Sherri B. (sharalsbooks) reviewed on 12/29/2010 + 259 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 4

Im really enjoying this series. In this installment, Penelope and her Aunt Sadie travel to Newport to acquire a collection of published works by Edgar Allan Poe from a man Sadie used to be romantically involved with. One of the things I enjoyed about this book is the story doesnt drag and meander. It gets right to the meat and potatoes of the story when just mere minutes after leaving Newport with the books, the previous owner dies under mysterious circumstances. Then before I had time to process that, Penelope sells one of the volumes for $8,000 and the new owner is found dead. Penelope gets arrested and charged with theft, Spencer is being bullied at school, and we learn a little more about Jack and one of the cases he was working on. These side plots keep the story from becoming stagnant and hold my interest in the book.

I also like that, through her dreams, Penelope is able to go with Jack to his time and observe and even participate in what hes doing. This seems to be the only way she can actually see him. In her time, she can only hear him, but carrying Jacks buffalo nickel on her person, he can travel outside the store with her. I just wish she could see him in the present and that Sadie and Spencer could too. Jacks vocabulary is very entertaining as well.

Pops is laying track, baby. Hes taking you for a rube.

Make like the proverbial shepherd, sweetheart, and get the flock out.

All that yammering is giving me a headache where I dont have one --- a head, that is

That scam was old when I was in knee pants.

Im hoping that Penelope will learn more about Jack; maybe find his descendants or learn the truth about his murder. In the meantime, Jacks presence in Penelopes head brings her confidence and, at times, comfort.

Overall, The Ghost and the Dead Mans Library is a good installment of the Haunted Bookshop Mystery series. It enlightened me to some unknown facts about Edgar Allan Poe and entertained me with Jacks gruff personality and quips.

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