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Haunted Bookshop Mystery #4
The Ghost and the Femme Fatale
The Movie Town Theater is holding its first ever Film Noir Festival, with Penelope Thornton-McClure handling book sales for the guest speakers, including screen actress Hedda Geist. The legendary femme fatale has been out of the spotlight for decades. Unfortunately, the moment she steps back into it, she's nearly killed. Then other guests start to die, and Penelope wants to know why her little town's film noir weekend has taken a truly dark turn.
423 pages, Paperback
First published May 6, 2008
About the author
Alice Kimberly
9 books371 followersALICE KIMBERLY is a pseudonym used by New York Times bestselling authors Alice Alfonsi and Marc Cerasini. They first used it to launch their Haunted Bookshop Mystery series in 2004. Alice and Marc now write the series under their primary pen name
CLEO COYLE
and their Alice Kimberly titles have been re-released under their Cleo Coyle name. To learn more, visit their
CLEO COYLE
page here at Goodreads, as well as the pages dedicated to their two bestselling, long-running mystery series:
Alice/Cleo’s Haunted Bookshop Mystery series, hailed as a highly original and "utterly charming" (Mystery Scene) blend of cozy and hardboiled genres, features an earnest young New England widow who catches criminals with the help of a gumshoe ghost, the irresistible spirit of a tough private detective who’d been gunned down in her bookshop decades before.
Cleo’s Coffeehouse Mystery series, celebrated for pioneering both the “urban cozy” and "coffee cozy" mystery genres, follows the adventures of amateur sleuth Clare Cosi, a single mom with a complicated love life who manages a Greenwich Village coffeehouse and a quirky crew of baristas while helping the NYPD solve perplexing crimes.
In addition to their critically acclaimed mysteries, Alice and Marc have written multiple works of fiction and nonfiction for adults and children. They are also accomplished tie-in writers who have created bestselling properties for Lucasfilm, NBC, Fox, Disney, Imagine, Toho, and MGM.
Originally from Western Pennsylvania, Alice and Marc live in New York City, where they haunt coffeehouses, hunt ghosts, wrangle rescue cats, cook like crazy, and write independently and together.
Alice/Cleo’s Haunted Bookshop Mystery series, hailed as a highly original and "utterly charming" (Mystery Scene) blend of cozy and hardboiled genres, features an earnest young New England widow who catches criminals with the help of a gumshoe ghost, the irresistible spirit of a tough private detective who’d been gunned down in her bookshop decades before.
Cleo’s Coffeehouse Mystery series, celebrated for pioneering both the “urban cozy” and "coffee cozy" mystery genres, follows the adventures of amateur sleuth Clare Cosi, a single mom with a complicated love life who manages a Greenwich Village coffeehouse and a quirky crew of baristas while helping the NYPD solve perplexing crimes.
In addition to their critically acclaimed mysteries, Alice and Marc have written multiple works of fiction and nonfiction for adults and children. They are also accomplished tie-in writers who have created bestselling properties for Lucasfilm, NBC, Fox, Disney, Imagine, Toho, and MGM.
Originally from Western Pennsylvania, Alice and Marc live in New York City, where they haunt coffeehouses, hunt ghosts, wrangle rescue cats, cook like crazy, and write independently and together.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 190 reviews
June 18, 2021
I liked the film noir setting and the multiple possible culprits. One thing that bugs me about this series is that Penelope could take the time to go through Jack's files and solve his murder like he asked her to, so he could finally be at peace. He doesn't seem to want to be a ghost, and I think she's incredibly selfish. I'm sure things are a bit better with the coin, so he can leave the shop, but STILL. She should respect his wishes.
February 8, 2013
The reason I come back to this series for more is Jack, the ghost. I love his character. He has a great sense of humor, a comedic flare and the banter between Jack and Pen is hilarious. I love the way that Pen tries to bring up to speed with the twenty-first century, and the way Jack tries to "doll" Pen up. And I just love the way that Jack takes Pen back to his time through her dreams. The usual "helpers" are in the story, we see alot of Seymour and Brainert, but not too much of Spencer, Pen's son, which I found strange. I like the kid and his fascination with old mysteries, especially P.I.'s. And one of the town's favorite business owner has had enough of the evil councilwoman.
But getting to the crime(s), I didn't figure out. Surprising, I thought all along that it had been Hedda, or even Dr. Pepper (yes, that's his name!), but no way did I think it was who it was. It was interesting how the author intertwined the crime that Pen was investigating with the one Jack was investigating back in 1948.
Needless to say I enjoyed this book. It was a wonderfully written cosy mystery, and I can tell you that I'll be coming back for more.
4.5/5
But getting to the crime(s), I didn't figure out. Surprising, I thought all along that it had been Hedda, or even Dr. Pepper (yes, that's his name!), but no way did I think it was who it was. It was interesting how the author intertwined the crime that Pen was investigating with the one Jack was investigating back in 1948.
Needless to say I enjoyed this book. It was a wonderfully written cosy mystery, and I can tell you that I'll be coming back for more.
4.5/5
May 28, 2010
When I bought this book, I didn't realize it was the third in a series of books, but I enjoyed this book so much, that I'm going to buy the first two in the series and start from the beginning.
If you're into film noir, then you might want to check out this book. If you think the idea of a modern woman, who owns an independent book store, being connected with a male ghost from the 1940s - a Dashiell Hammett type, at that - is an interesting twist, check out this book.
Not only did I find this book to be well-written, but I like the twist of a modern-day person, who is alive, being connected to a ghost of the past, and the fact that the two can travel into each other's worlds, using an antique coin and dreamtime/the astral plane.
If you're into film noir, then you might want to check out this book. If you think the idea of a modern woman, who owns an independent book store, being connected with a male ghost from the 1940s - a Dashiell Hammett type, at that - is an interesting twist, check out this book.
Not only did I find this book to be well-written, but I like the twist of a modern-day person, who is alive, being connected to a ghost of the past, and the fact that the two can travel into each other's worlds, using an antique coin and dreamtime/the astral plane.
January 10, 2016
An absolutely fantastic read! The juxtaposition of circumstances in Pen's modern world and the reminiscences of Jack Shepherd's case files are uniquely woven together.
I like to try to figure out "whodunit". In this case, there are twists and turns, some of which I can see coming and others make sense only after the author intends them to. I look forward to more Haunted Bookstore Mysteries.
I like to try to figure out "whodunit". In this case, there are twists and turns, some of which I can see coming and others make sense only after the author intends them to. I look forward to more Haunted Bookstore Mysteries.
January 29, 2019
This was the best book in this series that I am reading in order so far. I loved all the references to 1940's film noir movies, most of which I have seen. And the intertwining of the old murder mystery with the murders of present day was done very well. I truly had fun reading this novel and I had trouble putting it down.
January 15, 2022
I really enjoy this series. Each book has its own unique flare to it. I really enjoyed the film noir setting. Just as much as I loved the her last book on Poe’s novels. The author gives you a deep dive into the characters worlds and also the subject matter she’s writing up. I am so excited that the author is continuing the series. I can’t wait to read the next two books!
March 29, 2019
Another great one!
Just love these characters. All through the book I would laugh out loud, much to the annoyance of my pup Wall_e who I woke from his slumber with my bursts of laughter. Good fun! Already bought the next two.
Just love these characters. All through the book I would laugh out loud, much to the annoyance of my pup Wall_e who I woke from his slumber with my bursts of laughter. Good fun! Already bought the next two.
March 15, 2021
The Ghost and the Femme Fatale
Another fun read. Once again you can’t guess the murderer until the end of the book. The primary characters are fun and interesting. The characters written to fill out the storyline are just as interesting.
Another fun read. Once again you can’t guess the murderer until the end of the book. The primary characters are fun and interesting. The characters written to fill out the storyline are just as interesting.
September 17, 2011
Fourth in the Haunted Bookshop mystery series set in a bookstore, Buy the Book, in Quindicott, Rhode Island and revolving around Penelope Thornton-McClure, one of the owners, and Jack Shepherd, a ghost of a private detective murdered in the store back in 1949.
The Story
From the beginning we've been tantalized by J. Brainert Parker's dream of re-opening Quindicott's old movie theater and this weekend is it. It's a gala film noir movie festival with authors and actors scheduled for talks and signings. Two of those speakers include an actor and actress, Hedda Geist and Pierce Armstrong, former lovers associated with an "accidental" murder in 1948.
Jack pulls Pen into his dreams walking her through another of his cases. A case that involved Hedda Geist on the periphery.
The Characters
Ooh baby, the sheets are heatin' up between Jack and Pen. Eddie Franzetti is definitely in Pen's corner and it seems that Chief Ciders is beginning to thaw…maybe. I certainly enjoyed how involved the Quibble Over Anything Gang gets in solving the murders! Very little of Spencer or Aunt Sadie this time around. I'm not too sure about Dr. Randall Rubino…he's something of an asshole and I wouldn't be surprised if he was handing out prescriptions like candy to addicts. He certainly wasn't slow to try to force Valiums onto Pen!
My Take
We had a lovely tour of Fiona's refurbished lighthouse! I want to spend a romantic weekend there!
I do so enjoy this series. It has such a homey quality with supportive friends, a randy ghost with interesting insight, a lovely sense of humor, and…books!
Now for my quibbles. Just how lame is it that Pen doesn't seem to grasp Jack's lingo when she's read so many detective novels and her dad's Black Mask pulp stories? She constantly questions him when he tells her to do something. Something intended to keep her safe in some pretty iffy situations. On one page, Jack is telling her to turn down an alley when someone is following them on a dark street and she's wanting to know why. A few paragraphs later Pen's thinking "I knew a good detective wouldn't question his partner in a situation like this". Well, duh…how quickly she got smart!???
Brainert was a bit quick off the mark to put down Dr. Lilly's research. Claiming she wasn't very academic in it and he hasn't even read the book. Simply because he's a fan of Lilly's subject. He comes off quite unprofessional in this.
The Cover
The cover is very appropriate with its pastel, very Art Deco ticket booth, a banner celebrating the First Annual Film Noir Festival arched overhead. Naturally, Jack's fedora is floating in line waiting to get his own ticket…oops, wait, his ticket's already been punched! The whole is surrounded by the signature art deco frame, this time in matching pastels.
And it certainly is all about The Ghost and the Femme Fatales.
The Story
From the beginning we've been tantalized by J. Brainert Parker's dream of re-opening Quindicott's old movie theater and this weekend is it. It's a gala film noir movie festival with authors and actors scheduled for talks and signings. Two of those speakers include an actor and actress, Hedda Geist and Pierce Armstrong, former lovers associated with an "accidental" murder in 1948.
Jack pulls Pen into his dreams walking her through another of his cases. A case that involved Hedda Geist on the periphery.
The Characters
Ooh baby, the sheets are heatin' up between Jack and Pen. Eddie Franzetti is definitely in Pen's corner and it seems that Chief Ciders is beginning to thaw…maybe. I certainly enjoyed how involved the Quibble Over Anything Gang gets in solving the murders! Very little of Spencer or Aunt Sadie this time around. I'm not too sure about Dr. Randall Rubino…he's something of an asshole and I wouldn't be surprised if he was handing out prescriptions like candy to addicts. He certainly wasn't slow to try to force Valiums onto Pen!
My Take
We had a lovely tour of Fiona's refurbished lighthouse! I want to spend a romantic weekend there!
I do so enjoy this series. It has such a homey quality with supportive friends, a randy ghost with interesting insight, a lovely sense of humor, and…books!
Now for my quibbles. Just how lame is it that Pen doesn't seem to grasp Jack's lingo when she's read so many detective novels and her dad's Black Mask pulp stories? She constantly questions him when he tells her to do something. Something intended to keep her safe in some pretty iffy situations. On one page, Jack is telling her to turn down an alley when someone is following them on a dark street and she's wanting to know why. A few paragraphs later Pen's thinking "I knew a good detective wouldn't question his partner in a situation like this". Well, duh…how quickly she got smart!???
Brainert was a bit quick off the mark to put down Dr. Lilly's research. Claiming she wasn't very academic in it and he hasn't even read the book. Simply because he's a fan of Lilly's subject. He comes off quite unprofessional in this.
The Cover
The cover is very appropriate with its pastel, very Art Deco ticket booth, a banner celebrating the First Annual Film Noir Festival arched overhead. Naturally, Jack's fedora is floating in line waiting to get his own ticket…oops, wait, his ticket's already been punched! The whole is surrounded by the signature art deco frame, this time in matching pastels.
And it certainly is all about The Ghost and the Femme Fatales.
June 15, 2009
Favorite Excerpt:
Jack and Pen are in 1948 trailing one of his cases and they go to a bar to order a drink…
“Tell the man what you’re drinking, baby.”
I tapped my chin in thought. I wasn’t a drinker per se, but we did ask to sit at the bar so a soft drink would look conspicuous. “I know,” I finally said, “the perfect drink for the occasion would be a Vesper.”
The bartender’s brow wrinkled. “A what-sper?”
“A Vesper,” I said, incredulous the bartender at such an upscale restaurant wasn’t familiar with the most famous cocktail recipe in the English-speaking world.
“What’s in it?” he asked
“It’s a martini,” I told him, “made with three parts gin, one park vodka, and one-half part Lillet.”
“Lillet?” The bartender frowned “Not vermouth?”
“The Lillet adds more sweetness and tropical aromas than dry vermouth,” I informed the man. “Or at least that’s what I remember from Casino Royale. And of course, it should be shaken, not stirred, served in a wineglass, and garnished with a lemon twist.”
“We stir martinis here, ma’am. Nobody shakes them.”
I threw up my hands. “James Bond does!”
The bartender glanced at Jack. “Is that you?”
“Of course he’s not James Bond. Bond’s the most famous Cold War spy in the world.” I glanced around. “What year is this anyways?”
Jack visibly stiffened.
“It’s 1948, ma’am,” the bartender relied, eyeing me a little closer. “You that blotto?”
“Uh-oh,” I said, realizing I’d been off a few years. The first Ian Fleming Bond novel wouldn’t appear until 1953. “I believe I’ve made a mistake –“
“Listen, buddy,” Jack quickly told the bartender, “just give the doll a martini. A gin martini, stirred, and put the damn thing in a martini glass. Thanks.”
The bartender walked away, shaking his head, and Jack glared at me.
“What?” I asked
“Don’t you know the meaning of cover? You’re supposed to blend in, keep a low profile, be a fly on the wall – not order a drink from another century!”
Jack and Pen are in 1948 trailing one of his cases and they go to a bar to order a drink…
“Tell the man what you’re drinking, baby.”
I tapped my chin in thought. I wasn’t a drinker per se, but we did ask to sit at the bar so a soft drink would look conspicuous. “I know,” I finally said, “the perfect drink for the occasion would be a Vesper.”
The bartender’s brow wrinkled. “A what-sper?”
“A Vesper,” I said, incredulous the bartender at such an upscale restaurant wasn’t familiar with the most famous cocktail recipe in the English-speaking world.
“What’s in it?” he asked
“It’s a martini,” I told him, “made with three parts gin, one park vodka, and one-half part Lillet.”
“Lillet?” The bartender frowned “Not vermouth?”
“The Lillet adds more sweetness and tropical aromas than dry vermouth,” I informed the man. “Or at least that’s what I remember from Casino Royale. And of course, it should be shaken, not stirred, served in a wineglass, and garnished with a lemon twist.”
“We stir martinis here, ma’am. Nobody shakes them.”
I threw up my hands. “James Bond does!”
The bartender glanced at Jack. “Is that you?”
“Of course he’s not James Bond. Bond’s the most famous Cold War spy in the world.” I glanced around. “What year is this anyways?”
Jack visibly stiffened.
“It’s 1948, ma’am,” the bartender relied, eyeing me a little closer. “You that blotto?”
“Uh-oh,” I said, realizing I’d been off a few years. The first Ian Fleming Bond novel wouldn’t appear until 1953. “I believe I’ve made a mistake –“
“Listen, buddy,” Jack quickly told the bartender, “just give the doll a martini. A gin martini, stirred, and put the damn thing in a martini glass. Thanks.”
The bartender walked away, shaking his head, and Jack glared at me.
“What?” I asked
“Don’t you know the meaning of cover? You’re supposed to blend in, keep a low profile, be a fly on the wall – not order a drink from another century!”
February 14, 2014
The town of Quindicott, Rhode Island is holding a Film Noir Festival, hosted by the newly renovated Movie Town Theater. One of their supporters is none other than famous 1940's screen actress, Hedda Geist. The legendary femme fatale is almost killed when she makes an on-stage appearance for the first time in many years. The next morning, a book signing for another guest goes horribly wrong and ends in death.
The bodies continue to pile up from there! It turns out the deaths are related to a cold case from the files of Jack Shepard, an Private Investigator who was gunned down in 1949 in an independent bookstore now co-owned by Penelope McClure Thornton. Luckily, it so happens that Jack's ghost haunts the bookstore and has already helped Penelope solve a few murders. As a matter of fact, Penelope has found that she can "interact" with Jack in her dreams.
In The Ghost and the Femme Fatale, the fourth Haunted Bookshop Mystery, Jack and Penelope work together to solve multiple homicides crossing over decades in time. It seems Hedda and friends have been involved in murder in the past. The film festival is the first time they all meet again with explosive results.
Jack can take Penelope back to the 1940's while Penelope can discuss things with Jack in the current year. Their relationship heats up in both decades and solving murders is only part of their worries.
I fully enjoyed this mystery and I love this series. It combines cozy mystery with a classic film noir PI and a paranormal element while Penelope and Jack Shepard sort out cold cases, murder, mystery and hormones. Great read!
The bodies continue to pile up from there! It turns out the deaths are related to a cold case from the files of Jack Shepard, an Private Investigator who was gunned down in 1949 in an independent bookstore now co-owned by Penelope McClure Thornton. Luckily, it so happens that Jack's ghost haunts the bookstore and has already helped Penelope solve a few murders. As a matter of fact, Penelope has found that she can "interact" with Jack in her dreams.
In The Ghost and the Femme Fatale, the fourth Haunted Bookshop Mystery, Jack and Penelope work together to solve multiple homicides crossing over decades in time. It seems Hedda and friends have been involved in murder in the past. The film festival is the first time they all meet again with explosive results.
Jack can take Penelope back to the 1940's while Penelope can discuss things with Jack in the current year. Their relationship heats up in both decades and solving murders is only part of their worries.
I fully enjoyed this mystery and I love this series. It combines cozy mystery with a classic film noir PI and a paranormal element while Penelope and Jack Shepard sort out cold cases, murder, mystery and hormones. Great read!
September 4, 2021
Another fun installment of the 'Haunted Bookstore ' series. A grand opening of a restored art deco movie theatre featuring film noir causes more than interest, it causes murders. Aging film stars of the movies featured are murdered in an act of revenge at the time these movies were made.
April 29, 2009
Love Jack!!!He is soooo funny!! They make a great team.
September 8, 2026
The Movie Town Theater is finally opening with a film noir festival. Pen and her aunt will handle book sales and promotions while Brainert and his colleague, Dr. Pepper, host the festival and some of the participants. The project wouldn't have gone forward without a generous contribution from 40s film noir star Hedda Geist who has come from Newport to make a surprise appearance at the festival. When an accident happens on stage, Pen wonders if someone tried to kill Hedda Geist. But someone else was supposed to be on that stage at the microphone, writer and professor Dr. Irene Lilly, one of the special guests invited to the festival. Dr. Lilly will be signing copies of her new book as soon as they arrive and Pen and her staff unpack them but before that can happen, Dr. Irene Lilly meets with a fatal accident. Or was it? Pen's instincts say it was murder and Jack agrees. Then someone steals Dr. Lilly's research and the dead bodies keep piling up. Does this latest case have anything to do with events from 1948? Jack recognizes the movie showing as a low budget B picture from his day and he knows Hedda Geist from the case he was working on in 1948. Jack was tailing Nathan Burwell, the New York City District Attorney on behalf of Mrs. Burwell who wants a divorce. Jack's surveillance takes him to the movies where Burwell is on a date with a very young woman watching the same film showing in Pen's time. His search for evidence of cheating leads to a popular restaurant where the great men of New York take their girlfriends while their wives are otherwise occupied. Jack chooses to bring Pen in her dreams and they witness Hedda Geist on a date with the married studio boss, the D.A. on a date with an underage girl in a familiar dress and a fatal stabbing that may or may not have been an accident. Jack suspects Hedda Geist may be the femme fatale she plays on screen but he wasn't able to prove it in his lifetime. It wasn't his case to solve but now with the Quindicott police unwilling to investigate a murder - or several - it's up to Pen and Jack to put this one together.
The plots in this novel are tied together. Jack's case from the past directly informs the case from Pen's present. Events in 1948 set into motion the events of present day. I figured out who the murderer was pretty quickly but as clues were discovered and bodies started to pile up, I got sidetracked and confused. I did guess whodunit before Pen and Jack. I was confused by what happened in 1946 and that case was never fully solved. They don't have proof what they think happened actually did. There was also a subplot involving prescription drugs that was never addressed or resolved. The present day world feels very dated. Pen's pop culture references are old and her New York Times Square stores of interest are all closed replaced by new ones in the same building. Post #metoo both Jack's world and Pen's are absolutely dated, horrible places. I don't think Jack's New York rings true for the 1940s post-war era. I have had issues with the sexism and the sex in previous books and it's worse here. Apparently every wealthy man is cheating on his wife and women sleep their way to the top in order to be in movies. Wronged wives can't stand the embarrassment of public scandal and turn to alcohol and pills. Actresses lives are ruined but actors can go to jail and return to their jobs no problem.
Jack dresses dream Pen in sleazy clothes no nice girl would ever wear. If she's supposed to be a secretary to a detective then she should dress like one. He frequently sexually harasses her and speaks crudely to Pen and about other women. He's so rude and disrespectful to Pen, the woman he supposedly loves. They finally end up making out in her dream which I find so repulsive and gross. Maybe if he was kind to her and respectful, I would feel different... no only if he were alive. Ghost sex is just weird. Jack doesn't even trust Pen's instincts for solving murders because she lacks any. She accosts suspects on her own, frequently ends up with a concussion, jumps to conclusions and is rather naive. She is better at finding clues in the 40s because she has access to modern life that helps point her in the right direction. Jack's current B pictures are now modern classics and film memorabilia and film history are big business. I don't like how Pen puts up with constant sexual harassment and innuendo from Jack and men in her present aren't much better but she doesn't call them on it either. It is absolutely not OK to wolf whistle at a woman no matter how she's dressed. And if she chooses to wear short skirts and if she chooses her bed partners that's her choice not to be discussed, debated or sneered at in any time especially not today. I.E. stop slut shaming. And Pen doesn't need a man to learn to fix her car or figure out what's wrong with it. The level of sexism she puts up with from this ghost just disgusts me. He is still dismissive of her husband's mental illness and Pen's complicated feelings about him. Her attitude isn't a whole lot better.
The only Qundicott resident I liked in this story was Fiona Finch. She has expanded her business and seems to be doing well. She doesn't gossip but she lets Pen search the victim's suite for clues and helps Pen get around the grounds to search for the suspect. Fiona seems more sensible than Pen. Aunt Sadie isn't in the story too much. She at least has a happening love life with a flesh and blood man. I like Bud well enough. He stands up to the evil councilwoman who rules with an iron fist but I suspect Bud may know more about the first accident than he will admit or someone he hired does. Two accidents had to have been inside jobs. I didn't even like Seymour this time. He's rude, crude and childish. He does favors for people who will repay him with something he wants and if he doesn't like someone, their mail ends up rerouted/lost. In fact he has someone else take his shifts in this novel so he can play sleuth, insult Brainerd and act like a pig.
Brainerd is super snobby and dismissive of anything he doesn't consider worthy. He didn't want to sell concessions at the theater. The Avon Cinema in Providence sells popcorn. I don't know if the Jane Pickens in Newport sells concessions. Brainerd and his partners should have and could have done their homework and found out what other art houses do about concessions. Thankfully his objections were overruled. Here Brainerd serves as an introduction to the suspects and victims.
Hedda Geist is still beautiful and she knows it. She married a wealthy TV executive and retired to the family horse farm in Newport where she apparently raised her family. Hedda is a diva and enjoys being in the spotlight. People still fuss over her even though she was a blip on the radar only making a few films in New York before scandal rocked her career. She didn't seem very nice in her youth either. She did what she had to do to get into the film industry and get ahead I suppose but was it worth it? Any of it? She's protective of her granddaughter or at least controlling. Harmony looks just like her grandmother did at that age and attracts a lot of male attention. Hedda doesn't like sharing the spotlight. Does this make Harmony angry? Does Harmony want to be femme fatale only this time her target would be her own grandmother? I believe she does enjoy the attention as much as Hedda does and wants the money but I think she's a spoiled rich girl who probably hangs with the Newport crowd from the second book.
Dr. Irene Lilly suddenly turned from academic writing to pop culture history. What she has written in her new book is so explosive, it got her killed. Brainerd refuses to accept what she wrote as the truth but Fiona, the true crime expert, believes it all and Pen has information none of the rest of the living townspeople have. I don't think she deserved to die at all. Who can blame her for trying to earn some money from a scandal that happened decades ago? Well... some of the participants are still alive and died the last time a reporter came snooping around and now Lily is dead. Coincidence?
Dr. Wendell Pepper, Dean of St. Francis College School of Communications is a likable newcomer to the cast. He's happily divorced and free from his nagging, controlling wife. He loves film noire and collecting movie memorabilia. He put his reputation on the line to get funding for the theater and Brainerd seems to resent that because it puts him in Dr. Pepper's debt. Dr. Pepper is hosting Maggie Klein, Hollywood screenwriter of some of Pen's favorites. Maggie is visiting for the festival and is one of the guests of honor. She's friendly and likeable. An adult, she's free to date whom she chooses if he's divorced. Dr. Pepper is quite smitten with her.
Barry Yello, a fanboy, runs a film geek blog that both academics and fans enjoy. He sounds like he enjoys the attention but he sends signals he may not be all he says he is. He doesn't sound too bright to me. It doesn't take much to become an influencer and it sounds like he's a proto-influencer. Is he behind the suspicious accidents? What could possibly be his motive? He's in his element geeking out over the film stars and writers. He can make a fortune writing about the event so why commit murder? Ah but someone in this story has to be the Joe from the film noir genre and take the fall for the femme fatale. Is life mirroring art?
Pierce Armstrong went to prison for 5 years for manslaughter in 1948 for stabbing a studio head. The same event Pen witnesses in Jack's case file memories. He lost his career as a leading man but had a successful B-list career as a stunt man. He retired from the spotlight and has been reclusive ever since. Did he come back to get revenge on Hedda and those who got him sent to prison? He seems like a frail old man but he could have an accomplice.
As usual the Quindicott police chief supports nepotism and ignores what's in front of his nose. He can't see a murder when confronted with one and doesn't bother to investigate. Yet he'd be happy to take all the credit. Dr. Rubino, the state medical examiner, can't even spot a murder. It looks like an accident, he calls it an accident and then dismisses Pen as crazy. He keeps trying to write her a prescription for valium. WHAT? I don't trust this guy. At best he's one of those doctors that routinely kill innocent people with their prescriptions and at worst he's a murderer or even covering up a murder. I think there are multiple murderers and motives here. This is a complicated mystery.
Should I give back the paperback books that were loaned to me because I really can't stand these characters or should I push on and hope for better? I may try one more and then the paperback and give them back after a two weeks.
The plots in this novel are tied together. Jack's case from the past directly informs the case from Pen's present. Events in 1948 set into motion the events of present day. I figured out who the murderer was pretty quickly but as clues were discovered and bodies started to pile up, I got sidetracked and confused. I did guess whodunit before Pen and Jack. I was confused by what happened in 1946 and that case was never fully solved. They don't have proof what they think happened actually did. There was also a subplot involving prescription drugs that was never addressed or resolved. The present day world feels very dated. Pen's pop culture references are old and her New York Times Square stores of interest are all closed replaced by new ones in the same building. Post #metoo both Jack's world and Pen's are absolutely dated, horrible places. I don't think Jack's New York rings true for the 1940s post-war era. I have had issues with the sexism and the sex in previous books and it's worse here. Apparently every wealthy man is cheating on his wife and women sleep their way to the top in order to be in movies. Wronged wives can't stand the embarrassment of public scandal and turn to alcohol and pills. Actresses lives are ruined but actors can go to jail and return to their jobs no problem.
Jack dresses dream Pen in sleazy clothes no nice girl would ever wear. If she's supposed to be a secretary to a detective then she should dress like one. He frequently sexually harasses her and speaks crudely to Pen and about other women. He's so rude and disrespectful to Pen, the woman he supposedly loves. They finally end up making out in her dream which I find so repulsive and gross. Maybe if he was kind to her and respectful, I would feel different... no only if he were alive. Ghost sex is just weird. Jack doesn't even trust Pen's instincts for solving murders because she lacks any. She accosts suspects on her own, frequently ends up with a concussion, jumps to conclusions and is rather naive. She is better at finding clues in the 40s because she has access to modern life that helps point her in the right direction. Jack's current B pictures are now modern classics and film memorabilia and film history are big business. I don't like how Pen puts up with constant sexual harassment and innuendo from Jack and men in her present aren't much better but she doesn't call them on it either. It is absolutely not OK to wolf whistle at a woman no matter how she's dressed. And if she chooses to wear short skirts and if she chooses her bed partners that's her choice not to be discussed, debated or sneered at in any time especially not today. I.E. stop slut shaming. And Pen doesn't need a man to learn to fix her car or figure out what's wrong with it. The level of sexism she puts up with from this ghost just disgusts me. He is still dismissive of her husband's mental illness and Pen's complicated feelings about him. Her attitude isn't a whole lot better.
The only Qundicott resident I liked in this story was Fiona Finch. She has expanded her business and seems to be doing well. She doesn't gossip but she lets Pen search the victim's suite for clues and helps Pen get around the grounds to search for the suspect. Fiona seems more sensible than Pen. Aunt Sadie isn't in the story too much. She at least has a happening love life with a flesh and blood man. I like Bud well enough. He stands up to the evil councilwoman who rules with an iron fist but I suspect Bud may know more about the first accident than he will admit or someone he hired does. Two accidents had to have been inside jobs. I didn't even like Seymour this time. He's rude, crude and childish. He does favors for people who will repay him with something he wants and if he doesn't like someone, their mail ends up rerouted/lost. In fact he has someone else take his shifts in this novel so he can play sleuth, insult Brainerd and act like a pig.
Brainerd is super snobby and dismissive of anything he doesn't consider worthy. He didn't want to sell concessions at the theater. The Avon Cinema in Providence sells popcorn. I don't know if the Jane Pickens in Newport sells concessions. Brainerd and his partners should have and could have done their homework and found out what other art houses do about concessions. Thankfully his objections were overruled. Here Brainerd serves as an introduction to the suspects and victims.
Hedda Geist is still beautiful and she knows it. She married a wealthy TV executive and retired to the family horse farm in Newport where she apparently raised her family. Hedda is a diva and enjoys being in the spotlight. People still fuss over her even though she was a blip on the radar only making a few films in New York before scandal rocked her career. She didn't seem very nice in her youth either. She did what she had to do to get into the film industry and get ahead I suppose but was it worth it? Any of it? She's protective of her granddaughter or at least controlling. Harmony looks just like her grandmother did at that age and attracts a lot of male attention. Hedda doesn't like sharing the spotlight. Does this make Harmony angry? Does Harmony want to be femme fatale only this time her target would be her own grandmother? I believe she does enjoy the attention as much as Hedda does and wants the money but I think she's a spoiled rich girl who probably hangs with the Newport crowd from the second book.
Dr. Irene Lilly suddenly turned from academic writing to pop culture history. What she has written in her new book is so explosive, it got her killed. Brainerd refuses to accept what she wrote as the truth but Fiona, the true crime expert, believes it all and Pen has information none of the rest of the living townspeople have. I don't think she deserved to die at all. Who can blame her for trying to earn some money from a scandal that happened decades ago? Well... some of the participants are still alive and died the last time a reporter came snooping around and now Lily is dead. Coincidence?
Dr. Wendell Pepper, Dean of St. Francis College School of Communications is a likable newcomer to the cast. He's happily divorced and free from his nagging, controlling wife. He loves film noire and collecting movie memorabilia. He put his reputation on the line to get funding for the theater and Brainerd seems to resent that because it puts him in Dr. Pepper's debt. Dr. Pepper is hosting Maggie Klein, Hollywood screenwriter of some of Pen's favorites. Maggie is visiting for the festival and is one of the guests of honor. She's friendly and likeable. An adult, she's free to date whom she chooses if he's divorced. Dr. Pepper is quite smitten with her.
Barry Yello, a fanboy, runs a film geek blog that both academics and fans enjoy. He sounds like he enjoys the attention but he sends signals he may not be all he says he is. He doesn't sound too bright to me. It doesn't take much to become an influencer and it sounds like he's a proto-influencer. Is he behind the suspicious accidents? What could possibly be his motive? He's in his element geeking out over the film stars and writers. He can make a fortune writing about the event so why commit murder? Ah but someone in this story has to be the Joe from the film noir genre and take the fall for the femme fatale. Is life mirroring art?
Pierce Armstrong went to prison for 5 years for manslaughter in 1948 for stabbing a studio head. The same event Pen witnesses in Jack's case file memories. He lost his career as a leading man but had a successful B-list career as a stunt man. He retired from the spotlight and has been reclusive ever since. Did he come back to get revenge on Hedda and those who got him sent to prison? He seems like a frail old man but he could have an accomplice.
As usual the Quindicott police chief supports nepotism and ignores what's in front of his nose. He can't see a murder when confronted with one and doesn't bother to investigate. Yet he'd be happy to take all the credit. Dr. Rubino, the state medical examiner, can't even spot a murder. It looks like an accident, he calls it an accident and then dismisses Pen as crazy. He keeps trying to write her a prescription for valium. WHAT? I don't trust this guy. At best he's one of those doctors that routinely kill innocent people with their prescriptions and at worst he's a murderer or even covering up a murder. I think there are multiple murderers and motives here. This is a complicated mystery.
Should I give back the paperback books that were loaned to me because I really can't stand these characters or should I push on and hope for better? I may try one more and then the paperback and give them back after a two weeks.
May 29, 2013
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.
"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.
June 16, 2012
5.0 out of 5 stars A mystery within a mystery, June 15, 2012
By Ellen Rappaport (Florida) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Ghost and the Femme Fatale (Haunted Bookshop Mysteries, No. 4) (Mass Market Paperback)
I've read all the books in the haunted bookshop mystery and love it. The biggest problem I have is not wanting the story to end. The book really brings me into the bookshop and I'm there with Penelope and Jack and her Aunt.
The strangest thing about this series is Jack. Jack, a ghost from the 1940's, brings another dimension into the story. First he is with Pen in the bookshop then in a later book he's able to be with Pen outside the bookshop as long as she carries the buffalo coin with her. This brought Pen's and Jack's relationship to another level. But now that Penelope is dreaming that she's with Jack in the 1940's era this opens up an entirely new enviorment for them and the reader. The become involved in another mystery within the first mystery. Love it.
Now could I ask for anything more? Well, could I? Evidently, the author thought I could and so Jack is becoming more and more sensual...as least in Penelope's mind and my mind. I can't imagine how I could feel that a ghost could be sexually attractive but Pen does and guess what? so do I!
Just sorry when I finish one of these great books...I just want to get into another one.
A great series with surprises you've never thought of...enjoy!
Ellen
By Ellen Rappaport (Florida) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Ghost and the Femme Fatale (Haunted Bookshop Mysteries, No. 4) (Mass Market Paperback)
I've read all the books in the haunted bookshop mystery and love it. The biggest problem I have is not wanting the story to end. The book really brings me into the bookshop and I'm there with Penelope and Jack and her Aunt.
The strangest thing about this series is Jack. Jack, a ghost from the 1940's, brings another dimension into the story. First he is with Pen in the bookshop then in a later book he's able to be with Pen outside the bookshop as long as she carries the buffalo coin with her. This brought Pen's and Jack's relationship to another level. But now that Penelope is dreaming that she's with Jack in the 1940's era this opens up an entirely new enviorment for them and the reader. The become involved in another mystery within the first mystery. Love it.
Now could I ask for anything more? Well, could I? Evidently, the author thought I could and so Jack is becoming more and more sensual...as least in Penelope's mind and my mind. I can't imagine how I could feel that a ghost could be sexually attractive but Pen does and guess what? so do I!
Just sorry when I finish one of these great books...I just want to get into another one.
A great series with surprises you've never thought of...enjoy!
Ellen
October 15, 2014
This series has several flaws. First the mandatory bickering companions. One is a professor who is way too serious. The second is a postman who is childish, a know-it-all and has no self control when it comes to his behavior in public. The other main supporters outside of the main characters family are also misfits of various levels of obnoxious behavior. The mysteries all seem to relate to cases from the "ghost" detectives' past. But while we get clues from flashbacks we also get too much data and know the criminal too early. The author has a 'coffee house' series which I stopped reading after 3 books. There is one more here so that should end this group for a while.
September 25, 2019
As if the ghost of a 40's private detective that only you can hear isn't bad enough, but when bodies start piling up and the local police think you are wacky for thinking that something sinister is going on is enough to drive a girl over the edge! This series is available via audiobook and I must say the readers really bring the characters to life! The author weaves a plot of twists & turns to delight and enhances that plot with strong characters and interesting interactions among those characters including a ghost! I can't wait to see what happens in the next book!
December 27, 2019
I enjoyed this one too.
It's a big week-end for the theater in town and old stars are showing up to promote books but people start dying and it takes the teamwork of Pen and Jack to figure out what's going on and whodunnit.
It's a big week-end for the theater in town and old stars are showing up to promote books but people start dying and it takes the teamwork of Pen and Jack to figure out what's going on and whodunnit.
January 29, 2009
Pen and Jack have to solve who killed an old time movie start. I could not put this book down.
April 11, 2017
This took me forever to read, but only because I didn't have enough time!!! I love this series!! Only one left though :(
August 30, 2014
I was going to give this a 4 maybe a 5. But thought a 4.5 would be okay.
Nah, this is a 5 all the way.
You got Dr. Lilly coming out with a new book about a once famous actress involving a scandal, another book about said actress and an old but newly opened theater.
Add to that some interesting suspects this time around.
I liked this one. You got a murder, an old murder, some Jack flashbacks with Pen learning more about being a PI and getting tips from Jack and of course, the ever so fast paced suspense.
When the mystery gets going with the duo team of Jack and Pen then the writing gets especially with the back and forth, going over the clues, the info they learned so far, etc.
Only complain I have is the frustration concerning the character of Ciders. How many books/mysteries has it been now that Pen has helped solve? You'd think dude be thankful or I don't know grateful and not dismiss Pen's suspicions or clues and what not.
Still, it makes up for it near the end so I guess book, you get a pass on that one. So thanks for that. I did like some of the old movie theme this one had going. Kind of interesting.
And of course there's more moments with the ghost and the bookshop owner mystery sleuthing this time around and I love it. Good sequel.
Nah, this is a 5 all the way.
You got Dr. Lilly coming out with a new book about a once famous actress involving a scandal, another book about said actress and an old but newly opened theater.
Add to that some interesting suspects this time around.
I liked this one. You got a murder, an old murder, some Jack flashbacks with Pen learning more about being a PI and getting tips from Jack and of course, the ever so fast paced suspense.
When the mystery gets going with the duo team of Jack and Pen then the writing gets especially with the back and forth, going over the clues, the info they learned so far, etc.
Only complain I have is the frustration concerning the character of Ciders. How many books/mysteries has it been now that Pen has helped solve? You'd think dude be thankful or I don't know grateful and not dismiss Pen's suspicions or clues and what not.
Still, it makes up for it near the end so I guess book, you get a pass on that one. So thanks for that. I did like some of the old movie theme this one had going. Kind of interesting.
And of course there's more moments with the ghost and the bookshop owner mystery sleuthing this time around and I love it. Good sequel.
October 21, 2021
I love the Haunted Bookshop series! It is unique and the characters are awesome! It is unique because Penelope (Pen) Thornton McClure is a widowed mom of a 8-9 year old son. She co-owns a bookstore with her Aunt Sadie. A ghost of a PI Jack, who was killed in the building in the 1940’s still haunts the bookstore and Pen and Jack have become friends. With Jack having been a PI, he gives Pen pointers to help her solve the mystery. I had the audiobook which is well done and really brings the characters to life. I highly recommend them! In The Ghost and the Femme Fatale,, book #4, there is a Film Noir Festival happening and many actors from the 1940’s & 1950’s are in town, including the famous Hedda Geist. A freak accident happens among other odd things until someone dies. . The characters are likable and interesting . Penn and Sadie belong to a mystery book club and the members are great. The mystery keeps you guessing until the end. There is humor and a little romance. Very enjoyable!
June 22, 2021
Pen and Jack are at it again. This time, a cold case of Jack’s crosses time and lands at Buy the Book’s feet. With the opening of the movie house, a week long celebration hits the quiet town of Quindicott. Celebrating the Film Noir genre brings out the 40’s starlet and femme fatale, Hedda Geist, who was involved in a murder over forty years ago. When the bodies start hitting the floor, Jack and Pen are on the case. Will they solve it before another person falls victim? Guess you better read to find out. From the gritty streets of 1940’s New York to the present setting of Quindicott, RI, you’ll keep guessing until the very end.
March 29, 2009
Might be the best one in the series. Noir films, intrigue, beautiful people with black hearts and secrets, old school language use that cracks me up every time, and sexy dead ghost with broad shoulders and whiskey flavored kisses. I think this book reminded me even a bit of Donna Andrews style of writing, with the good old village town full of funny people with funny hobbies. In some ways Penelope is a girl close to my heart with a fondness for books and a little boy full of mischief.
August 19, 2010
I love this series. It's such light, enjoyable reading. This book was a little different from the others. The murderer was a surprise until almost the very end. Usually I can pick out the murderer earlier on although Ms. Kimberly always gives me some doubt so I'm never really sure until the end.
Read
January 20, 2009I really enjoy this series. It's light, it's fun, and it travels in two separate time periods.
June 7, 2011
I love the voices of this series.
April 21, 2012
Fun adventures and a good mystery to two in this enjoyable read when a Film Noir Festival comes to town and “accidents” start happening to the honored guests.
January 28, 2013
As always, Cleo Coyle wrote a enjoyable page-turner. I so love this series. I adore Jack and Penelope. I love the language from the 40s. Always keeps you guessing.
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