Cover Image: The Ghost Goes to the Dogs

The Ghost Goes to the Dogs

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Member Reviews

I enjoy this series. I like the two mysteries we get in each book. Jack is such a neat character. I the the other characters as well. The mystery kept me guessing.

Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review

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This is number nine in the Haunted Bookshop Mystery series and one of my favorite series. I always highly anticipate a new release coming.
Pet Mystery Week brings the customers to Penelope’s Rhode Island bookshop.
A frantic dog causing a commotion outside bring Pen and her son running as it leads them to its unconscious owner. When they find Mrs. Cunningham, kind animal lover and who runs Buy the Book’s pet lovers book club they don't understand why someone would try to knock her off.
Pen remains skeptical of the police saying it's a stray bullet and an accident. The highlight of this series for me is the gumshoe ghost, PI Jack Shepard, who solved cases in the 1940's.
I enjoyed how the case from now and the 1940's is combined and eventually solved. Will be looking for more in the series soon.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

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When a local woman is shot and found on the side of the road, Penny and her son Spencer agree to take care of her dog. Pen's ghostly sidekick detective, Jack thinks someone was trying to kill Mrs. Cunningham but the local police think it was an accident. Seems Jack was right and now Pen is in danger from the killer. This is book 9 in the Haunted Bookshop Series and it's a good addition. Can be read as a stand alone but some background would help with Jack's past.

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THE GHOST GOES TO THE DOGS by Cleo Coyle
The Ninth Haunted Bookshop Mystery

Quindicott, Rhode Island, and Buy the Book in particular, has gone to the dogs. In honor of St. Francis Day, the local university is spreading their celebrations into town and the Paw-some reading group has convinced Penelope Thornton-McClure to host Pet Mystery Week at her shop. Jane Cunningham, a core member of the group, was instrumental in arranging many of the activities, but it's her dog, Sparky that gets Pen's attention. Barking outside the bookstore, he leads Pen and her son Spencer to Jane, lying on the sidewalk, shot...but alive. While the Chief of Police believes it's simply a hunting accident, Pen is doubtful, and ghostly PI Jack Shepard agrees.

You get twice the mystery and twice the fun in a Haunted Bookshop Mystery. I love the dual mystery as how Jack teaches Pen how to solve the mystery in her time by sharing one from his. Vivid descriptions, especially of Penny's 1940s clothing immerse me in that time. The wrestlers from Jack's time still have me grinning-I want to throw some pickles!

While I am most definitely a cat person, I love dogs too and was happy to meet Sparky in the ninth Haunted Bookshop Mystery. It was heartwarming to see that slice of Americana - a boy and his dog...even if it was just temporary. It was also fun watching people who don't really know about dogs handle the rambunctious pup.

Not everything is what it seems in THE GHOST GOES TO THE DOGS. However, I cottoned on to several clues, and I even solved the last line of the riddle well before Penny. I also had a fairly good idea of what was going on behind the modern mystery, at least one aspect of it, but I still didn't know who dun it until the very end! This ability to solve the mystery along with the protagonist made a great read even more enjoyable and reminded me of works from the Golden Age of detective fiction.

With laughs, thrills, and ghostly chills THE GHOST GOES TO THE DOGS is a doggone fun tale!

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Cleo Coyle continues her haunted bookshop mysteries with The Ghost Goes to the Dogs. Pet Mystery Week brings a local author to her bookshop and a dog to her son. The dog, Sparky, was left alone when his mistress was shot and ended in hospital. Penelope, the bookstore owner, allows her son to adopt the dog for the duration of the lady's stay in hospital. Parallel case involving a dog brings in the ghost of the PI Jack Shepherd who had to figure out a dog napping case in New York in the 1940's. Lots of high jinks and misbehavior than and now. Have fun.

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Penny and Jack are not your average team but they get it done.

It’s pet mystery week and business has picked up for pennies Rhode Island book shop. However, the real mystery comes in the form of barking when a lost dog turns up at her door. Penny and her son hop on the case and follow the dog to where its owner is laying on the ground and unconscious. The dog's owner, Mrs. Cunningham is a wonderful volunteer and animal lover. Now they have a mystery on their hands of who would want to hurt the sweet, wonderful woman. Penny calls on the help of her ghostly PI friend Jack Shepard, who has a story of his own involving some dogs from the 1940s. Together in the past, and in the present, they put together the clues to figure out who the culprit in his doggy caper is.


Cleo Coyle has put together another fine masterpiece in the haunted bookshop mystery series. Penny and Jack are something very unique, and the way the story unfolds through the past, and the present is something truly special. Penny is too smart to think that this was just an accident for Mrs. Cunningham. She is determined to find who tried to hurt this wonderful and sweet woman. While hunting down clues and trying to figure out who is behind this mass, Jack shares with Penny, his own doggy caper from back in the 40s that Jess may have left its mark on her present. This is a fun and entertaining, cozy mystery. When that truly keeps you turning the pages. Whether you’re in the past tense or the present you’re entertained on all fronts.

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Bookseller Penny McClure is surprised one day to hear a scratching noise outside her store Buy The Book. She’s even more startled to realize that the sound is being made by Sparky, a dog that she knows belongs to Jane Cunningham, a good customer of hers. An anxious Sparky leads her and her teenage son Spencer out to a wooded area, where they find Jane lying unconscious. Jane’s medical emergency takes a more sinister turn when it becomes apparent that she was shot and left for dead.

Penny has no idea who would want to harm, much less murder such a force for civic good in her small town of Quindicott, Rhode Island. Successful businesswoman Jane often volunteered at the local animal shelter, and was president of the admittedly contentious Paw-some Pals, one of Buy The Book’s largest reading groups. As president, she’d recently initiated a partnership with the nearby St Francis University to host a series of pet-loving events in honor of their namesake. In addition to arranging for a Main Street parade and for a day of discounted pet care from a mobile vet, she’d invited the bestselling author of the Kennel Club Mysteries to give a talk and sign books at Penny’s shop. Being shot right before the kick-off of Pet Week was likely not on Jane’s agenda.

Alas that shooting Jane was clearly on someone else’s! Buy The Book’s resident ghost, the spirit of 1940s private investigator Jack Shepard, is raring to investigate. Penny is a little more hesitant:

QUOTE
[“W]hat if she…”

I swallowed, not wanting to say the words.

<i>Kicks the bucket?</i> Jack blurted. <i>Bites the dust? Cashes in her chips? Catches the big chill?</i>

“I was going to say, <i>what if she doesn’t pull through?</i>”

<i>Listen, honey, there’s no need to soft-pedal things with me. I’m not one of your small-town church ladies.</i>

“Well, I don’t see any reason to be crass. I mean, given your own…situation.”
END QUOTE

While not unappreciative of Penny’s delicacy, Jack isn’t about to let being dead hamper his sleuthing. If anything, Jane’s shooting reminds him of an odd case he took on himself almost eighty years ago. The parallels are clear even though the cases are quite different from one another. While Jack had a dog basically thrust upon him with a cryptic note and a hundred dollar bill, Penny agrees to take in Sparky after hearing that the alternative is a local shelter with an unnervingly short timeline before euthanizing its charges.

Spencer is overjoyed by this, offering to do most of the work of caring for Jane’s dog while she’s in the hospital, including twice daily walks. But when it looks increasingly as if Sparky himself might be the next target for assassination, Penny can’t help but worry that she or Spencer might get caught in the crossfire. Will Jack’s experience and her own resourcefulness be enough to keep her family from harm? Penny must race to identify and catch an attempted killer before she herself becomes the next victim.

The Ghost Goes To The Dogs was another delightful installment in a series that travels effortlessly back and forth in time with its two main characters, as Jack and Penny help each other solve mysteries in both present-day Rhode Island and post-Second World War New York City. The tone skips lightly between charming cozy mystery and hardboiled noir, as here where Penny narrates an unexpected encounter in the Big Apple’s gangland past:

QUOTE
As the man approached us, I finally got a look at his scarred and pockmarked face. I recoiled not so much at his rough features and close-set eyes but the twisted grimace of his expression and the meanness in his gaze.

The silk-suited boneheads around Joey Flowers were pretty guard dogs compared to this junkyard killer, a product of back alleys, rough streets, and prison yards, whose aura of intimidation conveyed the frightening, teeth-baring evidence of what it took to survive in such places.
END QUOTE

I adore cozy mysteries that serve up an edge, as this series does with its paranormal, noir gumshoe twist. The modern crimes are truly very modern and make for a terrific contrast with the engrossing historical details of Jack’s milieu, as our main characters switch back and forth between worlds. Having dogs feature in this latest book was a nice addition, and will hopefully increase the appeal of this engaging series to readers who have yet to discover its ample charms.

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📖My Thoughts📖

I’m always game for a good cozy mystery and I seem to always have good luck with the ones I pick up. This was no exception! I’ve read a few of Cleo Coyle’s books and I always enjoy them. I actually find them rather relaxing! They’re fun, entertaining, they have the element of mystery but not in a heavy way, and I just find myself getting lost in them and shutting the rest of the world out. This series is probably one of my favorites because I love the characters, especially Jack and Pen, there’s a bookshop (I mean come on, for a person who loves books, it’s even better when a book has one as part of the main storyline), and I love the relationship between the characters. I really enjoyed how much Spencer was a part of this book. If he were a real person, I would have to say he seems like a pretty cool kid. I think my only dislike is that (without saying too much) Jack was alive and well in present time because he and Pen seem like they would be good together. I definitely recommend this book (and the series if you haven’t read any of it).
Thank you Netgalley, Cleo Coyle and Berkley Publishing Group for the opportunity to read and review this book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

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Dollycas's Thoughts

It's Pet Mystery week in Quindicott, Rhode Island, and Penelope McClure's Buy the Book bookshop is catering to canines, felines, snakes, parrots, fish, and any other pet that comes through the door and their humans. In addition to the happenings at the bookstore, there are guest speakers, a traveling vet, pet adoptions, a blessing of the animals, a pet parade, and animal movies being shown at the theatre. All the local businesses are getting involved.

As Pen was getting ready for her events a dog was creating a heck of a racket in front of her shop.  Pen's son Spencer recognizes the dog and tries to calm the pup but ends up chasing him down the street to a wooded area. Pen follows as quickly as she can. They stop when they find the dog's person unconscious on the side of the road with a bullet wound. Mrs. Cunningham is loved around Quindicott. She heads the pet lover's book club at Buy the Book and volunteers at the local animal shelter. Why would someone have shot her?

Pen is dismayed when the police decide it was a stray bullet from a hunter. She thinks there is much more to the story and she knows just who to contact to help her investigate. Her favorite PI and resident ghost, Jack Shepard. He just so happens to have a dog case of his own dating back to the 1940s. He thinks his case will help her solve her current canine case. Together they set out to sniff out all the clues and like dogs with a bone they won't give up until they catch the shooter and leash them up and put them in the pokey.

____

I get so excited when a new book is released in this series! Jack and Pen are a dynamic duo that pull readers into their crime-solving adventures and hold on tight. Jack always appears when she needs him and I love that she can travel to his world in her dreams.

Spencer really impressed me. He was respectful and truly wanted to help. He reminded me of my grandson, especially the way he was so dedicated to keeping Sparky safe. Mailman Seymour also plays a bigger role in this story. The former Jeopardy champ really knows his stuff but he can be long-winded. He also has great comedic timing, even if he may not know it,  and knows how to take control of a situation. Chapter 33 is a hoot, I laughed so much I had tears in my eyes between Jack's comments and Seymour taking charge.

This time the two mysteries have dogs being key players. Sparky is such a loyal animal and went where he could get help for his owner. Spencer and Sparky form a quick bond. Toto Two appears at Jack's door and "hires" him to solve a riddle. I loved the way the authors captured each dog's unique personality. I know they are animal lovers.

The mystery regarding Mrs. Cunningham was complex and multifaceted especially because the police were no help at all and wouldn't listen to anything that didn't confirm the conclusion they had already reached. I appreciated the twists and the unexpected connections. The second mystery took Pen and Jack to some interesting places and she met some interesting people. Both are entertaining and supremely plotted. I really enjoy following the clues and trying to put them together before Pen and Jack. I did figure out part of Jack's mystery but the current-day mystery was harder to solve. There were some really scary situations and a chilling reveal.

I have said it before and I will say it again. Cleo Coyle is a master at setting a scene. The descriptions take readers right into the drama, the chaos, the good times, and the bad. The characters come to life and I felt like I was right there with them. I have always been able to escape into these stories and have real life slip away. Just ask my husband how hard it was to get my attention when I was reading this book. We had our own comical moment.

The Ghost Goes to the Dogs is so dog-gone great. Each new book in this series tops the last and becomes my new favorite. Another title that will be added to My Best Reads of 2023. I loved every minute!

I highly recommend every book in the Haunted Bookshop Mystery Series and the Coffeehouse Mysteries are excellent too! You can't go wrong with a book by Cleo Coyle.

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This book was all I had come to love in a Cleo Coyle mystery—and more. Stress-free fun. I recommend this story to be enjoyed away from interruptions of your day so you can pay attention to the information and clues and immerse yourself in the community and the relationships between the characters.
I had prepared my tea and properly cozied up on the back deck, yet even my Yorkie’s insistence to throw the ball couldn’t get me to put down the book. I love the extra time spent in Jack’s past, the language used to set us in time and place, and how the crime helps Pen with her present-day predicament. Cleo does not fully reveal the mystery of how Pen ends up in Jack’s era or how Pen’s costumes suddenly appear, but that makes things intriguing and doesn’t detract from the moment. You’ll enjoy the clear and well-crafted plot and getting better acquainted with the returning characters. The chapter intro quotes are especially fun, and I liked the attention to Spencer and Sparky in this book. Coyle sure makes wanting your own bookstore rather enticing, and it’s always exciting to see what Pen has planned for her store and the community. Well, other than Pen again landing smack in the middle of a crime. Who said crime can’t be fun?
Coyle’s delightful details, trivia bits to impress your friends, and a warm sense of community are a fun escape with the dashing and smooth Jack and confident, witty Pen.

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This is an interesting series. Single mother Pen is raising her son while running a bookstore with her Aunt Sadie and stumbling into murders periodically. That's a fairly straightforward premise for a cozy mystery series but what makes this series a bit different is the ghost of the PI from the 1940s who helps Pen investigate and periodically helps her visit post-war New York to help her figure out the modern day cases while looking into ones that he has already solved.

I liked that Pen's son Spencer was such a big part of this book as he took care of the victim's dog. The dog element in both modern day and the 1940s mystery added a bit of fun. The mystery was solid right from the beginning with some misdirection and a lot of questions.

This is a fun series - a bit bookish, a bit ghostly and very entertaining. I'm looking forward to going back and reading the first few books and will definitely be grabbing the next book in Pen and Jack's adventures.

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The Ghost Goes to the Dogs is a unique cozy mystery. "Pen" (Penelope) McClure is a single mother running a mystery bookstore in small town Rhode Island. When a dog shows up out of the blue, Pen's son follows the dog - only to find the dog's owner unconscious on the sidewalk. Pen works to find what happened to the woman who was injured, with the help of a ghostly 1940's gumshoe detective, Jack Shepard.

I wanted to read this novel because I love cozy mysteries and I enjoyed reading this series early on. I haven't read the more recent books, but had no problem jumping in and enjoying this book. (And I do want to catch up with the books I missed!)

As someone who loves 1940's mysteries (both books and movies) I absolutely love the character of Jack Shepard and the 1940's setting for his flashback scenes. I also enjoy his interaction with Pen, which works amazingly well and adds an interesting layer to the mystery.

I loved the idea of a week of pet mysteries at a bookstore (with a pet festival as well) and appreciated how well the pet owner mystery in this book fit in with that theme. Lovable Sparky the dog and Bookmark the cat were great additions to the story!

The Ghost Goes to the Dogs is fast paced and well plotted. I enjoyed the way Pen and Jack worked together to solve the mystery.

I recommend this mystery to fans of cozy mysteries, and especially for anyone who loves 1940's detectives or pet theme cozies.

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Yet another fun installment to author Cleo Coyle's great series!

Penelope has two great loves - books and a way of getting entangled in murder investigations.

She and her ghostly private eye friend soon find themselves entangled in another strange place, involving an adorable dog and his human companion. I found myself really enjoying this particular installment of this series, I mean I love this series, but this one was a really fun read. Ms. Coyle has an excellent way of crafting excellent well-defined characters and making interesting plots that suck you in and don't let you go until the final page.

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I began reading the Haunted Bookshop Mystery series with book seven which was shortly after the series returned after a long hiatus. Though I’d never read any of the other books, I quickly caught up with the story and fell in love with it! The Ghost Goes to the Dogs is just as delightful as the other books I’ve read from this series.

The characters in The Ghost Goes to the Dogs have lots of personality and are full of life. Yes, even Jack the ghost is full of life, and in this case, he helps Pen track down the culprit who tried to kill Mrs. Cunningham.

Just like Lassie, Mrs. Cunningham’s dog shows up at Pen’s bookstore barking up a storm. When her son heads out to bring him inside, the dog takes off leading Pen and her son to Mrs. Cunningham, who has been shot! I appreciate how kind Pen’s son is. He’s helpful and respectful….ah, the good old days when kids respected their elders. In spite of Pen and her aunt’s reluctance to foster the dog while Mrs. Cunningham is in hospital, they know that Spencer is a responsible kid, and they cave. How could they let a poor, adorable dog be put in a shelter? They can’t!

In case you haven’t read any of the other books, I won’t tell you much about Pen’s two male friends whom she’s known forever because you just have to “see” them for yourselves! I will say that I wished they’d played a bigger role because I feel like they did in the prior two books I read. One of them had a bigger role than the other, but still. I just love them. Maybe it was just me! But if you read this and can’t get enough of those guys, be sure to read The Ghost and the Haunted Portrait and The Ghost and the Stolen Tears. (Those are the two I’ve read.)

And, of course, Jack is my favorite. Since he was gunned down decades ago in the building that’s now the bookshop, he “haunts” the place. Pen is the only one he communicates with. He can communicate with her in her thoughts, and they can spend “real life” together in her dreams where he shows her his past cases. It’s all very cute and charming, and I just love it!

The mystery in The Ghost Goes to the Dogs is very well-plotted. I love following the clues that the author leaves throughout the book. The “ah-hah” moments when you put the pieces together and figure stuff out is very satisfying. It makes me think that I’d better become a detective…maybe not. If you’re a cozy mystery lover, I’ll bet you want to be a detective too! Solving mysteries has been in my blood since my Nancy Drew books days!

The Ghost Goes to the Dogs is a must-read for cozy mystery fans. It’s got great characters, a small town (and big city…you’ll see!) vibe that I love, a celebration of pets, and a “dog-goned” good mystery! I think you’ll enjoy this delightful book as much as I did!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

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The Ghost Goes to the Dogs by Cleo Coyle has Penelope embroiled in another mystery. I always look forward to reading Penelope and Jack’s latest adventure. They are an entertaining duo. The characters are realistic and relatable. I especially love Jack with his 1930s and 1940s lingo. I like the author’s writing style. I was quickly drawn into the story. There are two mysteries in this story. In the present day, a lost dog leads Penelope and her son (plus Jack) to its owner who has been shot. The local law enforcement (the keystone cops) is a joke. The only decent member is out of town at a seminar much to Penelope’s dismay. Penelope, of course, decides to search for answers on her own (well, she is technically not alone since Jack is with her in spirit). It is a well plotted, complex mystery. I had a good time solving it. The secondary whodunit is one of Jack’s old cases. Jack visits Penelope in her dreams. He takes her back to the 1940s when he was working as a PI when someone left a dog tied to his door with a note under the dog’s collar. Penelope uses the information provided by Jack along with a little sleuthing to solve the cold case. I liked how this mystery tied to the present day. It is like we are getting two stories in one book. Both mysteries were nicely wrapped up by the end. The Ghost Goes to the Dogs is the ninth A Haunted Bookshop Mystery. It can be read as a standalone, but I do recommend reading all the books in this unique series. I love how Jack talks (how you expect a private investigator from the 1940s to talk). I enjoyed his references to Lassie and Rin Tin Tin. I like how he flirts with Penelope. He really is the perfect man for Penelope (if he was alive). I enjoyed my latest visit to Quindicott. I can tell that the author has been around cats and dogs. She captured their behavior and attitudes. I am eager for the next A Haunted Bookshop Mystery. The Ghost Goes to the Dogs is a killer diller with a dame downed with a cannon, an eager beaver bookseller, knucklehead cops with a cockeyed concept, a clever cookie, a dreamboat apparition, a canny canine, and a humdinger of a whodunit.

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Penelope, Pen for short, is part-owner of a bookstore in rural Rhode Island. She is also a single mother who talks to ghosts in her head. Actually, it’s just one ghost. Jack was a 1940s private investigator until he was murdered in Pen’s bookstore. Now, he and Pen investigate crimes. In The Ghost Goes to the Dogs there is a doozy of a crime, a local woman is shot on a rural lane walking her dog. The mystery of who shot her and why is soon to be solved by the unbeatable duo of hard-boiled ghost and mystery addict.

While my synopsis above is accurate, it fails to include the humor and genuine feelings that encompass the book’s characters. Is that a bit of The Ghost and Mrs. Muir vibe going on between Jack and Pen that I feel? I don’t know but I do know that I love spending time with both of them.

The book approaches the hard-boiled detective sub-genre with both love and a post-#metoo sensibility. Jack may like the dames but there is none of the “dames are only good for one thing” feeling that unfortunately fills so many 1940s noir plots.

If you enjoy both noir and cozy mysteries, you cannot go wrong with this book. The mystery is engaging but the genuine and inventive characters will stick with you well past the final page. Plus, The Ghost Goes to the Dogs is, of course, filled with endearing dogs giving you an even better reason to jump right into it. 5 stars!

Thanks to Berkley, NetGalley and Great Escapes Book Tours for a digital review copy of the book.

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The Ghost Goes to the Dogs is the 9th Haunted Bookshop cozy/noir mystery by the pseudonymous duo writing as Cleo Coyle. Released 4th May 2021 by Penguin Random House on their Berkley imprint, it's 320 pages and is available in mass market 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 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. This installment sees Pen & Jack trying to sort out the possibly-not-accidental shooting of a local widow who is also involved with local pet rescue scene.

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 (and her ghostly "Watson" Jack) add to the book. Although it's the 9th book in the series, the mysteries are completely self-contained and work 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 1940s culture. Lots of fun. The authors have done their research on the era. With 9 books in the series, it would also make a good candidate for a long binge/buddy/readathon read.

Four stars. Definitely worth a look for fans of cozy mysteries like those from Laura Childs and Kate Carlisle (but also with a paranormal twist).
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

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When a dog will not stop barking outside Penny’s bookstore, she follows it to find its owner, a beloved community member has been shot. Though clinging to life, the woman is unable to say who shot her. With the help of her store’s resident ghost, Penny is determined to solve the mystery, all while juggling her town’s Pet Week.

This is a fun and unique series with the addition of the ghost, who always takes Penny back in time (through her dreams) to a case he solved in the past as a private eye. I loved all the dogs in the story too, being a dog owner myself. There were some genuinely funny moments, as well as some genuinely touching ones, and the ending had a lot of suspense. While not my favorite entry in the series, I still enjoyed it.

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Ok...I'm just going to come right out and say it. At the start. And get it over with.

This series is my favorite cozy mystery series. I once waited 10 years for a new Jack & Penelope sleuthing adventure and was totally excited when the series picked back up. This is one series I will always pre-order and expect my new book delivered on release day. Period. End of story. So yep....this is an honest review, but I'm gonna tell you I will 5 star this series on each and every book. Always.

I did a quick exploratory read of this newest book thanks to my handy-dandy digital review copy. But I'm waiting for my crisp, colorful, full of new book smell, paperback to arrive on May 2nd to give it a complete read-through. I already have that Tuesday night blocked off for a binge reading session.

The basics: It's Pet Mystery Week at the bookshop and business is good. Then a stray dog in a panicked state shows up and leads Penelope and her son to a body. Who killed the leader of the store's pet lovers book club? And can they catch the killer before someone else dies?

Not giving any spoilers because I avoided reading the ending....waiting for my book. Loved the parts I did read! I enjoy the setting of this series, the characters and the fun, entertaining energy of the plots in each story.

The cover art for this newest book is so colorful and cute. Love it!

I'm definitely already in line for the next book. Can't wait to see what Penelope and Jack get up to next.

**I voluntarily read a digital review copy of this book from Berkley Publishing. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

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The town is turned over to Pet Mystery week with a lot of events planned. Unfortunately an unexpected event happens when Penelope and her son follow a stray dog down a dirty road. Pen's favorite ghost Jack shows her there is more than one dog in this show... Fun read!

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