Haunted Hayride with Murder

An Otter Lake Mystery #6

by Auralee Wallace

Trick-or-treating just got a whole lot deadlier.

Erica Bloom is loving everything about autumn this yearin Otter Lake, New Hampshire: changing leaves, apple cider, cozy sweaters... and the warm and fuzzy relationship that's heating up between her and Sheriff Grady Forrester. But when some local teens out to find some Halloween thrills come across a boot with a dead man's foot bones still inside it, a chilling new reality comes into play. Everyone in Otter Lake knows about the age-old witch who haunts the apple orchard bordering the White Mountains. So when the bones turn out to belong to a long-gone local with a scandalous connection to the orchard, stories of the spooky figure roaming the forests at night once again rise up from the past. Now it's up to Erica and the rest of the Otter Lake Security team to expose the identity of the killer. Will they be able to lay this ghost to rest...or will this witch hunt be their last?

The Otter Lake series is:

"A frolicking good time...with a heroine who challenges Stephanie Plum for the title of funniest sleuth."--New York Times bestselling author Denise Swanson

"Wonderfully entertaining!" --RT BookReviews

Genres: Mystery, Halloween, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Fiction, Holiday, Adult Fiction

320 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published September 25, 2018

About the author

After spending her formative years reading Grimms’ fairy tales and stirring up potions in the creek behind her house, Auralee Wallace knew she would grow up to be a witch. When that didn’t work out, she decided becoming a writer was the next best thing. Now, Auralee is the author of multiple novels, including the Otter Lake mystery series and The Evenfall Witches B&B mysteries. She lives in Ottawa with her husband, kids, dog, and cat.
She can be found on Twitter, Goodreads, Facebook, Instagram, and her website http://auraleewallace.com/.

Auralee is represented by Natalie Lakosil, Looking Glass Literary and Media.

Reviews

[Aera · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like zany. I'm a fan of the off beat, madcap, cornball, B-movie, mystery/thrillers of the late 1930's/40's. As well as The Thin Man series. I also enjoyed (for the most part) reading Maia Chance's books so...despite some of the negative reviews, I thought there was a pretty good chance I'd enjoy this book. Not a chance.

There's zany but this is too much over the top, constant, zany. It's like Laurel & Hardy, Abbot & Costello, The Three Stooges and The Marx Bros all thrown together on steroids at warped speed. It never let up and I really thought I would have to give up but ...I soldiered on. And either the author started lightening up on all the zany or I just got used to it. At least I was numb enough to be able to finish the book.

The mystery wasn't all that bad and after the 75 percent mark, the characters started to grow on me and the story started to pick up. I'm glad I finished the book! But I would not read another one in the series. Once is enough.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great story! I like the Halloween theme in this one and it never fails, there are always so many adventures and mishaps that will have you laughing out loud without even realizing it! Such a fun series!

[Bookish Trina · Rating 4 out of 5]

You'll enjoy Haunted Hayride with Murder; it will have you laughing out loud. Auralee Wallace’s sixth book in the Otter Lake Mystery, Haunted Hayride with Murder was a fun read filled with mirth galore and interesting characters. Although it's the 6th book in the series, you start with it and not feel lost. Although, I have to warn you, after reading this latest installment, you'll want to read the other books in the series.

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Synopsis from the Publisher/NetGalley.com
Erica Bloom and Otter Lake Security are once again on the case in Haunted Hayride with Murder, the next installment in the hilarious Otter Lake mystery series.

Trick-or-treating just got a whole lot deadlier.

Erica Bloom is loving everything about autumn this year in Otter Lake, New Hampshire: changing leaves, apple cider, cozy sweaters… and the warm and fuzzy relationship that’s heating up between her and Sheriff Grady Forrester. But when some local teens out to find some Halloween thrills come across a boot with a dead man’s foot bones still inside it, a chilling new reality comes into play. Everyone in Otter Lake knows about the age-old witch who haunts the apple orchard bordering the White Mountains. So when the bones turn out to belong to a long-gone local with a scandalous connection to the orchard, stories of the spooky figure roaming the forests at night once again rise up from the past. Now it’s up to Erica and the rest of the Otter Lake Security team to expose the identity of the killer. Will they be able to lay this ghost to rest…or will this witch hunt be their last?

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Haunted Hayride with Murder by Auralee Wallace is the 6th book in the Otter Lake Mystery series, and a terrific fun read. I love this book/series, and can't wait for the next adventure. This adventure takes place around Halloween in Otter Lake, New Hampshire. Otter Lake Security, Erica Bloom and her best friend Freddie, are hired to watch over the apple orchard and festivities. When human bones are found, the mystery begins. There is also fun with the apple witch legend and Erica and Sheriff Grady Forrester relationship moving forward. I loved all the well developed quirky characters in this book. Once I started this book, I could not stop reading it until I was done. This book also made me laugh out loud. Not only is this book an exciting mystery but also very refreshing and a quick read. If you love funny cozy mysteries, which are my favorite, you will love this book. It is recommended, the book and the series.

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Erica is back. When I first started this series I must admit that I was on the fence if I really liked this series. However, I am happy to report that the books do get better the further you get into the series. One of my favorite thing about this series is the humor. There are plenty of moments to keep you laughing. Yeah, Erica brings some of the humor but it is her two friends that really have the laughs...Freddie and Rhonda. I could have used more Rhonda but having Freddie pretty prominent helping Erica and Grady solve the case helped. Although, if it was up to Grady; he would lock Erica and Freddie up until the case is solved.

There is nothing scary about this book. Well except for the "sex tape" that Freddie and Erica stumble upon. I was laughing at this scene when Freddie was watching with Erica by his side. That is not the awkward part but when the librarian walked in on them watching the video. Haunted Hayride with Murder is a fun, romp, read that is guaranteed to be a "treat". No "trick" here.

[Kellene · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun, funny read. I have not read any books in the series, so I came in with no knowledge about characters, situations, etc. But it was fine. There were several references to a situation in Erica's past, but it didn't really matter to the story. Erica was a bit goofy, but Freddie is the funniest character I've met in a while. And her mom is a blast as well. The mystery was a good one, and the solution was so not what I was expecting. All-in-all, the book was a blast, and I do want to go back and read the preceding ones.

[Jeannette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Otter Lake Security has been hired to work the fall festival at the local apple orchard. It's a perfect spooky season, complete with witch legends, but the scariness gets real when Erica and Freddie come across a dead person's foot in the woods. Erica decides she wants to investigate both to prove Freddie wrong about the Apple Witch legends, and also to prove that Otter Lake Security is a legitimate enterprise to Sheriff Grady Forrester.

This was such a fun Halloween romp, and I definitely giggled aloud at least once. I had a feeling about the solution to the mystery, but it was still a great ending. I always enjoy Erica and Freddie's antics, and I'm sorry this was the last one!

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read that read smoothly. I liked the characters and the writing.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was hilarious, I really like the mystery and comedy. I would like to read more from the author.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have not read any of the other books in this series. In this book, it is almost Halloween, and the Otter Lake Security team is working security at the local apple orchard, which offers attractions during this holiday season. Their job is to ensure the security of the orchard and of those who come for the attractions and to keep the local teenagers out of the nearby woods, as they search for local legendary apple witch. The witch is supposed to come out at night and to do all sorts of harmful things to anyone who dares to go into the woods. During a quick chase of local teens through the woods, Erica Bloom and her partner Freddie, who are working the security detail, discover an abandoned boot that just happens to have the decayed remains of a foot. Naturally, everyone begins to speculate about whose foot the boot contains. It is obvious that someone has died and possibly even been murdered. Quickly, everyone concluded the boot belonged to a murdered man, Danny, who had disappeared a while ago. However, Danny’s social media, complete with pictures and notes about Vegas, confirms the missing Danny has just left Otter lake for Vegas and is not the dead body to whom the decaying foot belongs. Erica and the rest of her team quickly become involved in the mystery of whose food was found, who was really killed (or possibly died from who knows what) along with the local sheriff, who just happens to be in an on-again/off-again relationship with Erica. They find several clues and move through many twists and turns as they all try to figure out just what has happened in Otter Lake.

I really did not enjoy reading this book. I never did grow to like Erica, and her side-kick Freddie drove me crazy with his naivety and lack of basic understanding, knowledge and common sense. There was no real chemistry between Erica and the sheriff, though they had been and were still going in and out of a relationship. The other characters, especially the Honeycutt family members who owned the orchard, also were not done very well, in my opinion, and I never did grow to like any of them. Finally, the ending was flat, and finding out who had committed the murder really didn’t provide a very satisfied conclusion for me. After reading this book, I am not really sure if I will go look for the others in the series or anything else the author has written. I guess her style was just not for me. However, based on the reviews I have read, others do enjoy her stuff. Thus, another reader might enjoy the story and the others in the series. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.

[Leanne · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to like it, I tried to like it, I kept on reading but before I could get halfway through the book; I gave up. I enjoy a cozy mystery with a healthy dose of humor, but it just wasn't funny. The jokes were like an overdone laugh track. Such a disappointment.

[Randee Green · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

HAUNTED HAYRIDE WITH MURDER (September 25th 2018 by St. Martin's Press) by Auralee Wallace is the 6th novel in the Otter Lake Mystery series. Erica Bloom and her friend Freddie are working security at the local apple orchard during the Halloween season. Between monitoring the guests at the haunted hayride and haunted barn, they are tasked with chasing off the teenagers who are roaming the woods in search of the Apple Witch. The Apple Witch is a local legend - a ghost that haunts the apple orchard in October. The teenagers don't find the Apple Witch, but they do find human remains. Even though Sheriff Grady Forrester seems to have the investigation under control, Erica and the rest of the Otter Lake Security team take it upon themselves to look into the cold case and determine if the Apple Witch is real or not.

HAUNTED HAYRIDE WITH MURDER is the first Otter Lake Mystery that I've read, and, after reading it, I'm not inspired to check out the rest of the series. I just could not bring myself to like the main character, Erica Bloom. I'm not sure how old the character is supposed to be - I'm guessing early 30s - but she behaves likes a teenager. To be honest, most of the characters, regardless of their age, behave like a bunch of teenagers. They refer to murder as "did the thing" and a committed relationship as "closer friendship". The relationship between Erika and Sheriff Grady came off as juvenile, and their interactions were very off-putting. I also felt the twist at the end was a major letdown since discovering the killer's identity really didn't resolve anything.

If you're looking for a quick, mindless read that is low on suspense, you might want to check out HAUNTED HAYRIDE WITH MURDER. Just don't expect there to be more than a brief mention or two of the haunted hayride.

[Susan Johnston · Rating 3 out of 5]

Princess Fuzzypants here: Some cozy mysteries are funny with slap stick characters and over the top humour. It can be a tricky thing to pull off since humour is so personal. Often the ones that succeed best are the ones that just let it rip and go for total absurdity. This one has some very oddball characters who provide plenty of chuckles only occasionally overreaching. For the most part, it works a charm especially when our heroine is second guessing herself and everyone around her. It is a treat when she is trying to balance friendship with romance with her on again boyfriend.
It seems there may be an old witch in town- or at least in the apple orchard owned by the family she babysat when she was a teenager. Erica thinks there is someone totally corporeal responsible for the foot bone she found. One of her partners in Otter Lake Security believes it is the witch. He is afraid of everyone and everything which makes him a questionable choice her partner. Erica is quite capable herself of getting into unfortunate messes. For whatever reason, it is this relationship that just misses the mark for me, which is a shame.
The story itself is good. The family is all grown up and the baby sister is pregnant. She is afraid to tell her three brothers. Is she afraid because she knows what happened to the last boyfriend who got too close to her? If that is the case, which one of her strapping brothers is a murderer? Or are they trying to protect her?
When the full story comes out, it is a surprise.
I give the book three purrs and two paws up.

[Justyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read a Halloween cozy mystery last year and found another one at my library. Even though I prefer dark fiction for my Halloween reading, Auralee Wallace's mystery novel Haunted Hayride with Murder sounded like a fun and lighthearted read for October. 

When some local teens stumble upon a dead man's foot at a local haunted hayride, the townspeople suspect it has to do with the witch who haunts the apple orchard. Already tasked to provide security for the event, Erica Bloom and her Otter Lake Security team get pulled into to investigate the mystery, even if the killer might be a ghost.

Haunted Hayride with Murder was a delightful read. Despite jumping into the middle of a series, I had no trouble getting immersed into the town of Otter Lake. I loved the characters, especially the hilarious dynamic of the Otter Lake Security team with Erica, Freddie, and Rhonda. As far as mysteries go, Wallace found a good balance between characters and plot. the murder was compelling with the Apple Witch lore as well as Erica's history with the Honeycutt family. As for the Halloween elements, there was plenty of fall festivities and spookiness, especially with the hayride attraction and the local ghost. Overall, Haunted Hayride with Murder was a fun Halloween novel for mystery fans and I'll be sure to check out other books in the series.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book 6 in the Otter Lake mystery series by Auralee Wallace. It works well as a standalone; there aren’t any places in the book where you will feel as if you needed information from a previous book to understand what is happening in this one.

I have never come across a funnier cozy mystery. The main characters: Erika and Freddie, self proclaimed BFF forever ( Best Friends Forever Forever), have stumbled upon a dead man’s foot bones in a boot in the woods and are really trying to stay away from this murder mystery, but keep getting pulled in. Freddie is the most easily scared man I have ever had the pleasure to read about, and since their job requires that they provide security at a business that celebrates Halloween, there are a lot of things that frighten him including the Apple Witch. The way the characters go about their jobs can best be described as bumbling and madcap with lots of humorous observations about what they think they should do thrown in for good measure.

While I enjoy this series, the author has thrown in scenes where Erika is sleeping with the local sheriff, and I prefer my cozy mysteries not to dip into that territory. Other than that it has been a good series.

[Sharon Grow · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a unique beginning to this book as the reader is invited to the telling of a ghost story. It’s Halloween time in Otter Lake, New Hampshire, and local teens have discovered a body part buried in the woods. Erica Bloom and her friend and security teammate Freddie Ng are in the area and wait while the police are called. There is danger afoot in the apple orchard where the “Apple Witch” is rumored to patrol the woods. Local authorities will uncover the remainder of the body, led by Erica’s off and on again love interest Sheriff Grady Forrester. The hunt is on for the killer or killers and Erica and her Otter Lake Security team will be helping. Will the killer strike again? The timing is not what Erica had planned on as she and Grady had just decided that is was time to work on their “friendship”. Ms. Wallace writes such interesting characters with witty and laugh out loud dialog (especially between Erica and Freddie) that adds humor to this entertaining mystery. This is book number seven in the Otter Lake mysteries. I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to give an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

[cass · Rating 4 out of 5]

🍁🍂🎃🦦🪵🍎🤎🧡

This was my first time getting to experience small town life in Otter Lake and all the quirks it has to offer and I have to say I finished up the book and instantly wanted more stories from this small town, Erica Bloom and her OLS crew.

I honestly loved every minute of this and I never found myself getting bored or wishing things would speed up, I thought the pacing was excellent and the writing was so fun, witty and very easy to read.

As for the plot and the mystery, it was a good, cosy read that kept me guessing and at times made my heart race.

On top of absolutely loving the small town setting, the mystery and the cosy Halloween vibes, I really loved the characters (literally all of them), their developments and their relationships with each other. Especially Erica and Freddie (and of course Rhonda), Erica and Grady, and obviously the twins, Kit Kat and Tweety (cutest names ever?).

Honestly, I really don’t have anything negative to say about this book other than I wish it was longer lol.

And now I’m off to go fall even more in love with Otter Lake 🧡

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this. Absolutely love it all, from the story’s zany humor to its quirky characters. This is not unexpected; I am a huge fan of this series. And I’m a sucker for Halloween mysteries, so it is a bit of a given that I was going to enjoy this one. The story moves swiftly and is filled with plenty of suspects. There is also the slightest touch of romance (and a hilarious callback on a covered bridge to their previous romantic entanglements) as Erica and Grady try to navigate their “friendship” to a “closer friendship”. The possibly haunted orchard provides a great setting for the mystery. I just really, truly, had a great time reading this one.

Is Otter Lake for everyone? No, of course not. I grew up watching madcap movies from the 30s and 40s and listening to old radio programs like The Jack Benny Show and The Aldrich Family. Wallace’s humor reminds me a lot of those, and honestly, not everyone enjoys crackerjack one-liners or slapstick scenarios in their mysteries. But if you, like me, do, you will not be disappointed in Haunted Hayride with Murder.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Erica is still working for Otter Lake Security, though she and sheriff Grady have finally come to an agreement and are working on their friendship. In the course of the book, they become much closer friends (cough cough) even though OLS is working on an investigation stemming from their security work at the pre-Halloween festivities at the Honeycutt Apple Orchard. It seems that some of the teenagers they're trying to chaperone have found an old boot--with a skeletal foot in it, a discover that leads to a whole skeleton. Erica seems to be the only person who doesn't believe in the dreaded Apple Witch, although she does learn the very sad tale that started the gruesome stories; her bff Freddie, however, is frightened of the witch. Since Erica once babysat for the now-grown Honeycutt kids, she's sure they aren't murderers, although that chain saw that Adam is toting around is a little problematic.

[Ali · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like 3.5 stars
This had some serious shenanigans and love that we got more (positive) Grady time, wish we'd had more overall in series but oh well
Also Rhonda got the screen time she deserved in this time
Overall a seriously fun end to a very fun series, I just wish we could have had some more time with a settled Grady and Erica
But what happened with the whole bit that was started at the end of last book, and reiterated at the beginning of this about finding out who Erica's dad was??? why was that just done??
I do wonder if this was meant to be the end of a series, I'm glad it was the end because, while so fun, it was starting to get a bit tired, I'm not sure if they could really do another, but that really did just get forgotten
Maybe it would have been better to have more of an overarching arc in the series and not go so back and forth but it was a really fun series and I did really feel so endeared to the characters and town.

[Grace Koshida · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's autumn in Otter Lake, New Hampshire and the Otter Lake Security team of Erica Bloom and Freddie Ng are hired to provide security at the local apple orchard during the lead-up to Halloween. Things go awry when teenagers roaming the woods in search of the Apple Witch ghost end up finding a boot with a dead man's foot bones still inside it. Who is the victim and where is the rest of the body? Erica has a bet with her boyfriend Sheriff Grady Forrester about who is going to solve the mystery first.

This was a quick read and another hilarious entry in the Otter Lake mystery series.

I received an eARC via Netgalley and St. Martin's Press with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

[Cassandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 6th book in the Otter Lake Mystery #6 series. I had not read any prior, but I was still able to catch up quickly. It is set in the fall season in Otter Lake, New Hampshire. Love that atmosphere. Our protagonist, Erica Bloom and her maybe boyfriend, Sheriff Grady Forrester are hoping to enjoy the fall weather, but of course that is hampered by a murder. Not letting Grady have all the fun, Erica, Freddie, and Rhonda are determined to solve the mystery. This is defiantly a series I want to catch up on. These characters are too good to not know more about them. This was such a fun and enjoyable mystery. I gave this a solid 4 star review. I was thinking 4.5, but we can only use even numbers.

[Francisco Velasquez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yet another "blind date" book, so I'm in unfamiliar territory, but I found myself liking this quite a bit. The snarky main character made for a fun viewpoint, and the pacing felt quite engaging. My main nitpicks - that the culprit's identity is a bit of a letdown, the mystery's resolution is too neat and tidy for my taste, and the overabundance of chapters ending on cliffhanger jump-scares - are ultimately minor because I enjoyed seeing the characters interact and solving mysteries. If I ever need a break from fantasy or sci-fi, I could easily see myself picking up another book in this series.

[Book Him Danno · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will admit starting off a series on book 6 might not have been the best of ideas. I will admit I didn't find it all the inspiring enough to go back and start with book 1.

The story and characters are flat, the mystery predictable, and very little suspense even for a cozy mystery.

Auralee Wallace tries hard to have readers fall in love with her characters but this reader was unable to connect.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher St. Martin's Paperbacks for the advance copy Auralee Wallace Haunted Hayride with Murder.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Looking for the Apple Witch? Surprise! Human remains! This is a cozy so it's not gruesome and in fact, Wallace keeps things light, largely because Erica (our intrepid amateur of sorts) and her friends (notably Freddie) are lightly written. Erica's love interest Grady (who is law enforcement) deals with the cold case so that Erica and the Otter Lake Security team can look into the ghost. There are some twists (nothing too complicated). Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. For fans of the genre.

[Jessi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Autumn is a great time of year for Erica Bloom. At least it is this year. Otter Lake Security (OLS) has a job with a family that Erica used to babysit for, her... friendship... with Sheriff Grady Forrester is going well, and, well, Halloween is just a good time all around.
Too bad local legend, the Apple Witch, rumored to haunt the apple orchard Erica and Freddie are supposed to be guarding, seems to be rearing her ugly head. When OLS is rousting some local teens, a boot is discovered. One with a bony foot still inside. And it seems to belong to a former Romeo who was supposedly out filming a reality show about ghosts.

[Sunsettowers · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite cozy mystery series. I love the hilarious and smart main character, Erica Bloom, and all of her Otter Lake Security Team friends, as well as her love interest, Sheriff Grady Forrester. Centered around the Halloween antics going on in Otter Lake, when a dead body is found it starts up talks again about the Apple Witch-but Erica believes something more human, though just as evil, is behind the murder.

[Donna Simonetta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great Otter Lake book! I was actually forcing myself to read more slowly to make it last longer. I love this series. It's laugh-out-loud funny. I might've snorted at a couple of points. The only bad thing is I'm now caught up on this series, and have to wait for the next installment.

[Bridgett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another outstanding mystery from Auralee Wallace! This is easily the best cozy series in existence and this title was one of the best yet. I will be extremely disappointed if her publisher doesn’t purchase more of the fantastic Otter Lake Mysteries! #ericaandfreddieforever

[Karen Holman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This cozy mystery was well written with words that made the reader laugh more than once. The creative characters, east coast setting, and an ending that gave a few hints of more tales to come in this series. copy right 2018