Haunted Bookshop Mystery
Penelope McClure runs Buy the Book in the small Rhode Island town of Quindicott, where the ghost of 1940s private detective Jack Shepard haunts the premises and helps her solve murders. Originally published as Alice Kimberly, the series was reissued under the Cleo Coyle name.
By Cleo Coyle · 9 books · 2004–present
What is the Haunted Bookshop Mystery series about?
Penelope McClure is a widow who moves to the small Rhode Island town of Quindicott to help her Aunt Sadie run a struggling independent bookshop called Buy the Book. What she does not expect is Jack Shepard — the ghost of a hard-boiled private detective murdered in the 1940s, whose spirit is tethered to the building. Jack can only communicate with Pen, and he proves an invaluable if occasionally cantankerous partner when murder keeps finding its way through the bookshop’s door.
Cleo Coyle — the pen name of Alice Alfonsi and Marc Cerasini — originally published this series as Alice Kimberly before reissuing it under their better-known name. The books occupy a distinctive niche: cosy mystery with a supernatural twist, set against a backdrop of literary culture, independent bookselling, and small New England town life. Jack’s 1940s slang and film noir worldview provide a deadpan counterpoint to Pen’s more contemporary perspective, and their dynamic is one of the series’ greatest pleasures. The bookshop setting itself is handled with obvious love — Buy the Book feels like a place you would want to spend an afternoon, which is exactly the right atmosphere for a cosy mystery.
Should I read the Haunted Bookshop Mystery series in order?
Yes. The relationship between Pen and Jack develops meaningfully across the nine books, and the will-they-won’t-they tension — unusual given that one party is deceased — builds in ways that only pay off if you follow the series from the start. Begin with The Ghost and Mrs. McClure (2004). Note that there was a nine-year gap between books five and six; the series resumed in 2018 with The Ghost and the Bogus Bestseller and the later books do some gentle recapping for returning readers without losing momentum for those reading straight through.
Who will enjoy the Haunted Bookshop Mystery series?
Readers who love bookshop settings, small-town New England atmosphere, and a cosy mystery with a light supernatural edge. The books are warmly written without being cloying, and Jack’s ghost adds genuine wit rather than mere gimmick. Fans of the Coffeehouse Mystery will recognize the same careful plotting and character warmth that define Coyle’s work, with the added pleasure of a bookshop setting and a protagonist who doubles as detective’s apprentice. Readers who enjoy the historical texture in their mysteries will appreciate Jack’s perspective — he essentially provides a 1940s commentary track on contemporary events, and the contrast is frequently illuminating.
What makes the Haunted Bookshop Mystery series distinctive?
The Pen and Jack dynamic. A living bookshop owner and a dead private detective from seventy years ago should not work as a partnership, but Coyle makes it entirely convincing. Jack brings old-school investigative instinct and noir cynicism; Pen brings contemporary access and emotional intelligence. Their conversations have real chemistry — and real tension — which keeps the books from feeling like a gimmick. The supernatural conceit could easily become a crutch, but Coyle uses it instead as a source of genuine narrative constraint: Jack cannot act in the world, only advise, which means Pen must take the risks. Nine books in, the relationship continues to develop in ways that keep long-term readers invested well beyond the mystery plots themselves.
Publication Order
- 1
The Ghost and Mrs. McClure (2004)Widowed Penelope McClure moves to Quindicott to run her aunt's bookshop and discovers she can hear the ghost of a murdered 1940s private eye who is determined to help her solve a very modern crime.
- 2
The Ghost and the Dead Deb (2005)A wealthy socialite is found dead after a Buy the Book event, and Pen must work with Jack's ghost to navigate a world of old money and buried scandal.
- 3
The Ghost and the Dead Man's Library (2006)A rare book collection brings a dangerous buyer to Quindicott, and when a body surfaces, Pen and Jack must untangle a mystery rooted in literary crime.
- 4
The Ghost and the Femme Fatale (2008)A film noir festival at Buy the Book attracts a mysterious woman with a deadly past, and Pen finds herself in a real-life noir plot with Jack's guidance.
- 5
The Ghost and the Haunted Mansion (2009)A local historical mansion's renovation uncovers old secrets and a very fresh murder, sending Pen and Jack deep into Quindicott's hidden history.
- 6
The Ghost and the Bogus Bestseller (2018)A self-published thriller becomes a runaway hit under suspicious circumstances, and when the author is found dead, Pen suspects the success was built on something darker than clever marketing.
- 7
The Ghost and the Haunted Portrait (2020)A painting with a troubled provenance arrives in Quindicott and its owner is murdered, leaving Pen and Jack to investigate a mystery woven through decades of art world deception.
- 8
The Ghost and the Stolen Tears (2022)A legendary diamond necklace with a history of tragedy resurfaces in Quindicott, and when theft turns to murder, Pen must trace a trail of greed across generations.
- 9
The Ghost Goes to the Dogs (2023)A dog show comes to Quindicott and brings a community of passionate competitors — and a murderer — to Pen's doorstep, with Jack offering his usual sardonic assistance from beyond.
Related Series
- Coffeehouse Mystery — The main Cleo Coyle series: culinary cosy mystery with 21 books and ongoing