Kristina A. reviewed The Ghost Goes to the Dogs (Haunted Bookshop, Bk 9) on + 1528 more book reviews
The Ghost Goes to the Dogs by Cleo Coyle has Penelope embroiled in another mystery. I always look forward to reading Penelope and Jack's latest adventure. They are an entertaining duo. The characters are realistic and relatable. I especially love Jack with his 1930s and 1940s lingo. I like the author's writing style. I was quickly drawn into the story. There are two mysteries in this story. In the present day, a lost dog leads Penelope and her son (plus Jack) to its owner who has been shot. The local law enforcement (the keystone cops) is a joke. The only decent member is out of town at a seminar much to Penelope's dismay. Penelope, of course, decides to search for answers on her own (well, she is technically not alone since Jack is with her in spirit). It is a well plotted, complex mystery. I had a good time solving it. The secondary whodunit is one of Jack's old cases. Jack visits Penelope in her dreams. He takes her back to the 1940s when he was working as a PI when someone left a dog tied to his door with a note under the dog's collar. Penelope uses the information provided by Jack along with a little sleuthing to solve the cold case. I liked how this mystery tied to the present day. It is like we are getting two stories in one book. Both mysteries were nicely wrapped up by the end. The Ghost Goes to the Dogs is the ninth A Haunted Bookshop Mystery. It can be read as a standalone, but I do recommend reading all the books in this unique series. I love how Jack talks (how you expect a private investigator from the 1940s to talk). I enjoyed his references to Lassie and Rin Tin Tin. I like how he flirts with Penelope. He really is the perfect man for Penelope (if he was alive). I enjoyed my latest visit to Quindicott. I can tell that the author has been around cats and dogs. She captured their behavior and attitudes. I am eager for the next A Haunted Bookshop Mystery. The Ghost Goes to the Dogs is a killer diller with a dame downed with a cannon, an eager beaver bookseller, knucklehead cops with a cockeyed concept, a clever cookie, a dreamboat apparition, a canny canine, and a humdinger of a whodunit.
Lori C. (dollycas) reviewed The Ghost Goes to the Dogs (Haunted Bookshop, Bk 9) on + 642 more book reviews
Dollycas's Thoughts
It's Pet Mystery week in Quindicott, Rhode Island, and Penelope McClure's Buy the Book bookshop is catering to canines, felines, snakes, parrots, fish, and any other pet that comes through the door and their humans. In addition to the happenings at the bookstore, there are guest speakers, a traveling vet, pet adoptions, a blessing of the animals, a pet parade, and animal movies being shown at the theatre. All the local businesses are getting involved.
As Pen was getting ready for her events a dog was creating a heck of a racket in front of her shop. Pen's son Spencer recognizes the dog and tries to calm the pup but ends up chasing him down the street to a wooded area. Pen follows as quickly as she can. They stop when they find the dog's person unconscious on the side of the road with a bullet wound. Mrs. Cunningham is loved around Quindicott. She heads the pet lover's book club at Buy the Book and volunteers at the local animal shelter. Why would someone have shot her?
Pen is dismayed when the police decide it was a stray bullet from a hunter. She thinks there is much more to the story and she knows just who to contact to help her investigate. Her favorite PI and resident ghost, Jack Shepard. He just so happens to have a dog case of his own dating back to the 1940s. He thinks his case will help her solve her current canine case. Together they set out to sniff out all the clues and like dogs with a bone they won't give up until they catch the shooter and leash them up and put them in the pokey.
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I get so excited when a new book is released in this series! Jack and Pen are a dynamic duo that pull readers into their crime-solving adventures and hold on tight. Jack always appears when she needs him and I love that she can travel to his world in her dreams.
Spencer really impressed me. He was respectful and truly wanted to help. He reminded me of my grandson, especially the way he was so dedicated to keeping Sparky safe. Mailman Seymour also plays a bigger role in this story. The former Jeopardy champ really knows his stuff but he can be long-winded. He also has great comedic timing, even if he may not know it, and knows how to take control of a situation. Chapter 33 is a hoot, I laughed so much I had tears in my eyes between Jack's comments and Seymour taking charge.
This time the two mysteries have dogs being key players. Sparky is such a loyal animal and went where he could get help for his owner. Spencer and Sparky form a quick bond. Toto Two appears at Jack's door and "hires" him to solve a riddle. I loved the way the authors captured each dog's unique personality. I know they are animal lovers.
The mystery regarding Mrs. Cunningham was complex and multifaceted especially because the police were no help at all and wouldn't listen to anything that didn't confirm the conclusion they had already reached. I appreciated the twists and the unexpected connections. The second mystery took Pen and Jack to some interesting places and she met some interesting people. Both are entertaining and supremely plotted. I really enjoy following the clues and trying to put them together before Pen and Jack. I did figure out part of Jack's mystery but the current-day mystery was harder to solve. There were some really scary situations and a chilling reveal.
I have said it before and I will say it again. Cleo Coyle is a master at setting a scene. The descriptions take readers right into the drama, the chaos, the good times, and the bad. The characters come to life and I felt like I was right there with them. I have always been able to escape into these stories and have real life slip away. Just ask my husband how hard it was to get my attention when I was reading this book. We had our own comical moment.
The Ghost Goes to the Dogs is so dog-gone great. Each new book in this series tops the last and becomes my new favorite. Another title that will be added to My Best Reads of 2023. I loved every minute!
I highly recommend every book in the Haunted Bookshop Mystery Series and the Coffeehouse Mysteries are excellent too! You can't go wrong with a book by Cleo Coyle.
It's Pet Mystery week in Quindicott, Rhode Island, and Penelope McClure's Buy the Book bookshop is catering to canines, felines, snakes, parrots, fish, and any other pet that comes through the door and their humans. In addition to the happenings at the bookstore, there are guest speakers, a traveling vet, pet adoptions, a blessing of the animals, a pet parade, and animal movies being shown at the theatre. All the local businesses are getting involved.
As Pen was getting ready for her events a dog was creating a heck of a racket in front of her shop. Pen's son Spencer recognizes the dog and tries to calm the pup but ends up chasing him down the street to a wooded area. Pen follows as quickly as she can. They stop when they find the dog's person unconscious on the side of the road with a bullet wound. Mrs. Cunningham is loved around Quindicott. She heads the pet lover's book club at Buy the Book and volunteers at the local animal shelter. Why would someone have shot her?
Pen is dismayed when the police decide it was a stray bullet from a hunter. She thinks there is much more to the story and she knows just who to contact to help her investigate. Her favorite PI and resident ghost, Jack Shepard. He just so happens to have a dog case of his own dating back to the 1940s. He thinks his case will help her solve her current canine case. Together they set out to sniff out all the clues and like dogs with a bone they won't give up until they catch the shooter and leash them up and put them in the pokey.
____
I get so excited when a new book is released in this series! Jack and Pen are a dynamic duo that pull readers into their crime-solving adventures and hold on tight. Jack always appears when she needs him and I love that she can travel to his world in her dreams.
Spencer really impressed me. He was respectful and truly wanted to help. He reminded me of my grandson, especially the way he was so dedicated to keeping Sparky safe. Mailman Seymour also plays a bigger role in this story. The former Jeopardy champ really knows his stuff but he can be long-winded. He also has great comedic timing, even if he may not know it, and knows how to take control of a situation. Chapter 33 is a hoot, I laughed so much I had tears in my eyes between Jack's comments and Seymour taking charge.
This time the two mysteries have dogs being key players. Sparky is such a loyal animal and went where he could get help for his owner. Spencer and Sparky form a quick bond. Toto Two appears at Jack's door and "hires" him to solve a riddle. I loved the way the authors captured each dog's unique personality. I know they are animal lovers.
The mystery regarding Mrs. Cunningham was complex and multifaceted especially because the police were no help at all and wouldn't listen to anything that didn't confirm the conclusion they had already reached. I appreciated the twists and the unexpected connections. The second mystery took Pen and Jack to some interesting places and she met some interesting people. Both are entertaining and supremely plotted. I really enjoy following the clues and trying to put them together before Pen and Jack. I did figure out part of Jack's mystery but the current-day mystery was harder to solve. There were some really scary situations and a chilling reveal.
I have said it before and I will say it again. Cleo Coyle is a master at setting a scene. The descriptions take readers right into the drama, the chaos, the good times, and the bad. The characters come to life and I felt like I was right there with them. I have always been able to escape into these stories and have real life slip away. Just ask my husband how hard it was to get my attention when I was reading this book. We had our own comical moment.
The Ghost Goes to the Dogs is so dog-gone great. Each new book in this series tops the last and becomes my new favorite. Another title that will be added to My Best Reads of 2023. I loved every minute!
I highly recommend every book in the Haunted Bookshop Mystery Series and the Coffeehouse Mysteries are excellent too! You can't go wrong with a book by Cleo Coyle.
