Ghost and the Femme Fatale (Haunted Bookshop Mysteries) [Mass Market Paperback]

Penelope Thornton-McClure (Pen to her friends) owns a bookshop along with her aunt Sadie and although Pen hasn't had an easy life things seem to have turned around for her since she went into the book business. When she bought into her aunt's business the shop was rather drab but with a lot of work Pen has created a very nice shop that includes an events space for lectures, book signings and such. Since moving back to her hometown she has renewed old friendships and has made a lot of new friends and her son has begun to do the same. She has even made the acquaintance of the ghost of a 1940's private detective who was killed in the building that now houses her shop. The ghost, Jack Shepard is now her constant companion and even works through her dreams to show her some of his old cases. He also helps her to solve a few new mysteries along the way.

The only problem with Pen's new life is that there are just too many mysteries to solve and often times she is forced to do her sleuthing because it is the only way for her to prove her own innocence to the bumbling local police chief. In this instance she is not only trying to prove that a death was not an accident but is also working against time to prevent more murders. It all starts when a friend of hers refurbishes the old movie theater in town and has a grand opening that features old noir films. As part of the festivities several old actors from the films are putting in appearances, as are several people who have written books on the subject and many of those people are going to do signings at Pen's shop. When one of those authors is killed in what at first glance seems to be an accident Pen and Jack are suspicious and before long the body count starts to rise. Strangely all that is happening ties back to one of Jack's old cases and he and Pen set out to try and solve both the old case and the modern murders.

This is a gripping story that kept me on the edge of my seat almost from the very beginning. Pretty soon I was guessing as to what was going on along with Pen and Jack and like them I headed off down several false paths. This author has a remarkable talent for telling stories and creating characters that are both believable and fun. The banter between the characters is so well written that I almost felt as if I were right there listening to the conversation. This author gives the characters in this book real three-dimensional depth but even when the characters are driving the story the plot never gets lost behind their personalities. This is quite frankly one of the best cozy series on the market today and I can't wait for the next installment.

The only gripe that I have involves an off-putting use of commas that I have noticed in several recent Berkley publications. The usage in question is in the strictest sense proper but doesn't flow well and is somewhat confusing. This is obviously the work of the publisher though and not this author but I do wish that it would be corrected. Otherwise this is an absolutely fabulous book.

When Penelope "Pen" Thornton-McClure's husband committed suicide, instead of scooping up money from her wealthy, affluent in-laws, and remaining trapped in an unhappy family life, she swept her eleven-year-old depressed son off to her hometown of Cranberry, Rhode Island. Enlisting the assistance of her deceased husband's life insurance check, she went into business with her Aunt Sadie via Buy the Book. The one thing Pen never imagined was the presence of Jack Shepard, PI. A ghost who bit the dust back in 1949, and has been haunting the location ever since. He may have seemed like a nuisance at first, but with all of the dead bodies that seem to pop up around Cranberry, Pen has come to the realization that it's better to have the deceased PI on her side, helping to solve the local mysteries springing up at every turn. Like the one that began in 1948.

The Movie Town Theater has finally opened its doors to the public, and has people from all walks of life flooding into Cranberry to be present at the first ever Film Noir Festival. But movies aren't the only thing people are vying to see. Much of their interest lies within the special guests who are appearing for the big event; including legendary screen actress, Hedda Geist. With Pen's pal Brainert doing what he can to keep things in order at the theater, Pen and Aunt Sadie have been left in charge of handling the countless book discussions that will be held at Buy the Book over the busy weekend. But busy isn't necessarily the word to describe the big event. Deadly is more like it. Hedda has been a virtual recluse for decades, and the moment she makes her first appearance, she nearly loses her life. But Hedda isn't the only target. Over the course of mere hours and days, other Festival guests begin to turn up dead. Pen knows that something no good is at work, but the local Cranberry police are too dimwitted to realize that a sinister force has befallen the quaint little town. Pen, however, along with Jack Shepard, and her fellow Cranberry amateur sleuths, resolve to figure it out, before someone else loses their life. And with Jack's keen knowledge of Hedda's life over forty years ago, Pen knows that she has the tools to crack the case. That is, if the killer doesn't crack her first.

Believe it or not, I have not read the first three books in the HAUNTED BOOKSHOP mystery series. In fact, up until a few weeks ago, I didn't even know that this series existed. I am, however, a diehard fan of the COFFEEHOUSE MYSTERIES, penned by Cleo Coyle, and have been since day one. Therefore, I couldn't resist diving into THE GHOST AND THE FEMME FATALE the moment it reached my hands. All I can say is, now that I have, I will never be able to turn back. At this point, it's obvious that I absolutely must read the rest of the books, as I have fallen head-over-heels with the characters, setting, and nostalgia that is so prevalent within the pages of THE GHOST AND THE FEMME FATALE. And, let's face it, when a reader is able to feel so passionately about a series, even after entering at the fourth book, you know that the author is absolutely amazing, and certainly doing their job.

Penelope is an irresistible character. She's spunky, fiery, intelligent, and a heroine you can't get enough of. Jack, her ghostly PI, on the other hand, is humorous, and a character you can't help but swoon over. The banter shared between the two of them is unstoppable, and the way that they appear to communicate telepathically with one another adds a little paranormal phenomena to the story. The flashbacks to New York City in 1948 are so retro, vintage, and nostalgia filled, and really provide a gritty view of old-time New York City. While the present-day happenings in Cranberry are so charming, quaint, and, I'll admit it, deadly. Cranberry's residents are all so colorful and vibrant, embodying contrasting personalities and quirks that you can't help but adore; and the way that all of the Cranberry residents support one another, no matter what, just makes the reader want to move there themselves. As is typical of Cleo Coyle (in this case, Alice Kimberly), she has truly outdone herself. The HAUNTED BOOKSHOP mysteries are a must-read. Your home library is bare without this series.

Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer

When her local movie theater holds a Film Noir Festival, Penelope Thornton-McClure agrees to hold several signings at her bookstore. While she is looking forward to the festival, Pen didn't think it would be quite as exciting as it turns out to be - legendary screen actress Hedda Geist is almost killed during a surprise appearance at the theater. The near miss is considered an accident, but Pen isn't sure and when others start to die, she is convinced that there is a murderer on the loose. The police don't believe Pen and she sets out to prove she's right. It won't be an easy task, but luckily she has the ghost of PI Jack Shepard to help her.

"The Ghost and the Femme Fatale" is the fourth book in Alice Kimberly's Haunted Bookshop Mystery series, a series that gets better with each book. I love the concept of a ghost helping to solve mysteries and Kimberly does a good job of pushing boundaries. At this point, Jack can not only "talk" to Pen when she's in the bookstore (where he was murdered), but with the help of a buffalo nickel, he can communicate with her anywhere as long as she carries the nickel. He also has the ability to have Pen dream of his past cases that relate to the current one. This is an intriguing, if at times odd premise - Pen is an active part of his past in the dreams and the romantic chemistry between the two during the dream sequences is sizzling. The Film Noir setting is perfect and sets up a great murder mystery plot line, in both the past and the present. There are a number of murders and a number of suspects and readers will have a hard time figuring out who the murderer is.

"The Ghost and The Femme Fatale" is a nicely done cozy mystery.