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A Candy Holliday Mystery #4
Town in a Pumpkin Bash
In the quaint seaside village
of Cape Willington, Maine, Candy Holliday has a mostly idyllic life, tending to the Blueberry Acres farm she runs with her father and occasionally stepping in to solve a murder or two…
Halloween is fast approaching, and preparations for the Pumpkin Bash, Cape Willington’s annual autumn festival, are well underway. Candy is running this year’s haunted hayride, in the hopes of making some extra cash. But when she discovers a real dead body near some fake tombstones, Candy’s side job becomes a full-blown investigation to find out who turned a holiday attraction into a real horror show. Will Candy’s keen eye for detail unearth buried town secrets? As her search leads her through old graveyards and a haunted house, Candy will discover that not all of the skeletons hidden in this small town’s closets are Halloween decorations… INCLUDES DELICIOUS RECIPES!
Halloween is fast approaching, and preparations for the Pumpkin Bash, Cape Willington’s annual autumn festival, are well underway. Candy is running this year’s haunted hayride, in the hopes of making some extra cash. But when she discovers a real dead body near some fake tombstones, Candy’s side job becomes a full-blown investigation to find out who turned a holiday attraction into a real horror show. Will Candy’s keen eye for detail unearth buried town secrets? As her search leads her through old graveyards and a haunted house, Candy will discover that not all of the skeletons hidden in this small town’s closets are Halloween decorations… INCLUDES DELICIOUS RECIPES!
336 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 5, 2013
52 people are currently reading
1058 people want to read
About the author
B.B. Haywood
9 books217 followersB. B. Haywood is a pseudonym of writing team Beth Feeman and Robert Feeman. They conceived the idea for the Candy Holliday mysteries while driving around the Maine countryside, stopping at different small towns throughout the state.
Series:
* Candy Holliday
Series:
* Candy Holliday
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 127 reviews
July 19, 2016
It's Halloween in Cape Willington and that means all things pumpkin for the town residents. Candy Holliday and her BFF Maggie run a local pumpkin patch and part of their services is giving tourist and locals alike a delightfully haunted hayride. Everything is running smoothly until a body is discovered under a pile of pumpkins. Now it's up to Candy to figure out the "who did it".
This was a fun little mystery. A small town feel and a cast of of interesting characters. I haven't read any of the other books in this series, and this book contained a lot of references to the previous books. So you may want to keep that in mind when deciding to give this one a go.
The mystery was really good and I really had NO clue who the "baddie" was going to turn out being. It takes A LOT to keep me guessing until the end of a mystery. I usually pride myself on figuring these things out ahead of the big reveal. So kudos to you author for stumping me. On top of that, you also get some VERY yummy sounding recipes at the end.
Who could ask for more, not I! Two thumbs up.
This was a fun little mystery. A small town feel and a cast of of interesting characters. I haven't read any of the other books in this series, and this book contained a lot of references to the previous books. So you may want to keep that in mind when deciding to give this one a go.
The mystery was really good and I really had NO clue who the "baddie" was going to turn out being. It takes A LOT to keep me guessing until the end of a mystery. I usually pride myself on figuring these things out ahead of the big reveal. So kudos to you author for stumping me. On top of that, you also get some VERY yummy sounding recipes at the end.
Who could ask for more, not I! Two thumbs up.
November 1, 2024
Town in a Pumpkin bash by B.B. Haywood is the 4th book in the Candy Holliday Murder Mystery series. As part of the town's autumn festival, Candy is running the Pumpkin Hollow Haunted Hayride, and unfortunately unearths a murder victim during the inaugural ride. Another interesting mystery in the series, although it seemed a little drawn out. Definitely a series to be read in order as a lot of references to the previous crimes were made which were a bit confusing as it had been a while since I had read the preceding books. It seems that the crimes are all intertwined in some way.
October 13, 2023
I read this on impulse to read something seasonal. But I would say that this is a series better read in order. I liked the friendship of the protagonists Candy and Maggie. And the setting of the pumpkin patch. I did not feel like this was the "cozy" I wanted it to be because it was hard to follow! The two families intrigued me with their bitter history--that rings true. However, I just could not piece together the connections easily. Family charts might be helpful, haha.
Family mottoes were intriguing:
Deus pascit corvos~God feeds the ravens; Sapiens qui assiduos~He is wise who is industrious.
Family mottoes were intriguing:
Deus pascit corvos~God feeds the ravens; Sapiens qui assiduos~He is wise who is industrious.
August 4, 2014
Ugh. Done with this series. Not even close to being believable, boring and the mystery within the mystery thing that the author keeps draggin out is just annoying. Amazed I made it 3 books into this series before I couldn't take it anymore.
January 16, 2016
Autumn in Cape Willington means the annual Pumpkin Bash. Candy Holliday and Maggie Tremont decide to make a little extra money from their farm stand by adding a haunted hayride through a pumpkin patch. When they discover a real dead body among the fake tombstones Candy’s side job becomes a full time investigation. But in her effort to catch the killer she may unearth some long buried secrets. Maybe all those skeletons in the residents closets are not all Halloween decorations.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
These stories are all unique has they all take place during a Cape Willington event like the Annual Pumpkin Bash. The whole town is transformed by the festivities. Carved pumpkins line the street, costume parties, a biggest pumpkin contest, and even a bus tour of the local cemeteries.
Candy’s birthday also falls on Halloween and everyone pulls together to try to surprise her. The day will end up having more than it’s share of surprises.
Candy Holliday is smart and super observant, the perfect amateur sleuth. Her newspaper skills and resources help unearth some crucial information to tie things together. She ends up visiting a few cemeteries herself as she tracks down clues.
Every sleuth needs a sidekick and Maggie fits the bill perfectly. Candy also has her dad and his friends to help out in a pinch.
What I really love about this series is that each installment connects with the last. There is a lot more to the story of the history between Pruitt’s and the Porter-Sykes families and each book gives up another piece to that evolving puzzle. For that reason I recommend reading the books in order.
Town in a Pumpkin Bash is a wonderful entertaining mystery I highly recommend. It’s the perfect time for you to visit Cape Willington.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
These stories are all unique has they all take place during a Cape Willington event like the Annual Pumpkin Bash. The whole town is transformed by the festivities. Carved pumpkins line the street, costume parties, a biggest pumpkin contest, and even a bus tour of the local cemeteries.
Candy’s birthday also falls on Halloween and everyone pulls together to try to surprise her. The day will end up having more than it’s share of surprises.
Candy Holliday is smart and super observant, the perfect amateur sleuth. Her newspaper skills and resources help unearth some crucial information to tie things together. She ends up visiting a few cemeteries herself as she tracks down clues.
Every sleuth needs a sidekick and Maggie fits the bill perfectly. Candy also has her dad and his friends to help out in a pinch.
What I really love about this series is that each installment connects with the last. There is a lot more to the story of the history between Pruitt’s and the Porter-Sykes families and each book gives up another piece to that evolving puzzle. For that reason I recommend reading the books in order.
Town in a Pumpkin Bash is a wonderful entertaining mystery I highly recommend. It’s the perfect time for you to visit Cape Willington.
September 17, 2013
I really liked this book because it was festive and Halloweeny throughout the entire 300+ pages. It really got me in the mood for fall with the hayrides, a pumpkin patch, a haunted house and even pumpkin carving. I agree with others that if you haven't read any others in this series (especially The first book), you shouldn't read this book first. It references and draws from the other books in a way that might be confusing and boring for newcomers who don't know the background stories. Looking forward to the next!
April 1, 2022
Another good book in the series. Interesting mystery and back story.
March 11, 2018
1.5 stars - at least I finished it.
These types of cozy mysteries are always an iffy choice. There are some I enjoy, but a lot of them are just plain stupid. Guess which one this is?
There will be spoilers.
The story opens with a murder of a man stupid enough to agree to meet someone in a forest in the dark in late October. By the end of the book we will have only the slightest of ideas what he was killed for. The killer is not among even the slightly obvious suspects. Normally, I would say that was almost a good thing in a mystery, but in this one, there's no way anyone would have possibly guessed it. In fact, when the killer's name finally is mentioned, I had to go back through the book to figure out who the heck this person was.
Much of this mystery centers around a locked drawer in the writing desk of a long-dead woman, the matriarch of the richest family in Cape Willington, Maine (and perhaps all of Maine). People die for this key. Call me crazy, but if I were a member of the richest family in town, I would have called a locksmith. Or, given a description of the key at the end, at least tried picking it with a hairpin or nail file.
People seem incredibly blasé about murder and crime in general. Our heroine, Candy Holliday, spends all day traveling out to an island and comes back with two of the really big clues, only to have someone steal one right out from under her. She goes over to her best friend's house but doesn't tell her anything about it because she doesn't want to spoil the mood. Huh?
There are also a lot of references to past stories in this series. It probably would have been better to read them in order, but I'm quite sure I would never have gotten to #4. They all seem to involve an evil woman named Sapphire Vine who was blackmailing just about everyone at one point or another before she was murdered in her own home. Now there are rumors that the house is haunted. Every time the house is rented, strange things happen. But if that's so, why are so many of the dead woman's things still in the house? (Her clothes, purses, books, keys, furniture) Apparently, only to give Candy a place to go hunting for clues.
Time is very fluid in Cape Willington. Candy seems to accomplish in an hour or less an amount of work that would take most humans four hours or more. This happens several times throughout the book, and it really annoyed me, but this one put it right over the top:
It is Halloween night and also Candy's birthday. She has been invited to a masqued ball at the mansion, where she is also supposed to meet the "bad guy" at 9 pm. Her date picks her up "a little after eight." Then, instead of going to the ball, he announces a detour and takes Candy to the downtown area, where the annual Pumpkin Bash festival is in full swing. They spend time at the local inn sipping champagne, eating hors d'oeuvres, and being greeted by multiple people. Then they walk up and down both sides of the main street where trick-or-treaters are going from business to business. Then they walk through the park admiring all the pumpkin displays. Finally, they get back in the car and drive to the mansion. They stand talking with a number of people at the ball. Candy looks at her watch and "the nine o'clock hour was approaching." (All that in less than 55 minutes. Amazing!)
But it gets better. She then goes up the stairs, confronts the bad guy, has quite a chat with the bad guy before they finally get around to getting the key, opens the drawer, reads through the documents inside, and prepares to be shot to death by the bad guy. Fortunately back up arrives and the bad guy is arrested. Without further ado, Candy returns to the ball downstairs which has turned into a surprise birthday party for her. General birthday partying ensues. She looks at her watch. It's almost 10.
Wish I could have read this book in only an hour.
These types of cozy mysteries are always an iffy choice. There are some I enjoy, but a lot of them are just plain stupid. Guess which one this is?
There will be spoilers.
The story opens with a murder of a man stupid enough to agree to meet someone in a forest in the dark in late October. By the end of the book we will have only the slightest of ideas what he was killed for. The killer is not among even the slightly obvious suspects. Normally, I would say that was almost a good thing in a mystery, but in this one, there's no way anyone would have possibly guessed it. In fact, when the killer's name finally is mentioned, I had to go back through the book to figure out who the heck this person was.
Much of this mystery centers around a locked drawer in the writing desk of a long-dead woman, the matriarch of the richest family in Cape Willington, Maine (and perhaps all of Maine). People die for this key. Call me crazy, but if I were a member of the richest family in town, I would have called a locksmith. Or, given a description of the key at the end, at least tried picking it with a hairpin or nail file.
People seem incredibly blasé about murder and crime in general. Our heroine, Candy Holliday, spends all day traveling out to an island and comes back with two of the really big clues, only to have someone steal one right out from under her. She goes over to her best friend's house but doesn't tell her anything about it because she doesn't want to spoil the mood. Huh?
There are also a lot of references to past stories in this series. It probably would have been better to read them in order, but I'm quite sure I would never have gotten to #4. They all seem to involve an evil woman named Sapphire Vine who was blackmailing just about everyone at one point or another before she was murdered in her own home. Now there are rumors that the house is haunted. Every time the house is rented, strange things happen. But if that's so, why are so many of the dead woman's things still in the house? (Her clothes, purses, books, keys, furniture) Apparently, only to give Candy a place to go hunting for clues.
Time is very fluid in Cape Willington. Candy seems to accomplish in an hour or less an amount of work that would take most humans four hours or more. This happens several times throughout the book, and it really annoyed me, but this one put it right over the top:
It is Halloween night and also Candy's birthday. She has been invited to a masqued ball at the mansion, where she is also supposed to meet the "bad guy" at 9 pm. Her date picks her up "a little after eight." Then, instead of going to the ball, he announces a detour and takes Candy to the downtown area, where the annual Pumpkin Bash festival is in full swing. They spend time at the local inn sipping champagne, eating hors d'oeuvres, and being greeted by multiple people. Then they walk up and down both sides of the main street where trick-or-treaters are going from business to business. Then they walk through the park admiring all the pumpkin displays. Finally, they get back in the car and drive to the mansion. They stand talking with a number of people at the ball. Candy looks at her watch and "the nine o'clock hour was approaching." (All that in less than 55 minutes. Amazing!)
But it gets better. She then goes up the stairs, confronts the bad guy, has quite a chat with the bad guy before they finally get around to getting the key, opens the drawer, reads through the documents inside, and prepares to be shot to death by the bad guy. Fortunately back up arrives and the bad guy is arrested. Without further ado, Candy returns to the ball downstairs which has turned into a surprise birthday party for her. General birthday partying ensues. She looks at her watch. It's almost 10.
Wish I could have read this book in only an hour.
February 11, 2015
Preparations for the annual autumn festival, the Pumpkin Bash, are underway in Cape Willington. Festivities include everything from 'pietober' to a haunted hayride through a pumpkin patch that Candy Holliday and her friend Maggie are running. During one of their hayrides, they discover a dead body among the fake tombstones that are part of the hayride, and it's up to Candy to discover who the murderer is.
I had not read any previous books by B.B. Haywood, so jumping in at book 4 in the series may not have been the best idea. Prior murders and happenings in the town are mentioned in the book, and while it was not a 'showstopper' to not be in the know about the prior history, it might make reading this book a bit more familiar. Also, the books that follow this one should probably be read in order, based on what is in the epilogue.
I never saw the murderer coming, and felt it was a bit of a reach - I had to go back to figure out who that person was in the book. This is why I rate the book as 3 to 3.5 stars instead of 4 stars. The mystery itself was plausible.
I had not read any previous books by B.B. Haywood, so jumping in at book 4 in the series may not have been the best idea. Prior murders and happenings in the town are mentioned in the book, and while it was not a 'showstopper' to not be in the know about the prior history, it might make reading this book a bit more familiar. Also, the books that follow this one should probably be read in order, based on what is in the epilogue.
I never saw the murderer coming, and felt it was a bit of a reach - I had to go back to figure out who that person was in the book. This is why I rate the book as 3 to 3.5 stars instead of 4 stars. The mystery itself was plausible.
July 17, 2015
I'd forgot that this series includes the murder prologue which I find annoying. And the vengeful plotting epilogue spoil the ending.
If not for those black spots the series would be much better.
This book was far better than book two though.
Since I don't normally write reviews unless I have something specific to say, here's the break down of how I rate my books...
1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.
2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.
3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.
4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.
5 stars... I loved this book! It has earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.
If not for those black spots the series would be much better.
This book was far better than book two though.
Since I don't normally write reviews unless I have something specific to say, here's the break down of how I rate my books...
1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.
2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.
3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.
4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.
5 stars... I loved this book! It has earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.
June 4, 2016
This is one of those times when I seriously wish I had started at the beginning of the series. The book contained LOTS of references to its antecedents, and they played heavily in the story. I could still follow it, but I knew I was missing a ton of background. In spite of that fact, I enjoyed the book. The characters were likable and I could easily put myself in the setting. Much like the main character, I put pieces of the puzzle together all along the way, but I must say the culprit was a complete surprise (and I had to stop to remember who in the heck it even was in the story). I do want to go back and read the previous books, and will follow through with the ones that follow, but I will definitely do them in order, since it seems to be a continuing saga.
April 16, 2013
OK, so I REALLY hated the the book before this one in this series. So much so that I had decided not to read any more in the series. Out of habit I ordered this one and am glad I did. It was a good read! I always liked Candy, and her dad, Doc, but the cliffhanger in the previous book just put me over the edge. This book redeemed that a great deal, so now I'm looking forward to the next one! You should probably start with the first in the series as the books look to be building up to something. RECOMMEND!
October 4, 2014
The only complaint I have is that this book references previous books in the series that I have not read so that was a spoiler. Other than that its a good book for the fall and the season it is this time of the year. Not bad for my first October 2014 read.
April 14, 2013
I didn't like this one nearly as much as her last one. Maybe I'm not in the right mood for her books, I was kind of disappointed.
April 3, 2013
The descriptions are too long and boring, the plot is not believable. Only the end gives some suspense but I won't probably read more from the author.
June 15, 2013
Disappointing. Repetitive. Could have been 1/2 the pages and still got the story across. Not sure I'll want to read the rest of the series.
December 18, 2019
At first he thought he had wandered into a graveyard.
This is the fourth book in the Candy Holliday series and I have been remiss in reading them in order. Candy has gotten involved in a local pumpkin patch and is running a haunted hayride. Candy and company move into sleuth mode when a body is found among the fake tombstones created for the ghostly ride.
I think by skipping around that I have missed some important information about this series. I found myself flipping back through pages to remember who characters were. Previous events are mentioned or alluded to throughout the book. This was a little confusing for me.
I liked the mystery of Sapphire Vine and her supposedly haunted house. The murderer surprised me and I again had to review to see what I might have missed to point me in the right direction.
The characters are well thought out and presented in a believable and likable manner. I think perhaps i need to go back to the beginning to get the full scope of the series.
This is the fourth book in the Candy Holliday series and I have been remiss in reading them in order. Candy has gotten involved in a local pumpkin patch and is running a haunted hayride. Candy and company move into sleuth mode when a body is found among the fake tombstones created for the ghostly ride.
I think by skipping around that I have missed some important information about this series. I found myself flipping back through pages to remember who characters were. Previous events are mentioned or alluded to throughout the book. This was a little confusing for me.
I liked the mystery of Sapphire Vine and her supposedly haunted house. The murderer surprised me and I again had to review to see what I might have missed to point me in the right direction.
The characters are well thought out and presented in a believable and likable manner. I think perhaps i need to go back to the beginning to get the full scope of the series.
October 5, 2020
These books are good! They should definitely be read in order as there are some continuing story lines involved. I enjoyed this entry in the series from the Halloween setting to trying to figure out who Emma was. I could also sympathize with Candy about turning 40. #readforkimberly
November 4, 2024
This was indeed a cozy mystery, I thought this will be predictable, but no, it turned out to be a good page turner, and I was apparently left with a cliffhanger?!?!?
Also a reminder that November is a fall month and pumpkin spice season continues!!!
Also a reminder that November is a fall month and pumpkin spice season continues!!!
October 6, 2015
I recently picked up TOWN IN A PUMPKIN BASH by B.B. Haywood, which is the fourth book in the Candy Holliday Murder Mystery series. I was immediately transported to the small town of Cape Willington, Maine which is preparing for the annual Halloween pumpkin bash festival. Candy Holliday works for the local newspaper but agrees to help her best friend, Maggie, run a pumpkin patch which in turn helps out an elderly farmer keep the pumpkins from going to waste.
Candy and Maggie also offer a Pumpkin Hollow Haunted Hayride for their customers with a few fun and spooky things set up along the ride. Just as they are getting ready to start their tour a man, who only introduces himself as T.J., joins the group. As they enter their “graveyard” to check out the headstones they find someone has left a real dead body lying there…and it becomes apparent that the person was murdered.
It doesn’t take long for Candy to find that the murder victim, Sebastian Quinn, was the same man who was supposed to meet with them that morning to rent a supposedly “haunted” house. To add to the haunt factor, they found his dead body in the same location where an unsolved and unnamed murder victim was found twenty years previous. Being a reporter, Candy is pulled into wanting to find out what happened to both Sebastian and the unknown murder victim. On top of that, T.J. turns out to be trying to lure her into finding an old diary missing from a prominent family. It’s up to Candy to find the threads that tie an old diary, an unsolved murder and the dead body in her pumpkin patch together before another innocent person becomes the next target.
Even though I haven’t read any of the previous books in this series this was still a very enjoyable book. It was easy to get to know the characters and a bit of their back stories without getting confused. There are a lot of twists and turns in the plot that kept me guessing and turning pages long after I should have been asleep… The author also has a “mystery” running through the series of books which intrigues me and I will certainly be reading them to find out more about the story.
Candy and Maggie also offer a Pumpkin Hollow Haunted Hayride for their customers with a few fun and spooky things set up along the ride. Just as they are getting ready to start their tour a man, who only introduces himself as T.J., joins the group. As they enter their “graveyard” to check out the headstones they find someone has left a real dead body lying there…and it becomes apparent that the person was murdered.
It doesn’t take long for Candy to find that the murder victim, Sebastian Quinn, was the same man who was supposed to meet with them that morning to rent a supposedly “haunted” house. To add to the haunt factor, they found his dead body in the same location where an unsolved and unnamed murder victim was found twenty years previous. Being a reporter, Candy is pulled into wanting to find out what happened to both Sebastian and the unknown murder victim. On top of that, T.J. turns out to be trying to lure her into finding an old diary missing from a prominent family. It’s up to Candy to find the threads that tie an old diary, an unsolved murder and the dead body in her pumpkin patch together before another innocent person becomes the next target.
Even though I haven’t read any of the previous books in this series this was still a very enjoyable book. It was easy to get to know the characters and a bit of their back stories without getting confused. There are a lot of twists and turns in the plot that kept me guessing and turning pages long after I should have been asleep… The author also has a “mystery” running through the series of books which intrigues me and I will certainly be reading them to find out more about the story.
February 6, 2013
Town In A Pumpkin Bash is the fourth book in the A Candy Holliday Murder Mystery series.
While Cape Willington is getting ready for the annual Pumpkin Bash, Candy holiday and her best friend, Maggie Tremont, have agreed to help Mr. Gumm by taking over his pumpkin patches and selling the pumpkins from a roadside stand. They are also planning a hayride around the area and have set up some humorous headstones for everyone to enjoy.
Candy and Maggie are getting ready for their first day, but a scheduled meeting with a Mr. Quinn doesn't happen. They are getting ready to the hayride when a gentleman, who identifies himself as TJ, becomes a last second addition to the hayride. Their first stop is a special Halloween graveyard, where Mr. Quinn is found dead and covered with pumpkins.
Soon it is learned that TJ is T. J. Pruitt, the nephew of Helen Pruitt, a wealthy resident of Cape Willington and a lady who Candy has met in the past. Candy meets with Helen and TJ for lunch and is told that Helen's grandmother's personal journal has gone missing and would like for Candy to find it.
Candy also learns that years ago, the body of a young female was also found near where Mr. Quinn was found. Her identity was never learned and it seems no one knows exactly what happened with the body. As Candy begins to search for the missing journal, she has a feeling that they might be related.
There is a sub story that has been going on in this series, dealing with the Pruitt's and the Porter-Sykes family and the reader gets another piece of the story. I would suggest starting with the first book in the series.
Certainly looking forward to the next book.
While Cape Willington is getting ready for the annual Pumpkin Bash, Candy holiday and her best friend, Maggie Tremont, have agreed to help Mr. Gumm by taking over his pumpkin patches and selling the pumpkins from a roadside stand. They are also planning a hayride around the area and have set up some humorous headstones for everyone to enjoy.
Candy and Maggie are getting ready for their first day, but a scheduled meeting with a Mr. Quinn doesn't happen. They are getting ready to the hayride when a gentleman, who identifies himself as TJ, becomes a last second addition to the hayride. Their first stop is a special Halloween graveyard, where Mr. Quinn is found dead and covered with pumpkins.
Soon it is learned that TJ is T. J. Pruitt, the nephew of Helen Pruitt, a wealthy resident of Cape Willington and a lady who Candy has met in the past. Candy meets with Helen and TJ for lunch and is told that Helen's grandmother's personal journal has gone missing and would like for Candy to find it.
Candy also learns that years ago, the body of a young female was also found near where Mr. Quinn was found. Her identity was never learned and it seems no one knows exactly what happened with the body. As Candy begins to search for the missing journal, she has a feeling that they might be related.
There is a sub story that has been going on in this series, dealing with the Pruitt's and the Porter-Sykes family and the reader gets another piece of the story. I would suggest starting with the first book in the series.
Certainly looking forward to the next book.
September 11, 2016
"Town in a Pumpkin Bash" is a cozy mystery. This book is the fourth in a series, but the whodunits of the previous mysteries weren't spoiled in this one. While you can easily understand this book without reading the previous novels, the author is linking the murders in a way that the characters vaguely suspect but haven't discovered yet. As in, why are there suddenly a lot of murders in a small town? There is a reason, but it's not the focus of this mystery. To follow the overall mystery, you'd probably want to start with the first book in the series.
The characters were engaging, and they reacted realistically to discovering a dead body. I liked that Candy (who is also a reporter) helped by uncovering background information that the police might not have connected to the current murder rather than Candy trying to do their work for them. The suspense was mainly from wondering whodunit and from unknown people periodically scaring Candy or stealing her work.
This was a clue-based mystery but not a puzzle mystery. I could piece together the possible relationship and motive along with Candy as she uncovered information, but there were no clues pointing to a specific character in the book until the very end.
I was confused by occasional references to a minor character who is not always visible but who isn't treated like a ghost. (In the next book, I learned that he's a man who has some people convinced that he can become invisible.) There was a very minor amount of explicit bad language. There was no sex. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable cozy mystery.
I received a review copy of this book from the publisher.
The characters were engaging, and they reacted realistically to discovering a dead body. I liked that Candy (who is also a reporter) helped by uncovering background information that the police might not have connected to the current murder rather than Candy trying to do their work for them. The suspense was mainly from wondering whodunit and from unknown people periodically scaring Candy or stealing her work.
This was a clue-based mystery but not a puzzle mystery. I could piece together the possible relationship and motive along with Candy as she uncovered information, but there were no clues pointing to a specific character in the book until the very end.
I was confused by occasional references to a minor character who is not always visible but who isn't treated like a ghost. (In the next book, I learned that he's a man who has some people convinced that he can become invisible.) There was a very minor amount of explicit bad language. There was no sex. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable cozy mystery.
I received a review copy of this book from the publisher.
June 10, 2013
This novel is the fourth in the series, "A Candy Holliday Murder Mystery." I like this series because it is truly a cozy murder mystery. I'm familiar with the characters, and the location, and the on-going plot lines. So, I pick up the novel with pleasure. I was, once again, caught up in the story and time flew by.
This book starts up a few months after the last novel, Town in a Wild Moose Chase, ends. It is autumn and the tourists have seen most of the turning leaves fall. So, the final festival, mainly for the locals is the 'Pumpkin Bash' and it is one heck of a festival ending on Halloween. To earn extra money, Candy Holliday, a baker, blueberry farmer, and amateur sleuth, and her best friend Maggie Tremont have found a way to earn some extra income to hold them over the long winter months. Manage the local Gumm's pumpkin patch. The Ladies jump into the venture with enthusiasm and energy. They come up with hay-rides, farmer's markets, mazes and more.
It is a huge success and Candy and Maggie are going on their last hay-ride, when...a body appears under a pile of pumpkins in the high field. Not only that...it is the same sight of a murder over two decades ago...are they connected? Does Cape Willington, Maine have deep, dark, and painful secrets that are about to be disclosed?
Well, I'll let you enjoy the book and find out. The twist at the end gave me great satisfaction, however, you will not get it if you haven't read the prior three novels. Come on...treat yourselves!
This book starts up a few months after the last novel, Town in a Wild Moose Chase, ends. It is autumn and the tourists have seen most of the turning leaves fall. So, the final festival, mainly for the locals is the 'Pumpkin Bash' and it is one heck of a festival ending on Halloween. To earn extra money, Candy Holliday, a baker, blueberry farmer, and amateur sleuth, and her best friend Maggie Tremont have found a way to earn some extra income to hold them over the long winter months. Manage the local Gumm's pumpkin patch. The Ladies jump into the venture with enthusiasm and energy. They come up with hay-rides, farmer's markets, mazes and more.
It is a huge success and Candy and Maggie are going on their last hay-ride, when...a body appears under a pile of pumpkins in the high field. Not only that...it is the same sight of a murder over two decades ago...are they connected? Does Cape Willington, Maine have deep, dark, and painful secrets that are about to be disclosed?
Well, I'll let you enjoy the book and find out. The twist at the end gave me great satisfaction, however, you will not get it if you haven't read the prior three novels. Come on...treat yourselves!
January 8, 2014
Candy Holliday, with her best friend Maggie are running the Gumm Pumpkin Patch this year and things are picking up fast due to the towns Pumpkin Bash to be held on Halloween. Candy and Maggie have even put a wagon hayride together and have been giving tours of thier haunted pumpkin patch. Everything seems to be getting back to normal for the residents of Cape Willington, Maine, and all in all everyone is in the fall festive mood. Until one morning as Candy and Maggie are taking thier guests on the hayride! they come to a surprisingly large pile of pumpkins that they had not put there, and oh no is that a leg sticking out from under the pile of pumpkins? Once again Candy has a mystery basically delivered to her doorstep and this victim has brought back memories of the previous murders in Cape Willington. Will Candy be able to finally find out how these murders are all related and can she do it all before her own big birthday crisis on Halloween?
Again I can't wait for the next book to come out. I have fallen in love with this Maine town and it's cast of "Capers". These stories are well written and have a unique way of capturing your attention and then keeping you hooked and ready for the next story. The humor and characters are great.
Again I can't wait for the next book to come out. I have fallen in love with this Maine town and it's cast of "Capers". These stories are well written and have a unique way of capturing your attention and then keeping you hooked and ready for the next story. The humor and characters are great.
Read
February 19, 2013Town in a Pumpkin Bash
By B.B. Haywood
The residents of Cape Willington, Maine, are eagerly looking forward to celebrating Halloween with the town’s first Pumpkin Bash, a clever marketing idea from the inventive brain of newspaper correspondent Candy Holliday. Not only will the festival make local cash registers ring, but it will give Candy and her best friend, Maggie Tremont, a way to earn some much needed cash.
One of the events Candy comes up with is the Pumpkin Hollow Haunted Hayride. But when Candy and Maggie take a group of customers out on one of the first rides, they discover a real body—dead, of course—next to one of the fake tombstones. And they quickly realize that the dead man is Sebastian J. Quinn, a poet looking for a place to “get away” and work on a new book of verse. Obviously, this isn’t the getaway poor Spencer had in mind. And is Spencer’s death tied somehow to another mysterious death in the same field twenty years ago?
Candy can’t resist the tug of the mystery, and ends up unearthing more local secrets than she ever imagined. “Town in a Pumpkin Bash,” the fourth in B.B. Haywood’s best-selling series, is great fun. I’m looking forward to the fifth one.
By B.B. Haywood
The residents of Cape Willington, Maine, are eagerly looking forward to celebrating Halloween with the town’s first Pumpkin Bash, a clever marketing idea from the inventive brain of newspaper correspondent Candy Holliday. Not only will the festival make local cash registers ring, but it will give Candy and her best friend, Maggie Tremont, a way to earn some much needed cash.
One of the events Candy comes up with is the Pumpkin Hollow Haunted Hayride. But when Candy and Maggie take a group of customers out on one of the first rides, they discover a real body—dead, of course—next to one of the fake tombstones. And they quickly realize that the dead man is Sebastian J. Quinn, a poet looking for a place to “get away” and work on a new book of verse. Obviously, this isn’t the getaway poor Spencer had in mind. And is Spencer’s death tied somehow to another mysterious death in the same field twenty years ago?
Candy can’t resist the tug of the mystery, and ends up unearthing more local secrets than she ever imagined. “Town in a Pumpkin Bash,” the fourth in B.B. Haywood’s best-selling series, is great fun. I’m looking forward to the fifth one.
February 8, 2013
Another great adventure for Candy and her friends in Cape Willington! I really enjoyed the latest in this series. This was one of the 1st cozy mystery series that I read. I love the Maine setting and I love all of the characters.
I also like that there is a Dad in the story helping out - usually it's the sleuths Mom helping.
I was a little disappointed that Candy's love interest was sent packing but I do realize that there will be more romance in the future for candy and she will probably be caught in the middle of a potential love triangle... which I think will be interesting.
I also like how the author continues the storyline and keeps adding to the mystery with each book. I didn't remember all of the details though and in deference to readers who have not read the series in its entirety I can see not giving that information. However, it's harder for me because I read so many books so quickly that I can't remember all of the small details of each.
I also like that there is a Dad in the story helping out - usually it's the sleuths Mom helping.
I was a little disappointed that Candy's love interest was sent packing but I do realize that there will be more romance in the future for candy and she will probably be caught in the middle of a potential love triangle... which I think will be interesting.
I also like how the author continues the storyline and keeps adding to the mystery with each book. I didn't remember all of the details though and in deference to readers who have not read the series in its entirety I can see not giving that information. However, it's harder for me because I read so many books so quickly that I can't remember all of the small details of each.
August 11, 2013
3.5 stars. This is the second book from this series that I have read and I really enjoy them. With Halloween approaching, the last thing that Cape Willington needs is another murder. When a dead body shows up in Candy's pumpkin patch, she finds herself in the middle of another mystery.
A fun read with a nice little mystery. It had me guessing (wrong) until the very end. Now, I did have some serious issues with Candy, after expressing concern about destruction of evidence, taking it upon herself to go searching for the victim's car and then, after finding it, trying all the doors to see if any were unlocked. And there was some serious bending of time at the very end. But overall, a solid story.
A fun read with a nice little mystery. It had me guessing (wrong) until the very end. Now, I did have some serious issues with Candy, after expressing concern about destruction of evidence, taking it upon herself to go searching for the victim's car and then, after finding it, trying all the doors to see if any were unlocked. And there was some serious bending of time at the very end. But overall, a solid story.
October 3, 2014
Read it in English. Reviewed on FB.
Candy Holliday is a blueberry farmer from Maine. She agrees to help her friend Maggie to take care of Mr. Gumm’s pumpkin patch through the fall season as he is getting a bit old for the job. She figures it’ll be an easy way to make some extra cash and have some fun at the same time. Maggie and Candy come across a dead body buried in a pile of pumpkins days before Halloween, on Mr. Gumm's patch though ! This discovery puts her in the middle of yet another murder investigation. Candy digs deeper and deeper and it becomes obvious the killer meant for her to find the corpse. Not only that, but the killer also meant her to become involved in the case. This of course leads her to two important questions : who and why?
Candy Holliday is a blueberry farmer from Maine. She agrees to help her friend Maggie to take care of Mr. Gumm’s pumpkin patch through the fall season as he is getting a bit old for the job. She figures it’ll be an easy way to make some extra cash and have some fun at the same time. Maggie and Candy come across a dead body buried in a pile of pumpkins days before Halloween, on Mr. Gumm's patch though ! This discovery puts her in the middle of yet another murder investigation. Candy digs deeper and deeper and it becomes obvious the killer meant for her to find the corpse. Not only that, but the killer also meant her to become involved in the case. This of course leads her to two important questions : who and why?
March 9, 2013
4,5 stars,for me the best of series:intrigues, thrills, and one fantastic environment between pumpkins and old cemeteries.The plot have rhythm and the investigation of Candy is very clever. So ,for me , could be five stars but the character of Candy although is smart and brillant as daughter,friend,journalist and detective became one bit grey when it comes of men, in particular Ben,one character that I don't have classified yet. Maybe the author will go on to develop these sides of protagonists in the next books and the character of Preston certainly promises surprises .
November 1, 2015
I really love these mysteries. For a cozy series, they're surprisingly involved--conspiracies and a "big bad" tie into each one--and that lends a surprisingly sinister tone to even mundane details of the crimes in the books. I can't help but feel that Candy is in danger pretty much all the time, she just doesn't realize how big the big picture is. Despite that, she's a great main character--she's smart, she's industrious, she's clever and funny, and she's not wasting all of her time pining after a man, either. I'm looking forward to the rest of this series.
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