The Ghost and Mrs. McClure

The Ghost and Mrs. McClure introduces Penelope Thornton-McClure, a young widow who moves to Rhode Island with her son to help run a struggling mystery bookstore. The store harbors an unexpected resident - the ghost of Jack Shepard, a private investigator who was murdered there in 1949. When a famous author dies during a book signing at the store, Penelope finds herself caught up in solving the mystery. Jack's hardboiled 1940s detective experience combines with Penelope's modern-day perspective as they work together to uncover the truth. The story moves between contemporary small-town life and glimpses of Jack's past in 1940s New York City. The investigation leads Penelope through her close-knit community, forcing her to question whom she can trust. This first entry in the Haunted Bookshop series explores themes of past versus present, combining classic noir elements with a contemporary cozy mystery structure. The dynamic between a ghost detective and living bookstore owner creates opportunities to examine how investigative methods and social norms have evolved over decades.

Alice Kimberly's "The Ghost and Mrs. McClure" launches the Haunted Bookshop Mystery series with a compelling blend of cozy mystery traditions and supernatural elements that elevates it beyond typical genre fare. The novel centers on Penelope Thornton-McClure, a young widow who inherits a bookstore in small-town Rhode Island, only to discover it comes with a permanent resident: the ghost of a 1940s private detective named Jack Shepard. Kimberly expertly weaves themes of reinvention, community, and the enduring power of storytelling throughout the narrative, as Pen must navigate both her grief and her new role as an unlikely amateur sleuth. The author's treatment of loss and healing feels authentic rather than sentimental, particularly in how Pen's relationship with Jack's spirit serves as both literal supernatural assistance and metaphorical representation of learning to trust again after devastating personal loss. The writing style demonstrates Kimberly's skill at balancing multiple narrative demands: the cozy mystery's requisite puzzle-solving elements, the supernatural romance's emotional development, and the small-town setting's rich atmospheric details. Her prose is accessible yet sophisticated, with particular strength in dialogue that captures both contemporary speech patterns and Jack's period-appropriate 1940s vernacular without resorting to heavy-handed pastiche. The mystery plot unfolds with satisfying complexity, avoiding the genre's common pitfalls of either telegraphing solutions or relying on coincidence. What distinguishes this work culturally is its thoughtful approach to the intersection of past and present, using the bookstore setting to explore how stories and knowledge transcend time. In an era of increasing digitization and chain bookstore dominance, Kimberly's celebration of independent bookshops as community anchors feels both nostalgic and urgent, while her portrayal of a woman rebuilding her life on her own terms resonates with contemporary themes of female empowerment and self-determination.

The Real Murder by Lorna Barrett A bookstore owner works with her deceased aunt's ghost to solve murders in their small town.

Through the Grinder by Cleo Coyle The manager of a New York coffee shop investigates mysterious deaths with help from a spirit who haunts her cafe.

The Family Plot by Cherie Priest A salvage company owner encounters the ghost of a murder victim while dismantling an old house and must uncover the truth.

Aunt Dimity's Death by Nancy Atherton A woman inherits a cottage and communicates with a ghost through a journal to solve mysteries in an English village.

The Broken Teaglass by Emily Arsenault A dictionary company employee discovers hidden messages about an unsolved murder within dictionary citations and works to piece together the crime.

🌟 The Ghost and Mrs. McClure is the first book in the Haunted Bookshop Mystery series, which spans 10 novels. 🌟 "Alice Kimberly" is actually a pen name for husband-and-wife writing team Marc Cerasini and Alice Alfonsi, who also write together as Cleo Coyle. 🌟 The ghost in the story is a hardboiled private investigator from the 1940s, bringing classic noir elements into a modern cozy mystery setting. 🌟 The fictional Buy the Book bookstore in the novel is set in Quindicott, Rhode Island, a location inspired by real New England coastal towns. 🌟 As Cleo Coyle, the same authors write the highly successful Coffeehouse Mystery series, which has sold over one million copies.