Book Review: Halloween Cupcake Murder by Carlene O’Connor, Liz Ireland, and Carol J. Perry

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Fun introduction to three popular authors

Cons: A few questions left at the end of a couple of the stories

The Bottom Line:

Sweet treats and murder

Three Halloween novellas

Fun for the season

Grab a Treat to Read with These Three Novellas

I love summer, so it always bums me out a little to see Halloween cozies start to come out, which signals that fall is on the way.  This year, Kensington has another Halloween themed novella collection featuring three of their authors – Carlene O’Connor, Liz Ireland, and Carol J. Perry.  As is often the case, I picked up Halloween Cupcake Murder for one of those authors, but I’m glad I did since I enjoyed all three stories.

Up first is the title story from Carlene O’Connor.  This story takes us to Ireland, where it’s a week and a half until Halloween, and Tara Meehan is looking for some decorations for her shop in Galway.  At her uncle’s recommendation, she visits a curiosity shop, and she meets the eccentric owner.  An hour later, she happens back by his shop only to find him murdered with the remains of a cupcake on his body.  Later, Tara receives a cupcake of her own and a cryptic phone call.  What is going on?

I’m not familiar with Carlene’s work, and I see that she is highlighting one of her newer series here, the Home to Ireland series.  I was meeting the characters for the first time, but I didn’t have any issues getting to know them.  I also like how Irish lore played a huge part in the story, which really helped capture the spirit of the holiday.  I did feel like the mystery was a little underdeveloped, with a few things being glossed over.  Still, fans of these characters will be delighted to catch up with them, and new fans will enjoy meeting them.

Our next stop is the North Pole, where Liz Ireland’s delightful Mrs. Claus mysteries take place.  Mrs. Claus and the Candy Corn Caper is the reason I picked up this anthology, in fact.  Santaland is getting ready to celebrate their second Halloween and April Claus has been asked to pick the theme ingredient for, and judge, the bakeoff.  She chose candy corn, a new concept to the elves, and the samples that were ordered have been stolen.  Unfortunately, that crime takes a backseat when an elf is found murdered next to a half-eaten cupcake.  He’s recently left one bakery in town to work for another across the street.  Will April figure out what happened?

I love this series and can easily get lost in the creative world, and this novella was no exception.  The details are magical, which is important since this is part fantasy, obviously.  Yet, the characters are sharp and fun.  The plot is strong, keeping us guessing until we reach the end.  And the humor is sharp as always.  Fans of the series will be delighted with this story, and if you haven’t started the series yet, this is a great chance to meet the characters.

Finally, we make a stop in Salem, Massachusetts for A Triple Layer Halloween Murder, Carol J. Perry’s contribution to the book.  Halloween is a popular holiday in Salem, Massachusetts, and a local bakery gets into the act with their triple layer cupcakes.  Lee Barret, station manager at WICH-TV, gets involved when the bakery owner’s cat needs to be rescued from a tree.  But the problem is, the owner is missing.  He left his wallet and phone behind; he even left a batch of cupcakes in his oven.  Will Lee’s visions help the police find the man?

This was my introduction to the characters since I typically don’t read paranormal cozies.  I had no trouble jumping in here and meeting the characters for the first time.  I found them to be a fun bunch, and I enjoyed the TV station setting as well.  The mystery was strong and kept me engaged.  I thought I had things figured out early, but that turned out not to be the case.  However, there are some big why questions left opened at the end of the story.  This story is the only one to give us a recipe, the triple layer cupcake that gives the story its name.

Each story in this book is roughly 100 pages, so they don’t require a lot of commitment.  If you aren’t familiar with the authors, this is a good way to dip into their series and see if they are something you’d like to read.  If you are already a fan of these characters, it’s nice to check in between books.

With the book coming out now, you’ll have plenty of time to get it before Halloween.  Or, you can read and enjoy it now.  Either way, you’ll be glad you picked up Halloween Cupcake Murder.

If you like what you read here, you’ll want to read the rest of the Mrs. Claus Mysteries.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.