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The Ghost and the Dead Deb
by
Alice Kimberly, Cleo Coyle
fantasy, cozy mystery in a paperback edition that was published by Berkley on September 6, 2005 and has 260 pages.
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Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Ghost and Mrs. McClure, The Ghost and the Dead Man's Library, The Ghost and the Femme Fatale, The Ghost and the Haunted Mansion, On What Grounds, Through the Grinder, Latte Trouble, Murder Most Frothy
Second in the Haunted Bookshop mystery series involving a private dick murdered in 1949 whose ghost now haunts Buy the Book in Quindicott, Rhode Island.
My Take
As much as I enjoy Jack’s interest in Penelope, I think Kimberly is moving too fast. It would be so much more enticing if Kimberly drew it out.
I love that Jack is helping Pen find her spine. She stood up very well to the McClures at the reunion — certainly knocked Ashley back on her ass!
And the language! Oh man, Kimberly is incredible with her mastery of 1940s slang! I almost feel as if Nick and Nora Charles will show up with some of their gangster friends.
The Story
It’s been a year since Timothy Brennan was murdered and another controversial author is making an appearance at Buy the Book. A tell-all, Angel is building on her first book on addictions and poor choices amongst the smart set and “revealing” the “truth” behind the murder of Bethany Banks.
Only, we learn that the “tell-all” tells very little that is truth as two more victims are murdered and the lawyer-built wall protecting the elite of Bar Harbor falls in a cloud of dust.
And Jack is teaching Pen the tricks of the investigating trade using his dreams and an old case file of his.
The Characters
Aunt Sadie is the original owner for the bookstore. When Pen found out that Aunt Sadie would have to shut down, she invested everything she had and the two have become partners. Spencer is Penelope’s young son. Jack Shepherd is the private investigator murdered in Buy the Book back in 1949. His ghost continues to haunt the shop and Pen is determined to figure out why one of these days.
Bud Napp owns the local hardware store and he’s giving his nephew, Jimmy Napp, a.k.a., Giovanni Napoli, a helping hand. Some interesting mysteries surround these two..!
Angel is the author using Bethany Banks’ murder to stir up trouble for fellow socialites Victoria Banks, Kiki Laydon, Donald Eastlake, and Hal McConnell.
Fiona Finch is one of the owners of the local hotel. Sparrow Tarnish is mailman, ice cream man, and Quindicott’s local celebrity while Eddie Frazetti is a local cop who both worries about Pen and mistrusts her. Chief Ciders is the town’s top cop.
The Cover and Title
I suspect the floating fedora will be a constant in all the Haunted Bookshop covers. In this story, the fedora is floating down or in front of a grand, curving staircase — certainly suitable for The Ghost and the Dead Deb.
A title that applies equally to both cases in this story as Jack’s teaching case also involved a deb wanting to put the arm on “family” just as Bethany’s killer gleefully hurts “family”.
