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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2579 KP) rated Halloween Party Murder in Books

Sep 1, 2021 (Updated Sep 1, 2021)  
Halloween Party Murder
Halloween Party Murder
Barbara Ross, Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis | 2021 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Partying with a Corpse or Three
This Halloween, we are being treated to another novella collection with these three cozy mystery authors as they feature their series sleuths. First up, Lucy Stone finds a dead body after a haunted house fund raiser. Then, Hayley Powell’s Halloween party in her new restaurant ends with the discovery of a corpse in the freezer. Finally, when Julia Snowden’s niece finds herself at a high school party, Julia goes to bring her home, only for the police to discover a dead body in the shed out back.

Out of these three authors, I only regularly read Barbara Ross’s Maine Clambake mysteries, so that story, featuring Julia Snowden, was my favorite. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy all three of the novellas. All three feature a strong assortment of characters and a solid mystery. Even if I figured out a part of the story early, I didn’t have it all pieced together until the end. My only complaint was the politics brought into the first novella in the collection. Even then, I’m a bit torn since it did play a part in the story while also feeling like I was reading a lecture. Still, if you are in the mood for a murderous Halloween party, you’ll be glad you picked up this novella collection.
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2579 KP) rated A Scaly Tail of Murder in Books

Feb 15, 2024 (Updated Feb 15, 2024)  
A Scaly Tail of Murder
A Scaly Tail of Murder
Jacqueline Vick | 2021 | Mystery
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Iguana Solve a Murder?
Just as Frankie Chandler is trying to adjust to being engaged to Detective Martin Bowers, her ex, Jeff, comes to town. Rather surprising since she hasn’t seen him since she moved to Arizona from Wisconsin. He came to town following Charity, a woman he’s just met. The problem? Charity turns Jeff down, but she has his keys. So Frankie agrees to go to the spa where Charity works to retrieve them. When she arrives, she finds Charity dead with Charity’s pet iguana the only witness. Can Frankie figure out what is going on?

Yes, this is one of the rare paranormal series I read since Frankie has discovered she really can communicate with animals. Since the last couple of books have found Frankie out of town, I enjoyed seeing all the regular haunts this time around. The characters are also fun, although I did have some issues with how Frankie treated Jeff in this book. Likewise, a couple of times, Frankie seemed to know something we hadn’t seen her learn. But both are minor overall. The plot had plenty of viable suspects and some nice surprises before we reached the logical end. Meanwhile, the characters provided plenty of smiles and laughs. If you are looking for a light paranormal cozy, you’ll be glad you picked this book up.
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2579 KP) rated Send in the Clowns in Books

Oct 12, 2024 (Updated Oct 12, 2024)  
Send in the Clowns
Send in the Clowns
Julie Mulhern | 2016 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Killer Clown in a Haunted House
Being at the local haunted house wasn’t Ellison’s choice for a Sunday night activity. But as she finds herself navigating the various rooms, she finds a room with two clowns. Ellison already isn’t a fan of clowns, but she quickly realizes that one of the clowns was just stabbed, and he dies in her arms after asking for Ellison’s help by name. When Ellison returns with help, she finds the room completely empty. Who was the victim? More importantly, who was the other clown?

I’d let too long go between visits with Ellison, but it was great to be back in her presence. The returning characters are fun, and I’m not minding the love triangle yet. The plot started out quickly and the pace never lagged. The ending was weaker than I would have liked, but it did answer all our questions. I didn’t enjoy a couple of the elements rooting in the changing times of the 70’s. One of them definitely takes the book outside of cozy territory. On the other hand, I loved the little details that put us in that decade. And the humor continues to entertain. This is a great book to read in October for the seasonal feels, but you’ll enjoy it any time of the year you pick it up.