by Sandra Murphy

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of the book, and a link to purchase it from Amazon.

One Book, Three Halloween Stories, Seven Recipes

Halloween Party Murder by Leslie Meier

The residents of Tinker’s Cove, the whole of Maine really, can be reluctant to accept strangers. Generations later, families are still known as ‘the new people.’ It’s no wonder Ty Moon and his wife Heather seem suspicious. They don’t mingle, visit with neighbors, or invite anyone over, and there were odd, flashing lights and loud noises coming from the house at all hours.

In reality, Ty is a special effects guy. His wife had been ill and is now in recovery. They’ve hired Bill to renovate the run down home they bought. Heather heard about the Hats and Mittens Fund that provides kids in need with warm clothing for Maine’s chilly winters. She and Ty offer to let the volunteers paint, decorate, and make the house look haunted.

During the festivities, Lucy finds Heather non-responsive and Ty is arrested for her murder. He swears he’s innocent but if so, who else knew her well enough to want her dead?

As a reporter for the local paper, Lucy is in the perfect position to ask the uncomfortable questions—at her own risk, of course.

Death of a Halloween Party Monster by Lee Hollis

No matter how a hostess tries to control the number of people invited to a party, there’s always one or two people who ask (or don’t ask) to bring someone else along. With everyone in costume, who’s to say who was invited and who crashed the party?

It’s all fun and games until the witches put a death spell on an unruly guest who turns up dead. The small town’s tiny police force is divided—one officer investigating a burglary gone wrong and the police chief at the party—and at odds with the victim before he turned into ‘the body’. Will the killer be able to hide behind the costume?

Recipes include Hot White Russian, Chicken Cordon Boo Bites, Boo Boozy Milkshakes, Monster Meatball Sliders, Candy Corn Martini (does not contain the candy), and No Bake Candy Pie.

Scared Off by Barbara Ross

It’s never a good idea to leave three teenage girls alone, but with a tenant to watch over them, it seemed like a safe bet—until a few text messages led to an open invitation for a parent-free party, open bar, huge house with cozy corners for couple’s alone time, and one ghostly tenant flying, floating, or falling depending on which impressionable kid is asked.

The victim was such a private person, not even those who knew and worked with her knew her first name or background. If the police can’t find out who she was, how will they discover her killer’s identity? The motive may be buried in the past, but where is that? Going backward, one step at a time, just might do the trick.

Find the recipe for Vee’s Gluten-free Pumpkin Cookies at the end of the story.

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Each story is about 100 pages long and features the characters from the writer’s book series. Lucy Stone, Haley Powell, and Julia Snowden tell their tales of Halloween horrors to get readers in the mood for small candy bars, ghostly cookies, and monster pizzas.

The three have previously appeared together. Look for Haunted House Murder plus two Christmas volumes, Egg Nog Murder and Yule Log Murder.

To enter to win a copy of Halloween Party Murder, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “party,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen October 16, 2021. U.S. residents only, and you must be 18 or older to enter. If you are entering via email please include you mailing address in case you win, it will be deleted after the contest. You can read our privacy statement here if you like. BE AWARE THAT IT WILL TAKE MUCH LONGER THAN USUAL FOR WINNERS TO GET THEIR BOOKS DUE TO THE CURRENT CRISIS.

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Sandra Murphy lives in the shadow of the Arch in St. Louis Missouri. She’s editor for Peace, Love, and Crime: Crime Stories Inspired by the Songs of the ’60s, with twenty-two cozy stories. She also edited A Murder of Crows, twenty-one stories featuring animals and crime (no animals were harmed). She also writes for magazines, newsletters, and the occasional guest blog. Both anthologies are available at the usual outlets, print or ebook.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.