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calistaw's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
rants_n_reads's review
3.0
Still good, but I felt like there weren't really any Jack sections. I like the balance of the two, and a full Penelope narrative isn't as interesting.
wildflowerz76's review
3.0
I like Cleo Coyle's books. But I had read the first in this series a while ago and really just didn't like the ghost part. We had this one at the book store, so I went ahead and tried the next one. I kind of felt the same about this one. I liked the mystery and the alive characters. But the dead guy annoys the hell outta me. I get that he's from a different time, so I can ignore the misogynistic behavior as it's not too horrible for his time period. But he's just annoying. And who calls someone "baby" that much. Ug. The mystery here was decent, but the solution just seemed overly complicated. I might read the next if we get it at the store, but I'm not going out of my way or anything.
parttimebloggerbookgeek's review
3.0
The Ghost and the Dead Deb by Alice Kimberly.
This is probably more a 2.5 cozy mystery, for me, I rounded up, because the character of Jack Sheppard is enjoyable. I like Penelope McClure, but I don't love her, not yet, her character seems less exciting, less clear than Jack's.
Mystery, this book gave us a small glimpse into who the PI Jack Sheppard was, but overall his death, his murder seems to be ignored unless Jack is being snarky about it. the main mystery of this book, lacked depth. and was pretty easy to guess who the murderer was about half way through.
I'm not ready to give up exploring this odd couple of widow and ghost PI's given they are a nice escape for a light easy read.
This is probably more a 2.5 cozy mystery, for me, I rounded up, because the character of Jack Sheppard is enjoyable. I like Penelope McClure, but I don't love her, not yet, her character seems less exciting, less clear than Jack's.
Mystery, this book gave us a small glimpse into who the PI Jack Sheppard was, but overall his death, his murder seems to be ignored unless Jack is being snarky about it. the main mystery of this book, lacked depth. and was pretty easy to guess who the murderer was about half way through.
I'm not ready to give up exploring this odd couple of widow and ghost PI's given they are a nice escape for a light easy read.
nvciel's review
4.0
This is a fun read. I love film noir so Jack Shepard is a perfect detective to me. The epigraphs in this book were fun. They were quotes from old detective novels. Fun reading for a plane trip and summer vacation.
morchels's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
A good cozy that kept me guessing. It wasn't my favorite or most memorable, but it was fun.
bev_reads_mysteries's review
3.0
Penelope Thornton-McClure, co-owener of the Buy the Book bookstore, has a ghost. Not just any ghost. Hers is a P.I. by the name of Jack Shepard who was murdered on the spot nearly fifty years ago. In The Ghost & the Dead Deb, the second in Alice Kimberly's Haunted Bookshop series, the Buy the Book bookstore is hosting an author reading and book-signing with Angel Stark. Angel has just written a true crime novel about a recent unsolved mystery among the young and upper-class. When Angel starts taking questions after the reading, it becomes clear that not everyone in the audience is a fan. There is a particularly nasty confrontation with a young woman who claims the book is full of lies. And who knew there'd be so many connections to "cornpone" Quindicott, Rhode Island? But when Angel is killed and the sister of the "Dead Deb" featured in the book's murder case disappears, Penelope finds more connections than she is comfortable with--including a forgotten cousin in her deceased husband's family. Penelope and Jack are soon on the case looking to see if someone wanted to keep Angel from discovering the real killer of the Dead Deb or if there is another motive hidden the quiet Rhode Island town.
Observations:
--The initial attraction of the book was its interesting hook: the relationship between the ghostly Private Eye Jack Shepard and the amateur detective and bookstore owner Penelope Thornton-McClure (on purely the detective-duo portion of the relationship--see comments on "romance" below). It was also its weakness. After all, Jack was supposedly firmly attached to the bookstore, the site of his own murder. That idea was apparently sold in the first novel and continued to be to mode of operation through about half of this one. Then...I guess Kimberly figured out that there wasn't much scope for a detective partnership that couldn't roam far from the bookstore and we discover that Jack has some supernatural connection to a buffalo nickel and if Penelope carries that about with her she can also take Jack along for the ride. Mmmmkay. Way to dream up something to get yourself out of the corner you painted yourself into...instant magic carpet.
--The "romance" which seems to be hinted at between Jack and Penelope is just plain weird. He's dead. It has no future unless all she wants is a mental/emotional turn-on.
--Quite honestly, I was much more interested in Jack and what happened in the forties. I think I'd rather that Alice Kimberly wrote about his earthly life as a P.I. than his after-life.
--If Penelope really pauses to have the internal dialogues with Jack while others are around as often and for as long as some of the conversations seem to last, why aren't her friends, neighbors, and/or customers noticing that she seems to be zoning out and wondering if she's okay? I mean, seriously. My husband occasionally has a tendency to go into "daydream mode" while I'm talking to him--some word or phrase or whatever will trigger a memory or another thought and he glazes over. It doesn't take me long to notice and say "Hey!" You can't tell me that those closest to her don't notice that Penelope is no longer in the real-life conversation.
Final Analysis: Really had potential. Jack is an interesting character that I wish were featured in his own book about his own investigations. Except for the hints of romantic interest, I do like the exchanges between Jack and Penelope. It would be nice if they could just operate as friends and co-investigators and leave out the romantic tone. The mystery plot is so-so. I prefer it when all of the clues are readily available and the reader has a fair chance of figuring things out for themselves. ★★ and a half. (rounded to 3 here)
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
Observations:
--The initial attraction of the book was its interesting hook: the relationship between the ghostly Private Eye Jack Shepard and the amateur detective and bookstore owner Penelope Thornton-McClure (on purely the detective-duo portion of the relationship--see comments on "romance" below). It was also its weakness. After all, Jack was supposedly firmly attached to the bookstore, the site of his own murder. That idea was apparently sold in the first novel and continued to be to mode of operation through about half of this one. Then...I guess Kimberly figured out that there wasn't much scope for a detective partnership that couldn't roam far from the bookstore and we discover that Jack has some supernatural connection to a buffalo nickel and if Penelope carries that about with her she can also take Jack along for the ride. Mmmmkay. Way to dream up something to get yourself out of the corner you painted yourself into...instant magic carpet.
--The "romance" which seems to be hinted at between Jack and Penelope is just plain weird. He's dead. It has no future unless all she wants is a mental/emotional turn-on.
--Quite honestly, I was much more interested in Jack and what happened in the forties. I think I'd rather that Alice Kimberly wrote about his earthly life as a P.I. than his after-life.
--If Penelope really pauses to have the internal dialogues with Jack while others are around as often and for as long as some of the conversations seem to last, why aren't her friends, neighbors, and/or customers noticing that she seems to be zoning out and wondering if she's okay? I mean, seriously. My husband occasionally has a tendency to go into "daydream mode" while I'm talking to him--some word or phrase or whatever will trigger a memory or another thought and he glazes over. It doesn't take me long to notice and say "Hey!" You can't tell me that those closest to her don't notice that Penelope is no longer in the real-life conversation.
Final Analysis: Really had potential. Jack is an interesting character that I wish were featured in his own book about his own investigations. Except for the hints of romantic interest, I do like the exchanges between Jack and Penelope. It would be nice if they could just operate as friends and co-investigators and leave out the romantic tone. The mystery plot is so-so. I prefer it when all of the clues are readily available and the reader has a fair chance of figuring things out for themselves. ★★ and a half. (rounded to 3 here)
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
wyoming_steph's review
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0