack takes Pen back into his own investigation through her dreams, where she becomes a “real” participant in his case. As they work to solve a jewel heist in two different timelines, Pen is helped in the current one by her friends from childhood known as the Three Musketeers, while in the past she goes undercover in a club where ladies buy dances from appealing young men and celebrity lookalikes. An insurance investigator and very angry Instagram influencers put on the pressure for Pen in the current timeline to track down the Nomad, clear Norma, and remove the cloud of doubt over a friend’s Inn.

Eight books into this series (and nearly 20 years since its debut), Pen and Jack have established a comfortable relationship investigating murders together while just tip-toeing into the line of romance. Logistically any actual romance should be impossible, but their time-tripping journeys into Jack’s memory sparks hints of the possibility. Jack’s rather outdated viewpoints never prevent the ghost from learning new tricks, with him continually being impressed by Pen and her resilience. The writing duo who write under the name Cleo Coyle celebrate the best of noir while giving it a modern twist, and the sparkling dialogue and witty banter will have readers wanting to delve into the old classics. The detective team of modern Pen and 1940s PI Jack shouldn’t make sense but it always does, with Jack’s jaded outlook being balanced out by Pen’s “woke” optimism. This continues to be one of the most original and entertaining cozy/noir/paranormal mystery series of the past 20 years, and readers should hope that it continues for 20 more.

What a captivating and fun cozy mystery.

The Ghost and the Stolen Tears is the first that I have read in the Haunted Bookshop Mystery Series and will surely not be the last. I loved everything about this book. And look forward to going through the back list to see how this unexpected duo became a sluthing team.


Penelope Thorton – McClure is a woman with a lot on her plate. Not only does she own and run a bookshop with her Aunt Sadie, she’s a single parent, has a ghost detective that talks to her and is an amateur sleuth. I would like to add that you can very much tell that this is a well established series, however, coming in at book a does not take away from the story in the least bit. I was able to jump right in and felt like I had already known these characters for quite a while. With that being said, let’s get to the review part of this.

I love the combination of Penny and Jack. This partnership/friendship is very unique. I love the mix of Jacks, 1940s, slang and banter along with the present day way of speaking. I love that Penny took up for someone that she barely knew however, deep inside she actually knew the person very well. the story was plotted, very well, extremely entertaining, and as I have already said, very unique. I also enjoyed that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, and that Penny’s own son does a little investigating of his own. The flashback scenes are such an added touch to the story and let you see what Jack’s life was like during his time. Cleo Coyle has had me as a long time fan of the coffee shop mysteries and now I’m excited to dive into the back list of the Haunted Bookshop Mystery Series.

I enjoy the interactions between the two MC. Jack is a great character and love how he helps Pen solves present day crimes. There are also interesting secondary characters. I hope for many more visits with Pen & Jack.

Thank you the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.