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Death by Haunted House
Death by Haunted House
Lee Hollis | 2022 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
A Haunted Flashback
This novella flashes back ten years to 2009 and a time when series protagonist Hayley Powell was still married. A new family has moved to town and moved in next door to Hayley and her young family into a long-abandoned house that is rumored to be haunted. When they move in, they are unfriendly and obviously keeping secrets, and Hayley’s husband, Danny, is certain that they are hiding something. When a dead body turns up in the woods behind their neighborhood, Danny is certain they are involved. Is he right?

I found the story here very entertaining, although I did guess a couple plot points early. Still, the solution to the mystery was a surprise, and I had to laugh at some of the events along the way. On the other hand, I found Danny extremely selfish and annoying, and Hayley does something extremely stupid, with is ironic since she complains about Danny’s behavior at times.

NOTE: This story is a novella, roughly 100 pages, and was originally part of the novella collection Haunted House Murder. If you have that book, there is no need to buy this ebook. If you haven’t read the story, now is the time to sit back and enjoy this Halloween trip to Maine.
  
Haunted House Murder
Haunted House Murder
Leslie Meier | 2022 | Mystery
5
5.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Weak Novella
Halloween is coming, but everyone in Tinker’s Cove is talking about the old, abandoned house in town. While it looks run down from the outside, someone has bought it and moved in during the middle of the night. However, they aren’t very friendly, rebuffing Lucy’s and other’s attempts to welcome them to town. Then the rumors start flying and strange events start happening. What is really going on in this house?

I know that the Lucy Stone series is extremely popular, but I struggle to get through the stories I have read. Part of it is Lucy’s family. I haven’t spent enough time with them to look past their faults and love them, I guess. And, let’s face it, that is often what we have to do with people in real life. In this case, I found the story to be better suited to a short story than even a novella. It’s not bad, but it felt drawn out and a little forced.

NOTE: This story is a novella, roughly 100 pages, and was originally part of the novella collection Haunted House Murder. If you have that book, there is no need to buy this ebook. If you haven’t read the story, now is the time consider this Halloween trip to Maine.
  
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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post

Aug 19, 2022  
Sneak a peek at the cozy mystery THE FLOWER ENIGMA by Breakfield and Burkey on my blog. If you like what you see, the eBook is only $0.99. Be sure to enter the giveaway for a chance to win an autographed copy of the book - two winners!

https://alltheupsandowns.blogspot.com/2022/08/book-blitz-and-giveaway-flower-enigma.html

**BOOK SYNOPSIS**
Imagine a romantic getaway in the Texas Hill Country

JJ, a cyber guru, whisks his girlfriend, Jo, away for a vacation. No paparazzi. Magnolia Bluff is the perfect destination. Flower B&B is prettier than the pictures on the website.

The evangelizing podcast creators are demanding answers about the town’s newest resident, Mateo Hernandez. The enormous wall he erected has convinced the ladies he’s hiding nefarious activities behind a dubious attorney. Local authorities don’t believe laws are broken and discount the women as meddling gossips.

When the couple checks in to Flower, the podcast show-in-progress is interrupted by a cyberattack. JJ, the techno-geek, can’t resist helping. At each subsequent event in the series, he uncovers more serious issues than cyberwarfare.

JJ and Jo can’t avoid this roving series maelstrom. It gets personal when they’re attacked and warned to leave town. No one can conceive the depth of the crimes behind Mateo’s walls.
     
Murder Under the Mistletoe
Murder Under the Mistletoe
Erica Ruth Neubauer | 2023 | Mystery
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Meeting the Father Turns Deadly
It’s December of 1926, and Jane Wunderly is accompanying her fiancé, Redvers, to his home in a small English village to meet his father. The two men have grown apart, so it is news to Redvers that his father is also engaged and planning to wed on Christmas morning. However, this bride-to-be is twice widowed and rumor has it that her previous husbands didn’t die of natural causes. Then an attack is followed up by a suspicious death at a Christmas party. Can Jane and Redvers figure out what is happening?

When I learned that we were getting a between the books novella this Christmas, I had to read it. And I enjoyed it. We see a couple supporting characters in addition to Jane and Redvers. Plus, the new characters are great. The plot kept me guessing, even when I thought I had a handle on what was going on. While not all the Christmas traditions are the same, it still felt familiar enough that I enjoyed the dose of Christmas spirit in December. Whether you already like this series or are looking for a quick Christmas read, you’ll be glad you picked up this ebook only novella.
  
Death by Yule Log
Death by Yule Log
Lee Hollis | 2022 | Mystery
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
New Boyfriend and a Christmas Murder
This Christmas, Hayley Powell's daughter is coming up to Maine for Christmas and she's bringing her new boyfriend. Hayley does her best to greet Connor with an open mind, but something about him just rubs Hayley the wrong way. However, when a young man is found murdered after getting into a fight with Connor, it begins to look like Connor is the prime suspect. Hayley may not like him, but she doesn't want to see Connor accused of a crime he didn't commit. Can she figure out what is going on?

This story made me want to pick up the full length novels, not that I have yet. While I obviously didn't understand all the character history, I certainly got enough to fully enjoy what was happening here. The mystery was strong and kept me engaged until the end. As a bonus, there are recipes throughout, including one for a Yule Log cake.

NOTE: This story is a novella, roughly 100 pages, and was originally part of the novella collection Yule Log Murder. If you have that book, there is no need to buy this ebook. If you haven’t read the story, now is the time to sit back and enjoy this Christmas mystery.
  
Full disclosure about my review of this book: I have always just liked Lena Dunham and harbored secret fantasies of us becoming friends. I'm sure this influenced my review somewhat. I'll admit that I would have liked to have read a bit more about how she got into the business, versus just random thoughts, but I also recognize that wasn't really the purpose of this particular book.

I also had to remind myself that Lena comes from the oversharing generation. There is a lot in this book that could potentially make you cringe, but if you know her work on <i>Girls</i> or anything else, it won't really come as a surprise. Overall, I found her writing style easy to read, and interesting, if not particularly amazing. I also enjoyed the chance to see any parallels between her life and <i>Girls</i>.

If this hadn't been an ebook I borrowed from the library, I definitely would have dog-eared some of the pages where she talks about how a woman deserves to be treated. There's certainly a lot to be learned from many of her pages, and I found a lot of what she said to be fascinating, if not disturbing, at times.

It was an easy, quick read and gave me some good insight into her life. (And I still want to be friends with her. And Lamby.)
  
TL
The Long Hard Road Out of Hell
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I read this book for my 2014 Book Challenge. In this challenge I asked certain people to recommend books to me and I told them that I would read them sometime this year. This was my sister's recommendation.

First off, if you۪re going to read this book make sure that it is the actual book. The ebook does not compare to the actual book.

I have never been a huge fan of Marilyn Manson but I'm not a huge fan of metal music or shock-rock. I tend to stay on the pop-rock and alt-rock area so I was definitely apprehensive with this book. I have heard many rumors about Marilyn Manson but I never actually cared to learn whether they were the truth or not. This was very fascinating. I found myself intrigued while reading this book.

This book is disturbing, grotesque and honestly I was horrified for half of the book. This book definitely was shocking. The pictures in the middle were hard to look at without squirming and they definitely made me very uncomfortable when looking at them. The stories were also fascinating yet horrifying.

This book was also very introspective. I found myself fascinated by Marilyn Manson and it had me wanting to read more.

This book definitely wasn۪t my normal flavor but ultimately I am giving this book 4 stars because it fascinated me!
  
Nogged Off
Nogged Off
Barbara Ross | 2019 | Mystery
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Julia’s First Eventful Christmas Back Home
This story finds Julia Snowden taking a quick day trip to New York City to pack up the rest of her belongings so she can permanently move to Maine. When she arrives, she finds her sub-tenant to be upset about some setbacks in her personal life, and Julia winds up inviting Imogen home for Christmas. However, Julia’s Christmas gets more complicated when her moving truck is stolen after they arrive in Busman’s Harbor. What is going on?

I love this series, and I enjoyed getting to visit Julia at Christmas. I was able to get fully lost in this story right away since I already know the series characters and the setting. The plot was fun with some good twists before we reached the end. Barbara Ross includes some fun Christmas traditions that are unique to Maine without slowing down the story, and they give us that all important Christmas feeling. There are a couple of recipes at the end of the story, as always, to enjoy during the holiday season.

NOTE: This story is a novella, roughly 100 pages, and was originally part of the novella collection Eggnog Murder. If you have that book, there is no need to buy this ebook. If you haven’t read the story, now is the time to sit back and enjoy this Christmas trip to Maine.