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Candy Corn and Corpses: A Small Town Halloween Cozy Mystery with Dog
Lily Hartman loves three her cozy bookstore, her corgi Pumpkin, and the charming small-town atmosphere of Pinewood Hollow. As the annual Autumn Street Fair transforms Main Street into a Halloween wonderland, Lily is busy preparing her Cozy Mystery Marathon reading event and enjoying the festivities with her fellow business owners. But the celebration turns deadly when Lily discovers her difficult neighbor, antique shop owner Veronica Blackwell, dead in her store the morning after the Main Street business owners' private party. With half the town having a reason to want Veronica gone and Detective James Murphy sorting through a web of business disputes, financial secrets, and long-simmering grudges, Lily finds herself caught in the middle of a real-life murder mystery.
As Lily prepares for her bookstore event, she can't help but notice the nervous behavior of her neighbors. Her best friend Becca runs the flower shop, and retired journalist Harold brings his investigative instincts to their amateur sleuthing. With Pumpkin's nose occasionally leading the way to important clues, Lily pieces together a puzzle that's far more complicated than it first appears. Between selling mysteries and hosting her reading marathon, she discovers that everyone on Main Street had secrets they were desperate to protect, and someone was clever enough to use those secrets as the perfect cover for murder.
Candy Corn and Corpses is a delightful cozy mystery perfect for readers who love small-town charm, literary references, and a clever amateur sleuth who proves that sometimes the best detectives are the ones who know their neighbors best.
As Lily prepares for her bookstore event, she can't help but notice the nervous behavior of her neighbors. Her best friend Becca runs the flower shop, and retired journalist Harold brings his investigative instincts to their amateur sleuthing. With Pumpkin's nose occasionally leading the way to important clues, Lily pieces together a puzzle that's far more complicated than it first appears. Between selling mysteries and hosting her reading marathon, she discovers that everyone on Main Street had secrets they were desperate to protect, and someone was clever enough to use those secrets as the perfect cover for murder.
Candy Corn and Corpses is a delightful cozy mystery perfect for readers who love small-town charm, literary references, and a clever amateur sleuth who proves that sometimes the best detectives are the ones who know their neighbors best.
109 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 20, 2025
12 people are currently reading
12 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 30, 2025
Review:
As someone who adores cozy mysteries, Candy Corn and Corpses by Maisy Marple was a delightful find. It's the first book in The Halloween Mystery Series, and it perfectly embodies the charm of Halloween. Set in the picturesque small town of Pinewood Hollow, the story revolves around Lily Hartman, a bookstore owner with a passion for mysteries, her adorable corgi named Pumpkin, and a community filled with unique characters.
The story takes place during the annual Autumn Street Fair, turning Main Street into a completely different world where Halloween is the main focus. Lily is in her element, organizing a Cozy Mystery Marathon reading event. However, the festive atmosphere takes a dark turn when she discovers a lifeless body. With a plethora of suspects, Lily finds herself in the midst of a murder mystery.
The cozy atmosphere in Candy Corn and Corpses contrasts beautifully with the murder mystery. The small-town setting adds to the allure, making it feel like you’re part of the community. Lily’s amateur sleuthing, aided by her friends Becca and Harold, keeps the narrative engaging. And of course, Pumpkin, her loyal corgi, often sniffs out crucial clues, adding a touch of animal warmth to the story. The quirky characters are delightful, each bringing their own flavor to the story.
Maisy Marple skillfully crafts an intriguing, fast-paced storyline filled with red herrings and plenty of suspects. I love how there is the perfect number of suspects, each with their own motives and even motives to frame others, creating a dynamic web of suspicion. Everyone is pointing fingers at everyone else, making it quite creative and intriguing. The culprit seems to be everywhere but nowhere at the same time, adding to the mystery. The tension builds as Lily navigates through misleading clues, leading to a twisting and satisfying ending that ties up all the loose ends. I do not think this could have been crafted any better.
Dive into Candy Corn and Corpses, where secrets lurk behind every pumpkin, and Lily Hartman must solve the mystery before the real killer strikes again! I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good cozy mystery, and I'm eagerly looking forward to the next installment, Costumes and Consequences.
Opinionated Book Rating:
Originality: 4.75/5.0
Plot Structure: 5.0/5.0
Pacing: 5.0/5.0
Dialogue and Narrative: 5.0/5.0
Personal Enjoyment: 5.0/5.0
Overall Rating: 4.95/5.0 (Rating will be rounded up due to platforms not allowing partial ratings.)
As someone who adores cozy mysteries, Candy Corn and Corpses by Maisy Marple was a delightful find. It's the first book in The Halloween Mystery Series, and it perfectly embodies the charm of Halloween. Set in the picturesque small town of Pinewood Hollow, the story revolves around Lily Hartman, a bookstore owner with a passion for mysteries, her adorable corgi named Pumpkin, and a community filled with unique characters.
The story takes place during the annual Autumn Street Fair, turning Main Street into a completely different world where Halloween is the main focus. Lily is in her element, organizing a Cozy Mystery Marathon reading event. However, the festive atmosphere takes a dark turn when she discovers a lifeless body. With a plethora of suspects, Lily finds herself in the midst of a murder mystery.
The cozy atmosphere in Candy Corn and Corpses contrasts beautifully with the murder mystery. The small-town setting adds to the allure, making it feel like you’re part of the community. Lily’s amateur sleuthing, aided by her friends Becca and Harold, keeps the narrative engaging. And of course, Pumpkin, her loyal corgi, often sniffs out crucial clues, adding a touch of animal warmth to the story. The quirky characters are delightful, each bringing their own flavor to the story.
Maisy Marple skillfully crafts an intriguing, fast-paced storyline filled with red herrings and plenty of suspects. I love how there is the perfect number of suspects, each with their own motives and even motives to frame others, creating a dynamic web of suspicion. Everyone is pointing fingers at everyone else, making it quite creative and intriguing. The culprit seems to be everywhere but nowhere at the same time, adding to the mystery. The tension builds as Lily navigates through misleading clues, leading to a twisting and satisfying ending that ties up all the loose ends. I do not think this could have been crafted any better.
Dive into Candy Corn and Corpses, where secrets lurk behind every pumpkin, and Lily Hartman must solve the mystery before the real killer strikes again! I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good cozy mystery, and I'm eagerly looking forward to the next installment, Costumes and Consequences.
Opinionated Book Rating:
Originality: 4.75/5.0
Plot Structure: 5.0/5.0
Pacing: 5.0/5.0
Dialogue and Narrative: 5.0/5.0
Personal Enjoyment: 5.0/5.0
Overall Rating: 4.95/5.0 (Rating will be rounded up due to platforms not allowing partial ratings.)
October 31, 2025
A nice mystery.
I like the plot . Most of the characters are good. I like Pumpkin the corgi. Two things really bothered me. One: When Lily was questioning people, people didn't think it was suspicious. They asked her why she wanted to know, and she answered she was just curious. Two: One character said his lawyer told him not to talk to people. He kept talking. The story kept me guessing who did it.
I like the plot . Most of the characters are good. I like Pumpkin the corgi. Two things really bothered me. One: When Lily was questioning people, people didn't think it was suspicious. They asked her why she wanted to know, and she answered she was just curious. Two: One character said his lawyer told him not to talk to people. He kept talking. The story kept me guessing who did it.
October 25, 2025
Candy Corn and Corpses
One week until Halloween, so I started this book late yesterday and couldn't stop for long (make meals and eat) because I was intrigued. True to Maisy Marple reads, a clever twist of plot kept me guessing who, only to find it wasn't any of the identified suspects!
One week until Halloween, so I started this book late yesterday and couldn't stop for long (make meals and eat) because I was intrigued. True to Maisy Marple reads, a clever twist of plot kept me guessing who, only to find it wasn't any of the identified suspects!
November 6, 2025
friend or foe
Drama, good and evil. Multiple plot twists with a surprising, yet sad murderer. You just never know what people are capable of when they feel they’re about to lose everything.
Drama, good and evil. Multiple plot twists with a surprising, yet sad murderer. You just never know what people are capable of when they feel they’re about to lose everything.
October 24, 2025
Halloween read
This book was so much fun to read !I enjoyed the characters and the setting didn't figure it out on my own though!
This book was so much fun to read !I enjoyed the characters and the setting didn't figure it out on my own though!
November 8, 2025
characters were good , I liked the story, will read more of these books, took me a while because I had other things I had to do.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews