by Lorie Lewis Ham

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

I am a big fan of Emmeline Duncan’s Ground Rules Mysteries, so I was excited to see that she was starting a new series as well, and this one takes place in a Halloween-themed town called Elyan Hollow, Oregon. I love Halloween, so what could be better than that? This series features Bailey Briggs who has taken over her grandfather’s bookshop Lazy Bones Books. So Halloween and a bookstore—perfect!

In this first book in the series, Bailey is getting ready for Halloween season, which of course, is her town’s time to shine. She has her hands full managing Lazy Bones Books, working on her graphic novel, and running the Spooky Season Literary Festival, so she has barely had a moment to enjoy Elyan Hollow’s spot-on seasonal vibes. As if that wasn’t enough, at every turn she is tripping over the invading crew of Gone Ghouls, a ghost-hunting reality TV show currently filming around town. Things start off right away on the wrong foot with the Lit Festival when the keynote author doesn’t show up for his talk—though he is full of apologies later. Sadly though, things get even worse when Bailey discovers a dead body and finds herself the top suspect.

Now Bailey must try to solve the murder, but thankfully has the help of her librarian friend, Colby, and Jack Skeleton, her world-class bookshop dog. They uncover a lot of secrets along the way (including of her own family) and the list of suspects begins to grow, but also the list of victims.

This is a delightful first in a series and I look forward to the next one. The mystery has plenty of twists and turns. The town is charming and filled with Halloween fun, and as always with all of Emmeline’s books the characters are quirky, realistic, and the kind of people you would love to have as friends. A perfect read for Halloween season and any other time.

You can click here to purchase this book from Amazon.

To enter to win a copy of Chaos at the Lazy Bones Bookshop, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “chaos” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen October 26, 2024. U.S. residents only, and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. Also listen to our new mystery podcast where mystery short stories and first chapters are read by actors! They are also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Spotify.

Lorie Lewis Ham is our Editor-in-Chief and a contributor to various sections, coupling her journalism experience with her connection to the literary and entertainment worlds. Explore Lorie’s mystery writing at Mysteryrat’s Closet. Lorie’s latest mystery novel, One of Us, is set in the Tower District of Fresno and the world of community theatre!

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.