The Ghost Goes to the Dogs (Haunted Bookshop Mystery)

Paranormal Cozy Mystery, 9th in Series
Setting -‎ Rhode Island
Berkley (May 2, 2023)

Pet Mystery Week brings brisk business to Penelope’s Rhode Island bookshop, but a real mystery comes barking at her door when a lost dog turns up in a panic. Pen and her son Spencer follow the furry fugitive to a wooded area where the dog’s owner lies unconscious. Mrs. Cunningham is a warm-hearted widow who volunteers at the animal shelter and runs Buy the Book’s pet lovers book club. Why would anyone shoot such a sweet soul?

The police believe it’s an accident, a shot by a careless deer hunter, but Pen remains skeptical. To straighten out this doggone mess, she whistles for the ghost of PI Jack Shepard, an expert in hounding as well as haunting. Jack has a dog story of his own, a case from the 1940s that may help Pen sniff out clues to her present predicament. Yet even with Jack’s hard-boiled help, Pen may not be able to stop the killer from striking again or letting this whole case go to the dogs…

Review:

This book was all I had come to love in a Cleo Coyle mystery—and more.  Stress-free fun. I recommend this story to be enjoyed away from interruptions of your day so you can pay attention to the information and clues and immerse yourself in the community and the relationships between the characters. I had prepared my tea and properly cozied up on the back deck, yet even my Yorkie’s insistence to throw the ball couldn’t get me to put down the book. I love the extra time spent in Jack’s past, the language used to set us in time and place, and how the crime helps Pen with her present-day predicament. Cleo does not fully reveal the mystery of how Pen ends up in Jack’s era or how Pen’s costumes suddenly appear, but that makes things intriguing and doesn’t detract from the moment. You’ll enjoy the clear and well-crafted plot and getting better acquainted with the returning characters. The chapter intro quotes are especially fun, and I liked the attention to Spencer and Sparky in this book. Coyle sure makes wanting your own bookstore rather enticing, and it’s always exciting to see what Pen has planned for her store and the community. Well, other than Pen again landing smack in the middle of a crime. Who said crime can’t be fun? Coyle’s delightful details, trivia bits to impress your friends, and a warm sense of community are a fun escape with the dashing and smooth Jack.  Okay, Pen can come along too.

Take your next book release on a Great Escapes tour:

The Ghost and the Stolen Tears (Haunted Bookshop Mystery)

Cozy Mystery, 8th in Series
Publisher: Berkley

Jack Shepard, PI, may have been gunned down decades ago, but his memory hasn’t been ghosted. Back in the 1940s, those same Valentino Teardrops starred in a bizarre case of betrayal and murder. From the look of things, history is about to repeat. Now Jack is back on the job, and Pen is eternally grateful. 

Norma is a modern-day nomad. Living out of her van and teardrop trailer, she revels in self-reliance, solitude, and reading in the glorious peace of nature. Jovial, wise, and scrupulously honest, she’s become an uplifting presence in the little town of Quindicott, Rhode Island, where bookseller Pen is thankful to have her part-time help. But it’s Norma’s other job, working as a housekeeper at the Finch Inn, that gets her into terrible trouble. Norma is accused of stealing jewels from a guest’s room: the legendary Valentino Teardrops, an antique necklace and earring set, inherited by a young socialite. Pen doesn’t believe Norma is guilty of the crime—though the evidence is distressingly strong. And when the spirited Norma vanishes before her arrest, Pen turns to another spirit…

Review:

A ghostly good read doesn’t have to limit itself to the Halloween season. Cleo Coyle brings to life a dashing detective (Jack Shepard) and a feisty bookstore owner (Penelope), who work together to solve a local crime. Okay so the detective is a ghost and only Pen can hear the smooth-talking specter. 

In this installment of the addictive series, I was happy to see Jack stretch beyond his ghostly confinement to provide very-much-alive assistance into Pen’s world to aid in a harrowing escapade. The story is full of solid characters, goofy sidekicks (you’ll love the movie game that Brainert and Seymour play), a couple of surprises you won’t see coming, and a lot of heart. 

Each book in the series brings a deeper dive into Jack’s world and his relationship with Pen. I loved spending time in Jack’s decade where the lingo and setting drop the reader firmly into his era. Bringing Pen along through her dreams is skillfully crafted to allow for the suspension of disbelief, and the shock of waking up along with Pen into her reality is evidence of that craft. So turn off the phone and get away from the newsfeed for a while. Take your time and focus on the plot. And just enjoy a good story.

With a touch of his fedora, Jack fades away and leaves me with a sadness that he is not among the living to properly woo our dear protagonist. Maybe he’s waiting for me.