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Bookstore Cafe Mystery #3
Death by Pumpkin Spice
As if a run-in with an old flame and a failed marriage proposal weren't enough to horrify Krissy for one night, a woman is found strangled to death in a room filled with ominous jack-o'-lanterns. All signs suggest a crime of passion--but when the hostess's jewelry disappears, malevolent intentions seem way more likely . . . With the estate on lockdown and a killer roaming the halls, Krissy must help Officer Paul Dalton investigate each nook, cranny, and guest for answers--while also confronting a few demons of her own. Someone has lots of skeletons in the closet, and Krissy better tread lightly to expose them . . .
1 pages, Audio CD
First published September 27, 2016
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October 9, 2016
Death by Pumpkin Spice is a 2016 Kensington publication.
I’ve been keeping my eyes peeled for a light ‘fall’ or ‘Halloween’ read to feature on my blog. The cover and title of this book seemed perfect for what I was in the mood for.
Krissy is invited by her possible love interest, Will, to a costume party, but soon after their arrival, one of the several women dressed as ‘Marilyn Monroe’ is murdered.
After having worked with local law enforcement previously, Krissy is asked to help contain the crowd and gets involved in the questioning of the guest, while she copes with her stalker of an ex-boyfriend and the attention of the two men she has feelings for.
Unfortunately, this book was a bit of a mess. It was too busy, too disorganized, and the main protagonist is all over the place. She’s full of jealousy, with a lack of self-confidence, but doesn’t mind toying with the affections of two seemingly nice men.
I got annoyed with the story by the midway mark and considered giving up on it entirely, but of course I never can seem to make myself do that, so I stuck with it. Finally, in the last couple of chapters the writing firmed up enough to piece the mystery together, and I realized I was actually into the story for the first time.
Although the mystery ended on a high note, with all the threads finally coming together, having to wade through all the muck to get to that point was not worth it and I still couldn’t make myself like Krissy.
This is probably not the best representation of this author's work, and I would ordinarily be open to trying another installment, but I'm not sure I can face another book featuring with this protagonist.
2 stars
I’ve been keeping my eyes peeled for a light ‘fall’ or ‘Halloween’ read to feature on my blog. The cover and title of this book seemed perfect for what I was in the mood for.
Krissy is invited by her possible love interest, Will, to a costume party, but soon after their arrival, one of the several women dressed as ‘Marilyn Monroe’ is murdered.
After having worked with local law enforcement previously, Krissy is asked to help contain the crowd and gets involved in the questioning of the guest, while she copes with her stalker of an ex-boyfriend and the attention of the two men she has feelings for.
Unfortunately, this book was a bit of a mess. It was too busy, too disorganized, and the main protagonist is all over the place. She’s full of jealousy, with a lack of self-confidence, but doesn’t mind toying with the affections of two seemingly nice men.
I got annoyed with the story by the midway mark and considered giving up on it entirely, but of course I never can seem to make myself do that, so I stuck with it. Finally, in the last couple of chapters the writing firmed up enough to piece the mystery together, and I realized I was actually into the story for the first time.
Although the mystery ended on a high note, with all the threads finally coming together, having to wade through all the muck to get to that point was not worth it and I still couldn’t make myself like Krissy.
This is probably not the best representation of this author's work, and I would ordinarily be open to trying another installment, but I'm not sure I can face another book featuring with this protagonist.
2 stars
August 29, 2016
Krissy Hancock owns and runs Death By Coffee her and her friend Vicki's bookstore café. When the charming Will Foster invites her to a Halloween party at one of the swanky mansions in Pine Hill, she is less than enthusiastic. Will is good looking and charming though, and with her failed attempt at romance with Officer Paul Dalton still fresh in her mind she finds herself saying "YES."
What starts out as a fun evening soon turns into a murder investigation when one of the guests is found dead. With the maison on lockdown and a killer amongst them, Krissy lends her former flame a hand. Can they solve the case before someone else's evening ends permanently???
"My imagination had a tendency to get me into more trouble than I cared to admit. It was a wonder it hadn’t gotten me killed yet."
This was a fun little read. I love the Halloween atmosphere and the fact the whole book took place over just one evening. The mystery had some interesting twists and turns. I was left guessing right until the end. The characters were likable for the most part. We don't really get a lot of information about Will and I found Krissy a bit annoying at times. I also found it to drag a bit in parts.
This is the first book I have read in the series and I will say that I felt like I was dropped into an ongoing storyline in regards to Krissy and Paul. For that reason alone I would suggest reading the other books in the series first. It wasn't a HUGE distraction, but details of prior books are given which could spoil the previous books if you wanted to go on and read those after.
I also wasn't crazy about the whole "WILL & KRISSY & PAUL" triangle thing. This isn't a romance book, so no sexy times or anything like that. I felt the author gave way too much page time to Krissy's waffling back and forth between Will and Paul. One minute she is drooling over Will and going on and on about what a handsome great guy he is. Then in the next breath she is all about Paul and drooling over him. I think the author could have cut some of that out and it would have helped to move the story along more.
Overall though a very decent way to spend a few hours...
September 19, 2016
Well, the title is a complete lie, totally fraudulent advertising. Not one death had anything to do with pumpkin spice. Hell, pumpkin spice barely played a role in the story. Huge disappointment, on several levels. I mean, the title is what caught my attention to begin with and then the cover; the blurb was almost irrelevant. I am actually, and quite severely, allergic to many spices including the ones that make up pumpkin spice. It's a running joke among friends and co-workers that they easily kill me off with spices, especially at this time of year. So when I saw the title, of course it grabbed my attention. But even if I weren't allergic to spices, the title would still be misleading, since as I mentioned, pumpkin spice plays no part n any deaths and is pretty much irrelevant to the story. Waste of a good title.
Our heroine Krissy is impulsive, nosy, and a buttinsky. I wanted to like her and I did like some things about her. I could relate to her insecurities, even though they got tiresome; she seems like a good friend; she loves books; and she's determined, which is both a positive and negative trait. But her negative traits tended, for me anyway, to outweigh her positives.
"I huffed and crossed my arms over my chest. I didn't like listening to reason, even when it made perfect sense. Maybe that was why I was always getting myself into trouble....Who was I ever to listen? I bolted after him, feeling only mildly guilty for ignoring his orders yet again."
Now sure, many of us have times when we don't listen to sense or reason, but she ignores both consistently throughout the story and it got tiring. Krissy has no valid reason for being part of the police investigation; her involvement is spurious and I highly doubt that the police would have actually invited her help. The police are portrayed as mildly competent; Krissy finds most of the clues and even questions suspects. I had a hard time buying into it.
Then there's a love triangle; that needs to be resolved ASAP. They're bad enough in romance novels. I don't want them contaminating my mysteries. Yeah, not a fan of the love triangle trope. Her current boyfriend, Will, is almost too perfect to be true: he has no problem being ignored by her at the party they attend; thinks it's cute and wonderful that she gets involved in police investigations; and thinks she's beautiful even when she doesn't. Honestly, the character development left a lot to be desired. Oh and there's the now-cliched stalker ex, yawn.
The mystery itself was well-done. There were lots of red herrings sprinkled among genuine clues and the killer's identity was surprising but not when all of the pieces came together. There were several good suspects and a few obvious ones; I kept changing my mind on who the killer was. The set-up of having all of the suspects trapped by bad weather and the police force unable to quickly arrive should have made for high tension but it was only moderately tense though it did provide the pretense for Krissy getting involved. The mystery, and the hope that the title event would actually happen, kept me reading. I have another book by this author in this series in my TBR pile and I'm torn about reading it now. I wasn't impressed with the overall writing in this story but the mystery did keep me guessing.
Our heroine Krissy is impulsive, nosy, and a buttinsky. I wanted to like her and I did like some things about her. I could relate to her insecurities, even though they got tiresome; she seems like a good friend; she loves books; and she's determined, which is both a positive and negative trait. But her negative traits tended, for me anyway, to outweigh her positives.
"I huffed and crossed my arms over my chest. I didn't like listening to reason, even when it made perfect sense. Maybe that was why I was always getting myself into trouble....Who was I ever to listen? I bolted after him, feeling only mildly guilty for ignoring his orders yet again."
Now sure, many of us have times when we don't listen to sense or reason, but she ignores both consistently throughout the story and it got tiring. Krissy has no valid reason for being part of the police investigation; her involvement is spurious and I highly doubt that the police would have actually invited her help. The police are portrayed as mildly competent; Krissy finds most of the clues and even questions suspects. I had a hard time buying into it.
Then there's a love triangle; that needs to be resolved ASAP. They're bad enough in romance novels. I don't want them contaminating my mysteries. Yeah, not a fan of the love triangle trope. Her current boyfriend, Will, is almost too perfect to be true: he has no problem being ignored by her at the party they attend; thinks it's cute and wonderful that she gets involved in police investigations; and thinks she's beautiful even when she doesn't. Honestly, the character development left a lot to be desired. Oh and there's the now-cliched stalker ex, yawn.
The mystery itself was well-done. There were lots of red herrings sprinkled among genuine clues and the killer's identity was surprising but not when all of the pieces came together. There were several good suspects and a few obvious ones; I kept changing my mind on who the killer was. The set-up of having all of the suspects trapped by bad weather and the police force unable to quickly arrive should have made for high tension but it was only moderately tense though it did provide the pretense for Krissy getting involved. The mystery, and the hope that the title event would actually happen, kept me reading. I have another book by this author in this series in my TBR pile and I'm torn about reading it now. I wasn't impressed with the overall writing in this story but the mystery did keep me guessing.
October 27, 2025
Right off the bat I don't like the heroine (Krissy) of the story. Negative self-esteem, no confidence or will power she is a spineless doormat. As the book progresses all of a sudden she does a 180 and had spunk, but is as petulant as a 12 year old.
She is not a cop and says so repeatedly but sticks her nose into the murder investigation and begins to act like the lead and only investigator even after being told repeatedly by the cops and other people to stop. She talks about it being her investigation, and she won't be left out of her case! The cops threaten to lock her up and then do a 180 and do as she says!? I would have locked her up and charged her with obstruction and interference a long time ago.
She holds back information from one detective and even the police chief to hold on to her involvement and won't tell anyone but a cop named Paul (who's mother is the police chief...) who she has a crush on, had one date with and thinks she is in love with him despite being on a current date with a doctor named Will who she likes possibly loves then doesn't then does....she goes back and forth between these two men like a ping pong ball at a table top tournament. What these two men see in her I will never know because all she shows them is self-doubt, the attitude of a petulant preteen, and keeps running off on them at the drop of a hat. Oh, and she is being stalked by Robert, her ex-boyfriend who just won't leave her alone. She goes from being scared of him and thinking how to get away and then to what she might do to him if given the chance, to 1 action and back to being scared again. He grabs her and harasses her twice in front of witnesses, and she never once asks for help? She is standing next to the police chief at her last encounter with him and doesn't mention that she doesn't like him, he is staking her and she is afraid!?
The death and mystery surrounding it isn't that great either.
By the end of the story when she has a confrontation with the bad guy I was rooting for him to kill her! For however big the town in the story is, and it sounds like a nice size, it had 2 cops and a police chief who are all incompetent if you ask me (they joke about Krissy solving all their crimes for them and the towns people putting up a statue of her in honor of her good work). To rely on and let this woman run all over them is a joke, this case and any previously (as this is book 3 in a series) and I'd guess after in later series books would never hold up in any court. Yet the author wants us to believe that this is just the norm and 'reality'? I know it's fiction and a "cozy" mystery, but this is just too much out in left field fiction.
She is not a cop and says so repeatedly but sticks her nose into the murder investigation and begins to act like the lead and only investigator even after being told repeatedly by the cops and other people to stop. She talks about it being her investigation, and she won't be left out of her case! The cops threaten to lock her up and then do a 180 and do as she says!? I would have locked her up and charged her with obstruction and interference a long time ago.
She holds back information from one detective and even the police chief to hold on to her involvement and won't tell anyone but a cop named Paul (who's mother is the police chief...) who she has a crush on, had one date with and thinks she is in love with him despite being on a current date with a doctor named Will who she likes possibly loves then doesn't then does....she goes back and forth between these two men like a ping pong ball at a table top tournament. What these two men see in her I will never know because all she shows them is self-doubt, the attitude of a petulant preteen, and keeps running off on them at the drop of a hat. Oh, and she is being stalked by Robert, her ex-boyfriend who just won't leave her alone. She goes from being scared of him and thinking how to get away and then to what she might do to him if given the chance, to 1 action and back to being scared again. He grabs her and harasses her twice in front of witnesses, and she never once asks for help? She is standing next to the police chief at her last encounter with him and doesn't mention that she doesn't like him, he is staking her and she is afraid!?
The death and mystery surrounding it isn't that great either.
By the end of the story when she has a confrontation with the bad guy I was rooting for him to kill her! For however big the town in the story is, and it sounds like a nice size, it had 2 cops and a police chief who are all incompetent if you ask me (they joke about Krissy solving all their crimes for them and the towns people putting up a statue of her in honor of her good work). To rely on and let this woman run all over them is a joke, this case and any previously (as this is book 3 in a series) and I'd guess after in later series books would never hold up in any court. Yet the author wants us to believe that this is just the norm and 'reality'? I know it's fiction and a "cozy" mystery, but this is just too much out in left field fiction.
November 25, 2021
Will invites Krissie out on a date and he is taking her to the best Halloween costume party in town. Everyone who is anyone wants to be a guest at this party. But once there just as the party gets in full swing, quite unexpectedly a beautiful lady dressed as the late Marilyn Munroe is found dead in another part of the house. Detective Paul rules it as death by homicide. Someone at the party killed this Marilyn Munroe look a like and they are still there at the party blending in with the other guests. Detective Paul asks Krissie to help him gather evidence and help him solve this crime. No one is allowed to leave this party until the killer is found and arrested. Will Krissie and the detective find the real murderer and bring justice for this girls murder?
I wasn't overly fond of the narrator for this audio book. She had a robot type voice so it took me a while to get into the story. However once I got used to her style of reading I did get drawn into the story. The mystery was good but I didn't guess the real killer . I thought the book was entertaining and unpredictable. A little scary as it should have been since it was a Halloween Cozy Mystery.
I recommend this book to readers of Cozy Mystery. It's part of a series but can be read out of order and as a stand alone.
I borrowed an Audio book of Death by Pumpkin Spice from Hoopla. Review was not requested. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.
I wasn't overly fond of the narrator for this audio book. She had a robot type voice so it took me a while to get into the story. However once I got used to her style of reading I did get drawn into the story. The mystery was good but I didn't guess the real killer . I thought the book was entertaining and unpredictable. A little scary as it should have been since it was a Halloween Cozy Mystery.
I recommend this book to readers of Cozy Mystery. It's part of a series but can be read out of order and as a stand alone.
I borrowed an Audio book of Death by Pumpkin Spice from Hoopla. Review was not requested. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.
January 15, 2019
Caveat: I listened to the audiobook version of this story on my daily commute, so that may have given me a different perspective.
I had hoped for a light and fun cozy cat mystery based on the cover. What I felt that I got was run on mental chatter from a very insecure female lead character who appears to need male approval for every single thing she does. This annoyed me to the point of distraction, so that even if there was a good story in there, I don't think I would have noticed it.
I was so annoyed by the sellout nature of this female character that I went to look up the author biography and almost went ballistic when I saw that the author is a man. Sadly I don't think I will explore any of the other books in this series.
I had hoped for a light and fun cozy cat mystery based on the cover. What I felt that I got was run on mental chatter from a very insecure female lead character who appears to need male approval for every single thing she does. This annoyed me to the point of distraction, so that even if there was a good story in there, I don't think I would have noticed it.
I was so annoyed by the sellout nature of this female character that I went to look up the author biography and almost went ballistic when I saw that the author is a man. Sadly I don't think I will explore any of the other books in this series.
September 19, 2016
* I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review *
Krissy Hancock and her best friend Vicki own Death By Coffee, a cafe and bookstore in one. When Krissy gets invited to a swanky Halloween party at a eccentric mansion by handsome Will Foster, she isn't sure if she wants to go or not. She knows she won't fit in. She wavers on her answer, because Will is really nice and she hasn't had too much luck in the dating department, so she agrees to go.
Will is great, but she already feels out of place as soon as she walks in. Everyone is so rich and decked out to the nines. The mansion is also completely Halloween themed, year around. The owner built it that way because he loved the holiday and the horror genre so much, but sadly he recently had passed on. Keeping with tradition, his widow throws the party this year in his memory.
When Krissy's long-time crush, Officer Paul Dalton, walks in with his beautiful date, Krissy knows this party cannot get worse. But when a body is found, brutally strangled, Krissy is horrified and excited. Solving mysteries is a favorite pastime of hers, much to the chagrin of Paul. With no one else to turn to, and the storm of the year seclude get the mansion from backup, Paul asks Krissy to help him investigate. Krissy's Halloween just got a whole lot better!
This is the third book in the Bookstore Cafe Mystery series, but it is the first one I have read. I really liked the mystery a lot. It reminded me of an old English mystery in a secluded manor house, even though there were over 100 people there. The mystery had some twists, but when a glaring clue is discovered, the reader can't help but wonder how Krissy can't figure it out. It becomes very obvious who the culprit is. I also really enjoyed the setting. The house was a permanent haunted mansion. I wish the author would have put more effort into incorporating that fact into the story. The eccentricities of the mansion were just a mentioned upon backdrop though. I felt like a giant opportunity was lost there.
The main character Krissy is very annoying. One minute she is full of self-doubt and needs to be coddled, then the next she is sassy and thinking she is Rambo. Someone give this girl some Lithium. She is also almost TSTL. She has no training at all, but she runs headfirst into dangerous situations, even when she knows she should get Paul. She thinks she is a great consultant, but really she is a Police lawsuit just waiting to happen. She is also an adult and business owner, but has a horrible time saying "slept with" or "had sex with" out loud. What? She isn't that young, but she is that immature. She was not very likable at all.
I am not sure if I would read other books in this series or not. It would depend on my mood. I would recommend it to cozy fans though, because it did keep my interest and they might be more inclined to like Krissy's Bipolar personality.
Krissy Hancock and her best friend Vicki own Death By Coffee, a cafe and bookstore in one. When Krissy gets invited to a swanky Halloween party at a eccentric mansion by handsome Will Foster, she isn't sure if she wants to go or not. She knows she won't fit in. She wavers on her answer, because Will is really nice and she hasn't had too much luck in the dating department, so she agrees to go.
Will is great, but she already feels out of place as soon as she walks in. Everyone is so rich and decked out to the nines. The mansion is also completely Halloween themed, year around. The owner built it that way because he loved the holiday and the horror genre so much, but sadly he recently had passed on. Keeping with tradition, his widow throws the party this year in his memory.
When Krissy's long-time crush, Officer Paul Dalton, walks in with his beautiful date, Krissy knows this party cannot get worse. But when a body is found, brutally strangled, Krissy is horrified and excited. Solving mysteries is a favorite pastime of hers, much to the chagrin of Paul. With no one else to turn to, and the storm of the year seclude get the mansion from backup, Paul asks Krissy to help him investigate. Krissy's Halloween just got a whole lot better!
This is the third book in the Bookstore Cafe Mystery series, but it is the first one I have read. I really liked the mystery a lot. It reminded me of an old English mystery in a secluded manor house, even though there were over 100 people there. The mystery had some twists, but when a glaring clue is discovered, the reader can't help but wonder how Krissy can't figure it out. It becomes very obvious who the culprit is. I also really enjoyed the setting. The house was a permanent haunted mansion. I wish the author would have put more effort into incorporating that fact into the story. The eccentricities of the mansion were just a mentioned upon backdrop though. I felt like a giant opportunity was lost there.
The main character Krissy is very annoying. One minute she is full of self-doubt and needs to be coddled, then the next she is sassy and thinking she is Rambo. Someone give this girl some Lithium. She is also almost TSTL. She has no training at all, but she runs headfirst into dangerous situations, even when she knows she should get Paul. She thinks she is a great consultant, but really she is a Police lawsuit just waiting to happen. She is also an adult and business owner, but has a horrible time saying "slept with" or "had sex with" out loud. What? She isn't that young, but she is that immature. She was not very likable at all.
I am not sure if I would read other books in this series or not. It would depend on my mood. I would recommend it to cozy fans though, because it did keep my interest and they might be more inclined to like Krissy's Bipolar personality.
October 26, 2019
Maybe the author would have done better to write this as a stage play. The coffee shop and bookshop at the start, are fine, a brief insight to the daily life of our protagonist. I hadn't read any of the series previously. The shop owner is determined to be successful on her own merits, not her father's, yet we're later told she hosted a launch for one of her father's works? And even though a person apparently died in her shop, she kept the name, Death by Coffee. Most establishments would have had the good taste to change it.
With a Hallowe'en party invite, to accompany a well-off doctor, Will, the protagonist buys herself a cheap Sherlock Holmes costume which she promptly derides and thinks is cheap looking. Most women would dress as something attractive, but not all. At the party, the much richer hostess is keeping her late husband's traditions going... which include the worst taste decor imaginable. This is why the book ought to be a stage play. Zombies, death scenes, ghouls, fake blood... as permanent decor. All over the house. I can't see a wealthy lady living in the same house as this man, if they stayed married, and as soon as he was decently buried I am very sure she would have called in workers to remove the excesses. Maybe sooner. Nobody would judge her badly for that.
When a death occurs, the protag is called upon by the cop she dated once, Paul. To help him investigate. She is not a public official, not a police officer, not a doctor or lawyer. She owns a coffee shop. I was entirely convinced that the doctor would have been called upon to do things like checking the body for signs of life, certifying the death, suggesting how the person was killed, securing the crime scene in the absence of other police. The doctor ought to have instantly been offering to examine the body for signs of life. That is what doctors do. Not this one. Will stands around in the crowd and goes off to get a drink.
Unfortunately the rest of the story occurs in the same hideous location due to a snowstorm. The author uses this eventuality to show aspects of the characters of wealthy people. These people must all have been on tranquilisers as not one gets on the phone to their lawyer, starts freaking out about being in the proximity of violent death, expresses fear, shock or anything else natural. They just gossip, eat, drink and act snobby. The protag rings a lady she knows, for information, and acts just as stiffly to her, hanging up on her more than once.
Entirely unconvincing after a promising start. The title is unconnected to the crime, except that a pumpkin is involved.
This is an unbiased review.
With a Hallowe'en party invite, to accompany a well-off doctor, Will, the protagonist buys herself a cheap Sherlock Holmes costume which she promptly derides and thinks is cheap looking. Most women would dress as something attractive, but not all. At the party, the much richer hostess is keeping her late husband's traditions going... which include the worst taste decor imaginable. This is why the book ought to be a stage play. Zombies, death scenes, ghouls, fake blood... as permanent decor. All over the house. I can't see a wealthy lady living in the same house as this man, if they stayed married, and as soon as he was decently buried I am very sure she would have called in workers to remove the excesses. Maybe sooner. Nobody would judge her badly for that.
When a death occurs, the protag is called upon by the cop she dated once, Paul. To help him investigate. She is not a public official, not a police officer, not a doctor or lawyer. She owns a coffee shop. I was entirely convinced that the doctor would have been called upon to do things like checking the body for signs of life, certifying the death, suggesting how the person was killed, securing the crime scene in the absence of other police. The doctor ought to have instantly been offering to examine the body for signs of life. That is what doctors do. Not this one. Will stands around in the crowd and goes off to get a drink.
Unfortunately the rest of the story occurs in the same hideous location due to a snowstorm. The author uses this eventuality to show aspects of the characters of wealthy people. These people must all have been on tranquilisers as not one gets on the phone to their lawyer, starts freaking out about being in the proximity of violent death, expresses fear, shock or anything else natural. They just gossip, eat, drink and act snobby. The protag rings a lady she knows, for information, and acts just as stiffly to her, hanging up on her more than once.
Entirely unconvincing after a promising start. The title is unconnected to the crime, except that a pumpkin is involved.
This is an unbiased review.
Read
June 21, 2025Concept: you are a valid human being whether you look good in a costume or not. DNF
October 18, 2018
Café owner and head baker Krissy, is gearing up for the Halloween season with a plethora of pumpkin infused delicacies. She, along with her punked-out, skateboarding assistant, Lena, run the café while upstairs, Vicki, runs the bookstore. In walks eligible & highly handsome Will to ask Krissy to a earnestly sought, invitation only, annual soirée at a local mansion. Her ga-ga actions to his presence all but made me gag, but hey, whatevs!
Krissy is not known for her creative costume flair, so she’s a bit flustered & worried she’ll flop and ruin further chances with Mr Wonderful. But go she does and things seem to stroll along until one of the 3 Marilyn Monroe’s is found dead after rebuffing a marriage proposal. It’s a whodunnit in a mansion of horrors and Krissy, along with her one-date ex cop begin their sleuthing to narrow down suspects.
Add in another ex-beau who can’t accept “NO” with a bunch of snobby hoity-toities, a jewelry thief, a cornucopia of supporting characters, and a budding romance and things get dicey real quick.
The ick of the first chapter was just about forgiven when our author decides to have Krissy chase after a lone male who just took off running into the downpouring rain, the darkness of night, and the woods ... instead of having either of the police (or ANYone else) go.
Much the same as the story goes. Plenty of twists to keep it interesting, but just can’t handle Krissy’s bravado and over zealous need to solve things on her own. She’s annoying and I’m uninterested in reading more of this series. Alas.
October 23, 2020
Wow what a book to finish just before the presidential debate.
October 24, 2023
The wrong person was strangled to death, it should have been the main character!
Read
October 17, 2024Worst book I’ve ever read
April 23, 2021
2.5 Stars
rounded up to 3 Stars.
Having the main character constantly having self-deprecating thoughts and running around solving murder mysteries like Lucy Ricardo gets old very fast as well as, the romantic triangle dilemma which still leaves this cozy series on the low end of average for me.
Having the main character constantly having self-deprecating thoughts and running around solving murder mysteries like Lucy Ricardo gets old very fast as well as, the romantic triangle dilemma which still leaves this cozy series on the low end of average for me.
July 7, 2017
3 stelle e mezza
Questa serie continua a darmi sensazioni contrastanti... Mentre le trame sono belle, non riesco proprio a farmi stare simpatica la protagonista! Credo che continuerò a leggerla solamente se, come è successo fino a questo momento, troverò i vari libri in offerta...
Questa serie continua a darmi sensazioni contrastanti... Mentre le trame sono belle, non riesco proprio a farmi stare simpatica la protagonista! Credo che continuerò a leggerla solamente se, come è successo fino a questo momento, troverò i vari libri in offerta...
September 24, 2021
Very dull, formulaic writing style, with lots of telling vs. showing. Not my cup of ... pumpkin spice!
September 1, 2025
I'm a simple gal. I read a cheesey cozy mystery at a halloween party and I'm just here for the vibes! I liked that this took place over one evening and seeing the events unravel! Always a joy to read books from this series.
September 12, 2025
I HATED THIS BOOK. Oml. Krissy is insufferable! What do you mean you don’t understand why a detective doesn’t like you??? You are a coffee stop owner, not a detective. You were being so nosey all through the book! Why can’t you just listen and stay in the away from the investigation??? The killer was discovered and you still want to be involved when he escapes??? Girl. Then to go and disturb the crime scene, gets caught AND STILL DOESNT STAY OUT OF IT.
.5 stars if I could really.
.5 stars if I could really.
February 15, 2021
Halloween murder and mayhem at a creepily-decorated mansion gave Krissy a new investigation. It's actually kinda brilliant how this author has created a series that has all the stereotypical characteristics of every cozy mystery main character all bundled into one. It's really hilarious and over the top sometimes how Krissy over-annoys and doesn't listen to authority, then she comes out a bigger-than-life hero, her ex-over-stalks and begs to be taken back, and one police officer over-punishes or over-complains/threatens to lock her up for interfering. And of course there's the potential love triangle. It took the third book to make me realize that stuff which annoyed me about the earlier books was something that was being done on purpose, so with that in mind, I think I enjoyed this book a lot more. Like I said, brilliant! It gave me a whole new appreciation for Rita being the typical nosy friend too! She did crack me up calling Krissy at the party asking about the murder.
The Halloween party costumes were all pretty cool, and the mansion descriptions were great. I can see why someone in the book said it was like living in the Addams family house. I really had no idea who the killer was, so I just enjoyed going from suspect to suspect until the big showdown.
The Halloween party costumes were all pretty cool, and the mansion descriptions were great. I can see why someone in the book said it was like living in the Addams family house. I really had no idea who the killer was, so I just enjoyed going from suspect to suspect until the big showdown.
October 18, 2021
The main character annoyed me, she has no actual detective training but is always throwing herself into dangerous situations just because she hates being left out of the action. Like she wants to go out on her own (when she has no self defense training) to look for a trained killer. And she keeps things from the police just so that they won't exclude her from interviews, which impedes investigations just to curb her curiosity
Edit: ALSO HER LACK OF OF CONFIDENCE AND LEVEL OF SELF DEPRICATION DRIVE ME UP THE WALL. Plus she was uber judgemental of the other rich guests and Margaret's lifestyle
Edit: ALSO HER LACK OF OF CONFIDENCE AND LEVEL OF SELF DEPRICATION DRIVE ME UP THE WALL. Plus she was uber judgemental of the other rich guests and Margaret's lifestyle
October 8, 2018
I was hoping for a coffee-related murder, but the title has literally nothing to do with the story. The mystery actually gets kind of fun in the last 2-3 chapters or so, but it didn’t make up for the dragging plot for most of the rest of the book.
I also found the protagonist pretty annoying and unlikable, which made it hard to get through the book.
I also found the protagonist pretty annoying and unlikable, which made it hard to get through the book.
April 22, 2018
I enjoyed this 3rd book of the series and give it a solid 8 out of 10. I have some pros and cons.
I liked Death By Tea more than this book because there was a little more adventure, wackiness and variety in actions and setting unlike this book. I grew exceptionally tired of the Halloween-themed setting that took up 90% of this book. Constantly hearing about the ball room, the Halloween decorations and the same characters in the same vicinity doing nothing for the entire book became painfully monotonous. I really needed the author to mix up settings and nearby characters. It was refreshing early on, the whole idea of everyone going to a party, but who knew their time spent at the party would take up the whole book. I got tired of the party scene quick in the book and when I realized it was for the remainder of the book, I had to subtract points for that. After awhile, I was acting like the wives of Carl and Darrin about it.
That all said, this book had a thought-provoking and creative conclusion to the murder. I appreciated the creativeness and cleverness of the murder resolution. I’m gaining a little more respect in Krissy’s problem-solving abilities... just a little that is. She’s still making her fair share of mistakes that in a real world setting would land her in jail with multiple counts of crimes, from assault, slander, tampering with a murder scene, etc. But I appreciated that there were a lot of twists and turns in this book that threw me off as far as the culprit.
What in the heck is up with Krissy’s nastiness towards Rita which has never really had any rhyme or reason at all in this series. It got even nastier in this book. Krissy’s behavior towards her is disgustingly disrespectful, dismissive, disdainful and exploitative. I deplored the way Krissy gave Rita no credit as far as solving some of the mysteries out in the whole murder investigation. Krissy’s thank you to Rita for her help was to turn her nose up with contempt at Rita--all the while, Rita praised Krissy profusely in the end. Our main character is very mean-spirited and has zero manners.
All throughout the book as a matter of fact, Krissy cut off Rita and rejected Rita's attempts to communicate. Yet, Krissy had the nerve to repeatedly impose on Rita with obnoxious phone calls for help on a murder that Krissy had no business playing cop in. After Krissy got the info she wanted, she would again shut down Rita and went so far as hanging the phone up in her face multiple times.
Krissy did this throughout the whole book which made me sicker and sicker of the character. Yet, she sat there and whined because two characters didn’t like her and treated her similarly to how she treats Rita--Carl and Darrin’s wives, that is. If Krissy has such a keen disdain for Rita, please stop exploiting her at your convenience, calling her up to bug her for information. And if you don’t like Rita because of her fanaticism for your Dad, please tell your Dad not to accept what is likely a lot of money he makes in book sells from her that puts food on his table. Krissy has this stink about not wanting to be recognized for the accomplishments of her father and takes it out on Rita even though Krissy is the one who named her coffee establishment after her father's book. Way to get your point across that you want to be recognized for your own accomplishments.
As was the case in past books of this series, Krissy and other characters are again unrealistic in their reactions to a murder. All the characters at the party are reported as either “bored” or “tired” as opposed to jumpy, fearful and paranoid after a murder. Average person would be in a state of panic, making enraged protests to leave and flipping out that they have to be in the vicinity of a murder, wondering if they are next on the chopping. None of this fazes the irresponsive characters of Pine Hills. Krissy's reaction to a murder is no more realistic. She is going back and forth between flirting with men and recklessly parading about a haunted house playing detective and accusing everyone in sight of murder.
Why is Paul’s first reaction to a murder to call out for the assistance of Krissy, a nonpublic official, coffee shop cashier--one who has been told multiple times to keep her nose out of murder investigations because of havoc she has caused in the past. Krissy was a casual party guest, like most everyone else at the party. She was not in the room at the time of the murder and didn't know any of the people and that's even to Officer Dalton’s knowledge. Dalton doesn’t think to first question the woman who screams that there has been a murder that took place (Isabell Ortega), her before everyone else. He doesn’t think to contact the hostess before anyone else. Rather, his instant reflex is to call out for Krissy of all people.
Perhaps this could be passed off as him subtly trying to reignite some old flame with Krissy, but c'mon, upon learning of a murder. That's professional misconduct worthy of losing his badge. It’s no wonder why Dalton is still living in his mama’s basement and needs his mama to find dates for him. He is wholly pathetic, incompetent, unprofessional and dim-witted, among other things. Not only that but allowing Krissy to harass all of the party-goers, interrogating them, falsely accusing them, and even assaulting them. She received no consequences from this other than Dalton flirting with her.
Officer Dalton actually sounds rather manipulative. He involves Krissy because he likes her and wants to win her back, which is a smack in the face to both of the dates they brought to the party. If I were Will or any of these other party-goers, I would report Paul and have his license removed.
Krissy is a total dingbat of a character. She apparently has the town’s hottest guy after her, for what reason is a complete mystery to me based on how they describe her looks and behavior in this series. Despite all that, she is worried about dopey Paul Dalton who comes up with the dumbest reason for dating another girl while he Krissy was still interested in him, lives from his mama's basement and doesn’t know how to act professionally as a police officer. Will needs to drop the loser that is Krissy and go for one of the other one million girls chasing after him. I wish I could have Will based on his description in the book.
Thought it was rude of Krissy to go to a party and completely ignore Will to hang with a guy she recently dated. It was not her place to be investigating as she is not a public official so to be called in as a detective by an ex-flame while ignoring Will all night was entirely disrespectful any way you slice it.
And why is this obnoxious old crone Krissy constantly feeling bad about herself all the time? She was invited to a party by a doctor guy who everyone else wants who was crazy about her. Despite all that, she is ignoring Will at the party and showing Will that she has interest in other men. Krissy is such a self-doubting sourpuss. As others have noted, she needs hardcore therapy. It’s no wonder Robert cheated on her. I’m clueless as to why Robert wants her back or any of these men want her. Horrible personality traits, so my guess is she must look amazing. I find her "gorgeous" looks hard to believe, however, just because she’s constantly insinuated to be out of shape, losing her breath easily after trying to chase others down and pigging out at candy stores and McDonalds in past books.
I thought it was creative the way the author tried to address criticism and complaints he received over his last books with some of the stuff that went on in this book. For example, Paul Dalton asks Krissy why would one of the murder suspects be willing to open up to her of all people when she is not an officer. Krissy reasons that the murder suspect would be more willing to open up to a friendly face like herself than a police officer who suspects him/her of murder. I thought this was creative but unfortunately fell flat. Krissy is seen hanging out with Paul by everyone at this party in an effort to solve the crime. In fact, she interrogates all or most of the murder suspects at the party right alongside Paul, so how does she look like a “friendly face" to anyone as she claimed?
Also, does Krissy even realize what a ginormous clown she looks like running about this party with baggy sweats and an oversized t-shirt?! At one point, she's seen by all the party-goers in a muddy mess while mishandling and abusing an innocent man. I cringed because Will's parents (the parents of Krissy's flame) are at this party watching on at the madness of this clown. That Will has remained interested after the clown hot mess that Krissy has made herself out to be makes me wonder if Will has a sexual disease or something that he's not telling Krissy about. Will is apparently rich, hunkiest man in town chasing after this clown. The author will have to work that out and make it more believable that someone like Will would be chasing after someone like Krissy with all of Will's other choices.
I found it absolutely absurd the way Krissy has the officers wrapped around her little finger, totally running the show. She is no officer, detective nor any other public official and has no training other than being the daughter of a mystery writer. Yet she can freely order about police officers as to what possibly helpless parties they have to grill next, then interrogate and treat as criminals. After several miscalculations, Krissy is still able to freely order these bumbling police officers about like a police chief. I thought Buchanan would actually have some backbone when he arrived since he doesn’t care for Krissy. I fully expected him to get her behind together like he did in past books of this series, but he really weakened in this book. Even he starts getting walked all over by Krissy. What happened to pit-bull Buchanan from the other books who didn't put up with her pestering antics. He was the one character we could expect to get this louse of a main character in check.
The author needs to do a better job of distinguishing the characters from each other and assigning traits. All the characters seem to have a lot of the same quirks and characteristics in this book series. For example, seems every character in the book bites their lip in conversation and uses the word “bests,” as in “I bests go and get started.” I noticed Rita had said that in the first book of the series, Death By Coffee, remarking it to Krissy. I immediately thought it was a cute quirk of Rita's when the author had her say that, like “Lordy Lou” and liked that touch. But then Krissy later said it in Death by Tea, a character who shows disdain with Rita and her mannerisms. I gave it a pass since Rita is always around Krissy and it might have rubbed off on Krissy. But then Lena also says it in Death By Tea, a character who is supposed to be around 19 or 20 year old, punk rock type character. That threw me for a loop. I decided to give it another pass since Lena likes Krissy so much. But then Officer Buchanan said it in this book, Death by Pumpkin Spice. That’s when all bets were off and I finally concluded to myself that this author needs to do a better job of distinguishing character phrases, traits and quirks.
I liked Death By Tea more than this book because there was a little more adventure, wackiness and variety in actions and setting unlike this book. I grew exceptionally tired of the Halloween-themed setting that took up 90% of this book. Constantly hearing about the ball room, the Halloween decorations and the same characters in the same vicinity doing nothing for the entire book became painfully monotonous. I really needed the author to mix up settings and nearby characters. It was refreshing early on, the whole idea of everyone going to a party, but who knew their time spent at the party would take up the whole book. I got tired of the party scene quick in the book and when I realized it was for the remainder of the book, I had to subtract points for that. After awhile, I was acting like the wives of Carl and Darrin about it.
That all said, this book had a thought-provoking and creative conclusion to the murder. I appreciated the creativeness and cleverness of the murder resolution. I’m gaining a little more respect in Krissy’s problem-solving abilities... just a little that is. She’s still making her fair share of mistakes that in a real world setting would land her in jail with multiple counts of crimes, from assault, slander, tampering with a murder scene, etc. But I appreciated that there were a lot of twists and turns in this book that threw me off as far as the culprit.
What in the heck is up with Krissy’s nastiness towards Rita which has never really had any rhyme or reason at all in this series. It got even nastier in this book. Krissy’s behavior towards her is disgustingly disrespectful, dismissive, disdainful and exploitative. I deplored the way Krissy gave Rita no credit as far as solving some of the mysteries out in the whole murder investigation. Krissy’s thank you to Rita for her help was to turn her nose up with contempt at Rita--all the while, Rita praised Krissy profusely in the end. Our main character is very mean-spirited and has zero manners.
All throughout the book as a matter of fact, Krissy cut off Rita and rejected Rita's attempts to communicate. Yet, Krissy had the nerve to repeatedly impose on Rita with obnoxious phone calls for help on a murder that Krissy had no business playing cop in. After Krissy got the info she wanted, she would again shut down Rita and went so far as hanging the phone up in her face multiple times.
Krissy did this throughout the whole book which made me sicker and sicker of the character. Yet, she sat there and whined because two characters didn’t like her and treated her similarly to how she treats Rita--Carl and Darrin’s wives, that is. If Krissy has such a keen disdain for Rita, please stop exploiting her at your convenience, calling her up to bug her for information. And if you don’t like Rita because of her fanaticism for your Dad, please tell your Dad not to accept what is likely a lot of money he makes in book sells from her that puts food on his table. Krissy has this stink about not wanting to be recognized for the accomplishments of her father and takes it out on Rita even though Krissy is the one who named her coffee establishment after her father's book. Way to get your point across that you want to be recognized for your own accomplishments.
As was the case in past books of this series, Krissy and other characters are again unrealistic in their reactions to a murder. All the characters at the party are reported as either “bored” or “tired” as opposed to jumpy, fearful and paranoid after a murder. Average person would be in a state of panic, making enraged protests to leave and flipping out that they have to be in the vicinity of a murder, wondering if they are next on the chopping. None of this fazes the irresponsive characters of Pine Hills. Krissy's reaction to a murder is no more realistic. She is going back and forth between flirting with men and recklessly parading about a haunted house playing detective and accusing everyone in sight of murder.
Why is Paul’s first reaction to a murder to call out for the assistance of Krissy, a nonpublic official, coffee shop cashier--one who has been told multiple times to keep her nose out of murder investigations because of havoc she has caused in the past. Krissy was a casual party guest, like most everyone else at the party. She was not in the room at the time of the murder and didn't know any of the people and that's even to Officer Dalton’s knowledge. Dalton doesn’t think to first question the woman who screams that there has been a murder that took place (Isabell Ortega), her before everyone else. He doesn’t think to contact the hostess before anyone else. Rather, his instant reflex is to call out for Krissy of all people.
Perhaps this could be passed off as him subtly trying to reignite some old flame with Krissy, but c'mon, upon learning of a murder. That's professional misconduct worthy of losing his badge. It’s no wonder why Dalton is still living in his mama’s basement and needs his mama to find dates for him. He is wholly pathetic, incompetent, unprofessional and dim-witted, among other things. Not only that but allowing Krissy to harass all of the party-goers, interrogating them, falsely accusing them, and even assaulting them. She received no consequences from this other than Dalton flirting with her.
Officer Dalton actually sounds rather manipulative. He involves Krissy because he likes her and wants to win her back, which is a smack in the face to both of the dates they brought to the party. If I were Will or any of these other party-goers, I would report Paul and have his license removed.
Krissy is a total dingbat of a character. She apparently has the town’s hottest guy after her, for what reason is a complete mystery to me based on how they describe her looks and behavior in this series. Despite all that, she is worried about dopey Paul Dalton who comes up with the dumbest reason for dating another girl while he Krissy was still interested in him, lives from his mama's basement and doesn’t know how to act professionally as a police officer. Will needs to drop the loser that is Krissy and go for one of the other one million girls chasing after him. I wish I could have Will based on his description in the book.
Thought it was rude of Krissy to go to a party and completely ignore Will to hang with a guy she recently dated. It was not her place to be investigating as she is not a public official so to be called in as a detective by an ex-flame while ignoring Will all night was entirely disrespectful any way you slice it.
And why is this obnoxious old crone Krissy constantly feeling bad about herself all the time? She was invited to a party by a doctor guy who everyone else wants who was crazy about her. Despite all that, she is ignoring Will at the party and showing Will that she has interest in other men. Krissy is such a self-doubting sourpuss. As others have noted, she needs hardcore therapy. It’s no wonder Robert cheated on her. I’m clueless as to why Robert wants her back or any of these men want her. Horrible personality traits, so my guess is she must look amazing. I find her "gorgeous" looks hard to believe, however, just because she’s constantly insinuated to be out of shape, losing her breath easily after trying to chase others down and pigging out at candy stores and McDonalds in past books.
I thought it was creative the way the author tried to address criticism and complaints he received over his last books with some of the stuff that went on in this book. For example, Paul Dalton asks Krissy why would one of the murder suspects be willing to open up to her of all people when she is not an officer. Krissy reasons that the murder suspect would be more willing to open up to a friendly face like herself than a police officer who suspects him/her of murder. I thought this was creative but unfortunately fell flat. Krissy is seen hanging out with Paul by everyone at this party in an effort to solve the crime. In fact, she interrogates all or most of the murder suspects at the party right alongside Paul, so how does she look like a “friendly face" to anyone as she claimed?
Also, does Krissy even realize what a ginormous clown she looks like running about this party with baggy sweats and an oversized t-shirt?! At one point, she's seen by all the party-goers in a muddy mess while mishandling and abusing an innocent man. I cringed because Will's parents (the parents of Krissy's flame) are at this party watching on at the madness of this clown. That Will has remained interested after the clown hot mess that Krissy has made herself out to be makes me wonder if Will has a sexual disease or something that he's not telling Krissy about. Will is apparently rich, hunkiest man in town chasing after this clown. The author will have to work that out and make it more believable that someone like Will would be chasing after someone like Krissy with all of Will's other choices.
I found it absolutely absurd the way Krissy has the officers wrapped around her little finger, totally running the show. She is no officer, detective nor any other public official and has no training other than being the daughter of a mystery writer. Yet she can freely order about police officers as to what possibly helpless parties they have to grill next, then interrogate and treat as criminals. After several miscalculations, Krissy is still able to freely order these bumbling police officers about like a police chief. I thought Buchanan would actually have some backbone when he arrived since he doesn’t care for Krissy. I fully expected him to get her behind together like he did in past books of this series, but he really weakened in this book. Even he starts getting walked all over by Krissy. What happened to pit-bull Buchanan from the other books who didn't put up with her pestering antics. He was the one character we could expect to get this louse of a main character in check.
The author needs to do a better job of distinguishing the characters from each other and assigning traits. All the characters seem to have a lot of the same quirks and characteristics in this book series. For example, seems every character in the book bites their lip in conversation and uses the word “bests,” as in “I bests go and get started.” I noticed Rita had said that in the first book of the series, Death By Coffee, remarking it to Krissy. I immediately thought it was a cute quirk of Rita's when the author had her say that, like “Lordy Lou” and liked that touch. But then Krissy later said it in Death by Tea, a character who shows disdain with Rita and her mannerisms. I gave it a pass since Rita is always around Krissy and it might have rubbed off on Krissy. But then Lena also says it in Death By Tea, a character who is supposed to be around 19 or 20 year old, punk rock type character. That threw me for a loop. I decided to give it another pass since Lena likes Krissy so much. But then Officer Buchanan said it in this book, Death by Pumpkin Spice. That’s when all bets were off and I finally concluded to myself that this author needs to do a better job of distinguishing character phrases, traits and quirks.
September 15, 2025
⭐️½
The title Death by Pumpkin Spice is extremely misleading. There is not a single thing in this book that has to do with fall, autumn, or autumnal vibes there’s nothing about pumpkins, nothing about pumpkin spice, absolutely nothing that says “autumn” about this book.
I honestly almost DNF’d it, but I am doing a bingo challenge with my Discord server this month and needed this book to complete a box, otherwise, I wouldn’t have finished it. From the very first chapter, I could tell that this was a man writing from a woman’s POV. I initially assumed Alex Erickson was a woman (because Alex is unisex), but after reading, I had my doubts, and a quick Google search confirmed that yes, the author is man.
The female main character was insufferable and extremely insecure, and the way the other women in the story were portrayed made it feel like the author doesn’t think very much of women.😩
The story itself was a mess. There were too many plot points, too many threads, and at no point did I have any clear idea of what was going on and not in a fun, mysterious way, but in a chaotic, confusing way.
That said, one quote actually stood out as iconic: “My ex was like a sore that wouldn’t go away.” Honestly, that was probably the only good part about the book. 👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼
Overall, this was a very frustrating read. It was messy, poorly executed, and just not enjoyable. I can only give it one and a half stars the lowest I’ve ever rated a book. 😭
The title Death by Pumpkin Spice is extremely misleading. There is not a single thing in this book that has to do with fall, autumn, or autumnal vibes there’s nothing about pumpkins, nothing about pumpkin spice, absolutely nothing that says “autumn” about this book.
I honestly almost DNF’d it, but I am doing a bingo challenge with my Discord server this month and needed this book to complete a box, otherwise, I wouldn’t have finished it. From the very first chapter, I could tell that this was a man writing from a woman’s POV. I initially assumed Alex Erickson was a woman (because Alex is unisex), but after reading, I had my doubts, and a quick Google search confirmed that yes, the author is man.
The female main character was insufferable and extremely insecure, and the way the other women in the story were portrayed made it feel like the author doesn’t think very much of women.😩
The story itself was a mess. There were too many plot points, too many threads, and at no point did I have any clear idea of what was going on and not in a fun, mysterious way, but in a chaotic, confusing way.
That said, one quote actually stood out as iconic: “My ex was like a sore that wouldn’t go away.” Honestly, that was probably the only good part about the book. 👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼
Overall, this was a very frustrating read. It was messy, poorly executed, and just not enjoyable. I can only give it one and a half stars the lowest I’ve ever rated a book. 😭
Read
September 17, 2024A fun & easy read to bring in the fall vibe. Reading can be silly too!!
October 19, 2025
Dnf’d at 25%. Main character made me want to remove my eye balls with a spoon.
September 10, 2025
seriously struggled to get through this one. There was ZERO imagery used by the author throughout the story. Zero attachment to the victim nor murderer occurred so I struggled to care about either.
September 13, 2018
Krissy is asked to go to a Halloween costume party at one of the ritziest homes in Pine Hills. She's afraid she won't fit in, but she learns that a few other people she knows will be there. The night of the party, there is a torrential downpour that makes the roads impassable, thereby stranding the guests in the Yarborough home. When one of the guests is murdered, Krissy is ecstatic to be asked by Officer Paul Dalton, whom she had a fizzled relationship with, to assist him until other police officers can arrive on the scene. Krissy is torn between helping Paul and still trying to spend time with her date, Dr Will Foster.
Many of the well-heeled guests are acting suspiciously, and none of them appreciates being questioned by either Paul or Krissy. When her ex shows up, wanting another chance, Krissy's night goes from bad to worse. Now the race is on to find a killer before everyone is allowed to leave, but Krissy is determined to find out whodunnit before the night is over.
Well now. For one thing, the trope of everyone being confined to a small space during a murder investigation has been over done. For another, some of the guests said or did the most bizarre things, presumably as a red herring for the amateur sleuth and the reader. However, the biggest disappointment was Krissy herself.
Seldom have I ever read a book where the main character was this utterly obnoxious. Krissy is so smug in her belief that the crime cannot possibly be solved without her assistance that it made me want to gag. She barged in when Paul was questioning suspects, she basically accused several people of being the killer, based on her own theories but without any proof, and she refused to listen when she was instructed to stay in one area or out of another one. In fact, she sneaked into the room where the body was, ducking under Paul's make-shift "crime scene" tape, to get another peek at the body, because of course the police must have missed a vital clue that only she could detect if only she could examine the body herself. After that, she literally tore down some other "crime scene" tape to access a stairwell so she could check out Mrs Yarborough's bedroom again, and all the while, my eyebrows were climbing higher and higher into my hairline. I mean, wow, nothing like trampling all over a crime scene just because you think you're smarter than anyone else looking into the murder. Finally, when Krissy had her big epiphany the following day, she rushed to the police station to let them know, yet she refused to tell them what she'd found/figured out because, and I shit you not, she wanted to be allowed to go along and question the suspect and be there for that "Ah ha!" moment. She was an utter glory hog! I just did not like her. At all.
On top of that, she was a total Mary Sue. I mean, really. Paul still wanted her, she still wanted Paul, but Will also wants her, and she wants Will and omg she just isn't sure. And then there's the creepy, stalker ex who claims to still want her, too. He was another completely obnoxious character.
Finally, judging the book by its cover, I assumed the bookstore/cafe cat would figure into the narrative more, but he was giving only a nod in passing, as was Krissy's cat. The cats who got the most airtime were two at the party house, and that's not saying much.
Many of the well-heeled guests are acting suspiciously, and none of them appreciates being questioned by either Paul or Krissy. When her ex shows up, wanting another chance, Krissy's night goes from bad to worse. Now the race is on to find a killer before everyone is allowed to leave, but Krissy is determined to find out whodunnit before the night is over.
Well now. For one thing, the trope of everyone being confined to a small space during a murder investigation has been over done. For another, some of the guests said or did the most bizarre things, presumably as a red herring for the amateur sleuth and the reader. However, the biggest disappointment was Krissy herself.
Seldom have I ever read a book where the main character was this utterly obnoxious. Krissy is so smug in her belief that the crime cannot possibly be solved without her assistance that it made me want to gag. She barged in when Paul was questioning suspects, she basically accused several people of being the killer, based on her own theories but without any proof, and she refused to listen when she was instructed to stay in one area or out of another one. In fact, she sneaked into the room where the body was, ducking under Paul's make-shift "crime scene" tape, to get another peek at the body, because of course the police must have missed a vital clue that only she could detect if only she could examine the body herself. After that, she literally tore down some other "crime scene" tape to access a stairwell so she could check out Mrs Yarborough's bedroom again, and all the while, my eyebrows were climbing higher and higher into my hairline. I mean, wow, nothing like trampling all over a crime scene just because you think you're smarter than anyone else looking into the murder. Finally, when Krissy had her big epiphany the following day, she rushed to the police station to let them know, yet she refused to tell them what she'd found/figured out because, and I shit you not, she wanted to be allowed to go along and question the suspect and be there for that "Ah ha!" moment. She was an utter glory hog! I just did not like her. At all.
On top of that, she was a total Mary Sue. I mean, really. Paul still wanted her, she still wanted Paul, but Will also wants her, and she wants Will and omg she just isn't sure. And then there's the creepy, stalker ex who claims to still want her, too. He was another completely obnoxious character.
Finally, judging the book by its cover, I assumed the bookstore/cafe cat would figure into the narrative more, but he was giving only a nod in passing, as was Krissy's cat. The cats who got the most airtime were two at the party house, and that's not saying much.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 23, 2025
2.5 I had to push through, but the end got more interesting.
December 1, 2016
2.5 stars Rounded
I grabbed this title simply on the title – who could resist a bookstore café protagonist embroiled in a mystery? And it was intriguing enough from the mystery perspective, if a little busy and all over the place in terms of the protagonist, Krissy. In fact, she was almost completely without redeeming qualities as a heroine: moody, self-absorbed, immature and more than slightly TSTL. And I don’t (and still can’t) see the draw that she held over the two very nice men she was playing.
But, enough about Krissy – the set-up in that a Halloween party at the local mansion has her nervous and over-compensating. Her date, Will, is a really nice guy – and he fits into the mix at the party. She just doesn’t. And things only get worse: she’s had a crush on Paul for a long time, and when he walks in with a date – a gorgeous woman, she’s completely obsessed with a notice me. Until the body arrives. And Paul, knowing her ability to solve mysteries, asks for her help.
There were so many lost opportunities in this story: developing a character with at least a few redeeming features – just having her riddled with self-doubts didn’t explain her behavior, and no reasons that were viable ever presented themselves. A party at a mansion built specifically to honor Halloween, with plenty of super features – but those were all left in the background – as was the café, the bookstore and an overall attention to the plotting of the story that did not involve the mystery itself. I wanted to like this far more than I did – and while I think the author crafts a clever mystery thread with some unique ideas, too many were left as just ideas and not developed for me to love the story, or to be intrigued in reading more.
I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
Review first appeared at I am, Indeed
I grabbed this title simply on the title – who could resist a bookstore café protagonist embroiled in a mystery? And it was intriguing enough from the mystery perspective, if a little busy and all over the place in terms of the protagonist, Krissy. In fact, she was almost completely without redeeming qualities as a heroine: moody, self-absorbed, immature and more than slightly TSTL. And I don’t (and still can’t) see the draw that she held over the two very nice men she was playing.
But, enough about Krissy – the set-up in that a Halloween party at the local mansion has her nervous and over-compensating. Her date, Will, is a really nice guy – and he fits into the mix at the party. She just doesn’t. And things only get worse: she’s had a crush on Paul for a long time, and when he walks in with a date – a gorgeous woman, she’s completely obsessed with a notice me. Until the body arrives. And Paul, knowing her ability to solve mysteries, asks for her help.
There were so many lost opportunities in this story: developing a character with at least a few redeeming features – just having her riddled with self-doubts didn’t explain her behavior, and no reasons that were viable ever presented themselves. A party at a mansion built specifically to honor Halloween, with plenty of super features – but those were all left in the background – as was the café, the bookstore and an overall attention to the plotting of the story that did not involve the mystery itself. I wanted to like this far more than I did – and while I think the author crafts a clever mystery thread with some unique ideas, too many were left as just ideas and not developed for me to love the story, or to be intrigued in reading more.
I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
Review first appeared at I am, Indeed
September 15, 2016
Received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review of this title. I had high hopes for this book. I truly did. The premise is right up my alley and the Halloween theme is something that I always find appealing. Krissy Hancock co-owns a cafe/bookstore called Death by Coffee. She has been in and out of failed relationships recently and is encouraged when a handsome customer Wil invites her to an exclusive yearly Halloween party at a rich local couple's estate. Once at the party, a murder occurs and all of the guests are sequestered while the authorites attempt to discover who perpetrated the crime. I thought that the mystery part of the book was handled very well. My real beef with the book was the fact that the mystery seemed to take a backseat to Krissy's constant lamenting regarding her personal life. I'm not usually bothered by a main character's personal back story being injected into the plot. However, when it becomes almost the focal point of the entire story, it can become frustrating at times. I kept waiting for the mystery to take center stage, yet every time it looked like we would finally begin to get into the meat of the murder investigation, there would be three pages of Krissy beating herself up about the way she handled a conversation with her date Wil or a recollection of a past horrible relationship with another male guest at the party. In the end, I think it was an okay read, but the constant detours into the personal reflections of the main character kept me from enjoying it as much as I otherwise might have.
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