Confections, Clues, and Chocolate: A Pumpkin Hollow Candy Store Mystery

by Kathleen Suzette

Every year Pumpkin Hollow gleefully awaits its grand Halloween ball, an affair that’s more dazzling than any other in this town that celebrates Halloween 365 days a year. But this year, as lanterns glow and shadows dance, the festivities take a chilling turn when one of the revelers is destined for the city morgue.

With Halloween approaching, Mia Banks, with her keen sense of observation, and her nosy—er, um, inquisitive sister Christy, are once again plunged into a tantalizing mystery. The victim, Beverly Dubois, seemed to be the epitome of innocence—a gentle spirit adored by many. But as the sisters delve deeper, they unravel layers of deceit, hidden motives, and dark secrets. Was it envy, revenge, or something more sinister that led to Beverly’s untimely end?

With the clock ticking and a murderer on the loose, can Mia and Christy unmask the killer before someone else has their last dance? Join the sisters in this sweet cozy mystery, where masks will fall, and the true face of evil might be someone you least expect.

Genres: Cozy Mystery

132 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 14, 2023

Reviews

[R · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a light little Halloween-themed read for the season. It's based in Pumpkin Hollow, so I always enjoy that.

I will admit that there were two things that made this less wonderful than these books usually are (in my opinion). The first was that the author clearly changed the murdered character's name after-the-fact, but it wasn't consistently changed throughout. That's a minor thing, but it did cause me to stop a few times and think.

The second was that I really didn't expect the killer to be who it was. Normally, I think that's a wonderful thing, but it just felt odd this time around. It felt like it really came from left field for me.

However, I still loved the book (and I love the series), so I'll be reading the future books and all the past ones that I haven't yet gotten around to reading. I recommend these books to anyone who likes themed cozies.

[Tari · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t believe I missed reading this book when it was out three years ago. It was a brand new series then and I was excited to read it, so I’m clueless as to why I skipped it at the time.

Pumpkin Hollow folks loved nothing more than celebrating Halloween with their annual Halloween Ball, but this year no one counted on murder being on the menu. Mia and Christy went into amateur sleuth mode again, but it was Mia who came face-to-face with the killer. At that moment, she was probably never happier to have a sibling in her life. Way to go Christy!

[Alexa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Third in a series of ten. By this point, I know what to expect and it's feeling a little same-y - there isn't any character or plot development from one book to the next, and the characters aren't acknowledging the other two murders that have happened in this same Halloween season. Continues to be a perfectly fine way to unwind my brain before bed - reading the whole short novel in one gulp. Pleasant and sugary but not substantial or clever. Fine for what it is.

[E · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series

I enjoy each and every book in this series. How can you not enjoy books based in a Halloween town. I highly recommend.