Book Review: All Aboard for Murder by Ellen Byron (Golden Motel Mysteries #3)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Great characters and mystery with plenty of fall atmosphere

Cons: No cons got on board

The Bottom Line:

An autumn murder

Showcasing California

Another fun book

Dee is Tracking Another Killer

Ellen Byron has long been a favorite author, but the setting and characters for her Golden Motel Mysteries couldn’t have been better tailored for me if she tried.  So, I was anxious to dive into All Aboard for Murder, the third in the series.

Ellen used to write sitcoms in Hollywood, a past she gave to her main character here, Dee Stern.  But Dee has given all that up and bought and restored a motel in California’s Sierra Nevada’s gold country right on the boarder of Majestic National Park (a thinly disguised Yosemite).  Between my love of sitcoms in particular and TV in general and being a California native, you can see why this series appeals to me so much.

Every October, the community of Goldsgone, which is near Dee’s motel, celebrates the birthday of Angus Sprockles, the man who made sure they got designated a historic landmark.  Of course, they are also celebrating Halloween.  Among the events is a Halloween themed fundraiser for the historic society on the railroad that Angus’s only living heir runs.  But the event ends with Moses Sprockles dead.  It originally looks like an accident, but there are things that don’t add up.  Dee’s father had become friends with Moses, and he asks Dee to poke around even though this murder doesn’t appear to have anything to do with her motel.  Can Dee find the killer?

Anyone familiar with Ellen Byron’s books will know there is plenty else going on.  The subplots are woven in and out of the main mystery expertly.  The result was that I was never bored, and the mystery was never sidelined.  Some of the storylines impact each other, which adds to the fun.

Speaking of adding to the fun, we also have some former child actors joining the plot of this book – again, Dee’s background coming into play.  I really liked that aspect of the story.

Anyway, everything comes to a logical climax that I didn’t expect, and I appreciated how Dee was able to figure a couple of things out.  This is a case where only she could have solved things, which I always appreciate.

As always with an Ellen Byron book, there are a lot of characters, and there’s a helpful list of characters at the beginning of the book.  Some of the characters feature more prominently than others, of course, but I enjoyed whatever time the characters got on the page.  I also appreciate how one relationship developed.  Dee is an entertaining main character, and the suspects did a good job of keeping me confused.

There’s also some great humor in this book, with parts that made me laugh and smile.  Yes, some of that comes from skewering Hollywood as well as some funny interactions and a few funny moments.

At the end of the book, you’ve got a tip for making a road trip memorable and a bonus recipe.

I mentioned the location earlier.  While I haven’t spent as much time in that part of California as I should, I still really enjoy getting to visit it fictionally via this series.

And yes, the story does play into the Halloween season more than I’ve teased so far as well.  Whether you read it now or wait for October, it will give you fall vibes.

All told, All Aboard for Murder is another winner for Ellen Byron.  This is one mysterious trip you’ll enjoy.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

I'm reviewing this book as part of a blog tour.

Come visit the other stops here.

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Book Review: Haunted House Ghost by James J. Cudney (Braxton Campus Mysteries #5)

Stars: 2 out of 5

Pros: Good seasonal atmosphere and pacing

Cons: Too much story leads to too much exposition at the end

The Bottom Line:

Is new house haunted?

Story takes on way too much

Making result weak

The Need for a Good Edit Haunts This Book

I am heading into the second half of the Braxton Campus Mysteries with Haunted House Ghost. While the series has had its ups and downs, I was holding out hope for this one, especially given the season. Sadly, it needed a good edit or two. 

When this book opens, 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?

At the heart of this book is a good story. However, the author tries to include too much plot. Even though this book is longer than the cozies I typically read, there was still too much going on. Mind you, I was never bored, so the pacing was fine. And I did follow what had happened when I reached the climax. But there was just too much to short out. 

This is driven home when we reach the final quarter. We get long passages of exposition as the characters finally start explaining to each other what actually happened. Long passages. 

It does not help that these passages aren’t actually dialogue. Instead, we get a sentence or two, then a summary of the character’s story, then another line of dialogue, etc. This summarizing of dialogue that is actually critical of the story is something I’ve notified recently, and it’s something I find annoying. It pushes me right out of the story. 

Mind you, there were some issues where the book had awkward transitions or a poorly written line early on that threw me as well.

All of this kept me from truly feeling like I was spending time with characters. I just couldn’t connect with them, so they never felt fully alive. 

This book does capture the October season well, and that added to the setting. 

The series has had an on going storyline that was a strong subplot in the first four books. It is referenced a little here, but since the previous book brought much of that to a head, there aren’t major advancements. However, some spoilers are present for those earlier books. 

At this point, I am wondering if I want to finish the series even though I have the rest of the books. At a minimum, I will give them a rest before I pick up the next. Only pick up Haunted House Ghost if you are already familiar with the series. 

Here are the rest of the Braxton Campus Mysteries. 

Book Review: Wrath of the Triple Goddess by Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #7)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Percy and co, lots of laughs

Cons: A little low stakes and slow start

The Bottom Line:

Task two?  Pet sitting

Great characters and humor

But too much set up

Pet Sitting at Halloween

Percy Jackson is back to collect another college recommendation.  Of course, being a demigod, that means something much more difficult than it does for us mere mortals.   But we do get the fun of reading about it in Wrath of the Triple Goddess.

If you haven’t met Percy Jackson, you probably won’t want to jump in here since there are references to past adventures.  Of course, it’s been so long since I read those earlier books that I have forgotten much of the details, so maybe you’d be okay jumping in here after all.  What you need to know is that Percy is a demigod, the son of the Greek god Poseidon.  After several years spent saving the world, he’s now a senior in high school and hoping to get into New Rome University so he and his girlfriend can stay together.  But, since his grades are so poor, he needs to get three recommendations from gods.  And, in order to get those, he has to do favors for them.  And favors for gods are never easy.

This book opens in October, and things are been quiet for a few weeks now.  While Percy has enjoyed the down time, he is worried about needing to get two more recommendation letters to get into college.  So he has mixed emotions when he is contacted by Hecate.  She is planning to travel to enjoy all the Halloween festivities around the world and needs someone to pet sit.  Of course, when those pets are a polecat and a hellhound, both of whom used to be human, things aren’t as easy as they appear.  Especially when they escape.  Can Percy and his friends track them down before Hecate returns?  And what about repairing her mansion?

If you are looking for the world on the line stakes we had in the earlier books featuring Percy, you’ll be disappointed.  Don’t get me wrong, Percy faces death several times, but these are less dangerous books overall.  To be honest, I miss a bit of that life and death stakes.  I also found the set up took a bit longer than it truly needed to.

Now, this isn’t to say I didn’t find the book fun.  I honestly was wondering just how Percy was going to overcome the dangers he was facing here, and that kept me turning the pages.

I also really enjoy the characters.  Those familiar with the series will be happy to hear that the trio of Percy, Annabeth, and Grover are once again the focus.  We also get some updates on a few other characters from the franchise.  But it is always great to spend time with these three.  I also really enjoyed learning about the new characters in this book.  I really appreciated where Percy left them.

But I can’t leave out the humor.  Whether it’s the situations that Percy finds himself in or his narration, there are plenty of laughs the entire way through the book.

Given the premise for the recent releases, I’m assuming we have at least one more book coming.  I’ll definitely be back for it.  Fans will be happy they picked up Wrath of the Triple Goddess.

Check out the rest of Percy Jackson’s adventures.

Book Review: Send in the Clowns by Julie Mulhern (Country Club Murders #4)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Fun mystery with great characters firmly set in the 70’s

Cons: A couple of things bother me

The Bottom Line:

Death in haunted house

Who would want to kill a clown?

Fun with Ellison

Killer Clown in a Haunted House

There are too many good series out there.  That’s the only reason I have for not getting back to the Country Club Murders sooner.  Granted, I did read a novella in the series earlier this year, but it was nice to pick up Send in the Clowns and revisit Ellison Russell with a full-length novel again.

If you are new to the series, or it’s been a while, Ellison is a recent widow raising her teenage daughter in 1970’s Kansas City.  And, for the past few months, it seems everywhere she goes, she is finding dead bodies.

Case in point – being at the local haunted house wasn’t her choice for a Sunday night activity.  But as she finds herself navigating the various rooms, she finds a room with two clowns.  Ellison already isn’t a fan of clowns, but she quickly realizes that one of the clowns was just stabbed, and he dies in her arms after asking for Ellison’s help by name.  When Ellison returns with help, she finds the room completely empty.  Who was the victim?  More importantly, who was the other clown?

The book wastes no time but jumps right into the plot.  The investigation does unfold a little differently than in some of the books I read, but it works.  I was hooked the entire way through and couldn’t wait to see what would happen next.  The ending was a little weaker than I would have liked, or at least presented that way to us.  On the other hand, it did answer all our questions.

Part of this series is looking at how society was changing in the 1970’s.  Honestly, I’ve got to say how this book tackled that bothered me.  In other case, Ellison is dealing with all the men in her life (well, except Mr. Coffee) telling her what to do and thinking she needs a man to protect her.  I get it – that was a social issue of the time.  But it is beginning to feel repetitive at this point.  Additionally, we are once again running into changing morals about sex.  Again, I didn’t care for that.  This second issue is enough to keep this from being a cozy for me.

On the other hand, I truly do love the characters.  Yes, even the regulars who are supposed to be annoying are fun in how they annoy.   We also have a love triangle going on.  I know that has been resolved in future books, so I’m anxious to see how that comes about since I could honestly see either guy winning at this point.  Since it’s only been a couple of months (and four books), I’m not too annoyed by the love triangle at this point.

Anyway, the characters overall are wonderful.  They feel real, and we can understand where they are coming from even if we disagree with them.  The suspects aren’t quite as well developed as the series regulars, but we also don’t see quite as much of them, so it makes sense.

I was born in the 70’s, so I don’t have solid memories of that decade myself.  However, from pictures and TV shows, I feel like this book nails the period.  I always enjoy those little touches that ground me in the period.

I didn’t intentionally pick up this book to read in October, but that was a nice bonus.  The season definitely plays a part in the story as it unfolds.

And I have to also mention the humor.  There’s a certain snark to the narration that I enjoyed.  It’s not overdone, but it’s a very fun touch.  There are some fun exchanges between the characters as well.

I already have the next couple of books in this series, so hopefully, I can get back to visit Ellison again soon.  If you haven’t read Send in the Clowns yet, it’s a great read at Halloween or any time or year.

Enjoy more of the Country Club Murders.

Book Review: French Quarter Fright Night by Ellen Byron (Vintage Cookbook Mysteries #3)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Ricki and the rest in a third strong mystery

Cons: All cons frightened away

The Bottom Line:

Fresh body in crypt

Hollywood moves in next door

Glad series is back

Frightful Time with the New Neighbor

Since I’m a fan of Ellen Byron, I was disappointed when her Vintage Cookbook Mysteries were canceled after two entries.  That also means I was happy when a new publisher picked them up.  French Quarter Fright Night is the third overall and the first with the new publisher, and it was another great book.

This series is set in New Orleans, where Ricki James-Diaz runs a vintage cookbook and kitchenware shop at one of the stately homes in the city.  The home itself, Bon Vee, is a museum because it was owned by one of the culinary families of the city.  We’ve learned a bit about Ricki’s backstory in the previous two books, so that would be a reason to read those books first, but this book does give you the bare bones version, so you could jump in here.

This book opens in October, and Ricki has a great idea for Bon Vee – a haunted house.  In a city that goes all out for Halloween (and any excuse to party), this will be a draw.  The rest of the staff is on board, and soon they are plotting ways to turn the downstairs of the manner into the event of the season.

However, whoever bought the house next to Bon Vee is less than happy.  Granted, this person is complaining about everything that happens at Bon Vee.  When Ricki goes to try to reach a compromise, she discovers that the new owner is mega movie star Blaine Taggart.  Ricki and Blaine have a history – in fact, Ricki blames Blaine for her late husband’s death.  Ricki isn’t happy about Blaine being back in her life, but she tries to ignore him as much as she can.  That is until a body from next door turns up in the crypt that Bon Vee has created for their haunted house.  With Ricki and her friends on the suspect list, can she clear them of yet another murder?

I was so happy to slip back into Ricki’s world.  She has a good group of co-workers turned friends, and I enjoyed getting to hang out with all of them again.  We saw some progressions in a few of those relationships as well, which was nice.  The suspects fit in well with the other characters.  And, while not all of Ricki’s relationship with the detective is realistic, I found the progression in their relationship nice as well.

As an entertainment junkie, I always enjoy it when Hollywood shows up in a book.  Since Ellen Byron was a sitcom writer before she started writing mysteries, I feel like there’s a hint more realism to that aspect of the book than in some of the mysteries that try to include it while acknowledging that I’m sure some aspects are exaggerated for fiction.

And the mystery itself was great.  It had a few twists I was not expecting and it led up to a logical climax that answered my questions.

As I mentioned, Ellen used to write sitcoms, and she works humor into all her books.  I laughed multiple times as I was reading, mostly from the characters and their interactions.

Ellen also has quite a collection of vintage cookbooks.  She’s chosen five recipes from various books in her collection to feature here.  She’s updated the directions some to make them easier for us to use today.  Yes, we have a couple of pumpkin themed recipes, but they aren’t all seasonal.  (And yes, there is a sixth recipe, but, well…I’ll leave it for you to see why I didn’t include it in my count.)

Speaking of the season, I did enjoy getting to visit the city during October.  While the action was centered around Bon Vee, we got a glimpse of the other fun happening in New Orleans during the month.

Fans of the series will be just as happy as I was that the Vintage Cookbook Mysteries are back.  French Quarter Fright Night is a welcome return.

Check out the rest of the Vintage Cookbook Mysteries.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

Ornament Review: Cookie Cutter Halloween 2024 - Witch Taking Flight - 2024 Hallmark Release

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Cute, creative ornament

Cons: A bit deep and narrow

The Bottom Line:

Witchy mouse takes off

Cute Halloween ornament

Series companion

The Second Halloween Cookie Cutter Ornament Put a Spell on Me

It’s been nine years since we got a Halloween companion ornament to Hallmark’s Cookie Cutter Christmas series.  I wasn’t expecting to get a second Halloween piece, but I’m not complaining because it is fun.

This time, the cookie cutter shape that forms the outline of the ornament is a witch’s hat.  Inside the scene, we see some pumpkins in the front left corner.  In the background, we have our mouse friend dressed at a witch on a broom ready to fly away.  Behind him, you can see a bit of the moon and some stars in the night sky.  As always, there are some details that are candy, and, in this case, the broom is actually a piece of candy corn.

The mouse was dressed as a witch in the first Halloween ornament we got with him.  It’s not the same costume, however.  And I shouldn’t really complain since I recycle the same costume pretty much every year.

My more serious complaint about the ornament is how deep it is.  Normally, that wouldn’t be a problem, but because of how the top narrows, it makes it a little hard to see the mouse.  Or maybe that’s just me.  But it doesn’t feel as open as many of the ornaments in the series are.  Or maybe it’s just the fact that it makes the scene more shaded.  If you are looking at it in direct light, it doesn’t seem so tunneled.

Since this is an unofficial companion piece to the series, we don’t have a series marker on the ornament.

The hat shape has a nice flat bottom, so you can easily set this out to be displayed, if you want.  If you do hang your Halloween ornaments, you’ll be happy to hear that this ornament hangs straight.

This is a cute ornament overall.  If you decorate for Halloween in a not super spooky manner, you’ll want to consider adding this one to your collection.

Check out more Cookie Cutter ornaments for the rest of the year.

Ornament Review: Happy Halloween! #12 - Headless Horseman - 2024 Hallmark Release

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: A humorous twist on an oft overlooked spooky story

Cons: None from me

The Bottom Line:

A lesser story

Gets a funny ornament

A must buy for me

You’ll be Headless Over Heels for This Year’s Happy Halloween Ornament

I was thinking of stopping Hallmark’s Happy Halloween! ornaments since we were beginning to see some similar looking ornaments popping up.  In fact, since I had trouble getting last year’s edition, I didn’t go out of my way to track it down.  But when I saw the 2024 addition to the series, I had to get it.

You see, this year, we are paying homage to a literary classic, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.  Yes, the character inside the pumpkin face is the Headless Horseman.  The pumpkin itself doesn’t have anything tying it into the story, but he does have a mouth that is nice and wide opened.

Inside the pumpkin’s mouth, we can see the “creepy” scene.  There’s a sliver of moon, some bare trees, and bats painted on the backdrop.  In the foreground, we can see a truly headless figure (no fakes or trickery here), wearing green and purple.  In its hand, we have a pumpkin that has been carved and is obviously glowing with the yellow in its eyes and mouth.

Notice I put creepy in quotes earlier.  You see, like all the others in the series, there is an item that makes the ornament more fun that truly creepy.  In this case, it’s the horse.  You see, this is a stick horse instead of a real horse.  The headless horseman is standing there with the stick between his legs.  That detail makes me laugh.

Between that detail and the literary reference to something we don’t see often around Halloween, I couldn’t pass this one up.  It’s so much fun.

As always with these ornaments, the pumpkin provides a nice base, so you can set it out to be displayed.  You’ll also find the 12 in a Christmas tree series marker on the bottom.

When you go to hang the ornament, you’ll find that it tips back ever so slightly.  It’s not too bad, and it is the kind of thing that is most noticeable if you are looking for it.

Between the humor of the piece and its literary origins, I couldn’t pass up this year’s Happy Halloween! ornament.  This is going to be one of my favorites in the series.  Even if I hadn’t collected others, I think I’d want to get it.

Here are more of the Happy Halloween! ornaments.

Book Review: Nine Lives and Alibis by Cate Conte (Cat Cafe Mysteries #7)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Characters we love in a solid mystery

Cons: Pacing at times and psychic element, but they are minor overall

The Bottom Line:

A Halloween fest

Brings with it a fresh murder

Fun for this season

Murder Old and New Haunts This Halloween

As much as I am trying to deny that it is fall, we are in October.  That means it is time for Halloween set mysteries.  Okay, with how full my reading schedule is for the next few weeks, I only have one Halloween set book still to be read, but Nine Lives and Alibis is a fun book to read this time of year.

This is the seventh book in Cate Conte's Cat Cafe Mysteries.  If you aren't familiar with them, they feature Maddie James who moved back home to Daybreak Island, off the coast of Massachusetts, and opened a cat cafe in part of her grandpa's home.

This book finds Maddie helping with the Halloween festival on Daybreak Island.  While her mother is the chair of the committee overseeing everything, Maddie and her two younger sisters have been drafted as well over, and it is promising to be a busy next week and a half.  The event will feature cat costume contests, a pumpkin carving contest, haunted walking tours, and reading with famed psychic Balfour.  Balfour grew up on the island, but he hasn't been home for years, ever since he became famous for his talents.

Some of the residents, including Maddie's best friend, Becky, are hoping that Balfour can shed some light on the forty-year-old mysteries of a murder and disappearance that happened on the island.  But when a murder brings an early end to opening night, Maddie wonders if the motive is more contemporary.  Can she figure out what is going on?

If you expect the murder to happen quickly in a mystery, this book will frustrate you.  However, the book was using the time to set up suspects and motives before the body dropped.  Yes, I do feel the pacing could have been a little sharper, but I was still engaged the entire way through.  Once the murder happens, we are off and running with several puzzles to figure out in order to solve it.  I did guess one part early, but I still was surprised by most of the revelations we got along the way to the satisfactory ending.

Being a Halloween book, I went in expecting a bit more supernatural elements than I would normally read.  And those elements were here.  I will admit that those elements bothered me more than I thought they would, but I realize that this is a me thing and most readers wouldn't be bothered by it.  On the other hand, I did enjoy the Halloween setting overall, and would have enjoyed many of the events we popped into as Maddie investigated.

Fans of the author's Full Moon Mysteries will enjoy seeing a couple of the characters from that series show up here.

As a fan of the series, it was great to be spending time with the characters again.  Everyone we've met has at least a cameo in the book, with some playing larger roles than others, which is pretty normal for a mystery series.  There was an interesting development for a couple of characters here, and I'm interested in seeing that play out in future books.

Since October is just beginning, it's not too late to add Nine Lives and Alibis to your Halloween reading list.  You'll be glad you did.

Be sure to check out the rest of the Cat Cafe Mysteries.

Novella Review: Scared Off by Barbara Ross (Maine Clambake Mysteries #9.5)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Characters I love in a fun mystery

Cons: All cons scared off

The Bottom Line:

Teen party murder

Great to see characters here

In fun mystery

While the Parents Are Away, a Corps Turns Up

I love Barbara Ross’s Maine Clambake series, so I enjoy visiting the characters any chance I get.  That includes the novellas, like Scared Off.

Julia Snowden responds to a panic call from her niece, who was supposed to be spending the night with two friends but needs help when a party breaks out.  The police have been called, and, while they are making sure everyone is gone, discover a dead body in the shed outback.  Was Julia’s niece spending the evening with a killer?

If you are also a fan of this series but haven’t read, Shucked Apart, a word of warning that this story contains spoilers for that book.  As I said earlier, it’s always great to spend time with the characters.  It’s also hard to believe how old Julia’s niece is getting.  I always lose track of book time in the series I read.  Anyway, the mystery was great; I enjoyed the way it unfolded.  As a bonus, there’s a recipe for you to enjoy at your own party.

This novella started life in the anthology Halloween Party Murder.  If you’ve read that collection, you don’t need to read this story again.  But if you haven’t read it yet, you’ll be happy to pick it up on its own.  Since it’s a novella, is much shorter than a typical release for the series, so keep that in mind when you pick it up.

If you are a fan of the series, you’ll be thrilled to read Scared Off.

Be sure to check out the rest of the Maine Clambake Mysteries.

NOTE: I received an ARC of the original novella collection.

Novella Review: Death of a Halloween Party Monster by Lee Hollis

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Great characters in an engaging mystery

Cons: I’m not partying with any cons

The Bottom Line:

Restaurant opens

But night ends with a cold corpse

Great read for season

Cold Costumed Corpse

I don’t remember there being quite as many Halloween parties even a decade ago as I am aware of now.  Not that I’m complaining.  Any chance to get together with people is great, right?  That is, until a murderer shows up.  That’s just what happens in Death of a Halloween Party Monster.

This story features Lee Hollis’s series star Hayley Powell, who is hosting a Halloween party at her new restaurant.  However, the night ends in horror when the body of the high school music teacher is found in the freezer.  Is one of Hayley’s friends a killer?

I don’t read this series, just the novellas when they are part of an anthology I want to read, but I found myself feeling right at home partying with these characters from the beginning of this story.  I did figure out one aspect of the story early on, but there were several more, including the identity of the killer, that I hadn’t pieced together until Hayley did.  It’s a twist on a locked room mystery, which is always fun.  The ending was great and kept me turning the pages.  There are also some recipes to enjoy while you read or at a party you are hosting this Halloween.

This novella started life in the anthology Halloween Party Murder.  If you’ve read that collection, you don’t need to read this story again.  But if you haven’t read it yet, you’ll be happy to pick it up on its own.  Since it’s a novella, is much shorter than a typical release for the series, so keep that in mind when you pick it up.

I’ve enjoyed these novellas featuring Hayley Powell enough to pick up the first in the series.  Fans will definitely want to read it to see what happens to their favorite characters here, but even if you are new to the characters, you’ll find Death of a Halloween Party Monster a fun, fast story to read in October.

NOTE: I received an ARC of the original novella collection.

Novella Review: Halloween Party Murder by Leslie Meier

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Interesting mystery

Cons: Politics that feels like lectures

The Bottom Line:

Death after party

Novella for Lucy’s fans

I found it okay

After Party Murder

Leslie Meier’s Lucy Stone mysteries were always set around holidays.  But since she’s started headlining holiday mystery anthologies, Lucy has had even more holidays to find dead bodies on.  Halloween Party Murder is now being released on its own as an ebook, and fans who haven’t read it yet are in for a spooky read.

Lucy is helping plan a haunted house fund raiser at the home of relative new comers Ty and Heather Moon.  However, when Lucy finds a dead body during the after party, things take an unexpected turn.  Will she figure out what is going on?

I don’t normally read this series, so I was thrilled to actually recognize the characters of Ty and Heather since they also featured prominently in the previous Halloween novella collection Leslie headlined.  This novella focuses mostly on the mystery at hand, and doesn’t bring in sub-plots involving Lucy’s family.  Again, since I don’t read the series, this was a good thing for me since I don’t have the connections to all the supporting characters.  The mystery was good, and I enjoyed watching Lucy’s efforts to figure out what was happening.  The element I struggled with the most was the politics brought into this story.  There is a local election happening, and the campaigning does play into Lucy’s motives to solve the case, but I still felt like we were being lectured during many of those scenes.

This novella started life as the headliner in the anthology also called Halloween Party Murder.  If you’ve read that collection, you don’t need to read this story again.  But if you haven’t read it yet, you’ll be happy to pick it up on its own.  Since it’s a novella, is much shorter than a typical release for the series, so keep that in mind when you pick it up.

Not being a fan of the series colors my judgement of this story, I’m sure.  Fans will be glad to pick up Halloween Party Murder.  If you don’t already know Lucy, you can probably skip this novella.

NOTE: I received an ARC of the original novella collection.

Ornament Review: Halloween Party - Season's Treatings Special Edition - 2023 Hallmark Release

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Fun party food that looks wonderful

Cons: No cons at this party

The Bottom Line:

A brew and sweet treats

The colors look wonderful

Ready to party

Sweets for Your Halloween Party

Somehow, I missed the Halloween Party ornament when I was browsing through Hallmark’s Dreambook this year.  Granted, I rarely pay much attention to the Halloween ornaments, so that’s probably how I missed it.  But when I was in the store in July, I spotted it and immediately knew I had to add it to my collection.

This ornament is a companion to the Season’s Treatings series and features some festive goodies ready for Halloween.  The main feature is some kind of punch.  It’s obvious a witch’s brew drink since it has green bubbles coming out of the top of the cauldron.  There’s also a mug off to the side with some of this drink in it.  In front of the cauldron, we have a plate with a bat and ghost cookie and three cupcakes decorated to look like pumpkins.  All of this is sitting on a purple tray with candy corn accents on the side.

This isn’t the first time we’ve gotten a Season’s Treatings Halloween themed piece, but I like this one much better.  The first one was themed around caramel apples and candy corn, and I’m not a fan of either of those, so it’s mostly about the treats than the looks of the ornaments.

Plus this one is just fun.  I don’t know what the drink is, but I want to try it.  And I don’t think I’d be able to resist the cupcakes or cookies.  Plus, the colors work well together and really scream Halloween.

Since this ornament has a tray as a base, it lays nice and flat, so you can display it anywhere you want.  As a companion piece, this ornament doesn’t have any series markers on it.

If you go to hang your ornament, you’ll find it does tip forward a little.  Most of the ornaments in the series do this, and it is a design feature instead of a flaw, so I’m assuming it was done on purpose here, too.  It certainly looks great that way, allowing us to see the cookies and cupcakes a little better.

I’m glad I spotted Halloween Party, especially since it has proved to be popular.  I’m looking forward to displaying it in October and for many more years to come.

Be sure to check out the rest of the Season’s Treatings ornaments.

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.

Book Review: Fatal Fudge Swirl by Meri Allen (Ice Cream Shop Mysteries #3)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Strong characters, creative mystery, Halloween setting

Cons: I’m not ready to think about Halloween yet!

The Bottom Line:

Wedding morning death

Could it turn into murder?

Creative story

The Bride’s a Corpse

As I’m writing this, not only have we not hit the first official day of summer yet, but it’s also been unseasonably cool for Southern California.  It’s more like winter for us than even spring.  And yet, Fatal Fudge Swirl, the third in Meri Allen’s Ice Cream Shop Mysteries, is set at Halloween.  I may not have been ready to think about that holiday yet, but it made a great setting for this mystery.

If you’ve missed this series, it features Riley Rhodes.  A former CIA librarian, she was let go after trusting the wrong person led to a theft.  So, she’s returned home to Penniman, Connecticut, and is helping her friend by running Utterly Delicious, the ice cream stand the friend inherited from her mother.

This book opens just a couple of days before Halloween.  Normally, that would be the end of the season at Utterly, but, thanks to a late leaf season, Riley has decided to stay opened another week to take advantage of the tourists in the area.  In addition to serving tourists, Riley has always been asked to provide the ice cream cake for the Halloween wedding of Diantha Collins.  The Collins have been a prominent family in town for generations even if Diantha and her adult children are living elsewhere.

Riley is on hand when Diantha’s body is found the morning of the wedding.  The circumstances are suspicious, but Riley can’t quite put her finger on what is off.  With the police looking at a friend, Riley takes advantage of a need for help at the inn where the death took place to poke around and see what she can learn.  Will she figure out how Diantha died?

I’m not going to say more about the murder method other than to say I thought it was creative and fun.  It’s definitely not something that we see on a regular basis, which I appreciated.  Naturally, the how is only part of the plot, and Riley also has to figure out the who and the why.  There are plenty of suspects to keep her, and us, guessing.  I didn’t figure out the solution before Riley pieced it together, yet it made sense.

With everyone else going on, there is also a movie production in town filming for a Hallmark like movie company.  That lead to a very funny sub-plot that I really enjoyed.

The suspects in the mystery are all strong, and they kept me guessing until the end.  There are a variety of motives and I appreciated that creativity as well.  Meanwhile, the series regulars are all back and as strong as ever.

Warning: this book will have you craving ice cream.  That’s perfect as we go into the summer months, right?  And if you are a fan of hot fudge, you’ll be interested in the recipes at the end that give us a couple of different versions to try.

I talked about the Halloween setting at the beginning.  The book really leaned into that, and I enjoyed it.  I may not be ready for that holiday (or fall in general) yet, but this book used the holiday setting well without going the spooky route.

Fatal Fudge Swirl is another winning entry in the series.  Grab a bowl of your favorite ice cream and enjoy Riley’s latest case.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

Movie Review: Halloween Ends

Stars: 2 out of 5

Pros: A few good moments

Cons: Tries to do something new and fails

The Bottom Line:

Final Halloween

Wanders too much before end

Left unsatisfied

“Are You the Psycho or the Freakshow?”

Yes, I’m a glutton for punishment.  Despite not particularly enjoying either of the previous films in the recent Halloween trilogy, I watched Halloween Ends.  I was curious enough to see how they were planning to wrap up the storylines and what the fates of the characters would be.

After a prologue in 2019, the main action picks up in 2022, four years after Michael’s rampage from the last two films.  Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) is attempting to move beyond her obsession with Michael Myers even though no one knows what happened to him that night four years ago.  She’s even writing a self-help book to help others grow beyond trauma in their own lives.  She’s bought a house in the middle of town and she’s sharing it with her granddaughter, Allyson (Andi Matichak).

Things take an ominous turn after Laurie and Allyson meet Corey (Rohan Campbell), a young man who accidentally killed a boy back in 2019.  The town treats him as a pariah, but Allyson quickly falls for him.  However, the killings are about to start up again.  Is Michael back?  Or is something else going on?

At this point, I’m a broken record when it comes to these films.  I completely get what the film makers were going for and what they were trying to do.  The movie is a look at what trauma does to a person and a community.  It also wants to discuss if evil is born or made.  Both of those are interesting things to explore, and both of them would be interesting to explore in a horror franchise.  This was not the movie to explore them, however.

This is a Halloween movie, and we are here to see Michael Myers stalking and killing people.  Since Jamie Lee Curtis is in this one, we are here to see Laurie facing off against Michael.  It really is that simple.  And what are the elements we don’t get?  Michael or a face off.  Oh, we get them, but they are rushed into the ending instead of actually building to it over the course of the film.

Now, I’ll be the first to admit that some of the earlier movies in the franchise have slow first halves.  That’s actually one thing I like about them.  The tension builds until we get one long chase scene in the final act.  Here, there is very little tension building.  We’ve got the themes the writers want to explore, but everything that is happening is right out in the open.  There is no mystery; no tension.  About the only thing we are wondering is “Where do they think they are going with this and where is Michael Myers?”

Part way through act three, the writers remember they are writing a Halloween movie, and we suddenly get what we wanted to see, Michael and Laurie facing off again.  (Yes, I’m exaggerating some, but only slightly.)  The result is the storylines we’d been following get a sudden and illogical wrap up so we can rush a final confrontation between Michael and Laurie.  And I do mean rushed.  Honestly, if they had found a better way to wrap that stuff up, I would have cut them more slack.  But as it was, they once again made the worst story choices they could, something that has been a theme for the new movies.

As with the previous films in this trilogy, they go for gore over suspense.  There’s little stalking, just pop out and someone dies in an overly brutal manner.  The couple of times they do try to create some suspense don’t quite work either.

Just a reminder that this is an R rated film, so there is plenty of language to go along with the graphic violence I was just talking about.

There are some moments that fans of the franchise will enjoy, and anyone who has followed these characters for the last 40 plus years are going to want to see what happens here.  But I wish that Halloween Ends was a good ending for the franchise.

Short Story Review: “Halloween Hoedowns Can be Deadly” by Ryan Rivers (A Bucket List Mysteries Short)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Characters, plot, and fun

Cons: None as long as you pick it up expecting a short story

The Bottom Line:

Death at a hoedown

Plenty of fun in story

For a good, quick read

That Corpse Isn’t a Decoration

When Ryan Rivers crossed my radar a couple of weeks ago, I decided I had to meet his characters via the short story “Halloween Hoedowns Can be Deadly.”  It was perfect for this time of year, right?

This story includes characters from his Bucket List Mysteries.  It’s obvious from reading the book that this isn’t the first time the characters have met, but I had no problem jumping in here.  The action takes place in the town of Bluebonnet Hills, Texas, and introduces us to former tween actor Levi Blue and disgraced nurse Sho Tanaka.  The two have become friends, and it seems that trouble is constantly following them.

Levi and Sho are helping with a Halloween hoedown that is taking place in town.  However, things take an unexpected turn when they find the dead body of the town’s librarian in a trunk.  Since it’s doubtful she crawled in by herself, can the dynamic duo figure out what happened to her?

This story was just long enough to give me a taste for the tone of the series and the characters, and I absolutely loved both.  Obviously, we don’t get to know any of the characters with any depth, but Levi and Sho are fantastic main characters.  We actually get the story from Sho’s first person narration, and his observations are great.  We do meet Sho’s sister as well, and I like her.

Meanwhile, this story presents us with a good mystery with a couple of twists I didn’t see coming.  We also got good clues and a solution that made sense.

The tone I mentioned?  This book was so funny.  It has one of the best interrogation scenes I’ve read in a while; I just had to laugh as I was reading it.  There were other jokes and laughs as well.

All this in a story that took me just under an hour to read.  Yes, this really is a short story, but as long as you know that when you sit down to read it, you’ll be as hooked as I was.

This story made me anxious to move on to the prequel novella, which I’ve also already downloaded.  If you want a quick, fun Halloween set story to read this weekend, you won’t go wrong with “Halloween Hoedowns Can be Deadly.”

Be sure to cross the rest of the Bucket List Mysteries off your list.

Book Review: The Plot and the Pendulum by Jenn McKinlay (Library Lover’s Mysteries #13)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Characters, atmosphere, fun

Cons: Pacing of the plot

The Bottom Line:

Books in old mansion

Fun and spooky atmosphere

Great book for season

A Cold Case Becomes Very Hot Again

I’ve often talked about how much I enjoy reading books in season, but it seems rare that I get to enjoy doing that with advanced review copies since books usually come out a couple of months before their intended season.  However, things aligned perfectly for The Plot and the Pendulum, the thirteenth Library Lover’s Mystery from Jenn McKinlay.  See, even the number in the series aligned perfectly for a spooky entry.

If you are new to the series, you’ll definitely want to meet Lindsey Norris, the director of the Briar Creek, Connecticut, public library.  She, and her group of family and friends, find themselves involved in quite a few mysteries, and it’s always a pleasure to hang out with them as they solve them.

It’s October in Briar Creek, and old gossip is getting stirred up again.  William Dorchester has returned to town, and his return has reminded people of an unsolved mystery in town.  Back in the late 1980’s, a young bride disappeared just a few weeks after her wedding, and no one ever figured out what happened to her.  William was the victim’s ex-boyfriend, and he left town not too long after she disappeared.

But that’s not what has brought William back to town.  His mother needs to go into assisted living, and William is having to liquidate her mansion.  He wants to donate her book collection to the library, including some valuable rare books.  Naturally, Lindsey jumps at the chance, but it means working in a library where some strange things keep happening.  Can she get the books boxed up?  What might she find along the way?

The book definitely plays into the spookiness we love to associate with October.  Don’t worry, it is still a Library Lover’s Mystery with all the great characters and humor we love.  It just adds a bit of atmosphere for some added fun.

That atmosphere fits naturally into the story, too.  I mean, much of the action takes place at a creepy old mansion, so it isn’t too hard.  The pacing of this book is a bit uneven.  I feel like things could have started faster, but at the same time, we did need the background we were getting to fully understand the plot.  On the other hand, the climax was a little abrupt.  Still, there were some good twists in the middle and interesting characters I enjoyed meeting.

As I said earlier, it’s always a pleasure to spend time with this cast of characters, and this book was no exception.  We have a rather large cast of supporting players, and I love how everyone gets a few pages even if they don’t feature prominently in the plot of this particular mystery.  It’s a hard balance with a large cast of characters, but I always feel like it is maintained well in this series.

And, as always, we get some fun extras, including a craft project, discussion guide for a classic novel, and three tempting autumn recipes.

If you are looking for something a little spooky but mostly fun to read this Halloween, then The Plot and the Pendulum is for you.  Fans new and old will enjoy this visit to Briar Creek.

Check out the rest of the Library Lovers Mysteries.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

Novella Review: Hallowed Out by Barbara Ross (Maine Clambake Mysteries #7.5)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Fun Halloween themed novella

Cons: None, as long as you remember it’s a novella

The Bottom Line:

Reenactor shot

Makes for a fun novella

You’ll enjoy reading

Haunted Tour Ends in Mystery

I love the Maine Clambake Mysteries, so I am always thrilled to take any visit I can get.  That’s why I grab the holiday novella anthologies that include stories in this series.  “Hallowed Out” originally appeared in one of them, and if you’ve missed it, you are in for a treat.

Julia Snowden has gotten roped into an effort to bring some tourists to town during October via a haunted homes tour.  One of the stops is Gus’s restaurant where a rumrunner was killed by gangsters during Prohibition.  An actor has been brought in to help with the reenactment, but the night of the first tour, he is shot when the lights go out.  Who did it?

It truly is wonderful to revisit the characters, no matter how briefly it might be.  The plot is strong, and the characters we meet along the way are just as strong.  I didn’t see the twists of the mystery coming, and the ending caught me by surprise.  There is a delightful sub-plot as well that kept me grinning.  And there’s a recipe or two at the end.

This story was originally part of the Haunted House Murder anthology.  It’s only about 100 pages, so it’s a quick read.  If you’ve already read the original collection, there’s no need to buy the story again, but if you’ve missed it, you’ll definitely want to pick it up.

I can’t get enough visits with Julia.  If you are like me and you haven’t read this story yet, you’ll be happy to pick up “Hallowed Out.”

Enjoy the rest of the Maine Clambake Mysteries.

NOTE: I received an ARC of the original anthology.

Novella Review: Death by Haunted House by Lee Hollis

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Fun story and characters

Cons: The characters behave stupidly at times

The Bottom Line:

Mystery next door

What are the neighbors hiding?

A fun novella

A Haunted Flashback

I have yet to read any of the full novels by Lee Hollis, although I have read several of the novellas from their popular Hayley Powell series.  “Death by Haunted House,” which originally appeared in the anthology Haunted House Murder, is one of those, and it’s fun.

This novella flashes back ten years to 2009 and a time when series protagonist Hayley Powell was still married.  A new family has moved to town and moved in next door to Hayley and her young family into a long-abandoned house that is rumored to be haunted.  When they move in, they are unfriendly and obviously keeping secrets, and Hayley’s husband, Danny, is certain that they are hiding something.  When a dead body turns up in the woods behind their neighborhood, Danny is certain they are involved.  Is he right?

I found the story here very entertaining, although I did guess a couple plot points early.  Still, the solution to the mystery was a surprise, and I had to laugh at some of the events along the way.  On the other hand, I found Danny extremely selfish and annoying, and Hayley does something extremely stupid, with is ironic since she complains about Danny’s behavior at times.

As always with this series, you’ll find recipes to enjoy after you are done.  Overall, this story is about 100 pages, so it is a quick read.

If you’ve already read the anthology, there’s not reason to read this book.  But if you have missed “Death by Haunted House,” you’ll enjoy this short visit to Bar Harbor.

NOTE: I received an ARC of the original collection.

Novella Review: Haunted House Murder by Leslie Meier

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: A few moments are enjoyable

Cons: Weak story overall

The Bottom Line:

Who bought the old house?

Makes for a weak novella

It’s for fans only

Weak Novella

I don’t normally read Leslie Meier’s Lucy Stone series, but I have read a number of the novellas featuring the character since they’ve been in anthologies with authors I enjoy.  That’s how I can to read “Haunted House Murder.”

Halloween is coming, but everyone in Tinker’s Cove is talking about the old, abandoned house in town.  While it looks run down from the outside, someone has bought it and moved in during the middle of the night.  However, they aren’t very friendly, rebuffing Lucy’s and other’s attempts to welcome them to town.  Then the rumors start flying and strange events start happening.  What is really going on in this house?

I know that the Lucy Stone series is extremely popular, but I struggle to get through the stories I have read.  Part of it is Lucy’s family.  I haven’t spent enough time with them to look past their faults and love them, I guess.  And, let’s face it, that is often what we have to do with people in real life.  In this case, I found the story to be better suited to a short story than even a novella.  It’s not bad, but it felt drawn out and a little forced.

As I said, this is a novella, and it’s roughly 100 pages long.  As such, it is a quick read.  If you already have the anthology, released with the same name, where the story originated, there’s no need to buy it again here.

If you are a fan of Lucy’s and haven’t read “Haunted House Murder” yet, now’s the time to pick it up.  But if you aren’t already a fan of the series, I recommend you walk right on by.

NOTE: I received an ARC of the original collection.