Haunted to Death

Domestic Partners in Crime #3

by Frank Anthony Polito

This All Hallows’ Eve, partners and home renovation hosts Peter Penwell and JP Broadway try not to flip when their newest fixer-upper is rumored to be a haunted house . . . Kicking off season three of their hit reality TV show Domestic Partners is a home renovation project with an irresistible hook. Woods Hall is a lavish 1913 manor home in the Detroit suburb of Pleasant Woods, once belonging to the town’s founding family. It also comes with its own ghost. Twenty-five years ago during a Halloween night party, automotive heiress and beauty queen Emma Wheeler-Woods, wearing a white Princess Diana wedding gown as a costume, fell from a third-floor balcony to her death. Or was she pushed? Fiona Forrest recently inherited the home after learning she was Emma’s daughter, and she and her fiancé have hired the Domestic Partners to restore the family property to its original splendor. But ghostly sightings, injured crew, secret passageways, locked rooms, and sabotage beg the Is the place actually haunted? And perhaps more practically, was Fiona’s mother murdered? Hustling to have work finished in time to shoot the finale on Halloween—the anniversary of Emma’s mysterious death—do Peter and JP have a ghost of a chance of also solving a cold case from a quarter of a century ago before someone else takes a fall?

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Queer, LGBT, Fiction, Halloween

304 pages, Paperback

First published August 20, 2024

About the author

Frank Anthony Polito is an award-winning author and playwright. His published novels include Band Fags (2008 “Best Fiction” – InsightOut Book Club) and Drama Queers (2009 Lambda Literary Award), and the novella “A Christmas to Remember” (the sequel to BAND FAGS!) as featured in the collection Remembering Christmas, and The Spirit of Detroit.

In April 2012, Frank published his first Young Adult novel, Lost in the 90s under his own imprint, Woodward Avenue Books.

Frank grew up in the Detroit suburb of Hazel Park. He received his BFA in Theatre from Wayne State University and his MFA in Dramatic Writing from Carnegie Mellon. He resides in Pleasant Ridge, MI with his partner, Craig Bentley, and their two dogs, Jack and Clyde. He is currently writing a new cozy mystery, Rehearsed to Death, to be published by Kensington Cozies in June 2023.

Reviews

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A home restoration project for a reality TV home renovation pair of guys coupled in career and life just got spooky when they learn of the death there and the seeming haunting events that are occurring in the present. Frank Anthony Polito’s Domestic Partners in Mystery series is new to me, but the setting of my home stomping grounds, historic home restoration, and the paranormal vibes in a cozy mystery were too tantalizing to pass up.

Haunted to Death is the third of this paranormal cozy mystery series. I had no trouble reading it as a standalone as the partnership was all settled as was their work and the mystery was standalone.

Peter and JP have a Reality TV show called Domestic Partners where they renovate homes around the Detroit area. They get offered the intriguing job of restoring a 1913 estate of a popular singer who recently learned she’s the heiress. The home has a dark history with a death occurring there during a Halloween party back in the nineties. Accident or murder? No one knows, but Peter and JP need to figure it out quick if they want a successful reno and show.

Haunted to Death was slow to get going. At first, I was into the book with the details about the characters, their show, the area, their cute rescue dogs, and their new project. But the details just kept a’comin’ shall we say that it slogged down the pace. I started skimming and considered stopping, but then about the second half things finally got going. Mystery was at the forefront and still all the good extras with it.

But, while it didn’t grab me at first, it did give me all for which I was hoping- Detroit area love aboundeth, home reno descriptions galore, cute pets, community of people and solid romantic and work partnership, and an intriguing historical, haunted house. Halloween vibes and the fall were fabulous. I’d be interested in trying out the other books in the series. As to recommends, this is for those who enjoy strong and diverse LGBT+ rep, coziest of cozy tone, home reno description, pets, and a mystery percolating in the background then coming to the forefront.

I rec'd an eARC via NetGalley to read in exchange for an honest review.

My full review will post at Books of My Heart on 9.29.24.

[Carole (Carole's Random Life) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review can also be found at https://carolesrandomlife.com/

This one kept me guessing! I have enjoyed the Domestic Partners in Crime series and was excited to get started with this third installment. Don’t worry if you are new to the series, this book would work great as a stand-alone. Peter and JP are working to remodel a new home that just happens to have a ghost or two in residence. I had a great time figuring out what was going on along with Peter and JP.

The story opens with a scene from the past where we witness the death of a woman at Woods Hall. Twenty-five years later, her daughter has inherited the house and wants to do a bit of remodeling. Peter and JP not only want to make the home beautiful while filming the next season of their reality television show but also want to find answers for Fiona, the young homeowner. The mystery took a few twists and turns that took me completely by surprise.

Once I started reading, I was so eager for answers that I switched to the audiobook since I tend to be able to get through those a bit faster. The author did a fantastic job of narrating this story. He has a very pleasant voice and a nice range of voices for the cast of characters. He brought the story to life by adding just the right amount of emotion to his reading. I think that he was the perfect narrator for this story.

I would recommend this book to others. I have enjoyed getting to know Peter and JP, their friends, and their two pups with big personalities. I can’t wait to read more of their adventures!

I received a review copy of this book from Kensington Publishing Corporation.

[Cozy Reader Lady · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Haunted to Death (A Domestic Partners in Crime Mystery #3)" by Frank Anthony Polito is a little bit haunted house, a little home restoration and a little bit lgbtq+. I have to say this series gets better book by book. The main characters and reoccurring guest characters are hitting a good stride in their development. It'll be interesting to see where they go from here.

This book's mystery was primarily around the cold case, if it is a case, of the death of a wealthy beauty pageant queen who fell from the balcony of her home at her own birthday/Halloween party 25 years ago. Now her daughter is back and renovating the home with the help of the Domestic Partner's crew. However, they're encountering some strange things and lots of hidden secrets.

Lots of perspectives get highlighted in this one. Many of the characters points of view get told like a flash back scene. Very 90's flashback and fun tie in for that being when the "accident" occurred. Make me feel like I'm getting old, lol. A bit of spot the pop references could be played too.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up


Oooh a good book for scary season! I will admit, I jumped into this series blind with this book. However, it was instantly cozy and the characters was so easy to connect with that I had no problem diving right in like I was part of the crew. I am a sucker for any home reno books and shows so the combo here was great and so well written. Plus the haunted house vibes walked a perfect line of believable, but leaving room for skepticism. I love that the MCs were pragmatic without being totally dismissive of the possibility of a ghost. Also the handled Fiona with so much care as they investigated her mother's death and reveal many buried secrets. Plus they have the most adorable pooches as companions in this book and I enjoyed the side stories with their family and their doggos. However, at times it felt like there were too many storylines and I was missing a lot of the home renovation aspects that I was excited for. Also some of the dialogue I personally didn't like (way too many "bros" used). Overall this was a fun and cozy story with a shocking ending!

Thanks to the publisher for a free ARC copy of this novel; my thoughts and review and my own.

[Lori Leaf · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is going to be a perfect Halloween read! Think Scooby Doo in a haunted house. Solving the murder of Emma, along with all the spooky things happening in the house were forefront to this story. Definitely set the spooky atmosphere! I do wish we got more of the renovation & community but I loved being back with the guys, Clyde & Jack. Had me guessing and spooked for sure!

[Clint Read-Brittian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this one soo much! It was a lot of fun! This was spooky fun! I loved it! It felt like a classic Agatha Christie whodunnit! I love it!

[YADUD3 · Rating 1 out of 5]

How does this book have such high reviews?????
Too much freaking detail! Just get to the point!

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved loved loved it!

[Faith Schofield · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was such a fun spooky read! I loved the meshing of a HGTV like remodel show with a haunted house and the characters were very entertaining. I listened to this one as an audiobook and really enjoyed it while on walks and long drives. Sometimes the use of lingo in the story made me cringe a bit but other than that this one was a fun cozy mystery!

Thank you so much to Kensington Cozies for the free copy in exchange for an honest review!

[Victoria Rodriguez-Combel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Arc Review (Netgally)

This is a cozy mystery involving strange deaths in a manor that was built in 1913. PJ and Jp renovate houses for their TV show. When a famous couple decides to move into the manor 25 years after a tragic accident occurred, PJ and JP are asked to help renovate the space. The author was able to give great detail about the house and the characters, there aren't enough details about the mystery that occurred 25 years ago. We (the readers) are just told what actually happened instead of going through the events through the perspective of the characters, whether it be from a diary entry or a flashback.
I did love the Halloween themes used, and I do think this would be a great read if you also love home renovation. I do recommend reading the first two books since it brings up character and a few plot points that happened in the other two.

Thank you to Kensington books and NetGally for my ARC of Haunted to Death.

[Marietere T · Rating 1 out of 5]

I keep debating what to rate this book, because it was unique and the mystery was there but I was bored. It felt forced sometime and I guess the turnoff I had at the beginning is the generational hate. That doesn't view with me. Ick.

I got an e-arc of this book on NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Kathryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book, but it just fell flat for me. There was an insane amount of unnecessary details and the writing style just isn't for me.

[The Sassy Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review: Haunted to Death by Frank Anthony Polito

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐½

Hey folks! So, I recently had the pleasure of reviewing Haunted to Death by Frank Anthony Polito, and let me tell you, it was a perfect October read. This book is the third installment in the Domestic Partners series, and it’s just as engaging as the previous ones. If you’re into cozy mysteries with a sprinkle of ghostly charm, keep on reading!

A Quick Summary

This Halloween season, our favorite home renovation duo, Peter (PJ) Penwell and JP Broadway, find themselves in a bit of a spooky situation. They’re tasked with restoring Woods Hall, a gorgeous old manor in Pleasant Woods, Detroit, that has a chilling backstory. Picture this: 25 years ago, during a Halloween party, the glamorous Emma Wheeler-Woods—dressed in a stunning wedding gown—plummeted from a balcony. Was it an accident? Or did someone give her a little push?

Now, Fiona Forrest, Emma’s daughter and an indie music star, has inherited this haunted beauty and is determined to restore it. As PJ and JP dive into renovations, things start to go bump in the night, and they can't help but wonder if they’re dealing with a ghost or something much darker. With a Halloween deadline looming, they juggle renovations, a haunted house, and the mystery of Emma's death—all while trying to keep their reality show on track.

My Thoughts

Okay, let’s talk about PJ and JP. DIY experts; they’re also life partners. Their dynamic is just so charming! PJ is the anxious one while JP is the brave heart—together they make quite the team. It’s like watching a perfectly balanced recipe come together.

This book has that delicious Halloween vibe, especially with the backdrop of an old mansion filled with secrets and possible curses. The back-and-forth storytelling really kept me hooked; it was like peeling back layers of an onion (a spooky onion!). You get to meet some of the townsfolk who were around during Emma's tragic party, and their insights add depth to the narrative. Plus, Fiona’s celebrity status throws in a nice twist to the mix!

I loved how the author paints PJ and JP’s everyday life. They’ve got rescue dogs and their own lovingly restored home that feels so relatable. It’s cozy in all the right ways. And let’s not forget about their sleuthing—while they might be nosy (who isn’t?), their gentle probing feels appropriate as they try to uncover the truth behind Emma’s death.

By the time I reached the end of this book, I felt a genuine affection for these characters. They’re endearing enough that I’d happily join them for a cup of coffee in their craftsman-style home! If you’re looking for a fun read that combines humor, mystery, and a touch of the supernatural, I’d say give Haunted to Death a shot.

Overall, while I didn’t find it to be absolutely perfect (hence the 3.5 stars), it certainly delivered some cozy vibes and kept me entertained. I’m already looking forward to seeing what PJ and JP get into next!

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’re from southeast Michigan, these books really should be a must read. This zippy cozy series is set in Pleasant Ridge and features Michigan details like Shinola watches and Sanders bumpy cake, but even if you aren’t from the mitten, these are still fun reads. Main characters and life partners PJ and JP are, among other things, hosts of an “HDTV” home renovation series, where they take old houses and restore them to their former glory. This charming gay couple reminds me strongly of my favorite couple on HGTV’s Detroit based Bargain Block, and like it or not, their faces have attached themselves to my reading of the books.

This instalment is especially yummy, as the men take on an old, possibly haunted, house right around Halloween. The backstory: the 25-year-old owner, in long ago 1997, died after plunging off the balcony at the top of the house during her 25th birthday party – dressed as Princess Diana, no less. The story goes back and forth in time as the guys try to discern what happened all those years ago, talking to now older folks in town who attended the party. What’s more, the family associated with the house all seem to die untimely deaths, and so it’s felt there’s some kind of family curse.

Nevertheless, the daughter of the dead woman, Fiona, now an Indie music star, wants to restore the house and live in it (though her bratty boyfriend doesn’t seem so keen). Because of Fiona’s celebrity and the whole haunted house-ghost angle, HDTV is eager to have the guys get to work both on a new season of their show and on restoring the house. And in fact as they get to work the house does seem to be haunted, with a series of potentially serious accidents accompanying ghostly sightings.

JP is relentless and PJ is brave despite his anxieties and fears (they balance each other nicely) and they are neither letting go of their show or the idea that someone more temporal is behind the ghostliness. The layers they manage to peel away through their gentle questioning of survivors of that long ago deadly night form a good picture of Fiona’s family as well as of the dead woman’s life and her various ties of both friendship and kinship, good and bad, in her community.

The author paints a nice picture of their home life with their rescue dogs and their lovingly restored craftsman style house. The rule of the cozy mystery is that order be restored so that life can proceed as planned, and the two characters in this book manage to pull that off. They don’t even seem out of bounds in their sleuthing efforts which could be just general nosiness, even though they are of course putting together a complete picture of events. They are both likeable and different enough from each other to form an engaging couple, one you’re happy to reunite with in each book. As a reader, by book three, I promise you’ll have real affection for both JP and PJ and their rescue dogs.

[Alicia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted so badly to love this series. (I didn't realize until after I requested this ARC that it was the third in a series, so I checked the first two out of the library before reading this one.) But the overdone detail about homes/interior design that was understandable—given the protagonists' interests—and quirky in book one is tending toward tedious in book three. The overdone detail about everything else (attire, food, people's backgrounds that never became relevant, etc.) was tending toward tedious from the beginning. And in this book I noticed extensive repetition of sentences/descriptions from the earlier books that was redundant if you'd read them and spoilery if you hadn't.

The choice to present scenes from multiple POVs can be valid, but in this series it seemed to me to simply sap any tension from the "solving" of the mystery. And that's to say nothing of the occasional POV jumps within a given scene/paragraph. (Also, if my friends were as willing to suspect me of murder as these guys are to suspect their friends, I... would find different friends.)

I'm not a dog person, so I probably shouldn't opine about the dogs in this, but they read to me as poorly trained/socialized animals, which definitely isn't cute in the long run. And the way the animal shelter person handled adoptions seemed lackadaisical verging on reckless.

Having the only (I'm pretty sure) Jewish character in three books turn out to be a bad guy driven by desire for money was a poor choice—particularly given that his religion didn't factor into anything else whatsoever. That's in addition to the fact that there didn't seem to be anything likable about him at all, so why Fiona was with him to begin with was hard to imagine.

Overall, there were some fun ideas here, but the execution was lacking. I'm happy for the people who are enjoying this series, but I won't be back for more.

My thanks to the publisher/NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

[Elizabeth Sanders · Rating 2 out of 5]

Content Warnings: Mild homophobia/biphobia (historical)

Polito’s novel is the third in a series. While, technically, it can be read as a standalone work, there are so many plot points and characters reintroduced from earlier books that its cumbersome.

Before addressing my critiques, here are some positives to the work. The fictional community in the novel is LGBTQ+ friendly and features various forms of representation. For those who prefer a cozy mystery that’s heavy on cozy and light on mystery, this book provides that. I’m not that reader, but I know some might be.

My primary critique of the work is that there is both too little and too much plot. There is too little plot related to the actual mysteries being addressed, namely the truth behind the death of Emma Woods in 1997 and whether the house undergoing renovation is haunted. Nothing spooky or majorly related to resolving the murder happen until about 60% into the book; the resolution of both cases doesn’t occur until literally the final major scene. All of the clues/investigation come in the form of readers being told, rather than shown, things, whether it’s from a diary, a memory of someone who attended the party where the death took place, or a monologue.

There is too much plot related to everything else. People’s clothing, architecture and design of various buildings, past events and characters, the narrator’s dogs, are all described in excruciating detail, but it’s too much detail to make anything stick out and, ultimately, most of these details are unimportant. For example, there are large portions of multiple chapters related to whether the narrator’s mom will get a dog, and then meeting the dog, and then that whole plot line is dropped with no resolution. There are multiple subplots like this that do not move the story forward and end up being unresolved, which is frustrating.

[Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3.5 stars, rounded down)
Polito writes an enjoyable cozy mystery in the “quozy” category, featuring two gay men as the main characters. PJ and JP (yep!) are partners in life and in business. They run a home restoration business in suburban Detroit that has its own TV show. In this story, the third in the series, they are hired to restore (not renovate!) a manor house built in 1913. It hasn’t been lived in for about 25 years, due to a tragic event in 1997, and is rumored to be haunted. The home is now owned by the female half of a young singing duo, Low-Fi, Fiona, who recently found out she was the heir to an automative fortune, people who previously owned the home. Her fiancé, Finn, is not really interested in the house, and is portrayed as being a bit obnoxious. It made it hard to figure out what Fiona saw in him!

In addition to their home restoration business, PJ is a writer and JP is an actor. PJ is the main narrator of the books. Because of their interest in homes and furnishings, there’s a lot of descriptions of various houses and furnishings throughout the book, not just of the manor house they’re working on. It got to be a bit much for me, along with the extensive descriptions of what everyone was wearing.

PJ and JP get drawn into helping find out what really happened when Fiona’s birth mother fell (or was pushed) from the third floor balcony to her death, all those years ago.

PJ and JP are dog lovers and own two rescues. There’s a lot about their dogs, which was cute, but didn’t really add to the mystery portion of the book.

The author has an obvious fondness for the Detroit area, which lent an air of authenticity to his descriptions.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

[Kelly (Maybedog) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty ordinary mystery and quite predictable. But having the setting be the shooting of a TV show made it more appealing. There were some funny moments and of course I loved all the dogs.

There was a diverse cast of characters including multiple people of color and at least one nonbinary person. They were interesting for the most part.

There were some bad issues. For example, it isn’t odd that a woman with a new baby might kill herself. Postpartum depression is a very real thing. I know someone who ended up hospitalized it was so bad. But the narrative said it was ridiculous to think that. Also, sometimes he went into other people’s heads briefly, usually for only a sentence or two and it was jarring.

At the end there were some DIY tips about making a haunted house for Halloween which were useful and informative.

As mediocre as this is, I still enjoyed it and I hope he is planning on writing another on the series.

The author also narrated the audiobook. It wasn’t that great a job but it wasn’t bad. It was definitely really good for an author reading his own work. The only one I’ve liked is Stephen King and that was a long time ago. I don’t know how I’d feel about it now. Anyway, the voices weren’t varied at all, there being only a couple for male and one for female. He and his partner and others his age all sounded exactly the same most of the time. But his intonation was fine and his voice was pleasing.

[clarissa. · Rating 4 out of 5]

thank you to netgalley for the eARC.

i was a little on edge when receiving the ARC since i didn’t know it was part of a series, but it ended up turning out okay. i was a bit iffy when reading the first chapter, but began flying through it after the third chapter. i finished it in three days, not including the day i read the first chapter.

though i really enjoyed the read, the pacing a bit strange. an example being jp and pj learn something one day, it seems like a few days have gone by and the person who’s supposed to know the information knows everything too along with having the source of the information in their possession. like when did that happen ?? it didn’t bother me too much though, it was just something i thought was an interesting creative choice.

as for the mystery itself, i love a haunted house concept. again with the strange pacing, it read like a mystery with several gaps in between each significant detail. i’m not sure if that makes much sense. as for the plot twist, i wasn’t surprised at all. i don’t really try to predict what happens next when reading, but i was able to figure it out a few chapters before the reveal. the reasoning for everything was definitely flimsy, but it was a really fun and quick read.

i might go back and read the rest of the series. it felt like a cozy mystery rather than one with thrills and jumps.

[Mollified.Moments · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately, this book didn’t work for me. I didn’t realize it was the third in a series until after I started, but I’m not sure that reading the first two would have changed my opinion much.

One of the things I struggled with was the overwhelming amount of detail. The descriptions of homes, interior design, and daily routines felt repetitive and dragged on without adding much to the plot. As someone who’s #TeamCat, I found the frequent focus on the dogs distracting and, frankly, annoying. I didn’t feel like the attention on the dogs contributed to the mystery or overall story.

The multiple points of view also fell flat. Instead of building suspense, they made the story feel disjointed and diluted the tension that should have been there in solving the mystery. There were also moments where the point of view switched within a scene, which made the narrative confusing.

There was a character choice that left me uneasy—one that felt like a poorly thought-out stereotype, and it took me out of the story.

While I can see why others might enjoy this series for its cozy vibe, it didn’t hit the mark for me. That being said, I appreciate the opportunity to read an advance copy, so thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for that.

[Cuppa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Haunted to Death is the third book in the Domestic Partners in Crime Mysteries by Frank Anthony Polito. This is a Halloween-themed mystery and much of the action takes place at a lumber baron's mansion that PJ and his partner JP are renovating for their TV show "Domestic Partners." The new owner of the home is Fiona Woods, who only recently discovered that her mother was a famous model who died at the home 25 years ago on Halloween night. While PJ and JP are skeptical that Fiona's mother may be haunting the house but it's hard to hold on to disbelief when mysterious things start happening. Many of the characters from previous books are back to tell what they remember about attending the Halloween party where Fiona's mother died. Some of the stories are told in flashback style, which felt a little jarring since the stories are told from PJ's point of view. I really like PJ's voice and what his character brings to the story. But I can understand that memories of an event that far in the past might have worked better when told by the characters who experienced them. All in all, this third book in a solid entry in the book. I hope there will be a Christmas book in the series' future.

[Jason Pippi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haunted to Death is like HGTV meets Scooby-Doo! 👻🔨

Peter and JP are the multi-talented hosts of home renovation show Domestic Partners who stumble upon a mansion with a ghostly past right in their hometown.

As they chip away at the walls of Woods Hall, they uncover more than just layers of paint – there's a cold case to solve! This spooky mystery will have you questioning every creak and groan. Can they restore the house and their sanity?

I absolutely loved how quaint this book was! It felt like drinking a PSL - the closest thing to a beach read for the fall. From picking up a rescue pup to scenes in the local diner it was a queer cozy (aka quozy) read.

Frank Anthony Polito poured a piece of his soul into this book, and it showed! And it even talked about his real life pups - Clyde and Jack! I also was floored when the book mentioned my favorite Pittsburgh music venue, Mr. Smalls.

Great queer read with big fall vibes!

#HauntedToDeath #bookworm #mystery #horror #homeimprovement #bookstagram

[Shelby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a fun ride around a fictionalized Oakland County, Michigan, and features an old mansion haunted by the ghost of an automotive heiress! The Domestic Partners team, PJ and JP, are hired to restore the crumbling home to its former glory and PJ, bless his heart, can't help himself but get involved to solve the mystery of who killed Emma Wheeler Woods.

I was enjoying the experience of reading when I accidentally solved the case (I actually gasped and said "I think I know what happened!"). I'm sure others figured it out, but I think I would have been surprised had I not been thinking too hard and gone down a brain rabbit hole. At that point I had to keep reading to find out if I was right, obviously.

One aspect of the story I really liked was the flashbacks from other characters' points-of-view of the night Emma, the automotive heiress, died. I don't mind interview scenes in mysteries but I thought the author did a good job of describing what people saw, and heard, and thought on that night.

[Kelsie McVayre · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite book in the series so far!! I love having a cozy queer mystery series to come home to, I love seeing myself and my community reflected in my favorite genre. Just like with the first two, I enjoyed entering this world with JP and PJ, loved the dogs and the friendships. As a new homeowner, house restoration is super fascinating for me. But this book also hit on soooo many of my favorite Halloween mystery tropes: 90s flashbacks, creepy secret passageways, Scooby Doo monsters, music boxes, big wedding dresses, I could go on and on. Plus, this book improved upon some of the drawbacks from the previous two--namely, the lack of bisexuals and nonbinary people. I'm excited to see more in the future!! It's clear the author is working to expand his books to encompass the whole of the LGBTQ rainbow, offering us all a safe place to solve murders by brunch time. Please please please write a hundred more of these books, I will keep buying them until I'm gone 💜

[Laura Diamond · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t realize this was the third book in a series though I doubt it would have mattered.

The writing is clunky and full of cringey millennial dialogue. I might sound like a snob when I say this, but do we really have to have phrases like “TBH” unironically as a part of the dialogue/narration?

The plot meanders and is pretty murky. A lot of random loose threads that are left undone at the end. It might have made for a cute novella, but as a novel that’s nearly 300 pages, it’s basically just candy corn sweet with zero substance.

I didn’t care for any of the characters. PJ was a full at best, annoying at worst protagonist, and his relationship with JP was way underdeveloped. This is part of the “I don’t think it matters that there two other books before this one” thought process I had. I just can’t imagine anything is well established beforehand.

The ending was predictable from the first chapter and I tend to not predict anything so. 🤷🏼‍♀️

[callistoscalling · Rating 4 out of 5]

📖📖 Book Review 📖📖 There are three things I absolutely adore in life, dogs, home renovation shows, and spooky ghost stories. Haunted to Death somehow manages to incorporate all of these things in a cohesively brilliant fashion! If walls could talk, Woods Hall would have so many stories to tell. When Fiona discovers that she is the heir to this manor, she hires the Domestic Partners to restore this home to its original grandeur. The ghost stories are top notch; not because they are necessarily terrifying but because they are beautifully written and capture the human tragedy at the core of any good ghost stories. The lure of the old world ghostly tales paired the with modern day filming of a tv show with a humorous cast of characters makes for a wonderful dichotomy in this gripping cost ghost muster!

[LittleRead · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peter and JP are back and preparing for Peter‘s first play at the local community theater. It’s an exciting time, until the b*tchy director has gone dark. The curtain may have gone down on Xander for the last time, Peter and JP and solving a murder to their already over loaded schedules. Can they solve the murder before opening night? Or will curtains be going down on them as well.

I really enjoy this series! The two main protagonist are my favorite and I love seeing them in each and every entry. This year is never gets old for me. It’s smart and well written, funny and endearing all at once. I cannot wait for the next entry in this series!

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a new season for Domestic Partners actor JP and narrator PJ and what a house they have to renovate! It's a mansion, empty for 25 years since the heiress Emma Woods was killed at her 25th birthday party--on Halloween! Now her long-lost daughter Fiona, part of a rock duo with her boyfriend Finn, wants the house redone and her mother's death investigated. A lot of the people in PJ's posh neighborhood were at the party, and he and JP gently question what happened at the time, and why Emma's husband influenced the authorities to stop the investigation. There's a billboard sized clue that the characters seem to miss, but who can blame them with all the red herrings?

[Melissa Hall · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun haunting and mystery read, with a cozy setting and fun cast. It's not typically my type of mystery, so some of the language/spelling and the ironic names weren't really my thing, but that's just a personal preference. I also found there was a lot of time spent in daily routines with the main characters' dogs when it didn't really have anything to do with the story.
I did enjoy the thrills and chills! A fun and cozy read

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

[Jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Haunted to Death is book #3 in the A Domestic Partners in Crime Mystery series by Frank Anthony Polito.

This was an enjoyable read. It had likable characters, pets, location with an interesting premise, and mystery that kept me guessing. This was the first book I’ve read in the series and I was able to read it as a stand-alone book.

Thank you to the author, Kensington Publishing, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.