Hello Sleuthers! I have bee getting asked the same question over and over on Instagram, βWhat is a good Halloween cozy mystery to read?β Well, here are my official answers. I hope anyone looking for a Halloween cozy read finds a title or two to enjoy.
Death By Pumpkin Spice (Bookstore Cafe Mystery #3) by Alex Erickson
Bookstore cafΓ© owner Krissy Hancock would rather spend Halloween serving pumpkin goodies than wearing costumes with Pine Hillsβ wealthiest at Yarborough mansion, especially when the soiree shapes up to be more trick than treat . . .
As if a run-in with an old flame and a failed marriage proposal werenβt enough to horrify Krissy for one night, a woman is found strangled to death in a room filled with ominous jack-oβ-lanterns. All signs suggest a crime of passionβbut when the hostessβs jewelry disappears, malevolent intentions seem way more likely . . .
With the estate on lockdown and a killer roaming the halls, Krissy must help Officer Paul Dalton investigate each nook, cranny, and guest for answersβwhile also confronting a few demons of her own. Someone has lots of skeletons in the closet, and Krissy better tread lightly to expose them . . .
A Catered Costume Party (A Mystery with Recipes #13) by Isis Crawford
When sisters Bernie and Libby Simmons agree to cater an extravagant Halloween party in their little upstate New York town of Longely, they figured a ghost or two and a blood curdling scream might be part of the menu, but they never expected to be haunted by the deadly specter of murder . . .
Halloween is coming, and Darius Witherspoon isn't giving up on his plan for a catered costume party--despite the recent disappearance of his wife, Penelope. He may be heartbroken, but perhaps throwing a big shindig in her honor will boost his spirits. He's going to hold it at his stylish new co-op apartment at the Berkshire Arms, where the couple had dreamed of moving in.
Darius hires Bernie and Libby to provide the treats. They'd prefer to avoid the festivities altogether. As far as they're concerned, the Berkshire Arms is a haunted house--or at least haunted by the memory of the murder that happened on the site, when it used to be The Peabody School. But as always, there are bills to be paid, so they accept the job. And in the midst of the celebration, Darius is discovered hanging from a noose outside one of the ballroom's French doors . . .
Was it suicide, induced by despair over his missing spouse? Bernie and Libby think not, once they read the note he left--which includes a sum of money and a request for them to "do something" if anything should happen to him. Now, once the serving trays have been cleared and the decorations taken down, it's time for the sisters to unmask a killer . . .
Pumpkin Spice Peril (Cupcake Bakery Mystery #12) by Jenn McKinlay
In the twelfth Cupcake Bakery Mystery from New York Times bestselling author Jenn McKinlay, the Fairy Tale Cupcake crew follows the clever crumb trail of a killer who's anything but cookie-cutter.
Life is all sugar and spice for the Fairy Tale Cupcake bakers--Melanie Cooper is engaged to the delectable Joe DeLaura, Angie Harper and her husband Tate are savoring married life, and the bakery is bustling with happy customers. Until one of their most valued cupcake connoisseurs ends up dead.
Local glass artist and cupcake lover Rene Fischer-Klein has always suffered from a wide variety of health issues. In an effort to cheer her up, her doting husband, Peter, brings her a four-pack of her favorite cupcakes every week. But when the police discover that Rene has been poisoned, there's no sugarcoating the fact that the last things she ate were the bakery's signature pumpkin spice cupcakes! With their lives and bakery at stake, it's up to Mel and Angie to find out who poisoned their artist friend and why, before their future is frosted for good.
The Ghost and Mrs. Mewer (Paws and Claws Mystery #2) by Krista Davis
Wagtail, Virginia, the top pet-friendly getaway in the United States, is gearing up for a howling good Halloweenβuntil a spooky murder shakes the town to its core . . .
Holly Miller doesnβt believe in spirits, but the Sugar Maple Inn is filled with guests who do. The TV series in development, Apparition Apprehenders, has descended on Wagtailβs annual Halloween festivities to investigate supernatural local legends, and Holly has her hands full showing the ghost hunters a scary-fun time.
But the frights turn real when Hollyβs Jack Russell, Trixie, and kitten, Twinkletoes, find a young woman drowned in the Wagtail Springs Hotelβs bathhouseβthe spot of the townβs most infamous haunting. The crime scene is eerily similar to the creepy legend, convincing Holly that the death wasnβt just accidental. Now sheβll have to race to catch a flesh-and-blood killerβbefore someone else in town gives up the ghost . . .
Death by Jack-O'-Lantern (Abby McCree Mystery #2) by Alexis Morgan
Overcommitted committee member Abby McCree gets in a patch of trouble trying to solve the murder of a pumpkin farmer ...
The small town of Snowberry Creek, Washington, is gearing up for the Halloween Festival, and naturally Abby is on the planning committee. As part of her duties, she's picking up a pumpkin order from ornery farmer Ronald Minter. But what she finds instead is the farmer in the middle of his corn maze with a knife in his back.
The police suspect a homeless veteran named Kevin Montgomery, who was seen arguing with Minter when the farmer accused him of trespassing and stealing pumpkins. Abby's tenant Tripp Blackston, a veteran himself who's been helping Kevin, is sure he's innocent. Together, Abby and Tripp follow the twists and turns of the case to corner the corn maze killer--before someone else meets a dead end ...
Mulberry Mischief (A Berry Basket Mystery #4) by Sharon Farrow
Autumn has arrived on the shores of Lake Michigan, but Marlee Jacob, proprietor of The Berry Basket, is feeling a chill for other reasons β¦
With the Harvest Health Fair in full swing, Marlee makes sure to stock up on elderberry products for cold and flu season. But this year there's also a run on mulberry when an eccentric customer wants to use the dried berries to ward off evil forces. True, it's almost Halloween, but something else seems to be spooking Leticia the Lake Lady, Oriole Point's oddest resident. She believes someone plans to kill herβand the ghost. Only mulberries can protect them. Marlee doesn't take her fears seriously until a man named Felix Bonaventure arrives in the village, asking questions about a mysterious woman.
The next day, Marlee finds Bonaventure dead on Leticia's propertyβshot through the heart with an arrow made of mulberry wood. And Leticia has disappeared. Marlee soon learns the Lake Lady has a deadly past that is connected to the famous Sable family who are in town for the health fair. A bunch of clues start to come togetherβand figuring out what's going on puts Marlee in a real jam β¦
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Knit of the Living Dead (A Knit & Nibble Mystery #6) by Peggy Ehrhart
When a spooky celebration in Arborville, New Jersey conjures real scares, can Pamela and the Knit and Nibble Club sink their teeth into a bone-chilling mystery that just won't rest in peace?
Among the countless revelers at the town's much-anticipated Halloween parade, a woman dressed as Little Bo Peep is the only one making people scream bloody murder. In a scene straight out of a horror movie, the Knit and Nibblers find the nursery rhyme character dead with thick strands of yarn looped around her neck. Pamela and her best friend, Bettina, are set on pinning down who wanted the woman gone forever, but it'll take every trick they can muster to catch the culprit without becoming the next poor souls to join Little Bo Peep's dark, endless sleep . . .
Bear Witness to Murder (Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear Mystery #2) by Meg Macy
As autumn air settles into the quaint small town of Silver Hollow, thereβs nothing more popular than Sashaβs teddy bearsβand murder in cold blood . . .
Silver Bear Shop and Factory manager Sasha Silverman is cozying up to the fall season by hosting Silver Hollowβs Cranbeary Tea Party, the opening event of the villageβs Oktobear Festβa too-cute celebration themed around teddy bears. She barely has a moment to agonize over the return of her former high school rival, Holly Parker, whose new toy and bookstore in town could spell big trouble for her the Silver Bear Shop and her cousinβs small bookstore . . .
But when Sasha discovers Hollyβs shop assistant dead with a knife plunged in her body, the unpleasant woman suddenly looks like a real backstabber. So does Sashaβs ex-husband, rumored to have rekindled the fiery extramarital affair he once had with the victim. Now, before a gruesome homicide case takes the fun out of both the Fest and her personal life, Sasha must identify the true culprit from a daunting suspect listβor risk becoming as lifeless as one of her stuffed bears . . .
Candy Corn Murder (Lucy Stone #22) by Leslie Meier
Halloween is coming to Tinkerβs Cove, Maine, and local reporter Lucy Stone is covering the townβs annual Giant Pumpkin Fest for the Pennysaver. Thereβs the pumpkin-boat regatta, the childrenβs Halloween party, the pumpkin weigh-inβ¦even a contest where home-built catapults hurl pumpkins at an old Dodge! But not everything goes quite as plannedβ¦Lucyβs getting very annoyed that her husband Bill and his friend Evan have been working seemingly nonstop on their potentially prize-winning pumpkin catapult. But when the day of the big contest arrives, Evan is nowhere to be foundβ¦until a catapulted pumpkin busts open the trunk of the Dodge. Amid the pumpkin gore is a very deceased Evan, bashed in the head and placed in the trunk by someone long before the contest started.
Bill is on the hook for the Halloween homicideβhe was the last one to see Evanβso Lucy knows sheβs got some serious sleuthing to do. The crimeβs trail seems to always circle back to Country Cousins, the townβs once-quaint general store thatβs now become a big Internet player. Though the storeβs founder, Old Sam Miller, is long gone, his son Tom and grandson Trey now run the hugely successful company. But whispered rumors say things arenβt going well, and Lucy finds that this case may have something to do with an unsolved, decades-old Miller family mysteryβ¦
With each new lead pointing her in a different direction, Lucy sees that time is quickly running out. If she wants to spook the real killer, sheβll have to step into an old ghost storyβ¦
The Spook in the Stacks (Lighthouse Library Mystery #4) by Eva Gates
Halloween in North Carolinaβs Outer Banks becomes seriously tricky when librarian Lucy Richardson stumbles across something extra unusual in the rare books section: a dead body.
Wealthy businessman Jay Ruddle is considering donating his extensive collection of North Carolina historical documents to the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library, but the competition for the collection is fierce. Unfortunately, while the library is hosting a lecture on ghostly legends, Jay becomes one of the dearly departed in the rare books section. Now, itβs up to Lucy Richardson and her fellow librarians to bone up on their detective skills and discover who is responsible for this wicked Halloween homicide.
Meanwhile, very strange things are happening at the libraryβhaunted horses are materializing in the marsh, the lights seem to have an eerie life of their own, and the tiny crew of a model ship appears to move around when no one is watching. Is Lucy at her witβs end? Or can it be that the Bodie Island Lighthouse really is haunted?
With The Legend of Sleepy Hollow on everyoneβs minds and ghoulish gossip on everyoneβs lips, Lucy will need to separate the clues from the boos if she wants to crack this case without losing her head in The Spook in the Stacks, the delightful fourth in national bestseller Eva Gatesβ Lighthouse Library mysteries.
A Killer Maize (Farmers' Market #4) by Paige Shelton
"Becca Robbins is selling her farm-made jams and preserves at a county fair where business is not the only thing that's dead...β
The last person Becca expects to run into at the Swayton County Fall Festival is her ex-husband, Scott Triplett, who's operating a shooting gallery. Honesty was not always Scott's policy, and their unexpected reunion is further complicated when the festival becomes a crime scene. On Becca's second day there, Ferris wheel operator Virgil Morrison is found hanging from his rickety ride, dead from a gunshot.
As Becca starts to notice Scott suspiciously sneaking around the fairgrounds, she begins to worry her ex may be involved in the murder. Then there's the shadow she sees in the creepy corn maze and rumors of a gypsy curse--not to mention Virgil's mysterious spider tattoo. Now Becca must search through a labyrinth of lies, secrets, and superstition to find a kernel of truth...before the killer starts stalking her.
Town in a Pumpkin Bash (A Candy Holliday Mystery #4) by B.B. Haywood
In the quaint seaside village of Cape Willington, Maine, Candy Holliday has a mostly idyllic life, tending to the Blueberry Acres farm she runs with her father and occasionally stepping in to solve a murder or twoβ¦
Halloween is fast approaching, and preparations for the Pumpkin Bash, Cape Willingtonβs annual autumn festival, are well underway. Candy is running this yearβs haunted hayride, in the hopes of making some extra cash. But when she discovers a real dead body near some fake tombstones, Candyβs side job becomes a full-blown investigation to find out who turned a holiday attraction into a real horror show. Will Candyβs keen eye for detail unearth buried town secrets? As her search leads her through old graveyards and a haunted house, Candy will discover that not all of the skeletons hidden in this small townβs closets are Halloween decorationsβ¦
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15 Minutes of Flame (Nantucket Candle Maker Mystery #3) by Christin Brecher
As Stella Wright's Nantucket candle store thrives, her knack for solving mysteries burns equally bright--especially when a Halloween haunted house uncovers evidence of a centuries-old murder...
When Stella's friend inherits a creaky, abandoned home in Nantucket, she knows it's the perfect setting for the town's annual Halloween fundraiser. A deserted, boarded-up building on the property--once used as a candle-making shop--adds to the creepy ambiance. But as Stella explores the shack's dilapidated walls, she discovers a terrible secret: the skeleton of a Quaker woman, wrapped in blood-soaked clothing and hidden deep within a stone hearth...
While police investigate, Stella wastes no time asking for help from friends with long ties to Nantucket's intricate history. The key to the murder may lie within a scorching 18th century love triangle that pit two best friends against one another over a dubious man. But before the case is solved, another life will be claimed--leaving Stella to wonder who in Nantucket is friend, and who is foe.
Fudge Bites (Candy-Coated Mysteries #7) by Nancy CoCo
Halloween on Mackinac Island is a season of fun tricks, but finding a corpse is no treat for fudge shop owner Allie McMurphy . . .
NIGHT OF THE REALLY DEAD
Itβs late October, off-season for tourists, but locals are up and lurching for the annual zombie walk charity event. Though everyoneβs living it up, trouble is a just a few pawprints away. Allieβs followed the bloody tracks of her calico cat, Carmella, to a body in the alley behind the Historic McMurphy Hotel and Fudge Shop. Unlike the islandβs other walking dead, this oneβs flatlined for good. It seems that someone is using the zombie fest as the perfect backdrop for murder. Now amateur sleuth Allie and dreamboat officer Rex Manning must use every trick in their treat bag to unmask a killer in disguise.
Boston Scream Murder (Deputy Donut Mystery #4) by Ginger Bolton
Halloween in the small town of Fallowbrook, Wisconsin, is the perfect season for Deputy Donut CafΓ© owner Emily Westhill to unmask a killer.
October 31st is just around the corner and Emily Westhill's Boston cream donuts, carved with a scream, have made an indelible impression on local eccentric Rich Royalson. So much so that he's ordered three dozen, with twice the fudge icing, for his 70th birthday--a special event in more ways than one. It's to be held on fog-shrouded Lake Fleekom where, twenty years ago, his wife mysteriously drowned.
But the next day, when Emily arrives with her scrumptious screamers, she stumbles upon Rich's corpse. The poor guy wanted a unique birthday bash--just not one to the side of his skull. With a guest list of possible perpetrators, and his last will and testament suspiciously left at the scene, Emily soon discovers that the Royalson closet is rattling with skeletons. As the fog thickens, motives mount, and the tricks outnumber the treats, Emily fears that Rich may not be the last one in Fallowbrook to go out screaming.
Trick or Deadly Treat (Fresh-Baked Mystery #9) by Livia J. Washburn
Itβs Halloween in Weatherford, Texasβwhich means Phyllis Newsom is baking up a storm of yummy seasonal treats...but sheβs about to get even busier unmasking a killer.
While Phyllis and her friend Carolyn are preparing for a baking contest, her housemate Sam adopts Buck, an adorable Dalmatian who was hit by a car. To thank local veterinarian Hank Baxter for helping the dog, Phyllis and Carolyn bake a batch of doggie treats for his other four-legged patients.
But when they arrive at the clinic, the vet is in the process of being arrestedβfor the murder of his wife! Convinced that the police are barking up the wrong tree and that someoneβs been burying evidence, Sam begs Phyllis to help find the real killer. Joined by Buck, the friends engage in a dogged pursuit of the murderer, who will stop at nothing to muzzle themβ¦permanently.
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Autumn Alibi (A Wiccan Wheel Mystery #6) by Jennifer David Hesse
After a hectic year, Edindale, Illinois, attorney Keli Milanni is ready to welcome autumn by counting her many blessings. But a case of murder could cause her to fall behind . . .
Keli is hoping that Mabon, the Wiccan Autumn Equinox, will bring balance back into her life. But itβs death that comes calling when sheβs asked to consult on an estate case. Recently passed, Elaine Turnbull left everything, including her valuable art and antiques collection, to her granddaughter, Lana. But Lana has been missing for years, ever since a tragedy tore her family apart. Also missing may be Elaineβs most recent will. Then thereβs the not-so-small detail that Elaineβs death by natural causes may not have been so natural after all . . .
With the help of her boyfriend Wes, who knew Lana in high school, Keli starts digging into Elaineβs pastβand her journals. Soon she discovers that everyone, from Elaineβs caretaker to her curator, had a motive for murderβalong with a seemingly rock-solid alibi. Between missing people, missing documents, a string of vandalism against her friends, and the sense sheβs being stalked, Keli is feeling a disturbing chill. Now not even her Wiccan protection rituals may save her from a killer with a cold heart thatβs far from grateful . . .
Digging Up the Remains (A Garden Squad Mystery #3) by Julia Henry
A festive fall is in full swing in Goosebush, Massachusetts, but when a snoopy reporter is felled by foul play, it's up to Lilly and her Garden Squad to spook out a killer . . .
Between hosting a haunted house on her lawn, serving on the town's 400th Anniversary Planning Committee, and prepping for the Fall Festival's 10k fundraiser, Lilly's hands are full. She doesn't have time for prickly newspaper reporter Tyler Crane, who's been creeping around town, looking for dirt on Goosebush's most notable families . . . until he's found dead on the race route moments before the start.
An unfortunate accident? Or did Tyler unearth a secret that someone in Goosebush is willing to kill to keep? By planting nasty rumors and cultivating fear, Tyler sowed a fair share of ill will during his brief time in town. Weeding through the suspects will be thorny, but Lilly and her Garden Squad are determined to root out the autumnal assassin before the Fall Festival flops . . .
Of Spice and Men (Pancake House Mystery #3) by Sarah Fox
Lights. Camera. Murder? Wildwood Coveβs star turn is soured by a sneaky killer in this delicious cozy mystery from the USA Today bestselling author of The CrΓͺpes of Wrath.
Bonus content: includes original recipes inspired by the Flip Side Pancake House menu!
With a Hollywood film crew in town to shoot a remake of the horror classic The Perishing, the residents of Wildwood Cove are all abuzz. Even Marley McKinney, owner of The Flip Side Pancake House, can overlook the fact that the lead actress, Alyssa Jayde, happens to be an old flame of her boyfriend. After all, the crew loves Marleyβs crΓͺpesβso much so that Christine, the head makeup artist, invites her onset for a behind-the-scenes tour. But when Marley arrives, the special-effects trailer is on fire . . . with Christine inside.
The cops quickly rule Christineβs death a murder, and Alyssa a suspect. Marleyβs boyfriend insists that the actress is innocent, but when Marley sticks her nose into the complicated lives of The Perishingβs cast and crew, she discovers more questions than answers. It seems that everyone has a hidden agendaβand a plausible motive. And as the horror spills over from the silver screen, Marley gets a funny feeling that she may be the killerβs next victim.
Crypt Suzette (A Five-Ingredient Mystery #6) by Maya Corrigan
Val Deniston is catering the debut of Bayport's newest bookstore--but the death of a customer is about to draw her into a real-life murder mystery ...
Suzette Cripps has been occupying a spare bedroom at Val's granddad's house while she takes classes in this Maryland Eastern Shore town--but she's always seemed a little secretive and fearful, and any talk about her past is a closed book.
After winning the costume contest at the Halloween-themed bookstore party, Suzette is mowed down by a hit-and-run driver--and Val and her grandfather start to wonder whether it was really an accident or if someone was after Suzette. Granddad is a little distracted by his new enterprise as a ghost-buster, but as Val talks to Suzette's coworkers and fellow creative writing students, she grows more convinced that the dead woman's demons weren't imaginary--and that she needs to rip the mask off a killer ...
Haunted House Murder (Lucy Stone #25.7) by Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis, and Barbara Ross
Tricks and treats keep the Halloween spirit alive in coastal Maine. But this year the haunted house theme is getting carried a little too far . . .
HAUNTED HOUSE MURDER by LESLIE MEIER
Newcomers to Tinker's Cove, Ty and Heather Moon have moved into a dilapidated house reputed to be a haven for ghosts. Now strange noises and flickering lights erupt from the house at all hours and neighborly relations are on edge. And when a local boy goes missing near the house, it's up to Lucy Stone to unravel the mystery of the eccentric couple and their increasingly frightful behavior.
DEATH BY HAUNTED HOUSE by LEE HOLLIS
For the past two years, the house next door to Hayley Powell has sat abandoned after the owner died under mysterious circumstances. The Salinger family has recently taken possession of the property, but the realtor behind the deal has vanished--after a very public and angry argument with Damien Salinger. If Bar Harbor's newest neighbors are murderers, Hayley will haunt them until they confess.
HALLOWED OUT by BARBARA ROSS
With its history of hauntings and ghost sightings, Busman's Harbor is the perfect setting for Halloween festivities. But when a reenactment of a Prohibition-era gangster's murder ends with a literal bang and a dead actor from New Jersey, Julia Snowden must identify a killer before she ends up sleeping with the fishes.
Death of a Pumpkin Carver (Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery #8) by Lee Hollis
For Hayley Powell, food and cocktails columnist for the Island Times, Halloween is all about costume parties and holiday treatsβuntil a killer crashes the party...
This Halloween, Hayley canβt imagine a worse trick than her ex-husband Danny returning to Bar Harbor. Her kids may be happy to see their dad, but Hayleyβs determined not to be taken in by his charms, and suspects heβs in financial troubleβagain.
Still, the haunted holiday is about to get a whole lot scarier after Dannyβs moonshine-making uncle is found lying dead next to a tombstone in a cemeteryβand Danny quickly becomes the prime suspect. To prove her ex is innocent, Hayley will have to dig deep into her own bag of tricks to unmask the real culprit . . . before anyone elseβincluding herβends up in the graveyard...
Gourd to Death (Pie Town Mystery #5) by Kirsten Weiss
This Halloween, pie shop proprietor Val Harris must patch together clues to solve a murder by pumpkin . . .
As the owner of Pie Town, Val's been tapped to judge the pie making contest at the annual pumpkin festival in the coastal California town of San Nicholas. Things could get sticky though--her boyfriend, cop Gordon Carmichael, is entering the competition with his "special" family pumpkin pie recipe. But Val's got bigger problems than a conflict of interest when she and her flaky piecrust-maker Charlene discover another contestant crushed under an enormous pumpkin.
When grudge-holding Chief Shaw comes up with a half-baked reason to toss Carmichael off the case and onto the suspect list, it's up to Val and Charlene to find the tricky killer. But as they dodge lethal pumpkin cannons and follow the clues into a figurative and literal maze, the pie pals are in for the scariest Halloween of their lives--and it may be their last . . .
Vampires, Bones and Treacle Scones (Liss MacCrimmon Mysteries #7) by Kaitlyn Dunnett
Halloween is approaching and newlywed Liss MacCrimmon Ruskin is tapped by the Moosetookalook Small Business Association to organize a community fundraiser. Liss throws herself into plans to turn an abandoned mansion into a βhaunted house.β
There are already all kinds of scary stories about the old Chadwick place, which was most recently owned by Blackie OβHare, a mob hit man from Boston. There are even rumors of buried treasure on the premises. Unfortunately, work on the haunted house is plagued by a series of minor mishaps and by the disappearance and reappearance of various objects. And then, to Lissβ horror, the fake skeleton sheβs acquired for a special effect is replaced with a real bodyβand itβs someone she knowsβ¦
Ghost of a Potion (Magic Potion Mystery #3) by Heather Blake
Itβs Halloween in Hitching Post, Alabama, and potion shop owner Carly Bell Hartwell has an especially spooky customer to handleβ¦
With all the ghosts that haunt her at this time of year, Carly doesnβt exactly rush to celebrate Halloween. Even a costume ball organized by her boyfriend Dylan's mother, Patricia Davis Jackson, holds little allure. But to please Dylan, who wants peace between the two women, Carly reluctantly agrees to go.
Gossip around town is that architect Haywood Dodd plans to make a big announcement at the party. But before he can address the crowd, heβs found dead with Patricia standing over him, holding the murder weapon. Anxious to clear Patriciaβs name and perhaps broker a truce with her, Carly would love to use her snooping skills to find the real killer. Only she has bigger problems to deal withβghosts are flocking to her for help, including a very persistent Haywood Doddβ¦
Death Overdue (The Haunted Library Mysteries #1) by Allison Brook
Carrie Singleton is just about done with Clover Ridge, Connecticut until she's offered a job as the head of programs and events at the spooky local library, complete with its own librarian ghost. Her first major event is a program presented by a retired homicide detective, Al Buckley, who claims he knows who murdered Laura Foster, a much-loved part-time library aide who was bludgeoned to death fifteen years earlier. As he invites members of the audience to share stories about Laura, he suddenly keels over and dies.
The medical examiner reveals that poison is what did him in and Carrie feels responsible for having surged forward with the program despite pushback from her director. Driven by guilt, Carrie's determined to discover who murdered the detective, convinced it's the same man who killed Laura all those years ago. Luckily for Carrie, she has a friendly, knowledgeable ghost by her side. But as she questions the shadows surrounding Laura's case, disturbing secrets come to light and with each step Carrie takes, she gets closer to ending up like Al.
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A Catered Halloween (A Mystery with Recipes #5) by Isis Crawford
Sisters Bernadette and Libby Simmons are thrilled they've been asked to cater a haunted house fundraiser. But they soon discover that ghosts aren't the only unwanted guests when a murderer strikes...
With the promise of a hefty commission and some valuable word-of-mouth for their catering business, A Little Taste of Heaven, Bernadette and Libby Simmons agree to cater the charity haunted house being staged at the old Peabody School. The gothic building-complete with towers and turrets-is the perfect setting for a haunted house fundraiser. But what makes the setting even more eerie are the rumors milling about town that the school is haunted by the ghost of Bessie Osgood, a girl who died in an "accident" years before. Bernie and Libby don't believe in ghosts although they both agree there's something creepy about the Peabody School. And when wealthy socialite Amethyst Applegate is found dead in the haunted house, the sisters wonder if a murderer might also be lurking about Peabody's gloomy halls.
In life, Amethyst Applegate earned herself a reputation as a notorious home wrecker. The vicious vixen had so many enemies it's a surprise she stayed alive as long as she did. From Inez Colley, whose husband had a steamy fling with Amethyst one night, to Bob Small who went to jail for grand larceny because of Amethyst, and Zach Timberland who blames Amethyst for ruining his daughter's life. And that's just the beginning of the long list of suspects.
While almost everyone Amethyst ever met might have a motive for killing her, not everyone had access to the Peabody School. All Bernie and Libby know is that it's time for them to crack this case wide open. But when they keephitting one dead end after another, they realize the key to solving Amethyst's death lies in discovering what really caused Bessie's death all those years ago. And if Bernie and Libby don't solve this mystery soon, they might become the next stars in a real-life horror flick.
Death of a Wicked Witch (Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery #13) by Lee Hollis
Bar Harbor, Maine, is quieter in the off-season, but the population has just increased a bit with the arrival of Ted and Trudy Lancaster. Ted's taking over for a retiring minister, and Trudy runs a food truck called Wicked 'Wiches. When she stops in at the Island Times office to place an ad, Hayley happily devours the sample sub Trudy offers--and the two become fast friends.
When Trudy tragically dies in her truck while catering a Halloween party, suspicion falls on a cranky, competitive caterer who'd made veiled threats to Trudy. But the case becomes more complicated when Hayley's husband admits he'd seen someone dressed as a witch hurrying away from the food truck--not very helpful when countless women at the party wore the same costume. Now Hayley finds herself sandwiched between witches and witnesses as she considers a smorgasbord of suspects. If she finds the killer, she'll be a local hero . . .
Howloween Murder (Melanie Travis #26) by Laurien Berenson
As the town of Greenwich, Connecticut, counts down to a spooky celebration on October 31st, a horrifying murder leaves Melanie Travis pawing for clues in a hair-raising game of trick-or-treat . . .
With just a few days left before Halloween, everyone at Howard Academy is anticipating the guaranteed sugar high theyβll experience from gorging on Harriet Bloomβs famous marshmallow puffs. The private schoolβs annual costume party revolves around the headmasterβs assistant and her seemingly supernatural batches of gooey goodies. So, it's a shock when Harrietβs elderly neighbor is suddenly found dead with the beloved dessert in his hand. In a snap, police start questioning whether Harriet modified her top-secret recipe to include a hefty dose of lethal poison . . .
Melanie knows her tenured colleague would never intentionally serve cyanide-laced puffs to a defenseless old man. But as explosive neighborhood gossip reveals a potential culprit, it also brings her closer to sealing her own doom. Because on an evening ruled by masked revelers, bizarre getups, and hidden identities, Halloween might just be the perfect opportunity for a cold-hearted killer to get away with murder once againβthis time sending a nosy, unsuspecting sleuth to an early grave!
Last Licks (Lickety Splits Ice Cream Shoppe Mystery #3) by Cynthia Baxter
It's autumn in the Hudson Valley, and Kate McKay has some tricks up her sleeve for a deliciously spooky season at her Lickety Splits Ice Cream Shoppe. But with a cold-blooded murderer thrown into the mix, the scares are about to become a little too real . . .
Kate receives the shock of a lifetime when she's blindsided by an offer she can't refuse. An assistant movie director desperately wants to shoot a key scene at Lickety Splits and she's willing to pay big bucks to sweeten the last-minute deal. All Kate has to do is tolerate a bustling film crew for a few hours and provide one important prop--a scoop of handmade ice cream . . .
But when up-and-coming actress Savannah Crane drops dead after spooning down some chocolate almond fudge, Kate's first taste of Hollywood might be her last. Someone poisoned the leading lady, and with Lickety Splits draped in yellow crime scene tape, detectives are ready to cast Kate as the leading suspect . . .
Determined to clear her name, Kate finds herself churning through a long list of unsavory characters to catch the real killer lurking around town. As she uncovers the truth about the jealous rivals and obsessive stalkers who haunted Savannah's life, Kate soon realizes that tangling with the late starlet's "fans" could make this her most terrifying fall yet . . .
GoodReads
Halloween Party Murder by Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis, & Barbara Ross
Small town traditions are celebrated throughout Maine during the holiday season. But when it comes to Halloween, some people are more than willing to reap a harvest of murder ...
HALLOWEEN PARTY MURDER by LESLIE MEIER
Tinker's Cove newest residents Ty and Heather Moon turn their Victorian home into a haunted house to raise funds for charity. But the Halloween fun turns to horrific fright when Heather overdoses on tainted drugs--and Ty finds himself accused of murder. Digging deep into the story, journalist Lucy Stone uncovers some sinister secrets in the Moons' past linked to a conspiracy in her hometown...
DEATH OF A HALLOWEEN PARTY MONSTER by LEE HOLLIS
Everyone attending Island Times Food and Cocktail columnist Hayley Powell's Halloween bash is dressed as their favorite movie monster from the Bride of Frankenstein and Jaws to Chucky and Pennywise the clown. But when partygoers stumble upon Boris Candy's bludgeoned costumed corpse, it falls to Hayley to discover who among her guests wanted to stop the man from clowning around permanently...
SCARED OFF by BARBARA ROSS
Three teenage girls having a sleepover on Halloween night get spooked when high schoolers crash the house for a party. But no one expected to find a crasher like Mrs. Zelisko, the elderly third floor tenant, dead in the backyard--dressed in a sheet like a ghost. With her niece traumatized, Julia Snowden must uncover who among the uninvited guests was responsible for devising such a murderous trick...
Murder Outside the Lines (Pen & Ink Mysteries #3) by Krista Davis
With Halloween just around the corner, the fall colors in Georgetown are brilliant. As manager of the Color Me Read bookstore, coloring book creator Florrie Fox has arranged for psychic author Hilda Rattenhorst to read from Spooktacular Ghost Stories. But the celebrity medium arrives for the event in hysterics, insisting she just saw a bare foot sticking out of a rolled-up carpet in a nearby alley. Is someone trying to sweep murder under the rug? Florrie calls in her policeman beau, Sergeant Eric Jonquille, but the carpet corpse has disappeared without a trace.
Then in the middle of her reading, Hilda chillingly declares that she feels the killer's presence in the store. Is this a publicity stunt or a genuine psychic episode? It seems there's no happy medium. When a local bibliophile is soon discovered missing, a strange mystery begins to unroll. Now it's up to Florrie and Jonquille to expose a killer's true colors . . .
Mrs. Claus and the Halloween Homicide (Mrs. Claus #2) by Liz Ireland
April Claus knows being married to the real Santa makes every day feel like Christmas. But when a different holiday arrives at the North Pole, so does murder...
For the first time ever, Christmastown is celebrating a strange new tradition--Halloween. But not everyone is willing to watch their dependable winter wonderland get overrun by carved pumpkins and costume parties. As a series of scary happenings hit Santaland, each one more intense than the last, April realizes having a role in the festivities could cost her family, friends--even her own life.
April isn't the only unlucky target. Outspoken elf Tiny Sparkletoe is found dead in the snow outside his cottage, crushed in the middle of what appears to be a monstrous footprint. With mayhem descending like reindeer on rooftops, April must stop the Halloween killer before the fate of Mrs. Claus becomes another creepy tale to tell in the dark...
