The Ghost and the Femme Fatale

The Haunted Bookshop Mysteries, Book 4

By: Cleo Coyle, Alice Kimberly

Narrated by: Caroline Shaffer, Traber Burns

Length: 8 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's summary

A film festival gone noir gives bookshop owner Penelope Thornton-McClure and her ghostly companion a big screen caper to solve in this Haunted Bookshop mystery from Cleo Coyle, writing as Alice Kimberly.

The Movie Town Theater is holding its first ever Film Noir Festival, with Pen handling book sales for the guest speakers, including screen actress Hedda Geist. The legendary femme fatale has been out of the spotlight for decades. Unfortunately, the moment she steps back into it, she's nearly killed. Then other guests start to die, and Penelope wants to know why her little town's Film Noir weekend has taken a truly dark turn.

With local police on the wrong track, Penelope enlists the help of Jack Shepard, private investigator. Okay, so Jack hasn't had a heartbeat since 1949, when he was gunned down in what is now Pen's store. But the hard-boiled ghost actually remembers Hedda's dark past, and Penelope's sure he can help solve this case - even if he and his license did expire more than 50 years ago....

©2008 Cleo Coyle (P)2019 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

mystery and heartstrings

I always find something mysteries where I say..."wait a minute! That doesn't add up!", or..."Right. Add in that detail so the scene works out. 🙄". There are a few of those moments of that in this novel. However, I really love the characters, and having lived in Rhode Island for half a century...as long as the ghost has been dead.....I think the sound of proper diction, or a flawless mystery would just not be fun.
I prefer this novel as is, and am glad Jack has found some happiness in death. I am also happy that the author gives Pen a chance to heal through dreams with her friendly ghost. I also enjoy watching Spencer grow, and become a little man. there is so much more to this novel than a sleuthing woman and her old dear aunt. I will be finishing the series.

Both Narrators are excellent. Shaffer does an excellent job with Pen's point of view, and Traver Burns sound like he stepped out of a 1930s - 1940s film. perfect listening.

Dear Cleo Coyle, please write more of these mysteries, and keep the narrators the same. thanks!

Really good

This is an incredibly entertaining series. I enjoy the way that Penelope and Jack interact with each other. The plot is interesting and well developed. I look forward to the next book.

Very slow

Characters are ‘nice‘ but story development is soooo slow! And any cozy, personally engaging elements - son, aunt, cat - that cd be developed just never are. This book even fuller than previous ones.

Répétitive

It’s a slow start with whole sections repeated and repeated. The last half I pretty good.

Easy listing

I Like that this series is easy on the ears. The dialogue between the characters is perfect. Edge of your seat and funny. The narratives are spot on keep you wanting more.

Good read

Fun listen. Interesting mystery. Good addition to the earlier books. I’m liking the series so far.

I get a real charge out of some of the names

I loved it. It's a mystery and a thriller and a comedy. The names, Symore Tarnish and Dr. Pepper, really? Cleo and Kimberly have wonderful sense of humor. They are real storytellers. The narrator's Caroline Shaffer and Traber Burns did a great job. They had the language for the forties perfect. I hope they keep it up.

The third book and a winner

The. narrator does a super job differentiating the voices with where people are from.

Imagine having a voice in your head that called you baby.

I read one page.and found the plot and the characters ridiculous. I was so irritated I skipped to the back to review. I have read another author who can get away with,the ghost as a side kick with some panache and charm.this book lacked replaced those positives with irrational and irritating.

Just not as good

I really enjoyed the first 3 books but this one just doesn't make the mark for me. The narrator is the same but sounds shriller. Things seem to be mish mashed and all over the place. Not sure what it is but I just didn't like it. I may get the actual book as sometimes words are better than listening