Ghost Walk: An Antiquarian Book Mystery

Dido Hoare #2

by Marianne Macdonald

Antiquarian bookshop owner Dido Hoare has a lot on her mind these days. In her second appearance, Dido is trying to run her store, juggling single motherhood with her infant son Ben, worrying about her aging father Barnabas, and her on-again, off-again relationship with a married police officer. The last thing she needs is to find Tom Ashe, a homeless man with whom she has struck up an odd friendship, apparently deathly ill on her doorstop. Ashe's illness turns out to be a relatively mild reoccurrence of the malaria he picked up in his military service--a relief that turns to bewilderment when Ashe first disappears, then shows up, hands Dido an exotic necklace, mutters a few mysterious words, and drops out of sight again. The next day Dido discovers he has been murdered. Determined to find Ashe's killer, and convinced that the necklace is a clue to his secret, Dido and Barnabus begin a search that leads to a surprising truth about Ashe's past life and the bearing of a nightmarish past full of deceit and treachery, as well as peril for Dido and her father.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, British Literature, Mystery Thriller

Paperback

First published December 1, 1998

About the author

MARIANNE MACDONALD was born in the lumber town of Kenora, Northern Ontario, and grew up in Winnipeg and Montreal. Her first children's book was published when she was 16. She took her BA at McGill University, then went to Oxford for graduate studies in English. For thirty years she pretended to be an academic, acquiring various degrees and teaching at universities in Canada and England. She left teaching early in order to return to her writing.

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Dido Hoare, dealer in rare books, single mother, and daughter who alternately shelters her father, Barnabas, from unsettling events and leans on his sage and scholarly advice, has unexpectedly been named executor of the will of one of her bookstore's more irregular customers. Before he died, Tom Ashe gave Dido an exotic necklace along with cryptic clues and dire warnings, which she took to be the ravings of a street person. Then his death turns out to be murder, and the ever-curious Dido has to find out why.

"Though Ashe's life seemed quiet enough, his death has Scotland Yard's Special Branches sniffing around Dido and her shop. Her sometime flame, Inspector Grant, has been instructed not to talk to her about the case, and Dido has had some bruising run-ins with a mystery man. It's a dangerous guessing game that takes her from abandoned buildings to the Egyptian cultural attache's limo, a puzzle that brings Dido ever closer to other people's greedy ghosts -- and to a past full of deceit and treachery that could spell fatal trouble for her and her father."
~~back cover

Here's to memory, or lack thereof. I originally read this book in 2009, and didn't remember it at all. Now that I'm trying to read the whole series in order, I read it again. I'm quite enjoying the series -- Dido Hoare is an unusual heroine, and her father is quite the character. And other quite the characters are magnetically drawn into her sphere. The plot is complex, but each new clue makes sense in the grand scheme of things ... until the unexpected denouement.

[Alonzo Church · Rating 4 out of 5]

Long ago — before the turn of the millennium — there was a bookstore in my city that sold nothing but new mysteries and sci-fi books. Its shelves were filled with all variety of series with amateur heroines with odd jobs who had tolerant friends/lovers who worked for Scotland Yard. These always spunky women usually had interesting relatives and an alarming habit of wandering into crime scenes.

I loved that bookstore. I miss it, even after 20 years.

I was happy this book brought me back to it. It is a series entry featuring an oddly named heroine (Dido —since foxy papa was a classics professor) and an antiquarian bookstore where crime victims stumble in to buy books and then stumble out again to die mysteriously. The high concept plot here is quite clever (MI5, a priceless book, Bletchley Park, a homeless guy all combine). It’s not great art, but it is literary comfort food.

[Isabel · Rating 3 out of 5]

a good light read with notable pacing issues. will be reading more from this author

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Antiquarian book seller, Dido Hoare returns from her father’s 73rd birthday celebration to find a sickly heap in her shop’s doorway. Knowing the man as a somewhat vagrant, one-time classics teacher, and oftentimes odd book buyer, she sets about taking him to a hospital.
He revisits her store within days and bestows her with an old necklace, insisting she keep it, handle it carefully, and leaves again. An off the cuff comment in his departure to Barnabas brings a flood of memories. They had both served in a special branch during the war and only Barnabas left that life behind.
When said man, Tom Ashe, is found dead the next day, it doesn’t sit jake and Dido wants to know why. Taking it upon herself to figure things out gets her assaulted in Ashe’s basement quarter and deeply into an abyss of an investigation that even Scotland Yard is tight-lipped on. Just who was Tom Ashe and why is everything so cloak & dagger?
In a very Dan Brown vein, the intrigue over an ancient codice of the Nag Hammadi texts comes into play with over zealous monks, international intrigue, arson and nappy diapers. I appreciate the believability of this series, with no over the top, silly risks being taken and characters that make sense. Hope to see more of new addition, Ernie.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dido has her hands full: a shop to run, child to raise, her aging father, bills to pay ... the list goes on. Then one of her customers turns up dead shortly after giving her a necklace. Questions need answers and Dido finds herself investigating, unaware of the danger creeping uncomfortably close to home.

Okay read. I might have liked it more if I'd read book 1 in the series more. I may look up the rest of the series or not, haven't decided.

[Eero · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a Kindle freebie at some point. I knew nothing about the author, but the book is a pleasant read set in the world of antiquarian bookselling and gains points for the witty first person narrative. The mystery is serviceable if not that tricky. Apparently this is book 2 in series.

[Julia Pendery · Rating 3 out of 5]

still looking for a mystery series to get wrapped up in. This one is second in series about Dido Hoare, an antiquarian bookseller. It's not terrible, but not really gripping me yet, even though she does have a cat.

[Mary Longo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book hard to put down. A very good mystery with great characters and descriptions. Set mainly in London during the present day, the main character is a single mom who owns a bookstore and sells classics and rare books.

[Carla Eacret · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book group I belong to has as one of its 2 challenges for this month to pick a book based only on its cover. I chose this book first because of the title and second the juxtaposition of the books and shadow, never checking to see what the book was about as per our challenge. Delighted to say it was quite an enjoyable read!

[AngryGreyCat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Started and finished this book this morning; it almost made me late for work:) It is the second in the Dido Hoare series which I only recently discovered. I love the characters of Dido, her father Barnabas and now her new sidekick, Ernie. The characters are rich and well developed and I really enjoy the relationships among them and the others on the periphery of the story.

The mystery surrounds a former spy/secret agent and bookstore customer who died under what Dido deems suspicious circumstances. Scotland Yard is involved along with other police/governmental agencies and even Egyptian authorities. Dido follows the clues, attempting to do justice for the dead man. Barnabas and Ernie each helping in their own ways, everything from watching her baby, Ben, to minding the store, acting as a bodyguard, or researching antiquities.

This is a wonderful series, with a strong and intelligent cast, and I plan to read all of it. There are 8 in the series so far. I have looked on line but am unable to find any current information on the author so I don’t know if she is still writing or not. The antiquarian book shop sets the theme, but it is not as cutesy as many modern theme based cozies.

[Ali · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this second entry a little less than the first, but not too much. I suspect the absence of Barnabas, the protagonist's father, had a great deal to do with my feelings. This entry lacked some of the urgency and excitement of the first book, a pacing problem I suspect. The mystery while solid intrigued me only to a point, I suspect Dido's half-hearted interest in the murders robbed me of some need to know. I look forward to reading the next entry and hope for a prominent return of Barnabas and a little more of Dido's possibly maybe love interest.

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good mystery but not great. It's possible I needed to read the first one to get a better sense of the two main characters, but neither Dido nor Barnabas seemed fully realized people to me. Also Dido's decisions and actions often soured the story rather than seeming authentic, such as the convenience of her not really having to mother or her willingness to get her young computer guy in the middle of a dangerous situation that she herself was fleeing. And finally...the ending. Rushed and pat. I should prob have dropped this to a 2 but the plot itself was quite good and the writing solid.

[BeParticular · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would give this 2.5 stars if I could. This second installment was not nearly as engaging as the first. Part of the reason is the introduction of several new characters, the most annoying of which is 6-month-old Ben. Add in his caretaker and a neighbor and the wonderful dynamic between Dido and Barnabas from the first book is completely broken. The pacing was slow and the mystery suffered for it. And when the murderer is finally revealed, I thought the motivation was weak at best. Wish I had skipped this one.

[Missy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is #2 in the antiquarian book mystery series. It seemed a bit slower paced than the first, but I so enjoy the characters and watching the develop. MacDonald sets the atmosphere so right for booklovers that I continue to read until the end. I enjoyed meeting Ben and cannot wait to watch the relationship grow.

[JayeL · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a person who likes a good story. One of the things that I like about series books is that I can follow the characters and see how their story develops. That was the nice part of this book, but here wasn't enough character development, because the mystery part got in the way. I did enjoy the mystery and thought the hiding place was very clever!

[Barbara · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was really disappointed with this book.
I liked that it was a series, which implied many others had liked it, and thought a amateur sleuth who worked in a book store sounded like fun, but I struggled to care about the characters or the mystery. Even when people were dying it just didn’t seem that suspenseful.
Just not my type of mystery I guess.

[Sharon Mensing · Rating 3 out of 5]

2nd Dido Hoare. Enjoying the setting still, but this one didn’t have the tension of the previous book. Homeless guy leaves Dido an Egyptian necklace and names her executor of his estate just before he’s killed. Spies and codices. Less than completely convincing.

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

2nd in the series of antiquarian bookshop in London---owner Dido Hoare. A homeless man enters her shop to read books in latin...one day he has collapsed outside her door; she takes him to the hospital...things happen, he dies, Dido has to find the killer. Enjoyable.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable cozy mystery set in Lebanon, with interesting and true to life characters. I liked this second one in the series better than the first book. The lead character was more likeable and not quite so ditzy:) Will now look for the next one in this series.

[Πάνος Τουρλής · Rating 3 out of 5]

Μια όμορφη συναρπαστική ιστορία. Της λείπει όμως το σασπένς και οι ανατροπές. Μου άρεσε το σαρκαστικό χιούμορ της πρωταγωνίστριας όμως δεν υπήρχε καμία έκπληξη. Θα χαρακτήριζα την αφήγηση μονοδιάστατη. Όμως δεν ήταν καθόλου βαρετό. Αξίζει να το ανακαλύψουν κι άλλοι.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice little mystery: good plot, good characterization, etc. I'll read the rest of the series.

[Sally906 · Rating 4 out of 5]

transferring reading records from spreadsheet

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the most plot-twisting murder mystery but not a bad read - and also a quick read.

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story.
Rare bookshop owner with baby boy and her dad have to solve why an old homeless guy died.
Goes back to WWII.
Codex hidden all these years.

[Luce Cronin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I kinda enjoyed this book. It's not an outstanding read, but if you enjoy light British mystery stories, this is a pretty good one involving mysterious ancient Egyptian manuscripts.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 - Very Good