Homicide at the Haunted House

Nightmare, Arizona #1

by Beth Dolgner

Divorced, broke, and broken down in the old mining town of Nightmare, Arizona, Olivia Kendrick is desperate for a job. At forty-two years old, she never thought she would be starting over like this, let alone in a tucked-away town filled with tourists, offbeat residents, and an outspoken UFO hunter. Olivia takes a job at a year-round haunted house, but when she arrives for her first day, she faces real horror: a local man’s body has been dumped at the front entrance.

Olivia is an immediate suspect. After all, she’s a stranger in town. As Olivia tries to find the real killer, she begins to realize her co-workers aren’t just putting on a show every night at Nightmare Sanctuary Haunted House. And why does the “dog” running around have such long fangs?

Things only get worse when Damien Shackleford, the son of the haunted house’s missing owner, shows up. He might be handsome, but his arrogant attitude makes everyone miserable. Olivia must forge a new life, solve a murder, and decide who’s more of a monster: Damien or the actual monsters she works with…

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Paranormal, Fantasy, Cozy, Fiction, Audiobook

192 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 13, 2023

About the author

Beth Dolgner writes paranormal fiction and non-fiction. Her interest in things that go bump in the night really took off on a trip to Savannah, Georgia, so it's fitting that the Betty Boo, Ghost Hunter Series of paranormal romance novels takes place in that spooky city. Beth's young adult novels, the steampunk Manifest and the urban fantasy A Talent for Death, also have paranormal elements. Her non-fiction work includes Georgia Spirits and Specters and Everyday Voodoo.

Since Georgia is obviously on her mind, you might think Beth lives there. Well, she did, but these days she and her husband live in Berlin, Germany, with their three cats. Beth misses those mild Georgia winters and proper iced tea, but there's no reason her characters can't enjoy those things.

Beth also enjoys giving presentations on Victorian death and mourning traditions as well as Victorian Spiritualism. She has been a volunteer at an historic cemetery, a ghost tour guide and a paranormal investigator. Right now she's chronicling the best spooky spots around Europe.

Beth is online at www.BethDolgner.com.

Betty Boo, Ghost Hunter Series
Ghost of a Threat,
Ghost of a Whisper
Ghost of a Memory
Ghost of a Hope

Manifest
Georgia Spirits and Specters,
Everyday Voodoo

Reviews

[WhatMichaelaReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

The cutest cosy mystery ever??? Can’t wait to carry on with the series

[Mairi Swan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was cute but I felt that something was missing. On to the second book and I hope it's better

[Lindsay♫SingerOfStories♫ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has helped me pin the cozy/paranormal trope that I like: found family! I love a character who is new to town and/or new to her powers and finds herself at home in the most surprising places. Homicide at the Haunted House is about MC Olivia, who is recently divorced and absolutely broke. She has packed up the few belongings she has left after selling as much as she could and is heading to her brother's in California. However, when taking a detour to avoid a huge traffic jam, her car breaks down on a remote road. The nearest town? Nightmare, AZ. Her car is towed and she needs to find a job in order to afford her car and lodging. The only job available? Working at the haunted house. In a tiny town called Nightmare. LOL! My only gripe about this book is that it was pretty slow moving. Yes, we are introducing the town and the characters but she doesn't "figure out" the true quirks until, what, 60-70% into the book? And we are still left wondering if Olivia has gifts of her own, what they might be, and how she might be able to use them. SO. Oh darn, I guess I'll just have to keep reading!

[Madison Warner Fairbanks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Homicide in the Haunted House by Beth Dolgner
Nightmare, Arizona series #1. Paranormal cozy mystery.
When her car breaks down near an old mining town in Arizona, Olivia Kendrick has no choice but to spend the night waiting on her car. Knowing she only has funds for a day or two at the most in the B&B, and finding out repairs would take more than one day, she asks a local where to find job postings. She’s hired at the Nightmare Sanctuary Haunted House and a real nightmare follows when she finds a dead body dumped at the front entrance. It’s not a gimmick and Olivia, being a suspect, starts asking her own questions.
Olivia discovers the horror house is filled with not just people in makeup and costumes but seemingly real vampires, werewolves and more.
Then the owner’s son shows up and wants answers. Now. Damien Shackleford isn’t the type to waste time. But is the town ready for Damien?

🎧 I alternated between an ebook and an audiobook. The narration is performed by Petrea Burchard and brings Olivia’s personality to life.

Entertaining cozy as Beth is accepted by the town, given a room outside the B&B to save money, and befriends the local “characters” of the haunted house. Mind blown as she discovers the paranormal world is real.
I’m looking forward to reading more of this series. Amusing and twisty.
4.5

[Amy Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've never read a super paranormal mystery like this before and am happy to say that I absolutely loved it. The setting of Nightmare, Arizona is fantastic and the characters are a blast!

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn’t a bad series at all. It held my interest throughout it, even though at times it seemed a little lackluster. I didn’t know who the baddie was, but at the same time I didn’t even try because I didn’t care to, so that didn’t matter to me at all. If I can continue to find the audiobooks online or at my library to listen to, I may keep listening to this series, but I won’t buy them. They are just… good. Not amazing.

Petrea Burchard Is the narrator for the audiobook version of this novel, and she was pretty great. As far as I can tell, this is my first novel with her narration, and I enjoyed her work.

3.5 stars.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great start to a new (to me) series! I love the setting, the main character, Olivia, and the quirky, secondary characters that make up the town. The mystery was fast paced and easy to follow and I can’t wait to read more in the series.

[chasc.taylor_reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars ✨

I love cozy mysteries! This was such a cute novella and I loved the paranormal aspects. I’ll definitely be continuing on in the series.

[Tara Lush · Rating 5 out of 5]

A super fun paranormal cozy mystery! I love that it’s set in Arizona. Can’t want to read more in this series!

[Lucinda Race · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first book by Beth Dolgner and it was creative and a terrific book.

If you love all things paranormal, then stop by Nightmare AZ and take the tour.

[Ophelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun read! I will definitely be reading the next in the series. Sometimes, I just need a cozy read with a supernatural twist to brighten up my day.
This one is actually a 4 1/2 stars for me, but I'm still getting acquainted with the quirky characters, so I'm saving my 5 stars until I get to know them better as the series goes along.

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 5 ⭐
Coziness: ☕☕☕☕
Mystery: 🔎🔎🔎🔎🔎
Paranormal: 🧟‍♀️/5

TW: Death, Paranormal, Stalking, Blood


There is nothing I love more than a paranormal cozy mystery. They are just such a comfort read, and I fell in love from the first chapter.

With a little paranormal activity, there is plenty of mystery within these pages. I never saw the culprit as one. Just some guy. But I wish there would have been a little more in the way of what happened to Jared. It gave a somewhat explanation, but I wanted how everything led up to it.

I honestly can't complain because this was such a quick and wonderful read! I cannot wait for the next in the series!!

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was exactly what I wanted to read…a cozy mystery with good writing, an intriguing plot line and unique characters 😍

If you want to curl up with a blanket and try to figure out who did it and have an interesting storyline along the way, then this is the book for you!

The fact that the mystery is wrapped up in this book but the main storyline continues on in the next book is so satisfying for me! 🎊🎉

Can’t wait to read the next one 😄

[Jenna Scribbles · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick, fun cozy mystery. Some people may find it too light and short. I love books like this with a sassy, determined female lead character, unique setting, lots of quirky people - and creatures. No heavy reading. Just entertaining. I bought book two of this series and I’m looking forward to reading it.

[Xanthi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to this on audiobook format.
Cozy mysteries with a paranormal element are hit or miss, so I was pleasantly surprised with this new series. It moves along at a good clip, with an array of colourful characters and situations. The setting itself, feels like a character. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

[Madeline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great beginning to a new series…

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting cozy premise. A little mystery, a little spooky. I love it.

[Judith Cormier · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining first instalment to the Nightmare Arizona series. I honestly had no idea what to expect, but I enjoyed the book.

It starts with Olivia trying to make her way across Arizona to California, San Diego to be exact, to go live with her brother. After a humiliating divorce where she sold everything, she doesn’t have much, and the crappy car she bought breaks down. She ends up walking to a small town called Nightmare (yep, weird name, but it attracts a lot of tourists). She meets the local mechanic, Nick, and he’s nice enough to tow her car and take her to his mom’s motel.

After she settles in, she realizes she needs a job, which she does happen to get at the local Haunted House. And that is where the fun begins. As the reader, I think it becomes obvious to us, before Olivia, that things aren’t entirely as they seem at the haunted house, so it’s not a surprise when she comes to find out that it’s inhabited by real-life paranormal creatures. Some can shift, and some can’t, so being part of the Sanctuary Haunted House gives them a secure place to be.

That is all threatened when a dead body ends up in front of the house, literally the first day that Olivia starts working there. There are several suspects, and while some think maybe Olivia's showing up had something to do with it, it gets dismissed quickly by the police. But she feels that she has to know. That she feels like her showing up is weird, especially after she heard the victim and another man arguing at the diner. So Olivia does a little investigating of her own.

I think what makes the book so charming and such an enjoyable read is all of the great characters. Olivia herself is very likable, but so is everyone else … some good, some bad … but still likable. And the description of the town is truly awesome. Makes me want to visit Nightmare, Arizona ... well, if it really existed.

The series is nine books, with the 10th coming out in June. I’ve already bought book two because I love to support a self-published author!! I’ll also be picking up the rest as I go. These are such quick reads and a lighthearted story to break up all of the large, heavy reads I have every month!!

[Houds · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure this book delivered what I usually seek in small town cosy murder mystery books, though I loved the supernatural twist. I think the first half felt slow, and then the unfolding of the mystery basically happened in the last 5% of the book.
Overall, this was cosy. Still debating whether I'll read more of the series

[Jules Inman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fast and fun read. This is obviously not realistic since there are werewolves, vampires, witches etc…so definitely go in knowing that. It felt like I was in a spooky Halloween town and I really enjoyed it. Will continue in the series.

[Jacque Stengel · Rating 5 out of 5]

great start to a fun series

Ok, I didn’t expect to like this book as much as I did: who can’t love a haunted house with all the things! The writing kept me flipping pages. Good thing there’s more to come!

[Freya Dale · Rating 4 out of 5]

The cutest paranormal cozy mystery perfect for spooky season ✨️🧙‍♀️🔮 loved the found family trope and this was such an easy, cosy read - definition of pure escapism and head empty no thoughts vibes.
Loved that Dolgner is an indie author and the fact she's a ghost tour guide and a lecturer on Victorian dead, mourning customs and spiritualism is also very cool!
Included in Kindle Unlimited.
4 🌟

[Midnightreader · Rating 3 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed the cute cosy mystery aspect and the FMC is surprisingly likeable. The writing tends to get a bit repetitive but the story is short and engaging enough to ignore that issue for the most part. Definitely going to carry on with the series.

[quinnster · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this little mystery in Nightmare, Arizona. I liked the idea of a year round Haunted House and getting to work in all the different positions. Loved all the monsters/spirits/witches. It was very fun!

[Kristy Maitz · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a simple slow pace read.

[Alisha Carderella · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars

[Hekareadsbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75

this is a really fun cozy. I enjoyed it.

a great cast of characters and a good start to a series.

[Bobbi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very light cozy mystery. Not exciting but interesting characters.

[Laura Medicus · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good one!

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nightmare Arizona Series #1
Paranormal Cozy Mystery
Very Cute Cozy Mystery
Characters are a blast
Can't wait to read the rest of the series