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Tess and Tilly #4
The Halloween House
Every town has one. The big old house which has stood empty for so long that no one really remembers anyone living there. The iconic subject of lore and folktales which hints at supernatural occurrences, tragedy, and family curses, that can be neither confirmed nor denied. For the town of White Eagle, Montana, the house that served as the subject of ghostly stories by the campfire was a huge old mansion built more than fifty years ago by a wealthy industrialist as a summer home for his wife and five children. The house, void of love and laughter, served as a sort of luxury prison far away from the hustle and bustle of Hartford Harrington’s full and busy life in San Francisco.
Structurally, Harrington House had weathered the long winters and hot summers of northern Montana. It had endured long after every one of those five children had been buried in the little family cemetery at the edge of the huge estate. I’m really not sure why the place was never sold, or even lived in, by whichever Harrington relation inherited the place, but after the summer Houston Harrington jumped from the third floor window to the concrete bricks of the veranda below, not a single Harrington or Harrington heir had set foot in the place.
Until now.
When Jordan Westlake inherits the house from his mother, he decides to break tradition and take up residence. He expected that the renovation on the old mansion would be an expensive and time consuming endeavor, what he didn't expect to find was a skeleton in his closet. Literally.
Structurally, Harrington House had weathered the long winters and hot summers of northern Montana. It had endured long after every one of those five children had been buried in the little family cemetery at the edge of the huge estate. I’m really not sure why the place was never sold, or even lived in, by whichever Harrington relation inherited the place, but after the summer Houston Harrington jumped from the third floor window to the concrete bricks of the veranda below, not a single Harrington or Harrington heir had set foot in the place.
Until now.
When Jordan Westlake inherits the house from his mother, he decides to break tradition and take up residence. He expected that the renovation on the old mansion would be an expensive and time consuming endeavor, what he didn't expect to find was a skeleton in his closet. Literally.
189 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 7, 2018
1118 people are currently reading
391 people want to read
About the author
Kathi Daley
357 books1,792 followersKathi lives with her husband, kids, grandkids, and dogs in beautiful Lake Tahoe. When she isn't writing, Kathi likes to read (preferably at the beach or by the fire), cook (preferably something with chocolate or cheese,) and garden (planting and planning not weeding). She also enjoys spending time on the water when she's not hiking, biking, or snowshoeing, the miles of desolate trails surrounding her home.
Kathi uses the mountain setting in which she lives, along with the animals (wild and domestic) that share her home, as inspiration for her cozy mysteries.
Join me on Facebook at Kathi Daley Books (www.facebook.com/kathidaleybooks) for updates on my books, photos of life in Lake Tahoe, recipes, contests, and giveaways. For weekly updates and contests sign up for The Daley Weekly Newsletter (http://eepurl.com/NRPDf).
Kathi uses the mountain setting in which she lives, along with the animals (wild and domestic) that share her home, as inspiration for her cozy mysteries.
Join me on Facebook at Kathi Daley Books (www.facebook.com/kathidaleybooks) for updates on my books, photos of life in Lake Tahoe, recipes, contests, and giveaways. For weekly updates and contests sign up for The Daley Weekly Newsletter (http://eepurl.com/NRPDf).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
January 31, 2019
One of my new favorite cozy series!🥰Daley spins a great yarn in each book of this series. Once again, Tess enlists the help of her good friend Tony to help her find out what happened to the mysterious circumstances surrounding her father. Also in the forefront, a wealthy heir claims his “haunted” ancestral house. This house tells the tale of a forgotten and miserable family.
October 11, 2018
Kathi Daley’s The Halloween House centers around a large house built by Hartford Harrington of San Francisco out in the sticks outside White Eagle, Montana. He then sends his wife and five children there, and there they are to stay. By ‘stay’ I mean inside this dark lonely house. No friends are allowed to visit this house. Slowly, certain horrors begin to happen, but that was about 50 years ago.
Now, this gloomy mansion sits empty and alone! The local gossip is this place is haunted, and why not? All of the Harrington children and Mrs Harrington disappeared or died in some horrific way or so it is claimed. The ones found lie in the family plot on their land. Just a little Halloween story to get one ‘in the mood’. An interesting and fun way to start the season to be spooked!! 4 stars.
Now, this gloomy mansion sits empty and alone! The local gossip is this place is haunted, and why not? All of the Harrington children and Mrs Harrington disappeared or died in some horrific way or so it is claimed. The ones found lie in the family plot on their land. Just a little Halloween story to get one ‘in the mood’. An interesting and fun way to start the season to be spooked!! 4 stars.
October 8, 2021
I absolutely loved the mystery in this one, although it did veer off the cozy mystery path and strayed into more of the romance genre a bit too far, the plot made it well worth reading.
August 6, 2018
The Halloween House is an exciting and unique cozy. It focuses on five children who died more than 50 years ago. Some of the deaths sound strange. Tess finds this all very interesting and decides to get her and her friends involved in checking into it. The author had me going back and forth throughout the whole story. Gave me goosebumps!
September 10, 2020
The Halloween House by Kathi Daley was another engaging cozy mystery set in White Eagle, MT. Tess, Tony, and Mike all play a part in discovering facts regarding the history of the huge mansion on the outskirts of White Eagle that all of the children in the town called "The Halloween House". A very enjoyable afternoon read.
August 10, 2018
The Halloween House
A Tess and Tilly Cozy Mystery, Book #4
Kathi Daley
5 Stars
Synosis:
Every town has one. The big old house which has stood empty for so long that no one really remembers anyone living there. The iconic subject of lore and folktales which hints at supernatural occurrences, tragedy, and family curses, that can be neither confirmed nor denied. For the town of White Eagle Montana the house that served as the subject of ghostly stories by the campfire was a huge old mansion built more than fifty years ago by a wealthy industrialist as a summer home for his wife and five children. The house, void of love and laughter, served as a sort of luxury prison far away from the hustle and bustle of Hartford Harrington’s full and busy life in San Francisco.
Structurally, Harrington House had weathered the long winters and hot summers of northern Montana. It had endured long after every one of those five children had been buried in the little family cemetery at the edge of the huge estate. I’m really not sure why the place was never sold, or even lived in, by whichever Harrington relation inherited the place, but after the summer Houston Harrington jumped from the third floor window to the concrete bricks of the veranda below, not a single Harrington or Harrington heir had set foot in the place.
Until now.
When Jordan Westlake inherits the house from his mother, he decides to break tradition and take up residence. He expected that the renovation on the old mansion would be an expensive and time consuming endeavor, what he didn't expect to find was a skeleton in his closet. Literally. (Goodreads)
Review:
As is usual with this author, the characters are well developed and well rounded. Tess loves to solve puzzles and mysteries and with the help of her friend, Tony, she is very good at doing just that. I like Tess and Tony’s relationship and you can tell how much they care about each other. It is progressing along nicely and I cannot wait to see what the future holds for them.
The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and she creates settings that anyone would want to go visit and spend time in. She is also great at creating mysteries that are not easy to solve and have a lot of twists and turns along the way.
I would recommend this book and series to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. You cannot go wrong reading a book by this author.
A Tess and Tilly Cozy Mystery, Book #4
Kathi Daley
5 Stars
Synosis:
Every town has one. The big old house which has stood empty for so long that no one really remembers anyone living there. The iconic subject of lore and folktales which hints at supernatural occurrences, tragedy, and family curses, that can be neither confirmed nor denied. For the town of White Eagle Montana the house that served as the subject of ghostly stories by the campfire was a huge old mansion built more than fifty years ago by a wealthy industrialist as a summer home for his wife and five children. The house, void of love and laughter, served as a sort of luxury prison far away from the hustle and bustle of Hartford Harrington’s full and busy life in San Francisco.
Structurally, Harrington House had weathered the long winters and hot summers of northern Montana. It had endured long after every one of those five children had been buried in the little family cemetery at the edge of the huge estate. I’m really not sure why the place was never sold, or even lived in, by whichever Harrington relation inherited the place, but after the summer Houston Harrington jumped from the third floor window to the concrete bricks of the veranda below, not a single Harrington or Harrington heir had set foot in the place.
Until now.
When Jordan Westlake inherits the house from his mother, he decides to break tradition and take up residence. He expected that the renovation on the old mansion would be an expensive and time consuming endeavor, what he didn't expect to find was a skeleton in his closet. Literally. (Goodreads)
Review:
As is usual with this author, the characters are well developed and well rounded. Tess loves to solve puzzles and mysteries and with the help of her friend, Tony, she is very good at doing just that. I like Tess and Tony’s relationship and you can tell how much they care about each other. It is progressing along nicely and I cannot wait to see what the future holds for them.
The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and she creates settings that anyone would want to go visit and spend time in. She is also great at creating mysteries that are not easy to solve and have a lot of twists and turns along the way.
I would recommend this book and series to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. You cannot go wrong reading a book by this author.
August 30, 2018
4 stelle e mezza
Altra lettura veloce, ma bella. Continua il mistero sul padre della protagonista (non so se verrà mai svelato), ma intanto la sua vita privata ha la svolta che mi aspettavo da un po'.
Altra lettura veloce, ma bella. Continua il mistero sul padre della protagonista (non so se verrà mai svelato), ma intanto la sua vita privata ha la svolta che mi aspettavo da un po'.
October 3, 2018
Another very good one in this series. Some stray bits of editing errors but overall a quick, easy read. Love all the characters, as well as the ongoing background mystery about mc's father. Looking forward to the next, which will be out by the end of this month.
July 31, 2018
The Halloween House is the fourth book in Kathi Daley’s awesome Tess and Tilly Cozy Mystery series. The characters are well rounded and affable and the well-plotted storyline flows smoothly at a steady pace. Ms. Daley has provided readers with a clean, fun read, caring and compassionate characters, an intriguing mystery to try to solve, and adorable dogs and cats. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading well-crafted cozy mysteries.
Tess Thomas works for the United States Postal Service and enjoys delivering the mail and visiting with the town’s residents and business owners on her route in the small community of White Eagle, Montana. She has a special relationship with her dog, Tilly, who accompanies her while she delivers the mail, and she has two kittens, Tangle and Tinder. Tess has one brother, Mike, who’s a member of the White Eagle Police and has recently started dating her best friend, Bree Price, the owner of the local bookstore. Her mom, Lucy Thomas, co-owns a café with her aunt, Ruthie Turner. In addition to being a mail carrier, Tess is an animal shelter volunteer and works closely with Brady Baker, the local veterinarian and shelter owner, to train and place animals with people who are a perfect match for each other. Her other best friend, Tony Marconi, who is extremely skilled at locating information and has contacts around the world, is trying to help Tess solve the mystery surrounding her father who reportedly died in an accident when she was a teenager, but whom she believes may still be alive.
Hartford Harrington built Harrington House in 1955, for his wife and their five children, but he continued to live in San Francisco, providing only financial support for this family. Tragedy hit the Harrington family over the next four years when the oldest daughter disappeared, the oldest son was shot, the mother committed suicide, and the remaining three children died within a few years of each other. The house sat empty since the last of the five children died, but Jordan Westlake, who is related to the Harrington family by marriage, recently inherited the house, has moved in, and plans to renovate the house. The history of Harrington family is intriguing to Tess and Tony, who both love solving mysteries, and when Jordan finds a skeleton in his closet, they are determined to figure out what really happened to the family so many years ago and identify the skeleton.
Tess Thomas works for the United States Postal Service and enjoys delivering the mail and visiting with the town’s residents and business owners on her route in the small community of White Eagle, Montana. She has a special relationship with her dog, Tilly, who accompanies her while she delivers the mail, and she has two kittens, Tangle and Tinder. Tess has one brother, Mike, who’s a member of the White Eagle Police and has recently started dating her best friend, Bree Price, the owner of the local bookstore. Her mom, Lucy Thomas, co-owns a café with her aunt, Ruthie Turner. In addition to being a mail carrier, Tess is an animal shelter volunteer and works closely with Brady Baker, the local veterinarian and shelter owner, to train and place animals with people who are a perfect match for each other. Her other best friend, Tony Marconi, who is extremely skilled at locating information and has contacts around the world, is trying to help Tess solve the mystery surrounding her father who reportedly died in an accident when she was a teenager, but whom she believes may still be alive.
Hartford Harrington built Harrington House in 1955, for his wife and their five children, but he continued to live in San Francisco, providing only financial support for this family. Tragedy hit the Harrington family over the next four years when the oldest daughter disappeared, the oldest son was shot, the mother committed suicide, and the remaining three children died within a few years of each other. The house sat empty since the last of the five children died, but Jordan Westlake, who is related to the Harrington family by marriage, recently inherited the house, has moved in, and plans to renovate the house. The history of Harrington family is intriguing to Tess and Tony, who both love solving mysteries, and when Jordan finds a skeleton in his closet, they are determined to figure out what really happened to the family so many years ago and identify the skeleton.
August 12, 2018
“The Halloween House” earns 5/5 Holiday Pumpkins…Very Clever and Engaging!
Exciting mysteries have Tess Thomas and gang preoccupied during the Halloween festivities. It is a source of gossip when a new owner takes up residence in a decades empty mansion on the outskirts of town. Strange stories of a missing daughter, premature deaths, and suicides have swirled about subjecting the house to larger-than-life rumors of being haunted. Worse yet? Deputy Mike receives a disturbing phone call about a “skeleton in the closet” having been found…literally! Tess also struggles with the idea her father thought to be dead this past fifteen years may not have died in the fiery crash. She hasn't shared this information with her family, and having enlisted Tony and his expert computer skills to search for answers several curious, if not disturbing, items have come to light leading to more questions than answers.
Another marvelous adventure from Kathi Daley! This series is a favorite offering a clever mystery slowly revealing clues as Tess works with law enforcement, it's her brother, but she also questions and explores evidence in a way that the reader doesn't have to suspend belief. I really enjoyed the "cold case" storyline with so many issues, twists, turns, and book club discussion topics to consider. And each book adds another layer and intrigue to Tess's search for the truth about her father. Love it! Daley’s first-person narrative style is informative and engaging, but she doesn't just rely on it. She includes an entertaining banter that best illustrates emotions and personality. But, as the mystery unfolds, life elsewhere goes on. Tony is field testing video games. Tess continues to help Brady manage pet adoptions. BFF Bree and brother Mike continue to navigate their budding romance, as does Tony and Tess. We are also treated to what Kathi Daley does best…holidays. Everyone is prepping for Halloween with orange fairy lights, cobwebs, and Jack o’ Lantern pumpkins. Add to that the marvelous recipes and you have a signature hit from Kathi Daley!
Exciting mysteries have Tess Thomas and gang preoccupied during the Halloween festivities. It is a source of gossip when a new owner takes up residence in a decades empty mansion on the outskirts of town. Strange stories of a missing daughter, premature deaths, and suicides have swirled about subjecting the house to larger-than-life rumors of being haunted. Worse yet? Deputy Mike receives a disturbing phone call about a “skeleton in the closet” having been found…literally! Tess also struggles with the idea her father thought to be dead this past fifteen years may not have died in the fiery crash. She hasn't shared this information with her family, and having enlisted Tony and his expert computer skills to search for answers several curious, if not disturbing, items have come to light leading to more questions than answers.
Another marvelous adventure from Kathi Daley! This series is a favorite offering a clever mystery slowly revealing clues as Tess works with law enforcement, it's her brother, but she also questions and explores evidence in a way that the reader doesn't have to suspend belief. I really enjoyed the "cold case" storyline with so many issues, twists, turns, and book club discussion topics to consider. And each book adds another layer and intrigue to Tess's search for the truth about her father. Love it! Daley’s first-person narrative style is informative and engaging, but she doesn't just rely on it. She includes an entertaining banter that best illustrates emotions and personality. But, as the mystery unfolds, life elsewhere goes on. Tony is field testing video games. Tess continues to help Brady manage pet adoptions. BFF Bree and brother Mike continue to navigate their budding romance, as does Tony and Tess. We are also treated to what Kathi Daley does best…holidays. Everyone is prepping for Halloween with orange fairy lights, cobwebs, and Jack o’ Lantern pumpkins. Add to that the marvelous recipes and you have a signature hit from Kathi Daley!
August 3, 2018
The Harrington House has been empty for years but it looks as if someone has bought in and will be moving in soon, at least that is what Tess has heard. Come to find out the young man moving in didn't buy it but inherited the home and plans to bring it back to its former glory. The story behind the house is not only sad but tragic which peeks Tess's interest into looking into its back story. When Jordan, the new owner, finds a skeleton in one of the closets everyone wonders just who it could be. You see one of the daughters of the previous owner disappeared not long after moving in and has never been found. Could the skeleton be hers or is it just a drifter who happened to pass? Tess aims to find out, the mystery behind all the goings on in that house are just to good to pass up. Follow along as Tess enlists the help of some friends and family to figure out what happened all those years ago. Why did a man send his wife and five children to that house and never visit them? Why did death visit the house so frequently? Tess wants to find the answer these questions and more. Along the way she is still dealing with what exactly happened with her father and her feelings changing when it comes to her best friend. I love mysteries that are older and didn't happen right then in a book. They seem harder to figure out and leave you feeling good once solved. I look forward to seeing what mystery befalls Tess next and how she deals with her new found feelings for her best friend.
September 20, 2024
The Halloween House, book 4 of the Tess and Tilly series, is an engaging, cozy mystery set in White Eagle, MT. Tess, who delivers mail in the town with her Golden retriever Tilly, discovers that the old Harrington house has a new owner. The old mansion has been empty for decades and is believed to be haunted. Build more than fifty years ago, it has become the source of ghostly stories by the campfire and the townspeople because of the many deaths that had occurred there.
Hartford Harrington of San Francisco, had the house built for his wife and five children. He told them that they were to stay there and not ever go off the property. Hartford returned to his life in San Francisco and never came back to White Eagle. He did not even return when one of his children unexpectedly dies. Tess and her friend, Tony, decide to investigate the mystery behind what is now called the Halloween House, in addition to the ongoing mystery about what really happened to Tess's father. No more spoilers; you must read this quick read to find out more
I love this book with all it's twists and turns; an awesome read. Daley has created so many unique and interesting characters and I really like how she was able to weave more than on mystery into the story. I read this in one day and look forward to the next book in the series. Highly recommend for all over 7 or 8 years old.
Hartford Harrington of San Francisco, had the house built for his wife and five children. He told them that they were to stay there and not ever go off the property. Hartford returned to his life in San Francisco and never came back to White Eagle. He did not even return when one of his children unexpectedly dies. Tess and her friend, Tony, decide to investigate the mystery behind what is now called the Halloween House, in addition to the ongoing mystery about what really happened to Tess's father. No more spoilers; you must read this quick read to find out more
I love this book with all it's twists and turns; an awesome read. Daley has created so many unique and interesting characters and I really like how she was able to weave more than on mystery into the story. I read this in one day and look forward to the next book in the series. Highly recommend for all over 7 or 8 years old.
July 18, 2022
This is such a unique series because there's an over-arcing mystery that continues from book to book. For that reason, you really should read this series in order. I find the zing of an extra mystery within a mystery has me excited to keep on reading more Tess and Tilly adventures.
In this fourth book there's a decades old mystery solve, featuring the local 'haunted' house. Perfect Halloween theme -- even if I read it in the summer! Very much a 70% cozy and 30% mystery combo, here and I find I'm okay with that. Plus there's some lovely romantic development happening. Yay!
I enjoyed listening to the audible edition, narrated by Kasey Logan (part of an Audible Boxed Set) and have already started in on the 5th book!
In this fourth book there's a decades old mystery solve, featuring the local 'haunted' house. Perfect Halloween theme -- even if I read it in the summer! Very much a 70% cozy and 30% mystery combo, here and I find I'm okay with that. Plus there's some lovely romantic development happening. Yay!
I enjoyed listening to the audible edition, narrated by Kasey Logan (part of an Audible Boxed Set) and have already started in on the 5th book!
October 6, 2018
I loved this book with all its twists. When the Harrington house that has been empty for years suddenly has a new owner who is renovating it, it starts people talking about all the stories tied to it. When the new owner finds a skeleton in the closet, even more twists are added to the sad tale of the house. Tess is riveted about its history and wants to learn more, as more unfolds the more that you want to know. Add to that the ongoing search for Tess' father, you have a page turning story. I eagerly await the next in this series.
August 2, 2018
Halloween Mysteries
Almost every town has that creepy old house where, you believe, tragic happenings occurred. So it's only normal that Ted's and Tony, who love a good mystery, would become involved in figuring out the mystery behind their own tragic haunted house. Great story line, and great beginning to a perfect match.
Almost every town has that creepy old house where, you believe, tragic happenings occurred. So it's only normal that Ted's and Tony, who love a good mystery, would become involved in figuring out the mystery behind their own tragic haunted house. Great story line, and great beginning to a perfect match.
August 7, 2018
This was a awesome read ! So so many colorful, unique and interesting characters this time around. The storyline had me going and wanting more and more due to the fact I wanted to find out all the secrets about this Halloween house. This series is getting better every new book.
September 19, 2018
This was my first book in this series. While I love Halloween (the reason I picked up this book on my Kindle), I think I missed some background information by not starting earlier in the series. I also thought the story ended a little abruptly---I wasn't ready for it to end! Will I pick up the next in the series? I am kinda interested in how things work out with the father, and if Tess works on her family tree (one of my favorite hobbies!).
July 31, 2018
Kindle Copy for Review
An old abandon house that is said to be haunted suddenly gets a new owner. As the new owner is making plans to renovate the house, he finds skeletons that were of the previous inhabitants.
This leads to Tess and Tony digging into the past lives and the children who lived there and how some staged their own deaths. What really happened to them?
In the meantime Tess learns more about her mysterious father and her mom earlier first love who resembles him. Is there a connection or is it just a coincidence?
Once again we are caught up again in the story line.
An old abandon house that is said to be haunted suddenly gets a new owner. As the new owner is making plans to renovate the house, he finds skeletons that were of the previous inhabitants.
This leads to Tess and Tony digging into the past lives and the children who lived there and how some staged their own deaths. What really happened to them?
In the meantime Tess learns more about her mysterious father and her mom earlier first love who resembles him. Is there a connection or is it just a coincidence?
Once again we are caught up again in the story line.
September 20, 2018
Quick read. That is the best think about this little series is that it is quick and entertaining, easily a one sitting read.
In this series, there is an ongoing search/mystery for Tess's dad. He was killed in a car accident, or was he?? In each book, there is real time crime or murder to solve as well. What I really liked about this one, there was a historical "unsolved" mystery of a long time deceased family. Was the family truly that unlucky or was there something else going on in the house that was much more sinister?
In this series, there is an ongoing search/mystery for Tess's dad. He was killed in a car accident, or was he?? In each book, there is real time crime or murder to solve as well. What I really liked about this one, there was a historical "unsolved" mystery of a long time deceased family. Was the family truly that unlucky or was there something else going on in the house that was much more sinister?
August 3, 2018
I love this latest installment in the Tess and Tilly series!
When a neighborhood "haunted house" finally becomes inhabited by someone other than the tragic ghosts rumored to reside there, it is only the beginning of the mystery and danger that Tess and her friend Tony find themselves involved in.
Can they sort out all the skeletons in the family closet, both figurative and literal, or will an old family curse cause the new resident to become just another ghost, doomed to forever haunt the Halloween House?
I can't wait for more in this fun series!
When a neighborhood "haunted house" finally becomes inhabited by someone other than the tragic ghosts rumored to reside there, it is only the beginning of the mystery and danger that Tess and her friend Tony find themselves involved in.
Can they sort out all the skeletons in the family closet, both figurative and literal, or will an old family curse cause the new resident to become just another ghost, doomed to forever haunt the Halloween House?
I can't wait for more in this fun series!
September 13, 2018
The Halloween House is the 4th Tess and Tilly book - a nice cozy and quick read. More than one mystery is woven through the story, there are plenty of likable characters, and the ending definitely leaves the reader waiting for the next book! A+
April 28, 2020
Making Progress!
Another interesting mystery sleuthed by the Eagle Mountain detectives. These stories are quick fun reads without gore and violence of other mysteries. It’s fun to keep up with Tess’ love life. All right, Tony! (And Mike, too.)
Another interesting mystery sleuthed by the Eagle Mountain detectives. These stories are quick fun reads without gore and violence of other mysteries. It’s fun to keep up with Tess’ love life. All right, Tony! (And Mike, too.)
October 31, 2020
I enjoyed this one - no grisly murder, but more of an investigation into the past.
October 4, 2022
No murder. Such a mystery about a family who lived in a house 70 years ago. I really enjoyed it.
January 10, 2019
This was a book that I liked of Kathi's. I really liked the cover as it is very decorated for Halloween and the pup on the front is so cute just an eye-catching cover. The story is the same one that you will enjoy from the start and all the way to the end. This was a home run for Kathi!
November 11, 2018
I really liked this cozy mystery book set in the west coast of USA. Tess is the mail carrier and Tilly is her dog. She also works at a veterinary clinic on the weekends and is good friends with Tony (who also has a dog). Tony and Tess help a newcomer to the town unravel the mystery regarding his ancestors that lived at the Haunted House. Overall a fun easy read.
October 13, 2019
There just wasn’t much here. I was interested in the premise of someone finally moving into the town’s creepy abandoned house and finding a literal skeleton in the closet, but there are no real stakes here. The mystery is decades old, the sleuths hardly spend any time at the creepy house, and it’s mostly the sleuth going around interviewing people with no real reason to investigate except that she’s nosy. There’s also an annoying “will they or won’t they” romance subplot and a boring side plot about the sleuth’s father. Dialogue was completely unbelievable, story was told in info dumps by various characters, and practically every character had an alliterative name. I was actually startled when a new character was introduced and their first and last name didn’t start with the same letter. I did like the rescue dog part.
August 10, 2018
I read this on the kindle
This is the 4th book in the series
Another mystery for Tess with the help of Tony who is a good friend who also can get in to programs to help with the investigation
You also have the mystery of Tess's dad & is he dead or was the accident that he was supposed to have died in faked
You also have a bit of romance which without saying I am glad
Can't wait for the next book to come out
This is the 4th book in the series
Another mystery for Tess with the help of Tony who is a good friend who also can get in to programs to help with the investigation
You also have the mystery of Tess's dad & is he dead or was the accident that he was supposed to have died in faked
You also have a bit of romance which without saying I am glad
Can't wait for the next book to come out
August 2, 2018
Great read
I love Tess and Tilly and I can't wait to see how this series progresses I love all of Kathi Daley's books and if you love cozies you will too
I love Tess and Tilly and I can't wait to see how this series progresses I love all of Kathi Daley's books and if you love cozies you will too
October 2, 2021
When I first started reading I thought, "Finally, some good wholesome Halloween light reading." But by the end I was severely disappointed. What I did like about this book were the descriptions of the Halloween atmosphere and the weird random recipes in the back.
Everything else was a mess. It's almost as if the author asked herself what are some of the most popular things in books and tried to include them all. The murder mystery itself was intriguing but very poorly done. Just when I was actually getting excited to figure it out, thinking a big twist and reveal was coming, she just info dumps the entire thing in one swoop. There are Scooby Doo mysteries with more complexity.
At the same time, we have this woman who's video gamer boyfriend, but is a hacker, spy, and NSA agent at the same time, is trying to track down her father who died in a car crash. Wait...he didn't die, she believes he faked his own death. Oh wait, they suspect he's a secret agent who's hopping around Europe and they are hacking the FBI database to find out. Mr. Call of Duty is blackmailing senators, shaking down P.I.s. Is this what the average small town folks life is like? Murders, secret agent dads and boyfriends, and a justice system that thinks nothing of citizens just burying dead folks and saying, "Ah, it's all good. Don't worry about it." Man my life is boring!
But the strangeness is worth it right? This tandem mystery is going to blow your socks off? Nope. At the end you never hear anymore about it. Is there a second book if I even wanted to figure it out? I don't know 🤷
Everyone's names start with the same letter. For the murder family, I thought it was cute they were all Hannah, Hudson, Henrietta, etc Harrington. But then we have Tess, Tilly, Tang, Titan and Tony. Then there's Hap and Hattie. It's like reading bad poetry and easy to get confused on who is what.
As for the Halloween aspect, it's a book that just happens to take place in that season...and we don't even make it past October 27th! The atmosphere descriptions were great but at no point does Halloween play any part other than ambiance.
It was easy reading, but it just felt like someone's first novel to me, something a bored person would come home and jot down in their spare time to complete a bucket list challenge, not something someone who has written 75 books and been a best seller would produce.
Everything else was a mess. It's almost as if the author asked herself what are some of the most popular things in books and tried to include them all. The murder mystery itself was intriguing but very poorly done. Just when I was actually getting excited to figure it out, thinking a big twist and reveal was coming, she just info dumps the entire thing in one swoop. There are Scooby Doo mysteries with more complexity.
At the same time, we have this woman who's video gamer boyfriend, but is a hacker, spy, and NSA agent at the same time, is trying to track down her father who died in a car crash. Wait...he didn't die, she believes he faked his own death. Oh wait, they suspect he's a secret agent who's hopping around Europe and they are hacking the FBI database to find out. Mr. Call of Duty is blackmailing senators, shaking down P.I.s. Is this what the average small town folks life is like? Murders, secret agent dads and boyfriends, and a justice system that thinks nothing of citizens just burying dead folks and saying, "Ah, it's all good. Don't worry about it." Man my life is boring!
But the strangeness is worth it right? This tandem mystery is going to blow your socks off? Nope. At the end you never hear anymore about it. Is there a second book if I even wanted to figure it out? I don't know 🤷
Everyone's names start with the same letter. For the murder family, I thought it was cute they were all Hannah, Hudson, Henrietta, etc Harrington. But then we have Tess, Tilly, Tang, Titan and Tony. Then there's Hap and Hattie. It's like reading bad poetry and easy to get confused on who is what.
As for the Halloween aspect, it's a book that just happens to take place in that season...and we don't even make it past October 27th! The atmosphere descriptions were great but at no point does Halloween play any part other than ambiance.
It was easy reading, but it just felt like someone's first novel to me, something a bored person would come home and jot down in their spare time to complete a bucket list challenge, not something someone who has written 75 books and been a best seller would produce.
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