Charlie M. (bookaddicted) -
Helpful Score: 5
Third installment in this series featuring Penelope MClure, single mother and bookstore owner who solves cases with the aid of the ghost of a detective earthbound in her book store. This one involves a mystery attached to Edgar Allan Poe's works. A unique and different approach to cozy mysteries.
Mary H. (ravenswing) reviewed The Ghost and the Dead Man's Library (Haunted Bookshop, Bk 3) on + 91 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
Newest in the series. Very nice Poe homage/connection. A fun, "Hammett talking" ghost PI also adds spice to the mix. Recommended!
Sherri B. (sharalsbooks) reviewed The Ghost and the Dead Man's Library (Haunted Bookshop, Bk 3) on + 259 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
Im really enjoying this series. In this installment, Penelope and her Aunt Sadie travel to Newport to acquire a collection of published works by Edgar Allan Poe from a man Sadie used to be romantically involved with. One of the things I enjoyed about this book is the story doesnt drag and meander. It gets right to the meat and potatoes of the story when just mere minutes after leaving Newport with the books, the previous owner dies under mysterious circumstances. Then before I had time to process that, Penelope sells one of the volumes for $8,000 and the new owner is found dead. Penelope gets arrested and charged with theft, Spencer is being bullied at school, and we learn a little more about Jack and one of the cases he was working on. These side plots keep the story from becoming stagnant and hold my interest in the book.
I also like that, through her dreams, Penelope is able to go with Jack to his time and observe and even participate in what hes doing. This seems to be the only way she can actually see him. In her time, she can only hear him, but carrying Jacks buffalo nickel on her person, he can travel outside the store with her. I just wish she could see him in the present and that Sadie and Spencer could too. Jacks vocabulary is very entertaining as well.
Pops is laying track, baby. Hes taking you for a rube.
Make like the proverbial shepherd, sweetheart, and get the flock out.
All that yammering is giving me a headache where I dont have one --- a head, that is
That scam was old when I was in knee pants.
Im hoping that Penelope will learn more about Jack; maybe find his descendants or learn the truth about his murder. In the meantime, Jacks presence in Penelopes head brings her confidence and, at times, comfort.
Overall, The Ghost and the Dead Mans Library is a good installment of the Haunted Bookshop Mystery series. It enlightened me to some unknown facts about Edgar Allan Poe and entertained me with Jacks gruff personality and quips.
I also like that, through her dreams, Penelope is able to go with Jack to his time and observe and even participate in what hes doing. This seems to be the only way she can actually see him. In her time, she can only hear him, but carrying Jacks buffalo nickel on her person, he can travel outside the store with her. I just wish she could see him in the present and that Sadie and Spencer could too. Jacks vocabulary is very entertaining as well.
Pops is laying track, baby. Hes taking you for a rube.
Make like the proverbial shepherd, sweetheart, and get the flock out.
All that yammering is giving me a headache where I dont have one --- a head, that is
That scam was old when I was in knee pants.
Im hoping that Penelope will learn more about Jack; maybe find his descendants or learn the truth about his murder. In the meantime, Jacks presence in Penelopes head brings her confidence and, at times, comfort.
Overall, The Ghost and the Dead Mans Library is a good installment of the Haunted Bookshop Mystery series. It enlightened me to some unknown facts about Edgar Allan Poe and entertained me with Jacks gruff personality and quips.
Connie C. (CeeC) reviewed The Ghost and the Dead Man's Library (Haunted Bookshop, Bk 3) on + 23 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
My favorite book, so far, in this series. It combines Jack, the ghost of the Private Investigator who lives in the book store owned by Penelope Thornton-McClure and her aunt, Sadie Thornton with all of the previous characters along with one of my all time favorite authors, Edgar Allan Poe. Who doesn't love a whodunit involving rare books and a mysterious code in a series of books that lead to a treasure? Penelope and Jack, along with the members of the Quindicott Business Owners Association, are out to solve the murders of people who owned or bought a series of books about Edgar Allan Poe. The only problem is no one else believes that anyone was murdered! You'll really enjoy this one!
Deanna C. (punkbunny) reviewed The Ghost and the Dead Man's Library (Haunted Bookshop, Bk 3) on + 13 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
What a great book. It had been a while since I read the first one and this one was just as great. I love the characters and the Poe references. I was sad when I came to the last chapter, I didn't want it to end. I hope she writes many more Haunted Bookshop's.
Deborah H. (littlepine) -
Helpful Score: 2
I really enjoy this book and can't wait to read the next book in the series.
Jan M. (batgirl) reviewed The Ghost and the Dead Man's Library (Haunted Bookshop, Bk 3) on + 284 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Now that Penelope is able to take Jack's ghost with her outside the bookstore that he has haunted for 50 years, they have really become partners in crime. Pen's aunt Sadie has been left an extremely rare collection of Poe volumes, which someone wants badly enough to kill for. The same eccentric Maine residents people the pages as well as Pen's son, who is being bullied at school. Not as good as The Ghost and Mrs. Muir but not half bad either. Enjoyable.
Judy L. (gardengal) reviewed The Ghost and the Dead Man's Library (Haunted Bookshop, Bk 3) on + 202 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Third in a series about two women (an older aunt and her younger niece) who own a bookshop that's haunted by a ghost. This one isn't ancient -- and in real life he was a hard-boiled detective. He -- and his previous cases -- help Penelope McClure solve current mysteries that pop up. Fun series and this was a nice addition.
LisaMarie G. (LM) reviewed The Ghost and the Dead Man's Library (Haunted Bookshop, Bk 3) on + 24 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Third in the series. Another great bookstore mystery cozy with a ghost mixed in! Great book
Mary M. C. (MartieKr) -
Helpful Score: 1
Enjoyable little cozy mystery featuring a ghost and bookstore owner.
Penny T. (iluvmysteries) reviewed The Ghost and the Dead Man's Library (Haunted Bookshop, Bk 3) on + 431 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I am a great fan of this "ghostly bookstore series" and always look forward to a new one.
Judith L. (JML) -
Helpful Score: 1
Another interesting read in this series, and I thought tying the mystery to Edgar Allan Poe was cool.
Bookshop owner Pen McClure has just received an extremely rare collection of Poe's works. Rumor has it that a secret code within leads to buried treasue. Well, looks like they got the buried part right, because everyone who buys one of the volumes dies. Police are skeptical, so Pen and resident ghost Jack Shepard set out to crack the case.
Debbie C. (toomanybooks) -
Typically series books are kind of slow and less interesting once you get into the 3rd or 4th book, but this one is the exception. It starts a little slow, but quickly pulls the reader in and the mystery is on! The characters are witty, smart and lovable. This is a book that you should not miss if you love books and mysteries!
Bonnie A. (ladycholla) -
Fabulous story, mysteries all over the place. Cozy as usual and didn't truly guess the ending. Suspicious yes, truly know, no.
Anna S. (annapi) reviewed The Ghost and the Dead Man's Library (Haunted Bookshop, Bk 3) on + 334 more book reviews
Bookshop owners Penelope McClure and her aunt Sadie have just been given an extremely rare collection of Edgar Allen Poe's works. There are rumors that the books contain a secret code that leads to a hidden treasure, a rumor that someone obviously believes, as every buyer of a book from the collection is killed. The police think these are accidents, but the antagonistic police chief seems intent on pinning the theft of the missing book on Pen, and she's going to need her ghost friend PI Jack Shepard to get her out of this mess and solve the Poe mystery before more people die.
As usual, Alice Kimberly produces an intriguing and entertaining story. The series is interesting enough to make me want to continue it, although nothing about it really grabs me and holds on. Good for a light, cozy read, and in this volume the facts about Poe make it fascinating despite the lukewarm solution to the mystery.
As usual, Alice Kimberly produces an intriguing and entertaining story. The series is interesting enough to make me want to continue it, although nothing about it really grabs me and holds on. Good for a light, cozy read, and in this volume the facts about Poe make it fascinating despite the lukewarm solution to the mystery.
Anna-Marie S. (airforcebrat) reviewed The Ghost and the Dead Man's Library (Haunted Bookshop, Bk 3) on
This very hard-to-find series of mysteries are delightful and well-written. Each book shows Penelope Thornton-McClure's transformation from beaten-down widow to triumphed bookshop owner who can handle anything from her former in-laws to the local councilwoman bent on preventing the town from reinventing itself. With her resident ghost P.I. Jack Shepard, she solves murders that have roots in Jack's past cases, which shows what New York was like in the 1940's. I am constantly on the lookout for the next in the series as each book brings one closer to solving the ultimate mystery, who killed Jack and why. I highly recommend this series who like a good mystery that leaves you begging for more.
I really like this series. It's smart and I enjoy the relationship between Jack and Mrs. McClure.
John M. reviewed The Ghost and the Dead Man's Library (Haunted Bookshop, Bk 3) on + 85 more book reviews
A very easy and quick read, a joy after a few heavy murder mysteries.
Sharon M. reviewed The Ghost and the Dead Man's Library (Haunted Bookshop, Bk 3) on + 30 more book reviews
Bookshop owner Penelope Thornton-McClure has just received an extremely rare collection of Edgar Allan Poe's complete works. Rumor has it a secret code, trapped within the books' leather-bound pages, leads to buries treasure. Well it looks like they got the buried part right, because as Pen sells off the valuable volumes, everyone who buys...dies. Once these books go missing from their owners' cold hands, Pen will need resident ghost and hard-boiled PI Jack Shepard to help crack the case. The police are skeptical that the deaths involved foul play-so it's up to Pen and Jack to unravel these shocking endings...
Jeanie S. (JeanieS) reviewed The Ghost and the Dead Man's Library (Haunted Bookshop, Bk 3) on + 192 more book reviews
Another good story by Alice Kimberly
LeAnne G. (Gracious-Granny) reviewed The Ghost and the Dead Man's Library (Haunted Bookshop, Bk 3) on + 137 more book reviews
Third book of a series, all really good!
Barbara L. reviewed The Ghost and the Dead Man's Library (Haunted Bookshop, Bk 3) on + 988 more book reviews
A real cozy and a great read. "Bookshop owner Penelope Thonrton-McClure has just received an extremely rare collecion of Edgar Allan Poe's complete works. Rumor has it a secret code, trapped within the books' leather bound pages, leads to buried treasure. Well, it looks like they got the buried part right, beacuse as Penn sells off the valuable volumes, everyone who buys ... dies. Once these books go missing from their owners' cold hands, Pen will need resident ghost and hard boiled PI Jack Shepard to help crack the case. The police are skeptical that the deaths involved foul play, so it's up to Pen and Jack to unravel these shocking endings."
Helen L. (Detective) -
Loved this book too.
Enjoyed reading it.
Enjoyed reading it.
Cathy C. (cathyskye) -
First Line: Baxter Kerns the Third called Jack Shepard at noon and invited him to dinner at six.
Rhode Island bookseller Penelope Thorton-McClure has a problem. Her bookshop, Buy the Book, is haunted by the spirit of a 1940s private eye who was murdered there and can't seem to leave. Pen's the only one who can see and hear him, and thankfully she no longer walks around looking as though she's talking to herself.
In this third installment of the series, Pen and her aunt are invited to Prospero House, a death trap of a decrepit mansion that Pen takes one look at and says, " Looks like the architect couldn't decide whether his client was the Addams Family or JP Morgan." Once inside they are given a rare set of the complete works of Edgar Allan Poe--a set that is believed to contain a code that leads to a buried treasure. When word spreads about the collection now at Buy the Book, Pen finds herself selling volumes of it for thousands of dollars each. Trouble is, whoever buys dies, and the purchased books go missing. Pen is definitely going to need the help of her ghostly private eye to crack this case.
As I read the description of Prospero House, I was definitely creeped out. I was also puzzled. From the description of the place, I don't think any book housed there for any period of time would be in a sellable condition. Yes, I know. I'm being nit picky! While I enjoy the characters in the book and the snappy repartee between Pen and Jack, I really don't find myself wanting to continue with series. I'm not quite sure why. Perhaps it has something to do with Kimberly's attempts to prevent the series (and the character of Jack) from being limited strictly to the confines of the bookshop. Whatever the reason, don't let my personal quirks put you off this series. I do enjoy the characters and the dialogue, and the Haunted Bookshop series may very well be the perfect cup of tea for you!
Rhode Island bookseller Penelope Thorton-McClure has a problem. Her bookshop, Buy the Book, is haunted by the spirit of a 1940s private eye who was murdered there and can't seem to leave. Pen's the only one who can see and hear him, and thankfully she no longer walks around looking as though she's talking to herself.
In this third installment of the series, Pen and her aunt are invited to Prospero House, a death trap of a decrepit mansion that Pen takes one look at and says, " Looks like the architect couldn't decide whether his client was the Addams Family or JP Morgan." Once inside they are given a rare set of the complete works of Edgar Allan Poe--a set that is believed to contain a code that leads to a buried treasure. When word spreads about the collection now at Buy the Book, Pen finds herself selling volumes of it for thousands of dollars each. Trouble is, whoever buys dies, and the purchased books go missing. Pen is definitely going to need the help of her ghostly private eye to crack this case.
As I read the description of Prospero House, I was definitely creeped out. I was also puzzled. From the description of the place, I don't think any book housed there for any period of time would be in a sellable condition. Yes, I know. I'm being nit picky! While I enjoy the characters in the book and the snappy repartee between Pen and Jack, I really don't find myself wanting to continue with series. I'm not quite sure why. Perhaps it has something to do with Kimberly's attempts to prevent the series (and the character of Jack) from being limited strictly to the confines of the bookshop. Whatever the reason, don't let my personal quirks put you off this series. I do enjoy the characters and the dialogue, and the Haunted Bookshop series may very well be the perfect cup of tea for you!
Barb W. (kidcrazybarb) -
This is great cozy series!
