My Review
Jack, the 1940s deceased gumshoe, is back in The Ghost and the Haunted Portrait. This time the mystery involves a mysterious painting and a suspicious “accidental death.”
A mashup of hard-boiled noir and a cozy mystery sounds like it wouldn’t work at all. But somehow this series does it and does it extremely well. The quirky and likeable characters are the key component. Also, unlike in noir published in the early twentieth century, Jack doesn’t disrespect any dames. Since he’s a ghost, he also can’t be tempted by their wiles. He seems to genuinely like bookseller, Pen, who questions whether Jack’s voice in her head is real or her “fervent reader’s imagination”.
I highly recommend reading this innovative noir and cozy mystery genre mashup. The Ghost and the Haunted Portrait has authentic characters and a nice mystery. 4 stars!
Thanks to Berkley Books, Great Escapes Book Tours, and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.
About The Ghost and the Haunted Portrait
The Ghost and the Haunted Portrait (Haunted Bookshop Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
7th in Series
Publisher: Berkley (May 4, 2021)
Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
ISBN-10: 0425251861
ISBN-13: 978-0425251867
Digital ASIN: B08274WCLM
Bookshop owner Penelope Thornton-McClure and her gumshoe ghost team up to solve the stunning mystery at the heart of a madwoman’s self-portrait in this all new installment from New York Times bestselling author Cleo Coyle.
While gathering a collection of vintage book cover paintings for a special event in her quaint Rhode Island bookshop, Penelope discovers a spooky portrait of a beautiful woman, one who supposedly went mad, according to town gossip. Seymour, the local mailman, falls in love with the haunting image and buys the picture, refusing to part with it, even as fatal accidents befall those around it. Is the canvas cursed? Or is something more sinister at work?
For answers, Pen turns to an otherworldly source: Jack Shepard, PI. Back in the 1940s, Jack cracked a case of a killer cover artist, and (to Pen’s relief) his spirit is willing to help her solve this mystery, even if he and his license did expire decades ago.
About Cleo Coyle
CLEO COYLE is a pseudonym for Alice Alfonsi, writing in collaboration with her husband, Marc Cerasini. Both are New York Times bestselling authors of the long-running Coffeehouse Mysteries—now celebrating eighteen years in print. They are also authors of the nationally bestselling Haunted Bookshop Mysteries, previously written under the pseudonym Alice Kimberly. Alice has worked as a journalist in Washington, D.C., and New York, and has written popular fiction for adults and children. A former magazine editor, Marc has authored espionage thrillers and nonfiction for adults and children. Alice and Marc are also both bestselling media tie-in writers who have penned properties for Lucasfilm, NBC, Fox, Disney, Imagine, and MGM. They live and work in New York City, where they write independently and together.
Author Links
Webpage: https://www.coffeehousemystery.com/cleos_haunted_bookshop.cfm
Free Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/cleocoylerecipes/newsletter
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CleoCoyle/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CleoCoyle
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/cleo-coyle
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/51488.Cleo_Coyle
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cleocoyle_author/
Purchase Links:
Amazon Barnes & Noble Kobo Google Play IndieBound
Giveaway
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Thank you for your review on “The Ghost and the Haunted Portrait” and for being part of the book tour.
Fabulous author and a great sounding book have this one most definitely on my TBR list. Great cover!
Yes, the whole series is great! Thanks for stopping by.
Greetings, Diane – We’re stopping by to thank you sincerely for your insightful review of our new Haunted Bookshop Mystery. We’re delighted to know you enjoyed it!
Cheers for helping us welcome Jack and Pen back to sleuthing again.
~ Cleo
(Alice & Marc)
Hello,
At the risk of making us all feel old, I’ve been reading your books since the early 2000s. I was so happy when you brought back Jack from the “dead” in 2018. I’m also a fan of your Coffeehouse mysteries, even though I don’t drink coffee.
Keep up the good work,
Diane