The latest terrific installment of the Haunted Bookshop mystery series finds our heroine Penelope Thornton-McClure ready to be the bearer of good news. Ever since her latest part-time employee Norma Stanton started working at her bookstore, sales have gone up. Penny and her co-owner, her Aunt Sadie, had been considering closing on Sundays in order to maintain cost-effectiveness. Norma’s book empathy and skill at sales however have convinced them to stay open seven days a week, if Norma will accept their offer of a steady job.

The main issue is that Norma is a nomad, moving seasonally and having no fixed address for her teardrop trailer house. She’s been in Quindicott, Rhode Island for a while though and seems likely to winter there, prompting Penny’s job offer. Norma has also been working part-time cleaning rooms at the nearby Finch Inn, which is where the trouble starts when an influencer guest accuses Norma of stealing her valuable set of heirloom jewelry.

The Tears of Valentino have a long and storied history, with a chapter involving the now-dead private investigator, Jack Shepard. He and Penny have an unusual connection, beginning, more or less, with his death decades earlier:

QUOTE
Why exactly the gallant gumshoe was gunned down on our premises, I don’t know, but the question felt fitting, given our shop’s specialty. We sell all kinds of books, you see, but we specialize in crime and mystery fiction. Not that everyone <i>likes</i> a mystery–literary or otherwise.

If a doorway opened to a darkened room, would you walk through it? Or swiftly pass it by? If a disembodied voice started giving you advice, would you listen? Or plug your ears and cover your eyes?
END QUOTE

As Penny is the kind of person who fully embraces curiosity, she’s welcomed Jack’s spectral presence in her life, often relying on him to help her solve the mysteries that have plagued her since moving back to Quindicott as a young widowed mother. While she’s no closer to unraveling the truth of Jack’s demise, she has found his experience invaluable, especially when her current conundrums find parallels to, if not outright connections with, the cases he investigated during his own lifetime.

In this instance, Jack had also once been hired to retrieve the missing Tears of Valentino, and found himself investigating the cold-blooded murders of several of the people who came into contact with the iconic jewelry set. As Penny goes looking for Norma, who’s disappeared in the wake of the accusation, she stumbles across a trail of bodies herself, and comes far too close to the crosshairs of a killer. Luckily, Jack is watching out for her, even in his limited capacity as a phantom:

QUOTE
Showered with wood splinters from the trunk, I realized with a chilling shock that someone had taken a shot at me!

<i>That’s right, doll,</i> Jack roared in my head. <i>Lucky for you I was here to knock you clear!</i>

“Jack!” I cried (fully out loud).

<i>Are you nuts? Running through the woods after someone with a gat in their hand?</i>

“I thought I was chasing Norma!”

That’s when I realized there were footprints in the mud. More accurately, boot prints–and big ones, too.

<i>That foot’s the size of a U-boat. Unless Norma joined the circus and got herself some clown shoes, those aren’t her prints.</i>
END QUOTE

The action switches back and forth between Jack’s life in mid-century New York City and his afterlife in present-day Rhode Island, as he and Penny join forces in both timelines to recover the jewels and bring several merciless killers to justice.

I love how this series plays with time and genre to present its wholly satisfying mysteries, interspersing hardboiled gumshoe noir with cozy small town hijinks via paranormal means. This installment was very much inspired by The Maltese Falcon, though the Tears themselves are far less of a MacGuffin than that other fictional treasure.

It was also great to spend time with Jack and Penny and especially Penny’s friends and family in the present day. In addition to her precocious teenager Spencer, her best friends Brainert and Seymour are delightfully colorful. The elusive Norma is also an excellent addition to the series, for as long as she sticks around.

I’m very glad that Cleo Coyle was able to keep going with this relentlessly entertaining series after their long hiatus, and hope to see many more books before, or even after, we finally figure out what really happened to Jack all those years ago. The series is a fun genre mash-up with a delightful cast of characters, and I’m excited to read more!

The Ghost and the Stolen Tears is the eighth book in the Haunted Bookshop Mystery series.
Quindicott, Rhode Island is home to a bookshop owned Penelope Thornton-McClure. In this case she is once again working with her gumshoe ghost, Jack Shepard who was a PI in the 1940's but is still "around" helping to solve the case by putting thoughts and ideas in her head.
Her part-time helper is Norma who is a nomadic van lifer,nature enjoying kind of person.
Norma has been accused of stealing the legendary Valentino Teardrops, an antique necklace and earring set. Pen is convinced Norma is innocent despite her nomadic ways.
The mystery has a few red herrings thrown in to get you off track. I love this series with it's bookshop owner and the ghostly Jack. You just never know where their investigations will take them and what kind of situations they'll be getting into to almost not escape from. There are some pretty close calls here. The pacing was great and it kept my attention. I recommend this book and series and look forward to more adventures with this pair in upcoming books.

Pub Date 04 Oct 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed a.re my own

I really enjoyed this book! The mystery develops a bit slowly but that doesn't make for a slow read. Instead there is time for each new piece of the mystery to be investigated and it really hooked me.

There's so many factors at play. Just who is Norma? Who stole the jewelry? How is any of this tied to what happened back in the 1940s? And just who is the murderer? All of these questions kept me guessing and I didn't figure it out until the very end.

Pen is a good main character. She's intelligent and capable. She has a good relationship with her son and a good support system in town who are good friends and different levels of quirkiness. This is a fun cozy mystery series with an interesting ghost sidekick and a great mystery. I'm looking forward to the next book and to catching up on earlier books that I haven't read quite yet.

The Ghost and the Stolen Tears by Cleo Coyle is the eighth book in the Haunted Bookshop Mystery series. This book has quite the intriguing storyline. The Valentino Teardrop jewelry set, consisting of a necklace and earrings, is stolen. And by the way, this jewelry also seems to be cursed. It seems murders abound where this jewelry shows up. Amateur sleuth Penelope Thornton-McClure along with ghost P.I. Jack Shepard are determined to prove their "living the van life" friend Norma Stanton innocent of stealing the jewels. I love this detective combo. Jack's dream travel for Penny to his past to show her incidents and solve old cases is fascinating. This is a great addition to the series.

The Ghost and the Stolen Tears by Cleo Coyle is the eighth A Haunted Bookshop Mystery. It can be read as a standalone for those new to the series. The author does a great job at giving an introduction to Penny, Jack, and their situation. We return to Quindicott, Rhode Island where a guest at the local bed and breakfast claims that a valuable necklace and its matching earrings were stolen. All the evidence points to the maid who is on the lam. Penny knows there is no way Norma, the maid, would have stolen jewelry. Penny with help from her dashing ghost, PI Jack Shepard set out to learn the truth. I like that there are really two cases in the story. One set in the present and one in the past. The past case is one that Jack took on while he was still alive. I like how the two cases tied together. I must say that the flashback scenes (Penny gets to see what happened in the past in her dreams thanks to Jack) are my favorite. I love the slang from that era. I had fun following Jack and Penny as they questioned people and searched for clues. One mystery is easier to solve than the other. I enjoyed the humor sprinkled through the story. Jack is especially amusing. His moral compass is skewed which gives him a different way of looking at matters. The authors descriptions really bring the scenes alive especially those from the past. I enjoyed my visit to Quindicott, and I was sorry to see it end. I look forward to traveling to Quindicott again in The Ghost Goes to the Dogs. The Ghost and the Stolen Tears is a killer diller with a dreamboat detective, gems worth a lot of clams, a maid who took a powder, a good luck Penny, cockeyed clues, a pain in the neck insurance investigator, and a dishy dame.

I have been reading this series faithfully since the first book came out. Even when there was a 10 year break between books.The stories are always entertaining and fun to read! This series is definitely in my top 5 favorites!

The Ghost and the Stolen Tears is the 8th book in the Haunted Bookshop Mystery series. This time Penelope and her ghostly PI, Jack, are doing some sleuthing to exonerate an innocent woman. It's not easy to prove someone innocent when they act guilty!

This newest story definitely kept my attention from start to finish. Plenty of sleuthing and suspects. The plot moves along at a nice pace with a few twists and surprises along the way. I love the basic premise of this series -- a long-dead PI assisting a bookshop owner to solve mysteries. Jack is such an entertaining character and I love the mix of old-time detective cliches and slang into the story.

The cover art for this series is always awesome. I usually buy the paperbacks each time a new book comes out and I also listen to the audio book through my local library. The audio books are always top notch and fun to listen to!

Another entertaining book in this series! And I see the next book -- The Ghost Goes to the Dogs -- is coming out in May 2023. Woot!! Already added to my TBR list!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Berkley Publishing, but also have my own copy on pre-order! Will be re-reading this as soon as my physical book arrives! All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

Penelope McClure, along with her aunt Sadie own and run a bookstore in small-town Quindicott, Rhode Island. Pen is also mother to a young son, who, at the present time, is interested in forensics, which may or may not be a blessing. She's also in a relationship -- sort of -- with the ghost of a long-dead PI named Jack Shepard, whom only she can hear (and occasionally see). She's grateful for Jack's presence, as he's helped her in the past solve murders that stump the police.

Right now she's determined to see her part-time help who also works at the Finch Inn as a housekeeper. But when she arrives, the nomadic Norma, who lives out of her van and teardrop trailer, is nowhere to be found. What is found, however, is a spoiled social influencer who's claiming her priceless teardrop earring and necklace set is missing, and the housekeeper had a hand in it.

When Jack sees the set (through Pen's eyes) he recognizes it from his own time in the 1940s, and tells Pen that it brings nothing but trouble and death. But Pen is determined to find Nora, and with the help of not only Jack, but her friends mail carrier Seymour and Professor Brainert, who are also her childhood best friends, she sets out to find the woman before the police catch her and jail her for something she hasn't done.

But it is Jack's help, in the world they come together; the world of her dreams, that leads her to the history of the tears and the clues she needs to find Norma and solve the case. In his world, she comes across seedy characters, gamblers, killers, and thieves, all of whom play a part and show her that anyone can kill, even those who seem the least likely...

I have read all of these books and I must admit that I am a little bit in love with Jack Shepard (Oh, c'mon, you've all fallen for someone!). He brings the book to life, even being dead, and I love his self-assurance, his ego, and even his ability to keep Pen safe. Even being not of this life anymore, he has that something that makes him one of the best characters in a book.

I also found many parts of this book to be humorous; namely the banter between Seymour and Brainert, who have a sort of 'frenemy' association going on. Their conversations are the type you roll you eyes at, but enjoy nevertheless. In this book, they are spending more time together, and that first conversation gets smiles and continues throughout.

Even Pen's son Spencer gets into the act this time, and with relish. He's doing well in school and his desire to find a thief gets a little out of hand, but Jack thinks he's great and Pen never thought she'd be in the situation she finds herself. As a mother of boys myself, I can sympathize -- heavily.

But when Pen starts to realize that things are not as they seem, she soon finds herself in the middle of something more than a burglary, and it's up to her and Jack to figure out how to trap a killer...

I would love to say more about this book but I daren't do so, considering the fact I don't want to ruin it for other readers. I will say that this book is just as good as the previous ones, and for anyone who hasn't read the series, this book can be read as a standalone. It contains no spoilers from previous books. Ms. Coyle has a definite way with words, and I am always surprised at how she can connect the dark past of New York's 1940s with the present year and make it seem as if the two belong together somehow. Try to imagine yourself in the world of The Maltese Falcon. Loving classic films as I do, it is my own dream (although I don't have a Jack Shepard to help me!); and she makes it all so believable and realistic that the reader becomes part of the dream as well.

When she merges the two tales, it is almost a perfect fit, the seams coming in nicely and forming a final picture that gives us the murderer, the thief, and the reasons for everything that has come before. It is a book that stays with you and wanting more. I eagerly await the next in the series. Highly recommended.

I received an advance copy of this book through the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

I've only read a couple of these books, however, if found this story to be quite interesting.
Penelope is a good character, and this is a series that hold a lot of twists and turns.
I'm looking forward to catching up with other books in the series.
TheGhostandtheStolenTears #NetGalley

When jewelry belonging to a social media influencer is stolen from her room at the Finch Inn, housekeeper Norma is accused of the theft. Pen and the folks of Quindicott don’t believe she’s guilty, but the evidence, although circumstantial, is hard to refute. When Norma disappears before the police arrest her, Pen and Jack are determined to figure out what really happened.

This is the eighth book in this series, and I enjoyed it as much as the previous books in the series. I like the recurring characters and the way they work to bring visitors and business to their community rather than just going along as they’ve always done. It’s been fun watching them grow and adapt as the series has progressed, and I appreciate that the author doesn’t feel it necessary for Pen to have a love interest other than her apparent ‘crush’ on Jack.

The mystery here is good, with several story lines to consider. I suspected the jewel thief and the killer almost from the start, and wasn’t surprised at the motive, but that won’t stop me from reading the next book in the series.

I've only read one other book in this series, and they can definitely be read as standalones. Cleo Colye does a great job of giving a mini intro to who the main character is and how she ended up back in Quindicott, Rhode Island.
I really enjoy the way the story is told, We actually get two cases, one in current day, and one that is somehow connected that our resident PI ghost investigated while he was still alive. Jack is able to show Pen what happened with his cases while shes sleeping, and she is able to be an actual participant in whats happening around her. I loved the whole book, but these flashbacks are definitely my favorite.

When one of the residents is accused of theft, and then disappears its up to Pen with the help of Jack and her friends to figure out whats going on. Pen and her friends do some amazing detective work in discovering where Norma is, and proving her innocence. I loved how the entire town stood up for Norma, not one resident believed that she had anything to do with stealing the jewels and in the end they all come together to help prove it, and catch the real thief.

This is an amazing series, and I will absolutely be reading the other books in this series! I can't wait to see how Jack and Pen first came together!

I’ve read this series, but it’s been a long time ago. I was glad to dive into the series again even if I was a few books behind. It was like I had never left, and I got to know Jack and Penny all over again. That let’s you know that you don’t need to have read the previous ones to enjoy this latest. One thing I think is so clever is how the authors weave together Jack’s old case and Penny’s current one. They are both equally fun to learn about and deduce the killer. I knew one, but I couldn’t figure out the other. This is such a unique series, and even if you don’t like paranormal elements in your cozy mysteries, this is still so very worth reading. Fun, well-written, paranormal cozy. Recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

This is a solid installment in the Haunted Bookshop series. The characters are fun and the mystery engrossing.