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Peculiar Pumpkins
Something wicked brews in the pumpkin patch...
When the famous pumpkin carver Jacob Appleton turns up dead on the eve of Coventry's annual pumpkin carving competition, witchy shop owner Kinsley Wilson's plans to enjoy the festival with her family go up in smoke.
Between her sheriff husband Thorn and magical sidekick Meri, Kinsley is determined to carve out the killer. But with jealous rivals, scandalous family secrets, and a sinister curse targeting the carvers, she'll have to act fast before someone else gets gourd.
Can Kinsley use her witchy wits to unmask the killer before the only thing getting carved is another victim? Or will she end up with more than a Halloween trick as dark forces converge under the harvest moon?
Fans of paranormal mysteries will devour this charming small-town tale brimming with magic, romance, and a killer who's rotten to the core!
When the famous pumpkin carver Jacob Appleton turns up dead on the eve of Coventry's annual pumpkin carving competition, witchy shop owner Kinsley Wilson's plans to enjoy the festival with her family go up in smoke.
Between her sheriff husband Thorn and magical sidekick Meri, Kinsley is determined to carve out the killer. But with jealous rivals, scandalous family secrets, and a sinister curse targeting the carvers, she'll have to act fast before someone else gets gourd.
Can Kinsley use her witchy wits to unmask the killer before the only thing getting carved is another victim? Or will she end up with more than a Halloween trick as dark forces converge under the harvest moon?
Fans of paranormal mysteries will devour this charming small-town tale brimming with magic, romance, and a killer who's rotten to the core!
211 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 23, 2024
79 people are currently reading
38 people want to read
About the author
Sara Bourgeois
237 books346 followersSara Bourgeois is a Midwesterner through and through. She spends her time writing, reading, herding cats, and standing in her driveway during tornado warnings. (You can't see them from the basement.)
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 15, 2024
As this book opens we get a front row seat to Kinsley, Hekate and Laney carving pumpkins for the amateur carving contest. Of course, Meri and Bonkers are there adding to the fun. Thorn arrives on time, which is an event in itself, although he's been doing that more since Lisa is still at large.
They are looking forward to the Pumpkin Festival, and this year there's even more excitement as there is a professional pumpkin carving contest as well. As they line up with their pumpkins to enter them in the amateur contest, Thorn and Kinsley notice two of the professional carvers, Jacob Appleton and Esse Elrod engaged in an argument.
They browse the grounds together and Thorn isn't impressed with the pumpkin spice everything. He prefers apples to pumpkins. They stop at a photo display of the professional carver's works. These aren't just jack-o'-lanterns these are sculptures, works of art. As the sun set it was time for the professional carvers who are competing to be introduced and a crowd gathered around the stage. When Jacob's name is called, he isn't there to join the others on stage.
Kinsley pauses at the photos of Jacob's work and tries to engage Clara Greenway, another competitor in conversation. Clara had been intensely studying the photos with something more than just admiration. Her response to Kinsley was also laced with something more than just the observation that Jacob sets the bar high. As Clara walked away, Thorn joined her and tells her of the rivalry between Jacob and his neighbor Jonas Thompson, with Jonas always in Jacob's shadow. Another competitor, Roger, chimes in with an experience he had with Jacob. He considers Jacob cutthroat when it comes to competing. Even Martha Thompson, Jonas' mother is expressing concern over how the competition has changed to be more about winning than community fun.
When a scream pierces the night, a grizzly scene unfolds as Jacob is found in his temporary workshop. Kinsley sends the girls off with her parents and joins Thorn at the scene. Things get more complicated when Meri finds something hidden under a pumpkin surrounded by shadows and pumpkin debris.
Thorn and Kinsley begin the interrogations with Roger Harris, then move on to Esse Elrod. At Esse's Kinsley catches a glimpse of Lisa and they decide that's something to deal with later.
That's all just the beginning, they still have Jonas, Clara, and Martha to question along with the sponsor of the contest Ted Mellon. With each session, the threads entwine further and soon they would begin to unravel them.
The charm is the first real clue, and a puzzling one. Although Martha has some magic that she denies having, there's nothing that points them in that direction other than her knowing Jacob and Jonas since they were born.
There are many twists as this unfolds, with plenty of secrets revealed.
Of course, there's more drama with Lisa. She really should just go away and leave Thorn alone.
As always, I couldn't put this book down until the very end.
They are looking forward to the Pumpkin Festival, and this year there's even more excitement as there is a professional pumpkin carving contest as well. As they line up with their pumpkins to enter them in the amateur contest, Thorn and Kinsley notice two of the professional carvers, Jacob Appleton and Esse Elrod engaged in an argument.
They browse the grounds together and Thorn isn't impressed with the pumpkin spice everything. He prefers apples to pumpkins. They stop at a photo display of the professional carver's works. These aren't just jack-o'-lanterns these are sculptures, works of art. As the sun set it was time for the professional carvers who are competing to be introduced and a crowd gathered around the stage. When Jacob's name is called, he isn't there to join the others on stage.
Kinsley pauses at the photos of Jacob's work and tries to engage Clara Greenway, another competitor in conversation. Clara had been intensely studying the photos with something more than just admiration. Her response to Kinsley was also laced with something more than just the observation that Jacob sets the bar high. As Clara walked away, Thorn joined her and tells her of the rivalry between Jacob and his neighbor Jonas Thompson, with Jonas always in Jacob's shadow. Another competitor, Roger, chimes in with an experience he had with Jacob. He considers Jacob cutthroat when it comes to competing. Even Martha Thompson, Jonas' mother is expressing concern over how the competition has changed to be more about winning than community fun.
When a scream pierces the night, a grizzly scene unfolds as Jacob is found in his temporary workshop. Kinsley sends the girls off with her parents and joins Thorn at the scene. Things get more complicated when Meri finds something hidden under a pumpkin surrounded by shadows and pumpkin debris.
Thorn and Kinsley begin the interrogations with Roger Harris, then move on to Esse Elrod. At Esse's Kinsley catches a glimpse of Lisa and they decide that's something to deal with later.
That's all just the beginning, they still have Jonas, Clara, and Martha to question along with the sponsor of the contest Ted Mellon. With each session, the threads entwine further and soon they would begin to unravel them.
The charm is the first real clue, and a puzzling one. Although Martha has some magic that she denies having, there's nothing that points them in that direction other than her knowing Jacob and Jonas since they were born.
There are many twists as this unfolds, with plenty of secrets revealed.
Of course, there's more drama with Lisa. She really should just go away and leave Thorn alone.
As always, I couldn't put this book down until the very end.
February 2, 2024
entertaining paranormal cozy mystery series
This used to be one of my favorite series in the paranormal cozy mystery series genre. I rated every book in both original series and the continued series 5 stars up into the last two or three books. It has a great cast of characters and extraordinary storyline for the most part. Sadly the last few books you’ve gotten off The path of where it was going and where it has been. The magic has almost disappeared out of it. On a scale of magic used to be 100% I would say the magic drop down to about 20%. Many of the spectacular characters especially the side characters. Such as Kinsley‘s best friend and the woman who managed her sundry store for her and is married to her husband’s chief deputy Jeremy. As well as the lovable owner of the coffee shop and her sometimes cohort investigative reporter that owns the local newspaper. All those characters have just disappeared. Even her children in the stories are barely there appearing in the beginning shoveled off to grandma‘s house. At the end maybe briefly somewhere in the middle. Even her parents very briefly appear then not mentioned again except a grandma reference here and there. Never heard what happened to great grandma or the other great aunties. Great aunt Little still occurs and appears every so often. It is became a two person series Kinsley and Thor the sheriff. even Mary the cat is not around as much as he used to be. I love paranormal cozy mysteries but sadly I do not like cozy mysteries. I just cannot read them. This series even though it still has some magic in it is becoming mundane and boring. I will keep reading hoping that the author turns it around brings back the magic and brings back the side characters.
No all there was some magic done by others in this particular story. Kinsley did very little other than destroying something in the story. Mary the cat was a powerful source of magic himself and even he’s relegated to the very little magic storyline. Bring back the magic and the side characters.
This used to be one of my favorite series in the paranormal cozy mystery series genre. I rated every book in both original series and the continued series 5 stars up into the last two or three books. It has a great cast of characters and extraordinary storyline for the most part. Sadly the last few books you’ve gotten off The path of where it was going and where it has been. The magic has almost disappeared out of it. On a scale of magic used to be 100% I would say the magic drop down to about 20%. Many of the spectacular characters especially the side characters. Such as Kinsley‘s best friend and the woman who managed her sundry store for her and is married to her husband’s chief deputy Jeremy. As well as the lovable owner of the coffee shop and her sometimes cohort investigative reporter that owns the local newspaper. All those characters have just disappeared. Even her children in the stories are barely there appearing in the beginning shoveled off to grandma‘s house. At the end maybe briefly somewhere in the middle. Even her parents very briefly appear then not mentioned again except a grandma reference here and there. Never heard what happened to great grandma or the other great aunties. Great aunt Little still occurs and appears every so often. It is became a two person series Kinsley and Thor the sheriff. even Mary the cat is not around as much as he used to be. I love paranormal cozy mysteries but sadly I do not like cozy mysteries. I just cannot read them. This series even though it still has some magic in it is becoming mundane and boring. I will keep reading hoping that the author turns it around brings back the magic and brings back the side characters.
No all there was some magic done by others in this particular story. Kinsley did very little other than destroying something in the story. Mary the cat was a powerful source of magic himself and even he’s relegated to the very little magic storyline. Bring back the magic and the side characters.
March 3, 2024
I have a problem with this story. The characters and story are great but there are parts that go against what was written previously. Example: at the beginning of the book, The towel is thrown and hits him in the shoulder but 2 sentences later he catches it in mid air. My question is, which is it hitting his shoulder or catching it in med air. There are others but I am not one of the proof readers, let them do their jobs. Good Reading though.
February 1, 2024
Kept Secrets Come Out Of Hiding.
So many things happening! Old secrets that brought pain, envy over another's talents, A stalker menacing Kinsley and Thorn. Somehow each thing manages to weave together to create a very good story that many the reader want to not put down the book or Kindle! Another fantastic book by Ms. Bourgeis. Just love this seties!
So many things happening! Old secrets that brought pain, envy over another's talents, A stalker menacing Kinsley and Thorn. Somehow each thing manages to weave together to create a very good story that many the reader want to not put down the book or Kindle! Another fantastic book by Ms. Bourgeis. Just love this seties!
January 23, 2024
A fantastic read!
Ms. Bourgeois knows how to spin a story. The book has magic, mystery, mayhem, and just a touch of romance. It also shows how jealousy, obsession, and hatred can twist your insides and lead to devastating consequences.
Ms. Bourgeois knows how to spin a story. The book has magic, mystery, mayhem, and just a touch of romance. It also shows how jealousy, obsession, and hatred can twist your insides and lead to devastating consequences.
January 23, 2024
So many twisted outcomes
This book was really interesting and had such good plot twists. Life can get so of track if you let jealousy guide your actions and if you allow despair to rule you!
This book was really interesting and had such good plot twists. Life can get so of track if you let jealousy guide your actions and if you allow despair to rule you!
January 29, 2024
Interesting and Sad
Kinsley and Thorn at a pumpkin festival stumble across a dead pumpkin carver. All his carvings every year have won first place. This looks like a murder due to jealousy.
Kinsley and Thorn at a pumpkin festival stumble across a dead pumpkin carver. All his carvings every year have won first place. This looks like a murder due to jealousy.
March 3, 2024
Great series
Enjoyed the series immensely and it's great light reading. I like to cal! It brain candg.
Great diversion and I can never wait for the next book.
Enjoyed the series immensely and it's great light reading. I like to cal! It brain candg.
Great diversion and I can never wait for the next book.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews