Where There’s Smoke . . .
by E.J. Copperman

Paint store owner Laura Meehan must prove her amateur sleuthing skills (again!) when her small town’s public library starts burning in this installment of the Haunted Paint Store cozy mystery series.

Don’t mess with a paint store owner’s safe haven!

Laura Meehan has her hands full with her paint store, but also with another case (that she will definitely leave to the police to solve)! The Sea Breeze Public Library is burning and it’s clear from the beginning that it must be arson.

Who would want to burn a library down and why? Was it a group of moms protesting what they see as inappropriate book content? Maybe it was someone who didn’t like a title they lent? Or is there something more alarming going on?

As a library volunteer, Laura simply has to find out, and together with her IT-savvy husband Roy and her ex-detective father’s ghost (real or imagined still yet to be determined), she stumbles upon a lot of obstacles on her quest to find the truth—and maybe even an arsonist who might strike again!

A light-hearted cozy mystery with a paranormal twist and Copperman’s signature wit, humor, and zaniness. Perfect for fans of Copperman’s Haunted Guesthouse Mysteries and Cleo Coyle’s Haunted Bookshop Mysteries, as well as funny and cozy mysteries by Janet Evanovich, Elle Cosimano, and Amanda Flower.

Genre: Cosy Mystery

Reviews

“A fun and enjoyable read and I can’t wait to see where we go next with Laura, Roy and her dad”

Dru's Book Musings on All Spooked Up

“This is a strong start to a new series by the very prolific author, who always delivers with innovative plots, witty dialogue, and extremely likable characters”

Kings River Life Magazine on All Spooked Up

“With head-spinning twists, droll humor, red herrings aplenty, and a plucky heroine, Copperman’s latest is sure to please his legions of fans”

Booklist on All Spooked Up

“100% Copperman and 100% hilarious”

Kirkus Reviews on Switcheroo

“An excellent and enjoyable read. This is the best book in the series and sad to know this will be their last case”

Dru's Book Musings on Switcheroo

“Fans of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series will love Fran's sassy, sarcastic, take-no-BS attitude . . . A funny, delightful read”

Booklist on Switcheroo

“It’s Fran’s resilience, intelligence, and — most of all — her irrepressible, sassy, laugh-out-loud humor that make this book so entertaining”

Booklist on Same Difference

“A hilarious quest”

Kirkus Reviews on Same Difference

“A terrific read”

Dru's Book Musings on Same Difference

“A wonderful, complicated and funny mystery, which might remind the reader of Donald Westlake at his best”

Aunt Agatha's on Same Difference

E.J. Copperman

E.J. Copperman is the nom de plume for Jeff Cohen, writer of intentionally funny murder mysteries. As E.J., he has written the Haunted Guesthouse and Agent to the Paws series, as well as the Jersey Girl Legal Mysteries, the Fran & Ken Stein Mysteries, and the new Haunted Paint Store Mysteries; as Jeff, he has written the Double Feature and Aaron Tucker series; and he collaborated with himself on the Samuel Hoenig Asperger’s Mysteries.A New Jersey native, E.J. worked as a newspaper reporter, teacher, magazine editor, and screenwriter before his first book was published to critical acclaim in 2002. In his spare time, Jeff is an extremely amateur guitar player, a fan of Major League Baseball, a couch potato, and a crossword addict.

View author page

Editions

Where There’s Smoke . . . by E.J. Copperman is available in the following formats

Hardback97814483204484th August 2026144 X 222mm240$29.99
Hardback97814483204484th August 2026144 X 222mm240£21.99
Ebook97814483204554th August 2026N/A240£12.99
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