Sugar and Spite

A Witch City Mystery Book 15

Author:    Carol J. Perry

Genre:     Mystery/Paranormal

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book

(Audio CD and Audiobook Available)

ISBN #:     9781496743688

Kensington Cozies

304 Pages

$8.99; $7.99 Amazon

October 28, 2025

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

There's no place like Salem, Massachusetts -- aka "the witch city" -- for Halloween.  As residents embrace their historic heritage to celebrate the season, WICH-TV program director Lee Barrett is assigned the decadent task of highlighting the village's delectable sweet shops -- only to learn that some revelers prefer deadly tricks over delicious treats...

Casa del Chocolate is one of Salem's most charming boutique candy shops, making it a perfect profile story.  Although preoccupied with her own personal sweet news -- Lee and her detective husband Pete Mondello are expecting a bundle of joy -- she cheerfully agrees to interview the chocolatier.  Since becoming pregnant, the radiant and exhilarated mother-to-be has discovered that she is finally free of the unwanted haunting "visions" she has endured since childhood.

Shirley Parker inherited Casa de Chocolate, housed in her beautiful ancestral home on the waterfront, continuing her family's sweet tradition of conjuring magical treats for the folks of Salem.  Mesmerized by the delightful chocolate scented aromas filling the air while touring the kitchen, Lee is shocked when she stumbles upon the murdered body of Barney Bingham, Shirley's estranged husband.

As the police focus their suspicions on Shirley, Lee learns that many people had reasons for wanting Barney dead.  Now, with help from Pete, tarot reader River North, and clairvoyant gentleman cat O'Ryan, as well as some new feline friends, Lee must unmask the true killer -- and cope with the sudden return of her troubling "visions"...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Lee Barrett Mondello is the program director for WICH-TV in Salem, Massachusetts.  Although she's had to cut back on her time and duties due to the fact that she and her husband are expecting their first child.  When she's given an assignment to cover the candy shops in Salem, it's one she can sink her teeth into -- literally.  So when she sees that a shop named Casa de Chocolate has opened up, she naturally wants to interview them.

Casa de Chocolate is housed in an historic mansion owned by Shirley Parker, who greets Lee, ready for the interview.  When Lee is given an opportunity to see the shop's inner workings in the basement, she's more than ready.  But what she's not ready for is the dead body she comes across.  The dead body that happens to be the ex-husband of Shirley.  

When Lee's husband Pete starts investigating, he discovers that Bingham had more than his share of enemies..but which one was willing to kill him?  With no clues and a missing murder weapon, it may take longer to solve this case than it will for Lee to have her baby.  

Pete wants Lee to stay out of this case, and she has every intention to do so, since she has a couple of baby showers to look forward to; and of course, all those sweet shops to visit and sample.  But when it seems someone is stalking Lee, she begins to worry.  So does Pete.  Will she be able to stay of this case and stay safe?  Or is someone going to make sure she's never involved in any murder mystery again...

This is the fifteenth book in the series, and I must say that I enjoyed it very much.  I love the characters in this series, and the fact that Lee has a "partner in crime" in her husband, who understands about her visions and accepts them because he loves her.

There is a lot going on here, and the two plots are intertwined nicely.  While Lee is mainly sidelined from investigating, she does her own, but makes sure she's not on her own entirely.  With a little one on the way, she needs to be careful.

The descriptions of autumn in Salem are also nice, although a bit sparse, as the action is centered on the dead man, which is how it should be.  I loved the fact that this book made me actually look for the killer along with Lee, and didn't make it too easy to do so.

When the ending comes, we figure it out almost at the same time as our protagonist, and that's the best way to do it.  It's an intriguing climax, and I enjoyed it immensely.  I love Ms. Perry's books and this one fits right in, being written well with a terrific plot.  Highly recommended.

I was given an advance copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Sugar-Spite-Witch-City-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0DX4Z7C7G/ref=

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7659417502

More on Carol J. Perry's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/p/carol-j-perry/

The Spirit Moves

 A Haunted Haven Mystery Book 4

Author:    Carol J. Perry

Genre:     Mystery/Paranormal

Trade Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496743626

Kensington Cozies

240 Pages

$17.95; $9.99 Amazon

May 27, 2025

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

When the body of "how-to" book writer Terry Holiday is found by Aster Paterson in her flower garden, the townspeople of Haven are shocked.  But they're even more surprised when the beloved bookshop owner insists that the spirit of her late husband Peter led her to the grim discovery.  Only Aster seems unsurprised -- she's been baking his favorite shortbread cookies every day, hoping to lure his ghost back home...

Even Maureen is a little skeptical -- until Peter's ghost appears in the bookshop window for all to see.  Haven's hard-headed realist cop Frank Hubbard is determined to unveil whatever trickery led to the apparition, as he suspects the answer to who killed Terry Holiday may be connected to the illusion.

If Maureen's learned anything since she moved from New England and inherited her haunted inn, it's that 1) ghosts are real (at least some of them), and 2) so are murderers.  She doesn't need a how-to manual to solve a murder; she's done it before.  But with suspects ranging from a mystery writers group to a ghostwriter who just checked in at the inn, she will need a little help from her spirited sleuths...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Maureen inherited her Florida (haunted) inn from a woman named Penelope, someone she'd never met.  Now settled in with the crew who came with the inn, she's more than involved with Ted, the head chef.  The two are moving forward with their romance, which is pleasing her other employees.

She's also looking for ways to make the inn more profitable, as she's barely making ends meet right now.  While visiting her friend Aster, who owns the local bookshop, she sees that a group of mystery writers are meeting and she finds their remarks about an author who writers 'how-to' books are not flattering.  Curious, she purchases his latest book and sees that it is certainly useful, and learns that this particular book was more than likely written by a ghostwriter.  But when the author, Terry Holiday, is supposed to arrive for a signing at the bookshop, he never shows up.

Later, Aster finds his body in the flower garden behind her shop, and tells everyone that the ghost of her husband Peter told her it was there.  Detective Frank Hubbard thinks Peter's appearance is a trick, and now Aster is a suspect, along with everyone who knew Terry.  With the bookshop a crime scene, Aster moves to the hotel with her cat, Earl Gardner...and the spirit of Peter, supposedly.  The writers' group is now meeting at the inn, and a couple of other guests show up, along with a man who claims to be a ghostwriter, but is charming everyone around him.

With a murderer on the loose, people are cancelling reservations.  No one knows who to trust, and even Frank is asking Maureen for help on this case.  What is going on?  Can she solve a crime while still trying to find time to spend with Ted?  It seems as if she'll need the help of her ghostly roommate Lorna, and Lorna's beau, a late Scotland Yard detective named Reggie.  But how will she explain it all to Frank, who doesn't believe in ghosts?...

This is the fourth book in the series and I have read them all.  I have also loved them all.  To tell the truth, I do love books with 'friendly' spirits, and especially learning about their backgrounds as well.  I love the relationship between them and Maureen, and it adds to the attraction of the book.  Along with her dog, Finn, who has a lively time with the ghosts  as well.

Maureen's efforts are not unrewarded, but she has a lot of people to sift through -- the guests at the hotel, and the writers' group -- she refuses to believe that gentle Aster could be a murderer, even if Frank isn't quite convinced.  The clues that she finds are intriguing, and it isn't easy deciphering them, but I love a challenge.

I will not give anything else away, and hope that I didn't give too much (basically, I expanded on what the blurb states, so there's that), but I will say that the ending left me as stunned as it did Maureen.  I was hoping for a different outcome, but murderers have their own ideas, and it's never reasonable nor logical.  It was a tad humorous, though.  I look forward to the next in the series and highly recommend this book.

I received an advance copy from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Spirit-Moves-Haunted-Haven-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0DFS48CKN/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7062557852

More on Carol J. Perry's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/p/carol-j-perry/

Haunting License (A Haunted Haven Mystery #3)

Author:    Carol J. Perry

Genre:     Mystery/Paranormal

Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496743602

Kensington Cozies

304 Pages

$16.95; $9.99 Amazon

June 25, 2024

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

It's June in Haven, Florida, a "between seasons" time in the tourism business, and Maureen's Haven House Inn is feeling the pinch.  There are plenty of ghosts in residence, but Maureen needs living guests to pay the bills.

Inspired by an old brochure she finds in a trunk she inherited along with the inn from her mysterious benefactor Penelope Josephine Gray, she gets the brilliant idea to revive a June fishing tournament from twenty years ago, hoping to reel in anglers who'd love to catch the Gulf Coast's popular kingfish and take home a trophy.  

But one fisherman won't make it to the tournament.  While walking on the beach with her golden retriever Finn, Maureen discovers a body.  When Officer Frank Hubbard arrives, he recognizes local charter boat fisherman Eddie Manuel.

Now it's up to Maureen and her spirited sleuths to sort through the red herrings and bait a hook for a killer before someone else ends up sleeping with the fishes...

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Maureen is learning to manage the inn that was left to her by a stranger, but she's still wondering how to make it a permanent paying business.  She loves her new home in Haven, Florida, and is becoming familiar with everything, including the fact her new plans for a gift shop on the premises is firming up.  

While walking her golden retriever Finn on the beach one morning she sees what appears to be a body floating next to shore.  She calls her friend Officer Frank Hubbard.  He discovers that the dead man is Eddie Manuel, a charter boat captain, but doesn't know why he would be there, or who would have wanted to kill him -- because he's sure it wasn't an accident.

While Maureen tries to stay out of the investigation, she digs into her benefactor's old trunk and finds enough information on an old fishing tournament that she decides to revive in order to bring business to the town and, of course, to her inn.  With the town and fishermen on her side, she has enough people to make it worthwhile.

But one of her guests is a photographer for a small birding magazine -- and once Maureen meets his boss, she thinks the man is creepy.  Another guest who is an archaeologist, puts thoughts in Maureen's head that things around there aren't on the up and up, and Eddie might have stumbled across something he shouldn't have.  Should Maureen stay out of it and just plan the tournament?  Or should she go with her gut feelings and put herself in harm's way?...

This is the third book in the series and I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I love books that have friendly spirits in them, and even if the scenes were sparse, they were still fun to read.  At times, Maureen's ghosts do give her the information and unexpected turns that she needs.  I'd love to say more on the subject, but I don't want to spoil the book for others.

The plot was done very well, with enough twists and turns to keep me interested throughout.  I love how the author weaves together different storylines that connect somehow, and eventually the key to finding the truth shows up in an unusual way.

By this I mean that when the climax does come, it is unexpected, although we are given a clue a little earlier on by what actually might occur, but it still surprises, and the ending itself is rather a treat to read.  There is also an epilogue that tells us the outcome, and gives us something to look forward to in the next book, of which I eagerly await.  Highly recommended.

I was given an advance copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Haunting-License-Haunted-Haven-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0CK5BGLGM/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6319306113

More on Carol J. Perry's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/p/carol-j-perry/

High Spirits (A Haunted Haven Mystery Book 2)

Author:    Carol J. Perry

Genre:     Mystery/Paranormal

Trade Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496731371

Kensington Publishing

320 Pages

$15.99; $9.99 Amazon

October 25, 2022

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Christmas lights on palm trees and Santa hats on plastic pink flamingoes are far from the snowy landscape Maureen and her beloved golden retriever, Finn, are used to.  But Maureen is determined to make this a holiday to remember -- which means finding a way to promote Haven House on a shoestring.  Fortunately, Haven's vintage movie theater, the Paramount, has come up with a great "Twelve Days of Christmas" idea.  They'll feature an impressive list of the best classic Christmas movies ever made -- shown by one-time movie actor-turned-projectionist Decklin Monroe.

But nobody bothered to tell Maureen that the Paramount is haunted by the ghost of a man who was murdered a few years back.  Haven's top cop Frank Hubbard doesn't believe in ghosts but, believing that Decklin Monroe was somehow involved, he wants a reluctant Maureen's help.

That plan is derailed when, on the first day of the festival, a fresh murder victim is found at the theater.  Now Maureen has to defend her staff and guests, while trying to keep her high-spirited resident ghosts out of the picture -- before they have company for the holidays...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Maureen Doherty lost her job and didn't no where to turn when she'd found that she'd inherited Haven House in Florida.  The inn is old, and needs plenty of work, but has a lack of funds due to the mismanagement of the previous manager.  But Maureen knows how to plan, and she's hoping to figure out a way to save it.

Then comes Decklin Monroe, an old actor who is now a projectionist of old two-reel movies at the Paramount, a theater also in need of repairs.  Maureen has come up with an idea: have a dinner and a movie night.  Purchase theater tickets, and include a dinner at the hotel's restaurant, giving them some proceeds -- which are better than none.  But Decklin's story of a murder in the theater, and the ghost who haunts it, bothers Maureen, even though she doesn't let it interfere with her idea.

But at the first showing, there is another murder, and now people are wondering who killed this person, and police officer Frank Hubbard is none too happy with Maureen right now, but still needs her help in finding the killer.  With a full house on board for Christmas, a ghost haunting her suite, and a murder to solve, it will be a wonder if Maureen can actually find a killer...

This is the second book in the series and I have to say that I enjoyed it quite as much as I did the first.  Ms. Perry weaves a story well, and it was full of plenty of goings-on and a few ghosts to boot.  Watching her try to keep the Haven House and keep it running is worth it, and her staff is fiercely loyal to her and the old inn as well.  What I found humorous was the fact that Finn loves to be read to -- books about dogs, of course!

But who killed the latest victim?  I had my own insights, and I read a lot of mysteries, so I had the culprit halfway through the book.  I just didn't know how.  That was all explained carefully, believably, and capably.  This series is a delightful entry to the cozy genre, and the characters are becoming more defined, which I know will continue with each book.  

The ending does have a nice epilogue, and it ties everything together in a brightly colored Christmas bow, and gives us something to look forward to in the next in the series.  There are also a few yummy recipes in the back.  Highly recommended.

I received an advance copy from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/High-Spirits-Haunted-Haven-Mystery-ebook/dp/B09RGBJJ1V/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4802637947

More on Carol J. Perry's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/p/carol-j-perry/

Be My Ghost (A Haunted Haven Mystery Book 1)

Author:    Carol J. Perry

Genre:     Mystery/Paranormal

Trade Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496731357

Kensington Publishing

288 Pages

$13.99; $8.27 Amazon

August 31, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Maureen Doherty and her golden retriever Finn have taken possession of a charming old inn -- only to discover that it's already possessed by tenants whose lease on life already ran out...

Maureen's career as a clothing buyer hits a snag just before Halloween, when the department store declares bankruptcy.  Meanwhile, Finn's lost his way as a guide dog after flunking his test for being too friendly and easily distracted.  Sadly, only one of them can get unemployment, so Maureen's facing ar  winter of discontent in Boston -- when she realizes she can't afford her apartment.

Salvation comes when she receives a mysterious inheritance: an inn in Haven, Florida.  A quaint, scenic town on the Gulf of Mexico hidden away from the theme parks.  Maureen believes it's a good place to make a fresh start with a new business venture.  But she gets more than she bargained for when she finds a dead body on her property -- and meets some of the inn's everlasting tenants in the form of ghosts who offer their otherworldly talents in order to help her solve the mystery...

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Maureen Doherty loses her job as a clothing buyer in an upscale department store in Boston when the store closes.  But then she receives an odd letter from a legal firm in Haven, Florida, stating that she's inherited an old inn and the remaining fortune of the late tenant.  Packing up her things and her golden retriever, Finn, she heads for the sunny south to start a new life.

But when she arrives she finds the fortune isn't all that much; the inn is in need of a lot of work; several elderly people live on site in return for working there, and the manager seems to have nothing but disdain for her -- taking over the previous owner's office and giving Maureen room 27 -- which is reputed to be haunted by a nasty spirit. 

After barely settling in she finds the body of a reputed ghost hunter on her front porch, and it seems he's been poisoned -- shortly after having a drink in the hotel's bar.  Now the police are on her tail, wondering if Lorna or one of her employees could be the murderer.  Could things get any worse?

Apparently so.  She gets another big surprise when she finds that her own suite is haunted by a B startlet from Hollywood's Golden Era - Lorna DuBois.  After proclaiming she doesn't believe in ghosts, she finds herself talking to Lorna and asking her advice.  Between talking to a ghost and being a suspect on the police's radar for murder, Maureen's in a pickle, and if she can't find a murderer, her stay in Florida isn't going to be pleasant -- from the inside of a jail...

This is the first book in the series and I have to say that I enjoyed it immensely.  I love books with ghosts (friendly) and I loved the plot in this one.  It was a lot of fun to read, and the fact that Maureen goes through a lot of changes and seems to accept them shows me that she's able to give in situations and not afraid to take risks.  She's a lovely person, and her dog is quite a character, too.

The elderly tenants are a hoot, but they in turn know what they're doing and who to talk to and whom not to.  Gert is the funniest, but the others have their value also.  I do like Ted quite a bit, he's open to new things and hopefully, will become Maureen's permanent partner-in-crime, if you know what I mean.  Both romantically and in sleuthing.

I was able to follow the mystery easily and pretty much knew who the murderer was, and the reason behind it wasn't difficult to figure out; but I read a lot of mysteries so I'm always on the lookout for those things anyway.

When the ending comes it was done nicely and with everything falling into place right where it's supposed to.  Again, I truly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the next in the series soon.  Highly recommended.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Be-Ghost-Haunted-Haven-Mystery/dp/1496731352/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4299635100

More on Carol J. Perry's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/p/carol-j-perry/