The Ghost and the Haunted Portrait (Haunted Bookshop Mystery, #7)

by Cleo Coyle

Bookshop owner Penelope Thornton-McClure and her gumshoe ghost team up to solve the stunning mystery at the heart of a madwoman’s self-portrait in this all new installment from New York Times bestselling author Cleo Coyle.
 
While gathering a collection of vintage book cover paintings for a special event in her quaint Rhode Island bookshop, Penelope discovers a spooky portrait of a beautiful woman, one who supposedly went mad, according to town gossip. Seymour, the local mailman, falls in love with the haunting image and buys the picture, refusing to part with it, even as fatal accidents befall those around it. Is the canvas cursed? Or is something more sinister at work?
 
For answers, Pen turns to an otherworldly source: Jack Shepard, PI. Back in the 1940s, Jack cracked a case of a killer cover artist, and (to Pen’s relief) his spirit is willing to help her solve this mystery, even if he and his license did expire decades ago.

• ISBN10: 0425251861
• ISBN13: 9780425251867
• Publish Date: 4 May 2021
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Berkley
• Format: Paperback (US Mass Market)
• Pages: 336
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780425251867

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

The Ghost and the Haunted Portrait is the 7th Haunted Bookshop cozy/noir mystery by the pseudonymous duo who write as Cleo Coyle. Released 4th May 2021 by Penguin Random House on their Berkley imprint, it's 336 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is a well developed series with an interesting paranormal twist. Protagonist Penelope is in "contact" with the consciousness of a long departed police detective who was killed almost 70 years ago. The books are set up in a way that very very cold case mysteries from decades ago get intertwined with modern day mysteries and bookstore owner Penelope saves the day by resolving the past and the present.

The mysteries are often convoluted and a bit contrived but otherwise "fair-play". The characters are so distinct and well rendered that keeping them clear from one another is never an issue. I like the sort of noir-1940's vibe that Penelope's internal dialogue adds to the book. Although it's the 7th book in the series, the mysteries are completely self-contained and it works quite well as a standalone. This would be a good jumping-in point for readers who haven't read the previous books.

The language is clean, the violence is low-key and off scene. It would make a good commute or work read. I really enjoyed the tie-ins with period pulp fiction and artwork. Lots of fun. The authors have done their research on the era.

Four stars. Definitely worth a look for fans of cozy mysteries.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.