The sequel to Parnassus On Wheels finds us in new digs and a whole new genre of fiction, per say.

Having closed up the mobile bookshop of the original novel, Mr. and Mrs. Mifflin have opened a rather delightfully musty second hand shop in the heart of Brooklyn, filled to overflowing with quirky titles and irregular patrons with regular habits. Mifflin is doing the Lord’s work, attempting at every corner to legitimize all good tastes in books and firmly convinced that it is the book dealer’s job to give the reader what he needs, not simply what he asks for. When a wealthy patron desires that his daughter should have a little real world experience was a bookstore clerk for a few months, the Mifflins find themselves delighted by her company. But strange things are afoot in The Haunted Bookshop, and their youthful new acquaintance Aubrey Gilbert is committed to protecting the young heiress at any cost.

This book is the ultimate indulgence in literary name dropping. Morley is obviously one of the most well read authors of all time and he is constantly sidelined, as is his protagonist Mifflin, by mentioning title after title that has delighted him, along with a few he looks askance at. He talks about what titles are best for which parts of the day, for which seasons, for reading in bed or at the dinner table, etc. His book obsession is a constant source of comfort and distraction, to the readers delight and, occasionally, boredom.

The story eventually turns into a comic mystery that feels a bit light Wodehouse lite. The comedy is not so central, but the characters and plot feel like a Wodehouse setup with a beautiful little romance unfolding in the end. There are slow spots for sure, but anyone at home in a library or used book store work surely end this read delighted and with a long “to read” list.