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Lucy Stone #27.5 - Halloween Party Murder
Halloween Party Murder
Visit small-town Maine in a trio of Halloween cozy mystery tales by New York Times bestselling authors Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis, and Barbara Ross.HALLOWEEN PARTY MURDER by LESLIE MEIER Tinker’s Cove newest residents Ty and Heather Moon turn their Victorian home into a haunted house to raise funds for charity. But when Heather overdoses on tainted drugs and Ty finds himself accused of murder, journalist Lucy Stone uncovers some sinister secrets in the Moons’ past linked to a conspiracy in her hometown . . . DEATH OF A HALLOWEEN PARTY MONSTER by LEE HOLLIS Everyone attending Island Times Food and Cocktail columnist Hayley Powell’s Halloween bash is dressed as their favorite movie monster. But when partygoers stumble upon Boris Candy’s bludgeoned costumed corpse, it falls to Hayley to discover who among her guests wanted to stop the man from clowning around permanently . . . SCARED OFF by BARBARA ROSS Three teenage girls having a sleepover on Halloween night get spooked when high schoolers crash the house for a party. But no one expected to find a crasher like Mrs. Zelisko, the elderly third floor tenant, dead in the backyard—dressed in a sheet like a ghost. With her niece traumatized, Julia Snowden must unmask the killer behind such a murderous trick . . . “Entertaining . . . These puzzling cases are a seasonal treat for cozy readers.” —Publishers Weekly
314 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 31, 2021
238 people are currently reading
1313 people want to read
About the author
Leslie Meier
70 books2,070 followersLeslie Meier lives in Braintree and Harwich (Cape Cod), Massachusetts. She is the creator of 'Lucy Stone', a reporter and amateur sleuth in the fictional seaside village of Tinker's Cove, Maine.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 233 reviews
October 28, 2023
This collection of three cozy mystery novellas set in Maine was one of the books I was most looking forward to this fall. It did not disappoint. Well written mysteries in each novella and the perfect notes of seasonal fall cheer!
In “Halloween Party Murder” 🎃 by Leslie Meier, we revisit the Moon family, who were featured in the last Halloween novella collection. They’re the ones who own the spooky house that the kids are all afraid of, but Lucy Stone has gotten to know both Ty and Heather Moon and decides they’re good people. They throw a charity Halloween party, but someone winds up dead and accusations fly about who is responsible. I enjoyed this novella a lot—plenty of moving pieces and we got to see all the familiar Tinker’s Cove characters.
In “Death of a Halloween Party Monster” 🦇 by Lee Hollis, Hayley is attending a party where the local high school music teacher turns up dead. Unfortunately, everyone seems to have a motive. This one had some neat Halloween costumes.
In “Scared Off” 👻 by Barbara Ross, Maine Clambake owner Julia Snowden gets a call in the middle of the night from her niece, who was having a sleepover that turned into a party with wild and crazy high school kids. When someone turns up dead, Julia investigates. I found the mystery especially good in this novella.
In “Halloween Party Murder” 🎃 by Leslie Meier, we revisit the Moon family, who were featured in the last Halloween novella collection. They’re the ones who own the spooky house that the kids are all afraid of, but Lucy Stone has gotten to know both Ty and Heather Moon and decides they’re good people. They throw a charity Halloween party, but someone winds up dead and accusations fly about who is responsible. I enjoyed this novella a lot—plenty of moving pieces and we got to see all the familiar Tinker’s Cove characters.
In “Death of a Halloween Party Monster” 🦇 by Lee Hollis, Hayley is attending a party where the local high school music teacher turns up dead. Unfortunately, everyone seems to have a motive. This one had some neat Halloween costumes.
In “Scared Off” 👻 by Barbara Ross, Maine Clambake owner Julia Snowden gets a call in the middle of the night from her niece, who was having a sleepover that turned into a party with wild and crazy high school kids. When someone turns up dead, Julia investigates. I found the mystery especially good in this novella.
October 30, 2021
Halloween Party Murder is the latest in-between novella from a trio of authors. I've read one book each by Leslie Meier and by Lee Hollis, but I have finished the entire series from Barbara Ross... so I could only read her entry, Scared Off, in this three-novella collection. When I catch up in the other two series, I will come back to edit this review to include my thoughts on the other two books, too.
I remember when Julia's niece was still so young, and her mother was having a new baby. Years later, she's now 13 and having a party at a friend's house for Halloween. It's only supposed to be two more friends for a sleepover, but something goes amiss, and at the end of the night, the pseudo-babysitter ends up dead. Which guest killed her? Was it one of the teenage girls, shocker!?! I really enjoyed the story in this novella because it brought in a few favorite characters and completely changed the direction with Julia's personal life. I learned a new fact, and now I can't wait to get to the next book when it releases.
All in all, now that I'm caught up on this series, it's been an amazing ride. I can't wait for more to come, and I need to think about reading another Maine-based series (like the other two novellas in this book) and Ross's other series. I'll be back with more details on the rest in the coming months. But for fans of Barbara Ross, this definitely gives you the mid-year boost while you're waiting for the full-length release. Great job!
I remember when Julia's niece was still so young, and her mother was having a new baby. Years later, she's now 13 and having a party at a friend's house for Halloween. It's only supposed to be two more friends for a sleepover, but something goes amiss, and at the end of the night, the pseudo-babysitter ends up dead. Which guest killed her? Was it one of the teenage girls, shocker!?! I really enjoyed the story in this novella because it brought in a few favorite characters and completely changed the direction with Julia's personal life. I learned a new fact, and now I can't wait to get to the next book when it releases.
All in all, now that I'm caught up on this series, it's been an amazing ride. I can't wait for more to come, and I need to think about reading another Maine-based series (like the other two novellas in this book) and Ross's other series. I'll be back with more details on the rest in the coming months. But for fans of Barbara Ross, this definitely gives you the mid-year boost while you're waiting for the full-length release. Great job!
February 15, 2022
This is a Halloween Cozy Mystery short stories collection. There are three short stories in this book. I really enjoyed the first one. I hated the second one. I really liked the last one. I found the characters to be fun, and I found the Halloween parts to be fun/funny at times. I loved the mystery parts in most of the short stories. The middle short story I just could not care about the storyline, and it could not pull me into the story. There other two I got pulled into the storyline with no problems. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Kensington Publishing Corporation) or author (Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis, and Barbara Ross) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.
October 31, 2022
When I requested this I thought it was one of those books that’s become the “Murder She Baked” movies on Hallmark Murders and Mysteries. Well - I was wrong. I don’t love shortys in general and I was expecting some “light” murder like poisoned cookies rather than a drug overdose in a dang bathtub soooooo on to the next.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!
September 10, 2021
This is a set of three fun and entertaining cozy mysteries all based around their own separate Halloween Parties. The three stories all have a murder taking place at their costumes parties and the search for the suspect who committed the murders.
Book One : The Halloween Murder Party by Leslie Meir was enjoyable and nicely written although I enjoyed the next two stories much more.
Book Two : Death Of A Halloween Party Monster by Lee Hollis - I really enjoyed this delightful treat. The humor and fun factor were so entertaining and it really centered more around Halloween. I loved all the characters in this terrific little Halloween gem!
Book Three: Scared Off by Barbara Ross was again very entertaining and centered around a teenage Halloween party where the murder took place but it still was adult oriented and not too silly.
I highly recommend this set of cozy mystery stories especially with the Fall season just beginning and Halloween right around the corner. All three.stories were a lot of fun and they were a wonderful change of pace for me to take a break from the dark stories that I enjoy so much. All three books were wonderfully written with great characters.
I want to thank the publisher "Kensington Books" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book and any thoughts and opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!
I have happily given a rating of 4 HAPPY HALLOWEEN 🎃🎃🎃🎃 Pumpkins!!
Book One : The Halloween Murder Party by Leslie Meir was enjoyable and nicely written although I enjoyed the next two stories much more.
Book Two : Death Of A Halloween Party Monster by Lee Hollis - I really enjoyed this delightful treat. The humor and fun factor were so entertaining and it really centered more around Halloween. I loved all the characters in this terrific little Halloween gem!
Book Three: Scared Off by Barbara Ross was again very entertaining and centered around a teenage Halloween party where the murder took place but it still was adult oriented and not too silly.
I highly recommend this set of cozy mystery stories especially with the Fall season just beginning and Halloween right around the corner. All three.stories were a lot of fun and they were a wonderful change of pace for me to take a break from the dark stories that I enjoy so much. All three books were wonderfully written with great characters.
I want to thank the publisher "Kensington Books" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book and any thoughts and opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!
I have happily given a rating of 4 HAPPY HALLOWEEN 🎃🎃🎃🎃 Pumpkins!!
March 12, 2022
RATING AND REVIEW FOR Death Of A Halloween Party Monster BY Lee Hollis
Enjoyable short story to hold me over until the next in this series! I was able to guess some of what was going on before the reveal. The room was pretty cool though. I didn't see that coming. I saw an interesting recipe or two too so that's a plus!
Thank you NetGalley for a copy of the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Enjoyable short story to hold me over until the next in this series! I was able to guess some of what was going on before the reveal. The room was pretty cool though. I didn't see that coming. I saw an interesting recipe or two too so that's a plus!
Thank you NetGalley for a copy of the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
August 31, 2021
This Halloween, we are being treated to another novella collection with these three cozy mystery authors as they feature their series sleuths. First up, Lucy Stone finds a dead body after a haunted house fund raiser. Then, Hayley Powell’s Halloween party in her new restaurant ends with the discovery of a corpse in the freezer. Finally, when Julia Snowden’s niece finds herself at a high school party, Julia goes to bring her home, only for the police to discover a dead body in the shed out back.
Out of these three authors, I only regularly read Barbara Ross’s Maine Clambake mysteries, so that story, featuring Julia Snowden, was my favorite. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy all three of the novellas. All three feature a strong assortment of characters and a solid mystery. Even if I figured out a part of the story early, I didn’t have it all pieced together until the end. My only complaint was the politics brought into the first novella in the collection. Even then, I’m a bit torn since it did play a part in the story while also feeling like I was reading a lecture. Still, if you are in the mood for a murderous Halloween party, you’ll be glad you picked up this novella collection.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
Out of these three authors, I only regularly read Barbara Ross’s Maine Clambake mysteries, so that story, featuring Julia Snowden, was my favorite. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy all three of the novellas. All three feature a strong assortment of characters and a solid mystery. Even if I figured out a part of the story early, I didn’t have it all pieced together until the end. My only complaint was the politics brought into the first novella in the collection. Even then, I’m a bit torn since it did play a part in the story while also feeling like I was reading a lecture. Still, if you are in the mood for a murderous Halloween party, you’ll be glad you picked up this novella collection.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
October 19, 2023
Well, I guess I like cozy mysteries after all. I must, seeing as how I’ve read three within the past month and enjoyed them all.
“Halloween Party Murder” is another Halloween-themed three-pack of novellas.
Leslie Meier’s story “Halloween Party Murder” features her nosy neighbor/journalist Lucy Stone playing detective again. Her neighbors, Ty and Heather Moon, throw a killer party. Unfortunately, an actual killer was in attendance, and Heather is found murdered. Tainted drugs are involved. Lucy’s digging uncovers a seedy underside to the normally idyllic Tinker’s Cove, Maine. Drug trafficking. Corrupt politicians. It seems a bit much for a cozy mystery…
Lee Hollis’s “Death of a Halloween Party Monster” features Hayley Powell (sans her boneheaded husband—-they are separated, thankfully) throwing a Halloween costume soiree in her new restaurant, Hayley’s Kitchen. Pennywise the clown is found bludgeoned to death in the backroom. Now, Hayley and the local law enforcement (all of which are apparently at the party) must keep the party guests from leaving until the killer is caught.
The strange murder of an old woman during a Halloween party has the police befuddled in Barbara Ross’s “Scared Off”. Julia Snowden (also newly single) helps the police figure out what spooked a houseful of teenagers and how an elderly tenant was found murdered in the backyard, wrapped in a white sheet like a ghost.
Each of these stories are quick, entertaining reads, nothing more or less. I’m not sure I could subsist on a steady diet of cozy mysteries, but the occasional bite-size offerings is definitely doable.
“Halloween Party Murder” is another Halloween-themed three-pack of novellas.
Leslie Meier’s story “Halloween Party Murder” features her nosy neighbor/journalist Lucy Stone playing detective again. Her neighbors, Ty and Heather Moon, throw a killer party. Unfortunately, an actual killer was in attendance, and Heather is found murdered. Tainted drugs are involved. Lucy’s digging uncovers a seedy underside to the normally idyllic Tinker’s Cove, Maine. Drug trafficking. Corrupt politicians. It seems a bit much for a cozy mystery…
Lee Hollis’s “Death of a Halloween Party Monster” features Hayley Powell (sans her boneheaded husband—-they are separated, thankfully) throwing a Halloween costume soiree in her new restaurant, Hayley’s Kitchen. Pennywise the clown is found bludgeoned to death in the backroom. Now, Hayley and the local law enforcement (all of which are apparently at the party) must keep the party guests from leaving until the killer is caught.
The strange murder of an old woman during a Halloween party has the police befuddled in Barbara Ross’s “Scared Off”. Julia Snowden (also newly single) helps the police figure out what spooked a houseful of teenagers and how an elderly tenant was found murdered in the backyard, wrapped in a white sheet like a ghost.
Each of these stories are quick, entertaining reads, nothing more or less. I’m not sure I could subsist on a steady diet of cozy mysteries, but the occasional bite-size offerings is definitely doable.
November 11, 2022
A good trio of mysteries that are perfect for Halloween.
Halloween Party Murder by Leslie Meier was my favorite of this trio, hands down. I loved the mystery and the characters. It's been interesting watching Tinker's Cove grow and the characters grow. Leslie Meier is a talented and amazing author.
Scared Off is also an amazing mystery. I loved the connection to Page and Julia. I felt so sorry for Julia's neighbors who were Mrs. Zelisko's victims.
Death of a Halloween Party Monster was a short, simple and sweet mystery. It was easily and tidily wrapped up. Kinda too tidily in my opinion but it was still a good story.
Overall, this was a great Halloween book and the mysteries were interesting.
Halloween Party Murder by Leslie Meier was my favorite of this trio, hands down. I loved the mystery and the characters. It's been interesting watching Tinker's Cove grow and the characters grow. Leslie Meier is a talented and amazing author.
Scared Off is also an amazing mystery. I loved the connection to Page and Julia. I felt so sorry for Julia's neighbors who were Mrs. Zelisko's victims.
Death of a Halloween Party Monster was a short, simple and sweet mystery. It was easily and tidily wrapped up. Kinda too tidily in my opinion but it was still a good story.
Overall, this was a great Halloween book and the mysteries were interesting.
June 18, 2021
I am a huge sucker for Cozy-Mysteries. I’ve read a few books from Leslie Meier and since then I enjoyed her writing. I was excited to see this trio of novellas.
The first novella was by Leslie Meier.
Lucy and her friends are helping a neighbor plan a Halloween Party. At the party the wife of the neighbor is found murdered and the husband becomes the prime suspect. I loved the whole atmosphere lol.
The second novella was by Lee Hollis. Haley throws a Halloween Party at her restaurant, now this novella definitely has some great humor.Now at this Halloween Party there is a murder and since everyone is still there no one can leave until they find out who the killer is and what happened.
The third novella is by Barbara Ross. Now I am not familiar with this series but I was still able to follow along with the story and it was really great! Julia receives a phone call from her niece Page on Halloween night for a ride home. A slumber party turns into a big party when it ends in the death of a local bookkeeper. While no one is really too interested in helping solve the murder Julia starts to gather the clues and put the pieces together to find the killer.
This is definitely a cute set of cozy-mysteries and I loved it! I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys cozy-mysteries!
Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read it!
The first novella was by Leslie Meier.
Lucy and her friends are helping a neighbor plan a Halloween Party. At the party the wife of the neighbor is found murdered and the husband becomes the prime suspect. I loved the whole atmosphere lol.
The second novella was by Lee Hollis. Haley throws a Halloween Party at her restaurant, now this novella definitely has some great humor.Now at this Halloween Party there is a murder and since everyone is still there no one can leave until they find out who the killer is and what happened.
The third novella is by Barbara Ross. Now I am not familiar with this series but I was still able to follow along with the story and it was really great! Julia receives a phone call from her niece Page on Halloween night for a ride home. A slumber party turns into a big party when it ends in the death of a local bookkeeper. While no one is really too interested in helping solve the murder Julia starts to gather the clues and put the pieces together to find the killer.
This is definitely a cute set of cozy-mysteries and I loved it! I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys cozy-mysteries!
Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read it!
October 14, 2021
⭐⭐⭐
Halloween Party Murder -- by LESLIE MEIER ⭐⭐⭐
To be honest, I usually really dislike this author's cozy mysteries. That's not to say the author is a dreadful writer, she isn't. In fact, I find the books (that I have read) to be well written and I enjoy the mysteries and the plots. However, I LOATHE Lucy and her stuck up group of judgmental busybodies with the passion of a thousand blistering suns. 😂 That said, she (surprisingly) wasn't that annoying in this book. Oh, there were moments, but they were brief. However, I didn't love the plot of this one very much. It was weird with the whole "drug" thing. It also wasn't very festive. All three of the stories in this collection lacked the Halloween festive feeling. 🤷🏻♀️
DEATH OF A HALLOWEEN PARTY MONSTER by LEE HOLLIS> ⭐⭐⭐
I recently read another book by this author and enjoyed it. I felt the same way about this one. It held my interest. The characters were likable. The mystery was a little predictable, but enjoyable. That said, I had the same issue with this story as I had with the previous book. The author places recipes (and the short stories that went along with them) between chapters.. I find this annoying as it interrupted the pace of the story. And again, I just ended up skipping them. 🤷🏻♀️
SCARED OFF by BARBARA ROSS ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This was my first time reading anything by this author, and I was pleasantly surprised. Again it missed the Halloween festive mark, but overall the plot was interesting and the characters likable. I'll definitely check out other books by this author. 👍🏻
**ARC Via NetGalley**
Halloween Party Murder -- by LESLIE MEIER ⭐⭐⭐
To be honest, I usually really dislike this author's cozy mysteries. That's not to say the author is a dreadful writer, she isn't. In fact, I find the books (that I have read) to be well written and I enjoy the mysteries and the plots. However, I LOATHE Lucy and her stuck up group of judgmental busybodies with the passion of a thousand blistering suns. 😂 That said, she (surprisingly) wasn't that annoying in this book. Oh, there were moments, but they were brief. However, I didn't love the plot of this one very much. It was weird with the whole "drug" thing. It also wasn't very festive. All three of the stories in this collection lacked the Halloween festive feeling. 🤷🏻♀️
DEATH OF A HALLOWEEN PARTY MONSTER by LEE HOLLIS> ⭐⭐⭐
I recently read another book by this author and enjoyed it. I felt the same way about this one. It held my interest. The characters were likable. The mystery was a little predictable, but enjoyable. That said, I had the same issue with this story as I had with the previous book. The author places recipes (and the short stories that went along with them) between chapters.. I find this annoying as it interrupted the pace of the story. And again, I just ended up skipping them. 🤷🏻♀️
SCARED OFF by BARBARA ROSS ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This was my first time reading anything by this author, and I was pleasantly surprised. Again it missed the Halloween festive mark, but overall the plot was interesting and the characters likable. I'll definitely check out other books by this author. 👍🏻
**ARC Via NetGalley**
April 2, 2021
Personal political beliefs have no business in fiction. Keep your leftist crap to yourself.
September 1, 2021
Halloween Party Murder by Leslie Meier, Barbara Ross, and Lee Hollis contains three fun Halloween themed novellas. Halloween Party Murder by Leslie Meier, Death of a Halloween Party Monster by Lee Hollis, and Scared Off by Barbara Ross are the three novellas. Each novella relates back to a series written by that author (A Lucy Stone Mystery, A Hayley Powell Food & Cocktails Mystery, and A Maine Clambake Mystery). The three stories go well together with all of them set in Maine and involving a Halloween Party. I enjoyed reading all three Halloween-themed stories. Lee Hollis’ was intriguing as it was a closed room mystery. It has Hayley Powell trying to figure out which of her guests could have committed murder. Halloween Party Murder by Leslie Meier picks up where Haunted House Murder ended. A haunted house turns deadly. Scared Off has Julia’s niece calling for help when a sleepover ends up with an out-of-control party. The police arrive to find the homeowner’s renter dead in the backyard. All three books are well-written with great characters and steady pacing. It is fun catching up with the characters from these entertaining cozy mysteries. These are three fun Halloween treats. Halloween Party Murder contains three spooktacular tales that have Halloween hijinks, mysterious murders, a creepy clown, startling screams, troubled teens, problematic party, and three stellar sleuths.
April 17, 2021
This is a collection of three novellas. I love when these authors write holiday novellas. The first is by Leslie Meier and features her sleuth, Lucy Stone. This one features her neighbors we met previously. They are throwing a Halloween party and the wife is murdered and the husband becomes the prime suspect.
The second novella is by Lee Hollis and features Haley Powell. Haley throws a Halloween party where someone is found murdered and the killer is still there. No one can leave until they figure out what happened. I loved this concept and the laugh out loud moments it produces.
The third and last novella is by Barbara Ross and features Julia Snowden. Julia gets a call from her niece to come pick up her and her friend from a party. When she gets there the police are there and she learns that the kids saw a "ghost" which is really the dead body of the woman living upstairs.
I loved all three of these novellas. The only thing I recommend is reading Lee Hollis's novella after reading her latest installment of the series, Death of An Italian Chef. That book sets up the novella. You don't have to read it first but it does help.
The second novella is by Lee Hollis and features Haley Powell. Haley throws a Halloween party where someone is found murdered and the killer is still there. No one can leave until they figure out what happened. I loved this concept and the laugh out loud moments it produces.
The third and last novella is by Barbara Ross and features Julia Snowden. Julia gets a call from her niece to come pick up her and her friend from a party. When she gets there the police are there and she learns that the kids saw a "ghost" which is really the dead body of the woman living upstairs.
I loved all three of these novellas. The only thing I recommend is reading Lee Hollis's novella after reading her latest installment of the series, Death of An Italian Chef. That book sets up the novella. You don't have to read it first but it does help.
March 17, 2021
I love nothing more than catching up with these fine characters.
The three stories are fun and fast paced, with plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing.
I enjoy these books, I always look forward to a new one.
The three stories are fun and fast paced, with plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing.
I enjoy these books, I always look forward to a new one.
October 26, 2021
Full disclosure that my rating only applies to one of the three Halloween-themed novella selections. As I have abandoned the other two series included, I might as well just be up front about the rating since there is zero chance I'll ever decide to pick those series back up again. But the one I did read was well worth it and deserving of its four stars!
Scared Off (Maine Clambake Mysteries:
Barbara Ross's cozy mystery series remains one of my all-time favorites. Once again, she has produced a satisfying holiday novella, appropriately creepy for Halloween-time, that still fits into the series as a whole, rather than feeling like a weird side trip. Familiar characters appear. Julia's personal story arc moves forward. It all feels extremely organic and comfortable. Additionally, for being a short story, it was well-constructed with a fully fleshed out plot. It didn't feel rushed or shortchanged. And as always, I was completely invested, hating to put the book down. This is a good little snack to get you over to the next full length installment in the series.
Already counting down until Book Ten makes its debut!
Scared Off (Maine Clambake Mysteries:
Barbara Ross's cozy mystery series remains one of my all-time favorites. Once again, she has produced a satisfying holiday novella, appropriately creepy for Halloween-time, that still fits into the series as a whole, rather than feeling like a weird side trip. Familiar characters appear. Julia's personal story arc moves forward. It all feels extremely organic and comfortable. Additionally, for being a short story, it was well-constructed with a fully fleshed out plot. It didn't feel rushed or shortchanged. And as always, I was completely invested, hating to put the book down. This is a good little snack to get you over to the next full length installment in the series.
Already counting down until Book Ten makes its debut!
January 8, 2022
Not entirely sure how to rate Halloween Party Murder. I think I'll wind up at a 3, but it's really Barbara Ross doing the heavy lifting here (for me) this time around.
Halloween Party Murder is the Lucy Stone mystery and it felt...off. I'm not sure if it was intentional, given that Lucy herself seems to be coming to grips with her place in the world no longer being quite what it was, or if it's something more. There are a few comments that I kept waiting for a character to circle back to but those moments never came, so I wasn't sure if I was supposed to take those comments as satire or if they were meant in earnest. I also didn't feel like the version of the Moons presented here really lined up with the Moons previously but I will freely admit that my memory could be at fault here. Everyone seemed out of sorts and not even the Halloween backdrop made this one more than a 2 star read for me.
Death of a Halloween Party Monster was both better and worse than I'd dared to hope for. I'm not a huge fan of the Hayley Powell series (I tried and there are bits I like but they're drowned out by the bits I dislike) and while I enjoyed the Halloween atmosphere, it just didn't do much for me overall. I loathe it when a sleuth decides to investigate a mysterious -thing- by themselves when they could just announce, "hey, I found something!" and still get to snoop anyway. Take the backup, people. Anyway, 2.5?
Scared Off is probably the least Halloween-y of the bunch and normally this would count against a story, particularly one set in a Halloween short story collection, but I still got my autumn chill and the 'ghost' made up for it. The mystery took a bit of a backseat to catching up with Julia and how she's been doing since the events of the last book (for me, anyway) and I'm curious as to whether the potential leads will play out in the next installment. I freely admit my love for the series is making me rate this a 4, but others might feel differently since the mystery isn't easily solved.
Halloween Party Murder is the Lucy Stone mystery and it felt...off. I'm not sure if it was intentional, given that Lucy herself seems to be coming to grips with her place in the world no longer being quite what it was, or if it's something more. There are a few comments that I kept waiting for a character to circle back to but those moments never came, so I wasn't sure if I was supposed to take those comments as satire or if they were meant in earnest. I also didn't feel like the version of the Moons presented here really lined up with the Moons previously but I will freely admit that my memory could be at fault here. Everyone seemed out of sorts and not even the Halloween backdrop made this one more than a 2 star read for me.
Death of a Halloween Party Monster was both better and worse than I'd dared to hope for. I'm not a huge fan of the Hayley Powell series (I tried and there are bits I like but they're drowned out by the bits I dislike) and while I enjoyed the Halloween atmosphere, it just didn't do much for me overall. I loathe it when a sleuth decides to investigate a mysterious -thing- by themselves when they could just announce, "hey, I found something!" and still get to snoop anyway. Take the backup, people. Anyway, 2.5?
Scared Off is probably the least Halloween-y of the bunch and normally this would count against a story, particularly one set in a Halloween short story collection, but I still got my autumn chill and the 'ghost' made up for it. The mystery took a bit of a backseat to catching up with Julia and how she's been doing since the events of the last book (for me, anyway) and I'm curious as to whether the potential leads will play out in the next installment. I freely admit my love for the series is making me rate this a 4, but others might feel differently since the mystery isn't easily solved.
November 8, 2021
This is a collection of Halloween themed novellas. Each novella is a fun cozy mystery to get you in the mood for spooky season.
Book #1 Halloween Party Murder. Lucy Stone once again is involved in an investigation of a suspicious death. In this book Lucy and her friends are getting older and the are not as much of the social scene as they once were. So the team up with some of the younger adults in hosting a haunted house. Everything seems to be going great until one of the hosts are found dead. The mystery is fasted pasted and full of twists and turns. I suspected the culprit but the journey to the reveal was entertaining.
Book #2 Death of a Halloween Party Monster. Haley is hosting a Halloween Party at her restaurant. Guests dress as their favorite monsters. One of the funniest parts is where one of the guests comes dressed as Pennywise and has fun scaring one of the other guest throughout the party. When the party is over they find a dead body but the victims is no longer in costume. This is an entertaining mystery that keeps you guessing guess until the end.
Book #3 Scared Off. Julie gets a call from her niece who is supposed to be at a slumber party with a couple of friends. The slumber party has tuned into a unsupervised party with high school kids. When Julie arrives to get her niece she see the police has arrived too. To Julie and the policeman’s surprise they not only find a party but a dead body. As Julie looks into the case, she discovers a lot of secrets the victim was keeping. This is a fast paced, fun, roller coaster of a mystery.
Book #1 Halloween Party Murder. Lucy Stone once again is involved in an investigation of a suspicious death. In this book Lucy and her friends are getting older and the are not as much of the social scene as they once were. So the team up with some of the younger adults in hosting a haunted house. Everything seems to be going great until one of the hosts are found dead. The mystery is fasted pasted and full of twists and turns. I suspected the culprit but the journey to the reveal was entertaining.
Book #2 Death of a Halloween Party Monster. Haley is hosting a Halloween Party at her restaurant. Guests dress as their favorite monsters. One of the funniest parts is where one of the guests comes dressed as Pennywise and has fun scaring one of the other guest throughout the party. When the party is over they find a dead body but the victims is no longer in costume. This is an entertaining mystery that keeps you guessing guess until the end.
Book #3 Scared Off. Julie gets a call from her niece who is supposed to be at a slumber party with a couple of friends. The slumber party has tuned into a unsupervised party with high school kids. When Julie arrives to get her niece she see the police has arrived too. To Julie and the policeman’s surprise they not only find a party but a dead body. As Julie looks into the case, she discovers a lot of secrets the victim was keeping. This is a fast paced, fun, roller coaster of a mystery.
September 6, 2021
Another enjoyable story about Lucy Stone and her husband. This time her husband might be doing a big restoration job for a new couple in town. Their house is called haunted and to celebrate Halloween they offer to let the town use it for a haunted house to raise money. When the wife of the couple is found dead and the husband blamed, Lucy starts looking into it.
October 19, 2021
Fun series and all three stories were great.
August 31, 2021
HALLOWEEN PARTY MURDER is a compilation of three cozy mystery novellas by three terrific authors: Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis, and Barbara Ross. If you haven’t yet read any books by these authors, this Halloween trilogy is a great way to try them out. And if you’re already a fan, you’ll love catching up with favorite characters via these quick vignettes. Despite the shortened length of each story, the authors do a marvelous job of setting the stage, capturing the essence of Halloween with spooky atmospheres, and creating a murder for the heroines to solve. The short books are well-plotted with a quick pace, yet the stories never feel rushed.
Each author brings their individual styles and strengths to their novella, from Leslie Meier tackling social issues, to the humor and wit imbued by Lee Hollis, to the strong character development and descriptive voice embraced by Barbara Ross. Each of their strengths has a hand in creating stories that captured my attention and kept me glued to the pages all the while adhering to the theme of the title. Another aspect I enjoy about the annual cozy mystery novella trilogy published by Kensington, is that each story is short enough to finish in one evening without feeling the need to stay up half the night to find out the conclusion. Of course, if you have time on your hands, you’ll want to gobble up the entire book all at once while munching on trick-or-treat goodies!
Barbara Ross and Lee Hollis are known for adding tempting recipes to their books, and Halloween Party Murder is no exception. With several tempting Halloween treats mentioned on the pages, be prepared to be hungry and be sure to check out the Halloween-themed recipes included.
I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Each author brings their individual styles and strengths to their novella, from Leslie Meier tackling social issues, to the humor and wit imbued by Lee Hollis, to the strong character development and descriptive voice embraced by Barbara Ross. Each of their strengths has a hand in creating stories that captured my attention and kept me glued to the pages all the while adhering to the theme of the title. Another aspect I enjoy about the annual cozy mystery novella trilogy published by Kensington, is that each story is short enough to finish in one evening without feeling the need to stay up half the night to find out the conclusion. Of course, if you have time on your hands, you’ll want to gobble up the entire book all at once while munching on trick-or-treat goodies!
Barbara Ross and Lee Hollis are known for adding tempting recipes to their books, and Halloween Party Murder is no exception. With several tempting Halloween treats mentioned on the pages, be prepared to be hungry and be sure to check out the Halloween-themed recipes included.
I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
August 27, 2021
Halloween Party Murder is a collection of three novellas. The first is part of Leslie Meier's Lucy Stone series; the second features Lee Hollis's food and cocktail columnist Hayley Powell and the third one is a short Maine Clambake mystery by Barbara Ross called Scared Off. Prior to reading this I have read three of Leslie Meier's books set in Tinker's Cove, also three of Lee Hollis's set in Bar Harbor and one Maine Clambake mystery featuring Julia Snowden.
All three are absorbing tales with a Halloween theme, and if pressed for a favourite I would choose Death of a Halloween Party Monster by Lee Hollis for the wit and banter as I had such a laugh! In Scared Off I loved the writing style of Barbara Ross which was a good fit for me. Halloween Party Murder by Leslie Meier was engrossing with the discerning and intrepid Lucy Stone. These novellas are a great way to discover new-to-you cozy mystery authors and love the holiday or seasonal approaches they often have. Very highly recommended.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Kensington Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
All three are absorbing tales with a Halloween theme, and if pressed for a favourite I would choose Death of a Halloween Party Monster by Lee Hollis for the wit and banter as I had such a laugh! In Scared Off I loved the writing style of Barbara Ross which was a good fit for me. Halloween Party Murder by Leslie Meier was engrossing with the discerning and intrepid Lucy Stone. These novellas are a great way to discover new-to-you cozy mystery authors and love the holiday or seasonal approaches they often have. Very highly recommended.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Kensington Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
October 29, 2021
2 stars:
Halloween Party Murder (Lucy Stone #27.5)
4 stars:
Death of a Halloween Party Monster (Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery #14.5)
Scared Off (Maine Clambake Mystery #9.5)
All three stories take place in Maine. Death of a Halloween Party Monster is only on Halloween, and the other two also involve before and/or after. They involve theft, parties, pranks, and scandals, as well as murder. There are some surprises and twists. Also, there are somethings that have been left open that should carry into the next books.
Halloween Party Murder (Lucy Stone #27.5)
4 stars:
Death of a Halloween Party Monster (Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery #14.5)
Scared Off (Maine Clambake Mystery #9.5)
All three stories take place in Maine. Death of a Halloween Party Monster is only on Halloween, and the other two also involve before and/or after. They involve theft, parties, pranks, and scandals, as well as murder. There are some surprises and twists. Also, there are somethings that have been left open that should carry into the next books.
October 24, 2021
A cozy read from our authors Lee Hollis, Barbara Ross and Leslie Meier all perfect for Halloween mysteries. Get together with Lucy Stone, Hayley Powell, and Julia Snowden and their neighbors as they solve the crimes that occurred at Halloween parties which is difficult because everyone is in costumes. Fun and quick reads!
April 6, 2024
Trick or Treat? This was a cozy treat. Three authors writing their own take on a holiday theme. The time frames were a bit of a mystery to me as I’ve read Lucy Stone and Julia Snowden stories before. Not sure where the order is. Same with Hayley. It doesn’t really matter, they are just fun reads. I have 4 more in the series to look forward to.
October 25, 2023
I enjoyed all of these stories. They were a lot of fun and so different from each other. I’m at 3 very different spots in each of these series and this book made me want to catch up on them all.
October 29, 2024
Halloween Party Murder: 2.5/5
Death of a Halloween Party Monster: 3/5
Scared Off: 3.5/5
Death of a Halloween Party Monster: 3/5
Scared Off: 3.5/5
June 21, 2021
Book #1 - Halloween Party Murder by Leslie Meier
Ty and Heather Moon own an old house that many people in town thought was haunted. Ty does a lot of work with electronics and lighting for special effects. As a result, Ty and Heather have agreed to use their house as part of a promotion to raise money for the Hat and Mitten Fund that Lucy Stone helps to promote. The Haunted House promotion is a great success until Lucy goes looking for Heather. Heather is still in the bathroom where her part took place. She is non-responsive, but still has a weak pulse. Lucy immediately goes for help, but Heather dies on the way to the hospital. Heather's husband, Ty, is accused of killing her with a drug overdose, but he insists he is innocent.
Who killed Heather? Why was she killed? Was the overdose intentional or accidental? Can Lucy untangle the mystery?
Book #2 - Death of a Halloween Party Monster by Lee Hollis
Haley Powell is conducting what she hopes to be her first annual Halloween party at her restaurant, Haley's Kitchen. People were to dress up as their favorite movie monster. Guests were dressed as Annie Wilkes from the Stephen King novel Misery, Chuckie the evil doll, the Mummy, Pennywise from another Stephen King movie, and others. As the party is winding down, Liddy discovers the body of Boris Candy in the freezer. Unfortunately, he is dead.
Who killed Boris? Why was he killed? Can Haley unravel the mystery?
Book #3 - Scared Off by Barbara Ross
Julia Snowden gets a frantic call from her niece, Page, who had been spending the night with her friends, Talia and Vanessa. The girls were doing a sleep-over at Talia's house and had invited some other people from their class at school. Unfortunately, the party got totally out of hand when additional people showed up. The newcomers were drinking beer and getting very noisy. They were supposed to be supervised by Mrs. Zelisko, who lived on the third floor of the house, but the girls were unable to find her. It turned out that Mrs. Zelisko was dead and her body had been stored in the shed.
Who killed Mrs. Zelisko? When was she killed? Why were the girls left unsupervised?
These are three great stories set around Halloween and each has its own share of twists and turns to keep the reader engaged clear to the end.
Ty and Heather Moon own an old house that many people in town thought was haunted. Ty does a lot of work with electronics and lighting for special effects. As a result, Ty and Heather have agreed to use their house as part of a promotion to raise money for the Hat and Mitten Fund that Lucy Stone helps to promote. The Haunted House promotion is a great success until Lucy goes looking for Heather. Heather is still in the bathroom where her part took place. She is non-responsive, but still has a weak pulse. Lucy immediately goes for help, but Heather dies on the way to the hospital. Heather's husband, Ty, is accused of killing her with a drug overdose, but he insists he is innocent.
Who killed Heather? Why was she killed? Was the overdose intentional or accidental? Can Lucy untangle the mystery?
Book #2 - Death of a Halloween Party Monster by Lee Hollis
Haley Powell is conducting what she hopes to be her first annual Halloween party at her restaurant, Haley's Kitchen. People were to dress up as their favorite movie monster. Guests were dressed as Annie Wilkes from the Stephen King novel Misery, Chuckie the evil doll, the Mummy, Pennywise from another Stephen King movie, and others. As the party is winding down, Liddy discovers the body of Boris Candy in the freezer. Unfortunately, he is dead.
Who killed Boris? Why was he killed? Can Haley unravel the mystery?
Book #3 - Scared Off by Barbara Ross
Julia Snowden gets a frantic call from her niece, Page, who had been spending the night with her friends, Talia and Vanessa. The girls were doing a sleep-over at Talia's house and had invited some other people from their class at school. Unfortunately, the party got totally out of hand when additional people showed up. The newcomers were drinking beer and getting very noisy. They were supposed to be supervised by Mrs. Zelisko, who lived on the third floor of the house, but the girls were unable to find her. It turned out that Mrs. Zelisko was dead and her body had been stored in the shed.
Who killed Mrs. Zelisko? When was she killed? Why were the girls left unsupervised?
These are three great stories set around Halloween and each has its own share of twists and turns to keep the reader engaged clear to the end.
October 4, 2021
A wonderful collection of three stories by a great group of authors.
In the first story the newest residents to town hope to help raise funds for a local charity by turning their home into a haunted house. Lucy is looking forward to writing a story about the upcoming festivities. When one of the hosts dies from a drug overdose and her spouse is accused of murder Lucy decides to dig deeper into the incident to make sure the right person is being charged. Will Lucy be able to figure out just what happened that night or will a murderer stay free.
In the second story Hayley is throwing a Halloween party and all the guests are dressed up, ready to party. Things are going great until one of the guests is found dead. Hayley can't have such a horrific event hanging over her head so she starts to investigate. Who would have wanted to kill Boris and why. Hayley begins to look into all of her guests to figure out who had it in for the man. Will Hayley find a murderer or will her event stay tainted.
In the third story three teenagers are enjoying a sleepover when it is crashed by some older kids looking to party. When an elderly woman is found dead in the backyard dressed like a ghost the young girls are shocked. Julia's niece was one of the girls and she hates that she saw such a sight. Julia decides to look into the death and see if she can figure out just what happened that night. Will it end up being an uninvited guest or someone much older and more devious.
I so enjoy the shorts and being able to catch up with favored characters while longer books are being plotted.
In the first story the newest residents to town hope to help raise funds for a local charity by turning their home into a haunted house. Lucy is looking forward to writing a story about the upcoming festivities. When one of the hosts dies from a drug overdose and her spouse is accused of murder Lucy decides to dig deeper into the incident to make sure the right person is being charged. Will Lucy be able to figure out just what happened that night or will a murderer stay free.
In the second story Hayley is throwing a Halloween party and all the guests are dressed up, ready to party. Things are going great until one of the guests is found dead. Hayley can't have such a horrific event hanging over her head so she starts to investigate. Who would have wanted to kill Boris and why. Hayley begins to look into all of her guests to figure out who had it in for the man. Will Hayley find a murderer or will her event stay tainted.
In the third story three teenagers are enjoying a sleepover when it is crashed by some older kids looking to party. When an elderly woman is found dead in the backyard dressed like a ghost the young girls are shocked. Julia's niece was one of the girls and she hates that she saw such a sight. Julia decides to look into the death and see if she can figure out just what happened that night. Will it end up being an uninvited guest or someone much older and more devious.
I so enjoy the shorts and being able to catch up with favored characters while longer books are being plotted.
October 5, 2021
Halloween Party Murder Earns 5/5 Triple Delights…Engaging Fun!
Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis, and Barbara Ross have partnered again in this trilogy of novellas just in time to whet your craving for tricksters and treaters of the Halloween season. Each author may have a different style or perspective on the haunting season, but they all are entertaining and clever with a satisfying conclusion as they present holiday fun, or murder, with characters from one of their series. Recipes, too!
Leslie Meier, inspired by her Lucy Stone Mystery, presents “Halloween Party Murder” focusing on the Moons, new residents in Timber Cove, Maine, offering the house they are renovating for a haunted house charity event, but the dead body discovered wasn’t part of the approved decoration. Based on Lee Hollis’s Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery, “Death of a Halloween Party Monster” provides a challenge for the hostess when an brutish guest is found dead and with suspects all costumed it is difficult to manage clues. Recipes include drinks, bites, and sweets perfect for your own party, sans the dead body! Barbara Ross brings the cast from her Maine Clambake Mystery in “Scared Off” with a “should’ve known better” scenario: three teens left home, a party tonight text goes out, and all the antics one can imagine…but a dead body! Recipe is a gluten-free version of pumpkin cookies.
Fun, entertaining, easy to read page-turner and…recipes! Who would miss this?
Disclosure: I received an ARC from Kensington thru NetGalley. My review is voluntary with honest insights and comments.
Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis, and Barbara Ross have partnered again in this trilogy of novellas just in time to whet your craving for tricksters and treaters of the Halloween season. Each author may have a different style or perspective on the haunting season, but they all are entertaining and clever with a satisfying conclusion as they present holiday fun, or murder, with characters from one of their series. Recipes, too!
Leslie Meier, inspired by her Lucy Stone Mystery, presents “Halloween Party Murder” focusing on the Moons, new residents in Timber Cove, Maine, offering the house they are renovating for a haunted house charity event, but the dead body discovered wasn’t part of the approved decoration. Based on Lee Hollis’s Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery, “Death of a Halloween Party Monster” provides a challenge for the hostess when an brutish guest is found dead and with suspects all costumed it is difficult to manage clues. Recipes include drinks, bites, and sweets perfect for your own party, sans the dead body! Barbara Ross brings the cast from her Maine Clambake Mystery in “Scared Off” with a “should’ve known better” scenario: three teens left home, a party tonight text goes out, and all the antics one can imagine…but a dead body! Recipe is a gluten-free version of pumpkin cookies.
Fun, entertaining, easy to read page-turner and…recipes! Who would miss this?
Disclosure: I received an ARC from Kensington thru NetGalley. My review is voluntary with honest insights and comments.
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