Penelope Thornton-McClure is still busy dealing with the publicity from a murder the previous year, while co-owning a bookstore and dealing with authors hawking their latest tell-all poison pens. She's also raising her son alone while avoiding the machinations of her late husband's snooty family. As if all this were not enough, Penelope has to follow the instincts of a ghostly noir PI only she can hear. Luckily, 1940s gumshoe extraordinaire Jack Shepard's instincts are on target as he guides Pen through the ropes of private investigation in his own cases, as well as the one erupting in her small town.

While digging up dirt on a high-profile murder, a debutante party-girl author is gauche enough to wind up dead after taking off with a supposed local. Suddenly lies abound, emotions are stirred up and suspects crawl out of the most unlikely of places. With her ghostly private investigator as a guide, Pen feels dedicated to solving another case surrounding her bookstore.

Kimberly's follow-up to THE GHOST & MRS. McCLURE cleverly combines elements of a fine film noir and a comfortable cozy mystery. She weaves story elements expertly to create multiple layers of challenging intrigue. Though one may enjoy this excellent novel without reading the previous book, both are recommended for their high quality entertainment, likable characters and fast-paced storylines.