#BookReview ~ Costumes & Cadavers: Sassy Supplies Cozy Mystery by Katherine H. Brown ~ #CozyMystery

Costumes & Cadavers: Sassy Supplies Cozy Mystery by Katherine H. Brown

 

Costumes & Cadavers: Sassy Supplies Cozy Mystery

Cozy Mystery

1st in Series

Independently Published (January 17, 2022)

Print Length: ‎ 36 pages

Digital ASIN: ‎ B09QMRXW4T

Amazon

 

About Costumes & Cadavers:

Nobody ever plans to be the death of the party. 

Party guests congratulate Charity Basham, owner of Sassy Supplies Crafts & More, on the scariness of her backyard skeleton decoration. Unfortunately, Charity didn't put out any skeleton decorations. 

With the discovery of a dead body, her Halloween party turns into a nightmare. With her fingerprints (and some white cat fur) are all over the murder weapon, Charity finds herself at the top of the suspect list. 

Can she clear her name before the dishy Detective Sota arrests her for murder?

My Review:

Costumes and Cadavers is a short cozy mystery story. The book wastes no time setting up a murder mystery. Sassy Supplies Crafts & More shop owner Charity Basham is hosting a Halloween party. The discovery of a dead body in her garden puts a damper on the festivities.

This short story is enjoyable and is a very quick read. Costumes & Cadavers is a fast-paced murder mystery. I was engaged in the captivating story, characters, and mystery. If you've got a few minutes, grab Costumes & Cadavers for a hauntingly good time.

I was provided with a copy of this book. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Review previously posted on Saph's Cozy Corner.

My Rating:

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#BookReview ~ Cookies, Corpses & the Deadly Haunt (Haunted House Flippers Inc., Book 1) by Rachael Stapleton @RaquelleJaxson #Halloween

Cookies, Corpses & the Deadly Haunt (Haunted House Flippers Inc.) by Rachael Stapleton

Cookies, Corpses & the Deadly Haunt (Haunted House Flippers Inc.)

Cozy Mystery

1st in Series 

Self Published 

Print Length: 164 pages 

ASIN: B074TY4ZXD

Amazon

About the Book:

House flippers Jack & Juniper agree to lend and help prep their latest purchase—The Doctors House—an old Victorian mansion to act as the eerie setting for the town’s Halloween bash, they’re expecting to find missing floor boards, and pesky bats, not the ghostly specter of the murdered Doctors Wife.

But when the head of the council is found stuffed in a trunk in the attic, it appears history is repeating.

As June and the team, carry on with party preparations, they unravel a century of family secrets, whispers of lunacy—and the number one suspect goes on the run. But the victim’s family insists that the ball must go on, even with a killer on the loose. With Halloween fast approaching, June sees the woman in white and wonders if keeping the killer out was ever really a possibility. Now she’s desperate to unmask the killer before the Annual Halloween Bash turns into even more of a deadly haunt…

My Review:

Cookies, Corpses, and the Deadly Haunt is the first book in a new series by Rachael Stapleton. The premise is two exes who've built a very successful house flipping company. Jack and Juniper have just purchased a mansion in Jack's home town and are working on getting the mansion fixed up and ready for resale when they are asked to host a Halloween bash. It seems that the house is haunted by the wife of a doctor murder many years ago and stuffed in a trunk in the attic. Jack and Juniper give the green light to the bash and then a woman is found dead in the trunk.

As the murder investigations heats up, another body is found that has Juniper questioning whether the town should hold a Halloween bash at all. However, the family insists the Halloween bash continue. When the ghost of the doctor's wife appears outside during the party, and another person is hurt, Jack and Juniper can't help but wonder if the legend is true. What transpires leads to the exposure of a lifetime of family secrets in a town where everyone knows everyone else and some lives will never be the same.

The author did a great job with the character development and world building within Cookies, Corpses, and the Deadly Haunt. Jack, Juniper, and Juniper's friend Pike are very down-to-earth people with successful businesses that they enjoy. All of the characters interact well, even those that may be considered hard to get along with. The secondary characters are well-positioned within the pages and play their parts well.

Part of the story does dance around a love triangle but it's not overwhelming or intrusive on the story. It's a nice addition used by the author to give the book realism. Many people have multiple suitors so it's not far fetched to think our cozy mystery heroines wouldn't be the same. For those concerned about triangles, there is a nice ending to the book and, while I rooted for both men in Juniper's life, I like where the author took her character.

There are couple minor issues I had with the book, though they didn't really bother me - they were just things I noticed. There is an inconsistent point of view - the book flip-flops between 1st and third person. Also, some of the plot points were inconsistent. I can't describe the biggest one here because it would be a potential spoiler near the end of the book.

Cookies, Corpses, and the Deadly Haunt is a fabulous cozy mystery. The plot was unique and interesting, keeping me engaged from the start. I enjoyed all of the characters, they were written with realism and are easy to connect to while reading. The story is fast paced and moves along nicely, not getting bogged down with useless filler or uninteresting details.

This book is from my private collection. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

My Rating:

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If you make a purchase using my links, I will receive a small commission from the sale at no cost to you.

Thank you for supporting Reviews by Saph.

#BookReview ~ The Spook in the Stacks (A Lighthouse Library Mystery) by Eva Gates ~ #CozyMystery #Halloween ~ @vickidelany @evagatesauthor

The Spook in the Stacks: A Lighthouse Library Mystery by Eva Gates

Book Details:

The Spook in the Stacks 

A Lighthouse Library Mystery, Book 4

Cozy Mystery

 Crooked Lane Books 

June 12, 2018

 Hardcover: 250 Pages 

ISBN-13: 978-1683315803 

Digital ASIN: B075QJ59PX

 Amazon 

 

About the Book:

Halloween in North Carolina’s 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, it’s 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 library―haunted 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 wit’s end? Or can it be that the Bodie Island Lighthouse really is haunted?

With The Legend of Sleepy Hollow on everyone’s minds and ghoulish gossip on everyone’s 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 Gates’ Lighthouse Library mysteries.

My Review:

The Spook in the Stacks is the fourth book in the Lighthouse Library Mystery series. This book features a wealthy gentleman shopping for the best library to house his extensive collection of  documents featuring the history of North Carolina. When he is found dead in the Lighthouse Library during a ghostly lecture, Lucy and the rest of the librarians must find a killer. A wonderful book full of twists turns and red herrings. There are a number of potential suspects and the race to figure out who did it is on.

I love the setting, the characters, and the mysteries in each book in the series and The Spook in the Stacks just adds another wonder book to my shelf. Lucy is a wonderful character. She may come from money but she doesn't act like it or flaunt her family's riches. She's pretty down-to-earth and likeable. I love Charlene's obsession of rap music and her passion for wanting to share. The love triangle is still present throughout most of the book but it doesn't overstep the death of Jay Ruddle. All of the secondary characters are unique in their own way and believable. Oh, and how could I forget about Charles?! The library cat is a delightful addition to the cast.

The story is well paced, enjoyable, and full of suspense. The author did a wonderful job describing the characters and scenery within the book. I was able to visualize the story as it played out. A fantastic cozy mystery and addition to the Lighthouse Library series, The Spook in the Stacks is engaging, doesn't divulge the suspect right away, and keeps the reader guessing. 

I was provided with a copy of this book. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Review previously posted on Sapphyria's Books.

My Rating:

This post contains affiliate links.

If you make a purchase using my links, I will receive a small commission from the sale at no cost to you.

Thank you for supporting Reviews by Saph.

#Book Review ~ Midnight Spells Murder (A Happy Camper Mystery, Book 2) by Mary Angela ~#cozymystery #Halloween ~ @maryangelabooks

Midnight Spells Murder (A Happy Camper Mystery) by Mary Angela

Book Details:

Midnight Spells Murder (A Happy Camper Mystery)

Cozy Mystery

2nd in Series

Publisher: Lyrical Press (July 13, 2021)

Print Length: 271 pages

Digital ASIN: B08L8RJTTD

About Midnight Spells Murder:

Spirit Canyon’s annual Spirit Spooktacular weekend is on, and for local amateur sleuth Zo Jones, it’s boomtime for business at her Happy Camper gift shop . . . until a murderer drops in for a browse.

To celebrate Halloween at the Happy Camper, Zo schedules a talk by successful author and self-proclaimed witch Marianne Morgan. Although Marianne’s benign brand of witchcraft is more about feminine empowerment than black magic, her presence is still not welcomed by everyone. Then on a midnight stroll home, Zo spots what seems to be a new Halloween decoration propped up outside the Happy Camper. What she finds is not a mannequin but a dead Marianne, her lifeless body dressed in traditional witch’s garb. But why would someone send this good witch back to the spirit world permanently?

Soon Zo realizes that plenty of folks have motives for murdering Marianne. What’s worse, nosy TV newsman Justin Castle plans to broadcast a report associating Marianne’s murder with the Happy Camper. Zo calls on her partner in sleuthing, local forest ranger Max Harrington, to help her find the culprit before Justin’s report airs. Otherwise Zo’s business just might go bust. But to catch this killer, Zo will have to risk much more than just her reputation . . .

My Review:

I binge read books 1 and two in 2 days. I can't believe I waited this long to read book 1...

It's Spirit Spooktacular weekend in Spirit Canyon, South Dakota. All the shop owners are getting into the Halloween spirit and Zo is hosting an author in her Happy Camper gift shop. The author, Marianne Morgan, isn't a hit with everyone but most people who come to see her talk and sign books enjoy her views of female empowerment. On a walk back home the next night, Zo sees a wonderful holiday scene outside her shop. That is, until she gets close enough to see the lifelike mannequin isn't fake but the dead body of Marianne. As the investigation into her death begins, Zo realizes Marianne has more enemies than she could have imagined, all with motives and opportunities. Now, all Zo and Max have to do is live long enough to find out who wanted the witch dead.

Midnight Spells Murder was a clever who-done-it with a plethora of suspects and motives. With the death scene located just outside Happy Camper, Zo has not only a murder investigation to worry about but the reputation of her shop. Reporter Justin Castle is up to his tricks again when he intends on airing a segment linking the murder to Zo's business. If Zo can't solve who murdered Marianne, Justin's report just might mean the end of Happy Camper.

The author's writing style, characters, and setting are enjoyable. I love being in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The characters in Midnight Spells Murder are fascinating and love whatever it is brewing between Max and Zo. Zo's neighbor, Russell Cunningham, is a hoot and everyone should be so lucky to have nice, friendly neighbors. I love Zo's friendships, the camaraderie, and the way the author wrote their interactions. The character development and world building continued in book 2 and I have fallen more in love with Spirit Canyon and it's unique citizens.

I was provided with a copy of this book. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Review previously posted on Sapphyria's Books.

My Rating:

Purchase Link:

Amazon

This post contains affiliate links.

If you make a purchase using my links, I will receive a small commission from the sale at no cost to you.

Thank you for supporting Reviews by Saph.