"Intriguing mystery with very clever elements."

By: Alice Kimberly

Genres: Mystery Amateur Sleuth | Mystery Woman Sleuth

Posted: August 12, 2005

Penelope Thornton-McClure is still busy dealing with the publicity from a murder the previous year, while co-owning a bookstore and dealing with authors hawking their latest tell-all poison pens. She's also raising her son alone while avoiding the machinations of her late husband's snooty family. As if all this were not enough, Penelope has to follow the instincts of a ghostly noir PI only she can hear. Luckily, 1940s gumshoe extraordinaire Jack Shepard's instincts are on target as he guides Pen through the ropes of private investigation in his own cases, as well as the one erupting in her small town.

While digging up dirt on a high-profile murder, a debutante party-girl author is gauche enough to wind up dead after taking off with a supposed local. Suddenly lies abound, emotions are stirred up and suspects crawl out of the most unlikely of places. With her ghostly private investigator as a guide, Pen feels dedicated to solving another case surrounding her bookstore.

Kimberly's follow-up to THE GHOST & MRS. McCLURE cleverly combines elements of a fine film noir and a comfortable cozy mystery. She weaves story elements expertly to create multiple layers of challenging intrigue. Though one may enjoy this excellent novel without reading the previous book, both are recommended for their high quality entertainment, likable characters and fast-paced storylines.

Book Summary

When a visiting author is murdered, bookshop owner Penelope Thornton-McClure and her ghostly companion must spook out the devious killer in this Haunted Bookshop mystery from Cleo Coyle, writing as Alice Kimberly.

The only rule bookshop owner and widow Penelope Thornton-McClure has given ghostly hard boiled P.I. Jack Shepard is to not haunt the customers. But when hot, young author Angel Stark arrives at the store to promote her latest, a true crime novel, Jack can hardly contain himself. After all, this is his specialty!

Angel’s book is an unsolved mystery about a debutante found strangled to death. And it’s filled with juicy details that point a finger at a number of people in the deb’s high society circle. But when the author winds up dead too—in precisely the same way—Pen is fast on the case...which means Jack is too. After all, a ghost detective never rests in peace.

The Ghost and the Dead Deb by Alice Kimberly

The Ghost and the Dead Deb

by: Alice Kimberly

Haunted Bookshop #2

Berkley Prime Crime
September 1, 2005
On Sale: September 1, 2005
Featuring: Penelope Thornton-McClure
240 pages
ISBN: 0425199444
EAN: 9780425199442
Kindle: B001QWDRTW
Paperback / e-Book

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