Tag: Halloween

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Death by Chocolate Pumpkin Muffin (A Death by Chocolate Mystery Book 8)

272 pages Publisher Kensington Cozies Publication date April 29, 2025

Look at that poor dog. I think he is as frightened of the spider as we are. I’ve been enjoying the cozy mysteries lately. I hope you’re not getting tired of my reviews of them.

ABOUT THE BOOK

One of the sweetest places to visit in Eastport, Maine, is Jacobia “Jake” Tiptree and Ellie White’s bakery, the Chocolate Moose, where people treat themselves to the most decadent desserts. But the island town also seems to cater to those with bitter dispositions . . .

Decorations of cobwebs and creatures are just being taken down across Eastport’s picturesque houses as the community says farewell to Halloween and ushers in winter with the unique confectionaries found only at the Chocolate Moose. Revelers have gathered on the waterfront for a party at local celebrity Hank Rafferty’s ramshackle mansion, known as Stone House. The home repair TV show star and his guests await a devilish dessert delivery from Jake and Ellie—who arrive just after Hank falls to his death from the house’s turret’s balcony.

Despite his show’s popularity, Hank was not exactly beloved in Eastport, prompting the police to conduct a homicide investigation. Their number one suspect is the temperamental boyfriend of police chief Lizzie Snow, whom Hank openly hit on during the party. Although he may be hotheaded, Lizzie doesn’t believe her boyfriend is capable of killing anyone.

And neither do Jake and Ellie. Plenty of people had motive to want Hank dead—a disillusioned admirer, a school bully, and a discontent wife among them. Did any of them take the murderous plunge, or is there another ghost in Hank’s shady past yet to be revealed?

MY THOUGHTS

Eastport, Maine, is the home of famous bakery, the Chocolate Moose. The Chocolate Moose is set to cater a supposedly haunted mansion where things go bump in the night and is rumored to have ghosts. The waterfront property is the setting for a party taking place that is owned by a tv celebrity by the name of Hank Rafferty.

He and his guests are awaiting a mouthwatering delivery of fresh baked goods. Oh, there was a delivery alright, and it wasn’t baked goods it was his body falling from an upper balcony right in front of all the guests.
Hank wouldn’t have won any popularity contests and there are several suspects lined up by the police.


Quick after Halloween themed cozy mystery that kept me reading and finished it in a day.
A surprise ending.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Sarah Graves lives with her husband John, a musician and luthier, and their black Labrador Retriever in a house very much like the one Jacobia Tiptree is remodeling in Eastport, Maine. When she’s not writing Jake’s adventures, Sarah works with her husband on the house and she plays the 5-string banjo.

Happy weekend. Thank you for reading my post today!

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Fatal Fudge Swirl: An Ice Cream Shop Mystery

320 pages Publisher St. Martin’s Paperbacks Publication date June 27, 2023

ABOUT THE BOOK

A movie production brings drama―and murder―to a close-knit New England village, forcing Riley Rhodes to scoop out the suspects.

Former CIA librarian and amateur sleuth Riley Rhodes is loving her fresh start as the manager of the Udderly Delicious Ice Cream Shop. The leaves are turning, tourists are leaf-peeping, and Penniman, Connecticut is putting finishing touches on the weekend long Halloween Happening. But the village is also buzzing. Former child star Cooper Collins is overseeing the production of a romantic comedy that’s filming on the town green and his domineering socialite mother, Diantha, is planning her lavish Halloween themed wedding at her Inn on the Green. Her fiancé has run the Inn’s kitchen for years, ably aided by his recent ex-wife, chef Mary Ann Dumas. An old friend of Riley’s, Mary Ann turns to her when the bride requests a spooky ice cream wedding cake.

But the weekend takes a frightful turn when Diantha is found dead and suspicion falls on Mary Ann. The cast of potential suspects is long―each wedding guest had a chilling motive to kill the vicious heiress. Can Riley unmask the murderer before another guest ends up on ice?

MY THOUGHTS

Though this is the third book in the series it’s my first read of this series.
It is an intriguing book loaded with Halloween and spooky themes and let’s not forget ice cream.


The town of Penniman, Connecticut is all alight this Halloween weekend as former child star Cooper Collins is in charge of the filming happening on the town green. To top it off his bossy mother getting married is the talk of the town with a lavish Halloween themed wedding at her Inn on the Green. Her husband to has worked in the inns kitchen for years aided by his former wife.


When the bride to be requests a spooky wedding cake and then is found dead all eyes turn to the former wife but is she the responsible one?
What a clever way the murder was carried out I’ve never seen this ingenious way written about in a mystery before.


Loved the twists and turns and now I’m hungry for ice cream.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

About the author

Books? Travel? Ice Cream? Yes, please! Former librarian Meri Allen loves exploring the back roads – and ice cream shops – of her native New England. She also writes the award-winning Lobster Shack Mystery series as Shari Randall. Check out her travels, recipes, book giveaways and fun in her quarterly newsletter, The Scoop. Sign up on https://www.meriallenbooks.com. Happy reading!

Happy Thursday! Thank you for stopping in.

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Sugar and Spite (A Witch City Mystery)

304 pages Publisher Kensington Cozies Publication date October 28, 2025

ABOUT THE BOOK

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 del 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”. . .

MY THOUGHTS

Sugar and Spite is chocolate themed and who can resist delicious chocolate at Halloween or any time really.
Taking place in Salem, Mass television reporter, Lee Barrett is assigned the task of visiting candy shops during the Halloween season and reporting on them. Can’t beat that especially when free candy is thrown into the mix.


Lee and her husband detective husband Pete Mondello are expecting their first baby and that chocolate is going to be extra tasty. All thoughts of chocolate tasting are quickly forgotten when a body is found in cold storage in the chocolate shop.


When the body turns out to be the estranged husband of the owner, Shirley Parker we find out there are many who may have wanted him dead as he seemed to make enemies wherever he went.
Along with her husband Pete and many others helping to solve this Halloween mystery this wraps up with a satisfying conclusion.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

MEET THE AUTHOR

About the author

Carol J. Perry is the author of three cozy mystery series. Salem Massachusetts provides the background for her Witch City Mystery series–and is the city where Carol was born–on Halloween eve! Carol and her husband, Dan, now live in the Tampa Bay area of Florida, and the Sunshine State provides the setting for her paranormal Haunted Haven Mystery series. Her newest series, Wicked Salem Mysteries is a “spin-off” of the Witch City books, with many of the original characters, but with a fresh point of view. All of the books feature murders, of course, and each one has the expected cast of animals. Watch for Finn, a friendly Golden Retriever and Toby a sweet black Lab. O’Ryan, a clairvoyant gentleman cat is multi talented, and you’ll enjoy meeting a pair of outdoor cats, Bogie and Bacall, along with Frankie, a white cat, who seems to wander through some of the stories whenever she feels like it.

Thank you for stopping in. Happy Wednesday!

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Review of two seasonal children’s books: A Bold Pumpkin Plan and The Not-So-Wicked Witch

32 pages ages 4-8 Capstone Editions publisher August 1, 2024 publication date



ABOUT THE BOOK

A plan to build a unique home takes a timid Hedgehog on an incredible journey of self-discovery. From meeting new friends to conquering countless obstacles, Hedgehog tackles his house plan with a newfound confidence. Best-selling creator Katy Hudson (Too Many Carrots and Mindful Mr. Sloth) combines her stunning, detailed artwork with themes of friendship, problem solving, and self-awareness in this empowering picture book.

MY THOUGHTS

Every year little Hedgehog has a dull plan. It’s as dull as the plain brown leaves he makes his house from. This year timid Hedgehog wants some excitement with a bold pumpkin plan. He makes an elaborate plan to have a beautiful new home this year. While gathering his supplies he meets new friends, overcoming his shyness, solves problems and has self-awareness while gaining self-found confidence. Lovingly illustrated and giving children a lesson that they can do it themselves and gain confidence.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

32 pages 4-7 years Frances Lincoln Children’s Books August 6, 2024 publication date

ABOUT THE BOOK

On the sleepiest of nights, when the air is still and the moon is full, the conditions are just right… for WITCHES TO TAKE FLIGHT!

And among all these terribly wicked, cackling witches, is one… who is actually, surprisingly quite nice!

This little witch doesn’t enjoy being wicked like the others. Not one little bit. She doesn’t like creating mischief, she doesn’t like making a mess and she definitely doesn’t like any naughtiness!

The other witches decide that the littlest witch needs rescuing from all this icky, gooey goodness! It’s time for some lessons in wickedness, and the best way to do that is by making a completely terrible and utterly awful potion…!

Will our little witch leave her kind and gentle ways behind her and join in the wickedness? Or will she persuade her fellow witches that actually, being wicked isn’t all it’s cracked up to be?

This playful take on spooky witches from the award-winning Bethan Stevens takes readers to a magical world of wickedness and kindness. This is the wonderfully funny follow-up to the prize-winning Grumpy Fairies and the fairytale twist A Damsel Not in Distress.

MY THOUGHTS

All witches are mean and not so polite, right? Now hold on just a minute, Halloween night finds a nice little witch who despite the others trying to change her to be like them just wants to be herself. A story about uniqueness and a wonderful lesson in not following the crowd and that it’s okay to be yourself. Super cutely illustrated for the younger crowd.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Enjoy your weekend and thank you for stopping in.

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Seasonal Children’s book reviews- Little Orange Pumpkin and The Pumpkin Seed’s Secret

40 pages ages 4-8 Sourcebooks Wonderland publisher August 6, 2024 publication date

ABOUT THE BOOK

On a magical night filled with frights, one little pumpkin gets a bigger scare and has a bigger adventure than she bargained for!

Little Orange Pumpkin has been waiting all year for Halloween night to come! She has big plans to collect lots of candy and find all the spooky, scary things in her neighborhood, and she is going to do it all by herself, no matter what her Mommy and Daddy say. Deep in her heart, she believes she is ready, but when Little Pumpkin slips into a magical, spooky world full of monsters, she realizes that maybe she doesn’t want to be a big pumpkin just yet! This Halloween, she just might learn you’re never alone when you have family who love you.

Little Orange Pumpkin is a heartwarming story you’ll want to read again and again. Full of imagination and Halloween adventure, this story will remind you there’s nothing like home to feel safe and loved.

MY THOUGHTS

Little Orange Pumpkin is so excited to go out exploring on Halloween night and thinks she’s ready to do so by herself. Candy, exciting sights and sounds, it’s all waiting for Little Orange Pumpkin. Charmingly illustrated and worded this will delight children as they read this Halloween tale with their parents. A nice little lesson for children about the importance of following the rules to ensure safety.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

40 pages 4-8 years Sourcebooks Explore July 2, 2024 publication date

ABOUT THE BOOK

A pumpkin life cycle book with hominess and heart!

In this rhyming picture book about the life cycle of a pumpkin, a pumpkin becomes something new with each turn of the page, from a flower to a house to a face. Extensive back matter on the pumpkin life cycle, fun pumpkin facts, and a pumpkin seed recipe are included. A perfect book for both home and school libraries. An excellent gift for Halloween or any time of year!

A pumpkin is a seed.

A plain little seed with a secret inside,

A pocket, a pip with a new life to hide.

To hide and to hold

As springtime unfolds,

A pumpkin begins as a seed.

A pumpkin is a sprout.

A curious sprout with one leaf and then two,

A budding, a nudging, a slow peekaboo.

Happy for rain

And sunshine again,

A pumpkin pops out as a sprout.

MY THOUGHTS

The little pumpkin seed has a big secret this Spring. With the rain gently falling on it, it starts out with just one leaf then two appear. As the sun shines and the vines start tangling around things it becomes lush and green, reaching up towards the sky. Summer appears and so do the orangey yellowish flowers which turn into small fruits visited by bees. Autumn comes around to visit us and the fruits have swollen into beautiful globes of orange pumpkins shielded by the thick pumpkin vines which have been silently creeping and twining upon everything. The pumpkins are now ready to pick for decorating your house or for consumption in your Autumn dishes. Fully illustrated with beautiful pictures children will fully appreciate showing the life stages of the pumpkin.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Have a wonderful day. Thank you for stopping in. –

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Murder at the Pumpkin Pageant (A Beacon Bakeshop Mystery Book 4)

353 pages Kensington Cozies July 25, 2023 publication date

ABOUT THE BOOK

The latest installment in Darci Hannah’s delicious Beacon Bakeshop Mystery series set in small-town Beacon Harbor, Michigan, featuring a baker heroine who lives in the local lighthouse with her beloved Newfoundland dog, Wellington.

Lindsey prefers to keep her bakeshop’s Halloween decor light and autumnal, rather than gruesome and ghoulish. But everyone knows her lighthouse home is haunted. Some intrepid teens have even tried to break in to witness the resident ghost themselves. Dreading Halloween night, Lindsey reluctantly allows her influencer and podcaster best friend, Kennedy, to host a live ghost hunting investigation in the lighthouse, conducted by a professional team. Protective of her ghost, Lyndsey is understandably nervous about what they might uncover . . .

The segment is uneventful—until things take a terrifying turn. The team freaks out. As Kennedy joins the mad dash outside, she bumps into what looks like the prankster teens’ creepy clown costume hanging from a tree. But when Lindsey’s dog, Wellington, begins to whine, they make a grim discovery: the clown is no dummy. It’s a corpse.

Now Lindsey and company will need to keep their cool if they want a ghost of a chance to solve the murder—and see another Halloween . . . 

MY THOUGHTS

I’m really enjoying this series. It’s a cozy mystery culinary delights series.
This is the fourth book in the Beacon Bakeshop series.


Beacon Harbor, Michigan’s residents are looking forward to a Halloween weekend filled with fun events including a pumpkin contest and a podcaster catching ghostly happenings at the lighthouse, to hopefully prove it’s haunted.

Full of Halloween themed decorations more on the cute side rather than scary one can’t help wondering what the horrifying decoration is that seems so lifelike until it’s determined it truly is real.

Could those pesky teens who are trying to break into the lighthouse to record the ghost be the responsible party?
Will this prove to be too much excitement for Lindsey and her canine companion this Halloween evening?

I enjoyed the atmospheric lighthouse with its creepy vibes as it was being explored. The book kept me reading late as I had to see how things would end. This is a great series and I’ll be adding to my collection as I read more of it.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Cozy mystery author, Darci Hannah, is a native of the Midwest and currently lives in a small town in Michigan. Darci is a lifelong lover of the Great Lakes, a natural wonder that inspires many of her stories. When Darci isn’t baking for family and friends, hiking with her furry pals, Ripley and Finn, or concocting her next cozy mystery, she can be found wandering around picturesque lakeside villages with her hubby, sampling baked goods, and breaking for coffee more often than she should.

Darci’s books include:

MURDER AT THE BEACON BAKESHOP 1st in the Beacon Bakeshop Mystery Series (Kensington 2021), CHERRY SCONES & BROKEN BONES (Midnight Ink 2019), CHERRY PIES & DEADLY LIES (Midnight Ink 2018), THE ANGEL OF BLYTHE HALL (Ballantine Books 2011, 2nd edition by Piffle & Bombast 2016), THE EXILE OF SARA STEVENSON (Ballantine Books 2010)

You can learn more about Darci and her books at http://www.darcihannah.com

Connect with Darci on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorDarciHannah

Have a wonderful day. Thank you for stopping in.

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First Line Friday

Happy Friday & welcome to First Line Friday !  It’s time to grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line. Today I’m delighted feature Fatal Fudge Swirl by Meri Allen. Hosted at Reading is my Super Power.

287 pages St. Martin’s Paperbacks June 27, 2023 publication date

ABOUT THE BOOK

A movie production brings drama—and murder—to a close-knit New England village, forcing Riley Rhodes to scoop out the suspects.

Former CIA librarian and amateur sleuth Riley Rhodes is loving her fresh start as the manager of the Udderly Delicious Ice Cream Shop. The leaves are turning, tourists are leaf-peeping, and Penniman, Connecticut is putting finishing touches on the weekend long Halloween Happening. But the village is also buzzing. Former child star Cooper Collins is overseeing the production of a romantic comedy that’s filming on the town green and his domineering socialite mother, Diantha, is planning her lavish Halloween themed wedding at her Inn on the Green. Her fiancé has run the Inn’s kitchen for years, ably aided by his recent ex-wife, chef Mary Ann Dumas. An old friend of Riley’s, Mary Ann turns to her when the bride requests a spooky ice cream wedding cake.

But the weekend takes a frightful turn when Diantha is found dead and suspicion falls on Mary Ann. The cast of potential suspects is long—each wedding guest had a chilling motive to kill the vicious heiress. Can Riley unmask the murderer before another guest ends up on ice?

FIRST LINES

Saturday, the day before Halloween

“Nothing like reading other people’s mail.” Flo Fairweather’s sky-blue eyes sparkled as she smoothed a luscious hot-fudge sundae with light-as-air whipped cream. “I hope we find some juicy gossip.”

I hope to have a chance to read this before Halloween.

Let me know the first line of the book you’re reading in the comments.

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Catch Me If You Candy: (A Bakeshop Mystery, 17)

352 pages Pub Date 22 Aug 2023 St. Martin’s Press publisher

Easy Halloween cupcakes

ABOUT THE BOOK

Things are getting spooky in Catch Me If You Candy, the next delicious installment in the Bakeshop Series from author Ellie Alexander, set in Ashland, Oregon!

Halloween has arrived in picturesque Ashland, Oregon, and all of the ghouls and goblins have descended on Main Street for the annual parade. It’s a giant street party and Torte is right in the mix.

Jules Capshaw and her team have been baking up autumn delights and trick-or-Torte bags filled with sugar cookie cutouts, spiced cider, and mummy munch. It’s the end of the season at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, which means that the costumes for the parade are going to be out of this world. The elaborate guises even extend to pets. The grand marshal of this year’s parade is no other than a regal pug aptly named King George. Jules is delighted to get to share the experience with Carlos and Ramiro, but things take a dark turn when she discovers a dragon slumped in front of the bakeshop.

Jules is distraught when she realizes the dragon is dead. She’s also shaken because a few days before the parade, her mother’s Mahjong partner Helen discovered a warning note about a dragon in an antique game set. Jules hopes it’s just a random coincidence, but as the clues begin to unfold it becomes evident that there’s been a murder on All Hallow’s Eve. Can Juliet sift out the truth before the killer comes after her?

MY THOUGHTS

Catch me if You Candy is the seventeenth book in the Bakeshop mystery series. I haven’t read all of them but have read quite a few.

Ashland, Oregon is the home of Torte, the bakeshop owned by Jules Capshaw. She and her bakers are busy firing up the ovens almost around the clock with all the Halloween treats everyone wants. Taking a break to run some goodies to her mother’s weekly mahjong party an ominous note is found in the ancient board game set bought at a thrift store.


As the end of the Shakespearean season settles upon Ashland, the town gathers around a Halloween parade costumed adults and children alike enjoy attending.
When a slumped over dragon, the same one talked about in the mahjong game note is found dead in front of her bakeshop, Jules is devastated.


With clues piling up faster than the Halloween candy the trick or treaters are clutching in their grubby hands, who can you trust? Is anyone telling the truth or will this one be all tricks and no treats?


Cleverly written with a great plot and lots of descriptive Autumn cheer this is the perfect book to settle in with on a cold Fall night with your hot cup of coffee or tea.

Pub Date 22 Aug 2023
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

THE AUTHOR

ELLIE ALEXANDER is a voracious storyteller, a lover of words and all things bookish. She believes that stories have the ability to transport and transform us. With over thirty published novels and counting, her goal is to tell stories that provide points of connection, escape, and understanding.

She loves inhabiting someone else’s skin through the pages of a book and is passionate about helping writers find their unique storytelling lens. As a writing teacher and coach, she guides writers in crafting the story they’ve always wanted to tell while navigating the path to publication that’s right for them.

Find out more about Ellie, her books, and writing courses by visiting her online:

Website: https://www.elliealexander.co/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellie_alexander

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/elliealexanderauthor

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elliealexanderauthor

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@elliealexanderauthor

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/ellielovesbooks

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/elliealexanderauthor

Do you still have holiday books on your to read pile waiting for you? Have a marvelous day. Thanks for stopping in.

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Mischief Nights Are Murder (A Poppy McAllister Mystery Book 8) Poppy McAllister discovers that gluten-free Halloweens can scare up another case of murder…….

Thank you for reading this post on my holidays and seasonal blog .

Mischief Nights Are Murder (A Poppy McAllister Mystery Book 8) Poppy McAllister discovers that gluten-free Halloweens can scare up another case of murder…….

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A Corpse at the Witching Hour: A Food Blogger Mystery …. ghosts, a fatal curse, and a decades-old family secret 

Thank you for reading this post on my other blog. Thank you.

A Corpse at the Witching Hour: A Food Blogger Mystery …. ghosts, a fatal curse, and a decades-old family secret