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The Ghost and the Dead Librarian
  • Published: 27 October 2026
  • ISBN: 9781496749338
  • Imprint: Kensington
  • Format: Hardback
  • Pages: 320
  • RRP: $65.00
Categories:

The Ghost and the Dead Librarian

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In an utterly charming new paranormal cozy mystery series from New York Times bestselling author Cleo Coyle, a smalltown Rhode Island bookshop owner investigates the death of an eccentric librarian with the help of a wisecracking, 1940s gumshoe ghost.

As a young widow, Penelope moved back to her quaint Rhode Island town to give her young son a safer home and her aunt’s dying bookshop new life. Using her late husband’s insurance money, Pen polished the store into a local treasure. But her updates did more than attract new customers. They roused a dead private eye from his big sleep.

With Pen’s affection for hardboiled detective stories, it’s no surprise she’s developed a fondness for the wisecracking yet oddly likeable spirit. Sure, Jack’s cold spots are exasperating, along with his proclivity for putting noir fiction in the cozy section. But murder was Jack’s business in life, and his PI skills come in awfully handy when the body of an eccentric librarian is found amid the bookshop’s mystery aisles.

For years, Dory jokingly called herself “The Dead Librarian” because of her hobby of collecting local obituaries. Now, in death, she’s discovered holding her own eerily pre-written obit. Was it a suicide note? Jack and Pen say no and their certainty takes them from a ghost town’s ancient cemetery to a prominent family’s Newport estate. Then an intriguing stranger comes to town. Nikki Burnside takes a keen interest in Dory’s death and makes Pen a shocking offer, one that may change her life—and Jack’s afterlife. But unless Jack can help Pen prove who “checked out” the librarian, a ruthless killer may close the book on her.
  • Published: 27 October 2026
  • ISBN: 9781496749338
  • Imprint: Kensington
  • Format: Hardback
  • Pages: 320
  • RRP: $65.00
Categories:

About the author

Cleo Coyle

Cleo Coyle is a pseudonym for Alice Alfonsi, writing in collaboration with her husband, Marc Cerasini. Both are New York Times bestselling authors of The Coffeehouse Mysteries, now celebrating over ten years in print. Alice and Marc are also bestselling media tie-in writers who have penned properties for Lucasfilm, NBC, Fox, Disney, Imagine, and MGM. They live and work in New York City, where they write independently and together, including the national bestselling Haunted Bookshop Mysteries.
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Also by Cleo Coyle

Eat, Drink, and Get Buried
No Roast for the Weary
Bulletproof Barista
The Ghost Goes to the Dogs
The Ghost and the Stolen Tears
Honey Roasted
The Ghost and the Haunted Portrait
See all

Praise for The Ghost and the Dead Librarian

Praise for Cleo Coyle

"Immersive settings and nicely delineated characters enhance this paranormal cozy." —Booklist, STARRED REVIEW for The Ghost and the Stolen Tears

"Wildly entertaining, as Clare mingles with some of the biggest names in Hollywood in order to catch a cunning killer. The behind the scenes action is so much fun, with an excellently plotted mystery to boot." —Criminal Element on Bulletproof Barista

"Scads of red herrings, peeks behind the show-biz curtain, and bountiful appended recipes will leave fans smiling contentedly." —Kirkus Reviews on Bulletproof Barista

"An interesting puzzle infused with Big Apple attitude." —Kirkus Reviews on No Roast for the Weary

“Cleo Coyle [is] one of the best Cozy Mystery authors out there.” —Fresh Fiction, Fresh Pick Readers’ Selection on No Roast for the Weary

“I love these books so much. The mysteries are always well done with plenty of twists and turns—never saw the ending of this one coming…if you enjoy a great mystery and a great cup of coffee, don’t miss No Roast For the Weary, or this series!” —Kings River Life Magazine on No Roast for the Weary

"The powerhouse writing duo that makes up Cleo Coyle has done it again with this 19th installment of the Coffeehouse Mysteries. What do I love about these books? EVERYTHING…Honey Roasted needs to be on every mystery lover’s to be read list." —Fresh Fiction

"This twentieth Coffeehouse mystery brings together the history of the shop, ripped-from-the-headlines plot elements, [and] the drama of on-site filming." —Booklist on Bulletproof Barista

"Cleo Coyle once again delights with The Ghost Goes to the Dogs, which not only serves up a head-scratching...double-mystery but also celebrates the unparalleled joys of canine companionship. Further, Pen and Jack bring both sweet and sass to the proceedings, ensuring that the human company is equally welcoming, while the melding of modernity and nostalgia will appeal to a wide range of readers. .” —The Strand Magazine on The Ghost Goes to the Dogs

"The talented duo Alice Alfonsi and Marc Cerasini, who write under the name Cleo Coyle, continue to deliver clever, light-hearted, extremely satisfying reads in a mystery that crosses many genres. This blend of noir, paranormal, cozy, and a dash of romance sizzles with sparkling dialogue and unique plots." —Kings River Life on The Ghost Goes to the Dogs