A Good Series Becomes Great

books:


	• The Ghost and the Dead Deb (Haunted Bookshop Mystery) Alice Kimberly Berkley, 2005 - 272 pages average customer review:based on 17 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

A Good Series Becomes Great

I love this series! I was iffy on the first book wondering just how the author was going to convince me that there was a palpable heat between a ghost and a very much alive young woman, but she did, and now I'm into this series for the long haul. The frequent glimpses into Jack's past were enjoyable and the construct of Penelope joining him is an interesting twist with room to grow. This entry was a great deal more enjoyable than the series entry, though the first wasn't bad, quite the contrary. The main characters, both living and dead, have become fleshed out and three-dimensional. The plotline involving a tell-all is relevant to today's unfortunate influx of people who are famous for simply being omnipresent, young, and wealthy and the ridiculous gossip they generate to keep themselves in the spotlight. I love the shots the book took at some of these celebutantes and their unnecessary and tiring antics. The secondary characters are also coming along nicely and the quaint setting is simply delicious. I highly recommend this series, especially if you love the movie, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, this is a must read for you, in fact it is just a must read.

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A mix of past and present.

This second book in this series, is another strong entry. I must say that I really enjoy Jack's "hard-boiled" attitude when pitted up against Penelope's softer touch. Penelope is faced with an old unsolved case when she has the author of the book that outlines this murder do a signing in her bookstore. Then other bodies start turning up. Jack tells Penelope that the older case that was the subject of the book reminds him of one of his cases from 1946, and when Penelope reads his case notes, she sees the similarity. This is a refreshing twist on the cozy genre, and I found myself thoroughly enjoying it. I can't wait to read the next book to see how things continue to shape up between Penelope and Jack. (Oh, did I mention that Jack is a ghost?) But don't let that deter you. Ms. Kimberly does a really good job of character portrayal with all the people in her books, including Jack.

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Really enjoy it!

Vrey good read with interesting characters. I really had a good time reading this book.

nice cozy read

Ms Kimberly has written 2 solid,fun, cozy mysteries in The Ghost and Mrs. McClure and The Ghost and the Dead Deb. Her books are fun and easy to read. They are mixed with suspense, and humor. The characters are believable and the ghost, Jack, is a riot. Jack was a private eye in a former life and is confined to the walls of Buy-the-Book bookstore. He communicates with Penelope and she is the only one who can hear him unless he wishes to make his prescense known. Penelope operates the store with her aunt. Penelope McClure is a widow with a young son and her former husband was a rich spoiled brat whose family gives Pen, as her aunt calls her, a really hard time.

In this story, Pen is hosting a book signing of a book about an unsolved murder and the case reminds Jack of an old case he worked on while he was alive. Jack is able to project his memories into Pen's dreams. The story kicks off when the author comes up missing. The list of suspects are plenty and it is up to Jack and Pen to unravel the mystery.

These books are great for lying on the couch on a lazy Sunday afternoon and escaping reality. I highly recommend this series to anyone.

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Spoiled Brats Run Amuck

Penelope Thornton-McClure is a widowed mother of one who took her husband's life insurance and bought a half interest in a run down and failing bookshop owned by her aunt. She fixes the old place up and adds a community events room where among other things she plans to host author appearances. Unfortunately for Pen the first author who comes to her store drops dead right there on the stage and she is one of the chief suspects. Fortunately for Pen her bookshop is haunted by 1940s PI Jack Shepard who was killed in that very building many years ago and with his help Pen clears her name.

In this second entry to the series Pen has another big name author appearing at the shop and the place is packed. Angel Stark has written a tell-all book about her life as part of the moneyed elite that includes the lurid details of an unsolved murder that took the life of the young queen of the spoiled Newport set. Needless to say the old money families mentioned in the book aren't at all happy and several of them show up at the reading, some with confrontation on their minds.

As you would expect it isn't long before dead bodies start showing up and although Pen isn't a suspect this time the nephew of a close friend is and Pen once again enlists Jack's help to solve the crime. An interesting twist to this story is the fact that her late husband's snooty family is involved in this case up to their eyeballs and that causes an already tense situation with the in laws to flare up into a near all out war.

As with the first book in the series this one is very well written and the characters, while not being the wacky denizens often inhabiting the pages of this genre are still an interesting lot and are very believable. Pen has already learned a lot from Jack and is becoming quite the detective in her own right but she still leans on Jack when the times get tough. The elements of noir fiction that Jack brings to the story are also extremely enjoyable and somehow this author makes this blend work and work well. She even manages to throw in a little romance to liven up the plot at times.

So far I have been very pleased with this series that I accidentally stumbled over one day and I look forward to reading the further adventures of the bookstore lady and the dead PI.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4

Bookshop owner Penelope Thornton-McClure wants her resident sleuth-ghost, Jack, to stop haunting her customers. But when a pretty author is murdered, Jack can't rest in peace.

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