Cleo Coyle | Top 5 Reasons Readers Demanded More Haunted Bookshop

Some characters haunt you long after the book is done. That's what fans of our Haunted Bookshop Mysteries told us after we stopped writing them. For nearly ten years their emails, notes, and posts implored us to revive the series. With this month's publication of The Ghost and the Bogus Bestseller, we finally did. We even dedicated the book to our readers, who wouldn't rest until we brought Jack back. And who is Jack? THE HARDBOILED GHOST

A tough PI from the mean streets of New York, Jack Shepard lived on the seamier
side of life. His death (in 1949) was no picnic, either, leaving him with a
hardened outlook, especially when it comes to judging people and their motives.
Despite his troubled spirit, Jack has a wicked sense of humor, and he can't help
cracking wise about the absurdities of modern life—from bottled water and
"smart" phones to television cop shows.

THE PRIM BOOKSELLER

A young widow with a little boy, Penelope Thornton-McClure once believed in
spirits, until a succession of tragic losses took her faith away. Slowly, Jack
Shepard is restoring that faith, and though Pen bristles at his retro male
attitude, she's encouraged by the strangest irony of all—the ghost's belief in her.

THE QUAINT RHODE ISLAND TOWN

Readers love spending time in Penelope's charming hometown. Quindicott may be
smaller and less posh than nearby Newport, but its residents are proud of its
revived Cranberry Street business district and renowned Victorian B&B. Fresh
ocean air, amazing seafood, and a neighborly community make it one of the area's
most pleasant places to live—even if you happen to be dead.

THE QUIBBLERS AND THE BOOKSHOP

The "Quibblers" are a colorful cast of quirky characters who make up the local
Quindicott Business Owners Association. They meet regularly in Penelope's
charming old bookshop, guarded by mouse-hunter Bookmark, the cat. There's Fiona
Finch, the fastidious co-owner of Finch Inn, who has a penchant for True Crime
books and "happening to overhear" conversations between guests. Seymour, the
outspoken mailman who moonlights as an ice cream truck driver, collects vintage
pulp fiction and lives in a haunted mansion. And there's a crew of equally
entertaining characters who Pen dearly loves—and the ghost barely tolerates.

THE MURDER MYSTERIES: Fun Plots to Die For

The fun, twisty murder mystery storylines of our Haunted Bookshop series have
kept readers entertained for years. Join our prim bookseller as she teams up
with her hardboiled ghost to catch cunning killers. Each book can be read as a
stand-alone or in order. The six titles are…

The Ghost and Mrs. McClure The Ghost and the Dead Deb The Ghost and the Dead Man's Library The Ghost and the Femme Fatale The Ghost and the Haunted Mansion

And our newest release…

THE GHOST AND THE BOGUS BESTSELLER by Cleo Coyle

Haunted Bookshop #6

A big bestseller leads to small town trouble.

Bookshop owner Penelope Thornton-McClure didn't believe in ghosts, until she was haunted by the hard-boiled spirit of 1940s private investigator Jack Shepard. Now Jack is back on the job, and Pen is eternally grateful...

After an elegant new customer has a breakdown in her shop, Penelope suspects there is something bogus behind the biggest bestseller of the year. This popular potboiler is so hot that folks in her tiny Rhode Island town are dying to read it--literally. First one customer turns up dead, followed by another mysterious fatality connected to the book, which Pen discovers is more than just fiction. Now, with the help of her gumshoe ghost, Pen must solve the real-life cold case behind the bogus bestseller before the killer closes the book on her.

Mystery Woman Sleuth [Berkley, On Sale: September 25, 2018, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780425237458 / eISBN: 9780698188624]