Genre: Mystery/Halloween Stories
Hardcover; Digital Book
ISBN#: 9781496733825
Kensington Publishing
336 Pages
$22.99; $12.99 Amazon
August 31, 2021
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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 Haley 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...
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I know it's way too early for Halloween, but since I enjoy these authors, I thought I'd start early. I was disappointed in one, but very pleased by the other two. For the individual ratings:
⭐Halloween Party Murder by Leslie Meier: Lucy's husband Bill is finally changing her mind about how she feels regarding the newcomers to Tinker's Cove, Ty and Heather Moon. And to show she's willing to give them a chance, she's happy to help with the haunted house they're planning for the community, especially when much of the proceeds will benefit the needy in her town. But the night of the party, Lucy finds Heather near death in the tub, and later learns she died. Now with Ty accused of murder, and her friend, who's running for the state assembly, defending him, there are more problems than she ever expected, especially since there's a murderer running around loose...
I really wanted to like this, but unfortunately Ms. Meier has turned this into a political rant. I'm not going to get into it here, but let's just say that I read for entertainment, not to be preached to politically, nor to be told that my way of thinking is just wrong if it doesn't jibe with yours. So no, I did not enjoy this story at all, but others might.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Death of a Halloween Party Monster by Lee Hollis: Hayley is throwing a Halloween party at her new restaurant, Hayley's Kitchen, for a select group of friends. But after the party is breaking up, Lydia comes across the dead body of Boris Candy, who was once dressed as Pennywise the clown, but is no longer -- not that it matters, anyway. Now police chief and brother-in-law to Hayley, Sergio, is questioning the remaining guests to see which one of them committed the deed. But with tempers flaring and accusations flying, it's not an easy task. Now Hayley's trying to put the pieces together but can't believe one of her friends is the guilty party...
This was a terrific short story perfect for Halloween. I found this one the most hilarious of the three, mainly because I love the banter between Hayley and her two besties, Lydia and Mona. They make quite a trio. We get to see a different side of Sergio, and some unexpected situations that lead to a discovery of sorts. It's fun, intriguing, and a quick read that will have you laughing throughout.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Scared Off by Barbara Ross: When Julia's niece Paige calls her from a friend's house, sounding panicked, Julia heads over there only to find police already arrived. When she locates Paige and her friend Vanessa, she's allowed to take them home. It seems that a tenant in the upstairs of the Victorian home, Mrs. Zelisko, is dead, and the girls are insisting they saw her flying like a ghost. But can Julia find out the truth? Everyone has different stories, but the woman isn't a ghost, so why did they see her, and who could have murdered her?
With Julia still reeling from her personal life, she's thrown into a murder investigation she didn't want, but is part of nonetheless. Now she's sifting through the questions and responses to try and find out the truth. What she does discover throws a lot of people in town, and suddenly there's more to the story than anyone expected...
This is a very interesting short story, and they aren't always easy to write. While it doesn't have the humor of Ms. Hollis (both authors); it does have a lot going for it. Julia is once again using her wits to figure out the problem, with her state police friends Binder and Flynn letting her in on the investigation, since she's been helpful in the past. The answers come slowly but strangely, and no one expects that when it does become clear that this could ever have happened. We also learn something a bit delightful toward the end, giving us a peek into what the future might hold. A delightful, refreshing story.
In the end, I gave the entire thing five stars because I liked the last two stories immensely. It's only because I don't want to read about politics of any kind (unless I'm reading political science, etc.) in my escapism. Other than that, I would definitely recommend this to others.
More on Leslie Meier's Books: https://www.fantasticfiction.com/m/leslie-meier/
More on Lee Hollis's Books: https://www.fantasticfiction.com/h/lee-hollis/
More on Barbara Ross's Books: https://www.fantasticfiction.com/r/barbara-ross/
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