Customer Reviews

The Ghost and the Femme Fatale (Wheeler Cozy Mystery)

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

An old time film noir former bombshell, Hedda Geist, is nearly killed at a revival festival, and shortly thereafter, those who attended the Festival begin to die. Because the cops are completely off base in their investigations, Penelope Thornton and her ghostly partner, PI Jack Shephard, take on the case. Jack remembers Hedda from his days among the living, and many of the clues lie in his past, when he was alive, so that's where he takes Penelope. Once upon a time is now with this charming pair on the trail of a killer.

**** Time travel, magnificent, spectral rogues, mystery, and romance, what more could a girl want? Jack is one of the most charming spooks since Daniel Gregg haunted Mrs. Carolyn Muir. This book also solves a mystery for me personally; where did one of my favorite authors go, Alicia Alfonsi, and now I learn she's writing mysteries under two names and I have a whole new series to track down, something I advise everyone coming to these books for the first time to do. ****

Amanda Killgore for Huntress Reviews

I am really enjoying these "ghost stories." The interaction between Mrs. McClure and Jack are heartwarming in their differences due to generation changes. I did miss the opening chapter dealing with Jack's death/murder in 1948 but there are other 'scenes' that do make up for the ommission. I look forward to how the relationship is dealt with between human and ghost in the future.

I enjoyed this mystery. Penelope and Jack have a certain chemistry that keeps me coming back for more. A nice cozy mystery, but, not the first in the series. So, if you want to read this book, look back at this author's previous books in this series.

This Haunted Bookshop series is a winner. This book is the fourth in the series, and I think that they are only getting better. I love the mix of cozy with noir detective story, and this one really plays on that as all the happenings occur around a "film noir festival" that is being held in Penelope's small town. And a lot of murder and mayhem is happening there too. As Penelope tries to make sense of it with the aid of her ghost companion Jack, she realizes that the motives for the murders may go back a long time (sixty years, and during the time when Jack was a practicing PI in New York City). We slip back and forth from one time to the next as the story progresses, and Ms. Kimberly keeps us interested and lots of stuff keeps happening. It's really unbelievable how really believable these stories are. The mix of paranormal with present day detection is a winning one, and it is highly addicting.

I loved the first book in this series, and it reminded me of Carolyn Haines Mississippi Delta Ghost series. Had no idea Cleo Coyle is also writing as Alice Kimberly - both series are solid, although I prefer this series to the coffee. She's developed Pen's friendship with Jack, the dead PI, with clear enjoyment and great humor to their dialogue, but I'm not giving this book 5 stars because of the thuds of too many dead bodies, plus the mystery plot was a bit too simple for me. But I really like her flashbacks into the past; they are smoothly handled. I'm looking forward to the next installment.

Ever felt like there's a nagging voice in your head? Well, if you're Penelope Thornton-McClure, that "voice" is the very dead private dick Jack Shepard, who hasn't had a body since getting iced in 1949. Jack haunts Pen's bookstore Buy the Book and aids her in solving mysteries; in The Ghost and the Femme Fatale, the small town of Quindicott has its hands full with its first-ever Film Noir festival. Leading lady Hedda Geist, out of the limelight for decades after the grisly death of her studio boss Irving Vreen, is scheduled to make an appearance, but her first return to the stage is nearly her last.

Penelope, her aunt, and Jack are hot on the trail when festival guests turn up dead, leading them to uncover a decades-old tale of steamy affairs and cold-blooded murder. Snappy pacing, humor, and even a touch of romance between the hard-boiled Jack with his "iron jaw" and Penelope (the two "time travel" through dreams in order to investigate). Jack's language is pure pulp fiction / noir, and the touches from the 1940s were nice. This is the same author who pens the Coffeehouse Mysteries, and I loved the take-charge Pen, the sexy Jack, and the quirky cast of supporting characters. The mystery included enough twists and turns that I didn't even suspect the real villain until the shocking (and appropriately noirish) finale. This was the first book in the series that I read (it's number four), and I can't wait to devour the further adventures of Jack and Pen (I'd like to see their romance heat up!).

In this 4th haunted bookshop mystery, Penelope (Pen) Thornton-McClure continues to expand the horizons of the Cranberry Street bookstore she and her Aunt Sadie co-own in her hometown of Quindicott, Rhode Island. The ghost of PI Jack Shepard continues to inhabit the building, and Pen's dreams, drawing the two closer than they would ever have imagined.

A friend renovates an old movie theater and decides to hold a film noir festival during the theater's grand opening. Pen is in charge of the book signings and discussions. A number of special guests are invited, actors who have played a part in noir films and authors who have written in the genre, drawing a large crowd of fans to the opening.

When one of the famous guests is involved in an accident, Pen soon suspects there is more to the story than first appears. As the body count begins to rise, local law enforcement suspects Pen of playing a role in the murders. She and Jack realize that they need to take action, before Pen is locked up, for good.

When they realize that a long ago case of Jack's plays a role in the current mayhem, they work to solve the mysteries, both past and present.

Cleo Coyle, writing as Alice Kimberly, has created a fascinating ghostly series. The relationship between Jack and Pen drives the stories. Although the reader understands he is just a ghost, he becomes a real live character as he interacts with Pen. They have developed a smooth companionable relationship that proves especially interesting during her dreams.

Each book in the series can be read as a stand-alone, but reading the complete series from the beginning shows the growing relationships of old and new friends from Pen's arrival in Quindicott to the present day.

This book is a fun and enjoyable cozy that will satisfy fans of the genre.

The Ghost and the Femme Fatale (Haunted Bookshop Mysteries, No. 4)