October 2025's Reading Summary

Spooky how it's time for another reading summary, isn't it?  Yeah, I had to go there.  But it is the end of October, so here's what I read.  A bit more uneven than most months, but I did end with some good books.  And November is shaping up to be enjoyable as well.

I've updated the index.

The links will take you to my full reviews.  All ratings are on a scale of 1 (bad) to 5 (great).

 

Murder Comes Home by Rosalie Spielman (Hometown Mysteries #3) – 5

Tessa Treslow and her aunt have agreed to be featured on the TV show Picks with Ricks, hoping that the hosts will find some treasure in the old garage they need to clear out.  But one of the hosts has his eye on the car that Tessa has almost finished restoring.  That is until the car becomes a crime scene with the dead body of the show’s camera man inside.  Who killed him?  And why was the car involved?

While a TV crew being the subject of a murder isn’t new, the set up for this one still caught my attention.  The more I read, the more I got hooked, with a mystery from the past also drawing me in.  Everything made sense by the time we hit the climax.  Meanwhile, the characters get better with each book.  I’m loving the series regulars, and the suspects kept me guessing.  I’m finding each book in the series gets stronger, and I’m looking forward to reading the next soon.

 

Shady Hollow by Juneau Black (Shady Hollow #1) – 3

Welcome to the village of Shady Hollow, a place where woodland creatures live in peace and harmony. That is, until someone kills Otto, a toad. Vera Vixen, a fox and reporter for the local paper, is on the case. But can she figure out who committed the crime?

When I heard about this series, I had to give the book a chance since it sounded creative and fun. The book’s omniscient narration took a little for me to adjust to, but once I did, it worked okay. It did give the book a slower start than I would have liked, but the mystery was decent once it got going. And I liked the characters. While I found the idea of these characters living side by side and interacting fun, it does take some buying into this world, something I was ready to do. I did feel the authors could have done a more creative job of creating their world, or at least that’s what I was expecting. My biggest hang up was the idea of interspecies romance. I realize that’s a me thing, but it is enough that I won’t be returning to the series. Others love it, so if this intrigues you, by all means, give the series a chance.

 

O, Deadly Night by Vicki Delany (Year-Round Christmas Mysteries #8) – 3

It may be busy season, aka December, but Merry’s landlord at home is distracted by the new neighbors who have moved in. Mrs. D’Angelo hasn’t been able to meet them, and as the center of the town’s gossip mill, that doesn’t sit right. And, she keeps noticing weird things going on at the house. Merry’s too busy to give it too much attention. That is, until Mrs. D’Angelo disappears. Was she right about something strange going on across the street?

Being the Christmas lover I am, I’ve generally enjoy this series. And, once again, I did find the setting charming and the characters fun to spend time with. However, there were repetitive passages that should have been edited out or condensed. The pacing was off in general, not helped by Merry’s passive attitude toward the mystery, and Merry was pretty stupid at the end, even though she did figure things out. If the descriptions of food make your mouth water, you’ll be happy to find there are a couple of recipes at the end. Sadly, for me, this was a mixed bag. 

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book. 

 

Lady Darling Inquires After a Killer by Colleen Gleason (Lady Darling Mysteries #1) – 3

While Lady Darling, a rich widow of a certain age, enjoys her life in the country, she agrees to spend the season in London to be chaperone for a friend’s daughter. But when their host turns up dead at the first dinner party they attend, Lady Darling decides to investigate. Can she find the killer?

Having enjoyed some other books this author has written, I was looking forward to this one. I felt the book was over written, which is often the case with the author, but it was a bit more than some of her others. The story took a little time to get going, but once it did, I enjoyed it and was along until we reached the logical end, although it did feel like there was a leap or two. Lady Darling is lots of fun and I did enjoy getting to know the rest of the cast. My biggest issue was something in Lady Darling’s backstory. I can understand the justification for it, but it still didn’t sit right with me. Plenty of people are enjoying this book, so if the time and place appeal, give it a chance and see what you think for yourself. 

 

Murder Walks the Plank by Carolyn Hart (Death on Demand #15) – 4

Annie Darling has been plotting a harbor cruise to raise funds for a local charity. But the mystery themed event turns real life mystery when someone falls overboard. While everyone thinks it was an accident, Annie is sure it was murder. But can she figure out what happened before another tragedy strikes?

I’ve been looking forward to this book since the title is so fun. I’m glad to say it lived up to my expectations. Yes, I’m tired of law enforcement not taking Annie seriously, but on the whole, I enjoyed seeing the characters again. The mystery is very well done with plenty of good suspects, twists, and red herrings. Yet things made sense at the end. Since we are now in the era when I was reading mysteries, I enjoy seeing some of those books pop up in the references to real mysteries this series is famous for. If you are a fan of this series, you’ll be glad you picked this one up. 

 

Murder in the Graveyard by Various Authors (Destination Murders Short Story Collection #5) – 5

Just in time for Halloween, we get this fun collection of murders set in and around graveyards.  In addition to the unexpected dead body or two, we also get involved in revenge, teenage parties, amnesia, family feuds, and an escaped convict.  Many of these stories are set around Halloween, although a few take place at other times of the year.  And yes, a couple lean into the spooky, but it always fits the story, so I didn’t mind.

Many of these authors featured their series stars.  I’ve read many of those novels, so it was fun to spend time with them.  For those who I haven’t met outside of these short story collections, I didn’t feel like I was missing anything with the stories we got here.  Each story was fun, taking me about half an hour to read.  With nine stories, we get plenty of content.  I was smiling through most of them, even laughing some.  And the stories kept me engaged from start to finish.

Whether you read this book now or open it in a different season of the year, you’ll enjoy these stories.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

 

Murder Most Scenic by Liz Milliron (Laurel Highlands Mysteries #0.5) – 5

This volume collects the six short stories that Liz Milliron wrote with her Laurel Highlands characters before the first novel came out.  This is where we first meet Trooper Jim Duncan and assistant district Attorney Sally Castle.  And this is where they first meet as well, so we get to watch as their relationship slowly develops.  Along the way, they find the killer of a politician’s wife, figure out who killed a baseball player, and solve the case of a brewery contestant murdered the day before the contest.  There’s also one story that focuses on Deputy Coroner Tom Bruns, a supporting player in the series.

I don’t read short stories often enough, so it was nice to do so with this collection.  A couple of them were a little obvious, but several of them fooled me with the final twist as well.  I was glad to finally get the backstory to Jim and Sally and watch the early stages of their relationship.  Do keep in mind these aren’t the cozies I often read.  Fans of the novels who want to see how the characters first met will be glad they picked up this book.  And if you haven’t met the characters yet, don’t wait.  Now’s the time to jump in.

 

Haunted House Ghost by James J. Cudney (Braxton Campus Mysteries #5) – 2

It’s been a few months since we last checked in on Kellan Ayrwick, single father and new professor at Braxton University, where his family has been involved for decades. In that time, he’s been overseeing the contractor working on his new house, and it’s almost ready for move in. That is, until someone comes along and sabotages it, leaving behind a threatening message. Who could be doing it? Does it have anything to do with the former inhabitants? How does the old skeleton uncovered on campus tie in?

Knowing that the story driving so much of the first half of this series was mostly completed, I was curious to see where things would go. Sadly, this was disappointing. The book tried to take on too much. Even though the pacing was good and the book is long for a cozy, we still got data dumps and exposition with summarized dialogue in the final quarter. It also kept me from really connecting with the characters. Given the October setting, the book does have fun with the seasonal vibes. But I am going to need a break before I move on to the next book, if I decide to. 

 

Contesting the Wool by Diane Vallere (Material Witness Mysteries #6) – 5

Poly Monroe is surprised to find herself invited to the reading of Reginald Villamere’s will. She only knew the name from the Villamere Theater, the historic movie theater in town. It turns out her inheritance is fabric - specifically the fabrics the theater had purchased for a renovation decades ago. When Poly goes to look at her inheritance the next day, she finds Villamere’s lawyer in the room, dead. Who wanted to kill this particular lawyer?

This series was my introduction to Diane Vallere’s books, so it’s always nice to revisit the characters. They are as sharp as always, and I enjoyed seeing the next chapter in their lives. The mystery was great with several surprises along the way. I had no clue where things were going, but everything made perfect sense when it was all stitched together. There’s a nice, humorous tone and fun Easter Eggs for fans of Diane’s Costume Shop Mysteries. If you are looking for a strong mystery with entertaining characters and a light tone, this is the book for you. 

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book. 

 

The Case of the Carnaby Castle Curse by P.J. Fitzsimmons (Anty Boisjoly Mysteries #4) – 4

When Anty’s favorite steward, Carnaby, doesn’t return to London from his vacation, Anty sets out to find out what is happening.  He is surprised to learn that Carnaby’s family owns a castle.  But it comes with a curse that has just carried off the patriarch’s new wife.  Or was it murder?  Anty is determined to find out and clear Carnaby of suspicion.

This book doesn’t play too much into spooky, but it does have some elements that made it fun to read during October.  The mystery is strong with several elements that kept me guessing until the end.  As always, I appreciated how the mystery was laid out.  The suspects could have been a little stronger, but I did still care about the outcome.  The writing took me a chapter to get used to, but once I did, I was easily caught up in the story and laughing at the very dry British humor. No matter what time of the year you read this book, you’ll be glad you picked it up.

 

The Ghostway by Tony Hillerman (Leaphorn and Chee #6) – 4

It all starts with a confrontation in the parking lot of a laundromat. By the time it is over, one of the men is dead, and the other flees further into the reservation injured. While Chee is tasked with helping find the injured man, he isn’t the lead on the case. The FBI is handling it since they say it ties into a case back in Los Angeles. But then a teenager goes missing, and Chee follows a lead to L.A. hoping to find her. Can he figure out what is happening?

This is another complex mystery. I figured a couple of things out, but I was still mostly in the dark when we reached the satisfying climax. We also got to know Chee a bit better, especially thanks to a sub-plot that ties back to the fourth book. The book came out in the 1980’s, and it’s amazing to realize just how much things have changed since then. I did find a missed the reservation when the action moved to Los Angeles, but it wasn’t too bad. My biggest complaint is an issue that would get into spoiler territory, but even that is minor overall. This is an entertaining final solo entry for Jim Chee. 

 

The Tightrope Walker by Dorothy Gilman – 5

The story revolves around Amelia Jones, a woman in her early 20’s just trying to launch herself into adulthood after a difficult childhood. When she buys an antique shop, she is finding joy in all the things she finds there including an old instrument. But when the instrument stops playing one day, Amelia investigates to find a note inside. The letter was written by someone named Hannah who says someone is about to kill her. Amelia begins her quest to follow the trail of the instrument’s owners to see if she can figure out what happened to Hannah. What will she find?

The title comes from a metaphor the book tries to make, and it feels a bit of a stretch. But that’s a minor issue. The story is part murder mystery and part coming of age story. I might have found the beginning slow in other books, but that duality kept me engaged. The second half fixes any potential pacing issues from the first half, and I was caught up in the story. I was satisfied with the climax and loved seeing how Amelia grew of the course of the book. If you’ve missed this stand alone, I recommend you fix that today.