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.
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.
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!
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!
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.
