All Aboard for Murder - A Review & Giveaway

Review

ALL ABOARD FOR MURDER by Ellen Byron
The Third Golden Motel Mystery 

 

The towns of Foundgold and Goldsgone are celebrating the birthday of Angus Sprockles, the man who made the area a historic site. Festivities begin with the opening of a time capsule with the big event being the Sprockles Railroad Halloween-themed fundraiser for the Historical Society featuring former child star Dougie Keefer. After a wonderful event the last of the organizers are ready to take the train ride back only to find Moses Sprockles dead on the track. With murky jurisdiction, multiple law enforcement agencies soon descend upon the scene. Dee Stern, former screenwriter and new motelier is more than happy to leave this murder to the professionals. That is until her dad asks her to investigate the death of his friend. Did the murder have something to do with the silver spike from the time capsule? Or perhaps something related to Moses' work as a notary? With the Golden Motel once again associated with murder Dee and her partner, Jeff, will don their sleuthing hats and try to solve another murder. 

 

It's fun being back in Foundgold, California, especially during Halloween time. I love how Dee, her father, and Jeff really get into the spirit of things, helping families make memories, and bringing back old time fun. Like Dee, I can't stand the concept of influencers. And we have a few annoying ones here. In fact, there are plenty of shifty characters, along with favorite regulars. I'm especially fond of Ma'am and Mr. Ma'am and loved how Serena showed a decided edge. No trophy wife, she has smarts, a strong backbone, and is not someone with whom to trifle! I also love Bud, the bear.

 

In addition to murder, the third Golden Motel Mystery gives readers some relationship drama. Despite unpleasant changes there are hints of something special on the horizon, and plenty of laughs as well. The mystery was interesting with several suspects, the aforementioned shifty characters, red herrings. and very real threats, all which kept me interested and engaged.

 

Railroad aficionados, fans of the Old West, and anyone who enjoys a well written novel with unique characters will enjoy ALL ABOARD FOR MURDER, a fun Halloween themed mystery. 

 

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 All Aboard for Murder (A Golden Motel Mystery) by Ellen Byron

About All Aboard for Murder

All Aboard for Murder (A Golden Motel Mystery)
Cozy Mystery 3rd in Series
Setting - California
Publisher: ‎ Kensington Cozies
Publication Date: ‎ July 28, 2026
Print Length: ‎ 288 pages

Dee Stern is starting to feel at home running her Golden Motel in the quaint California village she moved to, leaving behind her LA life as a sitcom writer. But a killer sees the town’s Halloween celebration as a golden opportunity to write a script for murder . . .

It’s October in Gold Rush country and all manner of tricks and treats are happening in the lead-up to Halloween. October also happens to be the birthday of Angus Sprockles, the man responsible for the town being designated a historic landmark, and the residents are celebrating his memory as well. His only living descendant, Moses Sprockles, runs the narrow-gauge railroad—once used to ferry lumber from the mountains to the sawmill, now a tourist attraction. The Sprockles Railroad is hosting a Halloween-themed fundraiser for the Historical Society.

But when a body is found on the tracks, it’s not a Halloween prank. It’s Moses himself, seemingly felled by a fallen tree branch. Dee’s dad Sam is convinced his friend is the victim of foul play and urges his daughter to apply her sleuthing skills. Dee’s train of thought leads her to suspects ranging from a former child star and one-hit wonder, the owner of a nail salon with her claws in everything, and even the mayor. When a self-proclaimed ghost hunter throws his hat in the ring and claims to know who did it, the investigation really goes off the rails. No matter how crazy things get, Dee is determined to blow the whistle on a runaway killer with a one-track mind.

About Ellen Byron

Ellen is a bestselling author, Anthony nominee, and recipient of multiple Agatha and Lefty awards for her Cajun Country Mysteries, Vintage Cookbook Mysteries, Catering Hall Mysteries (as Maria DiRico), and Golden Motel Mysteries. She is also an award-winning playwright and non-award-winning writer of TV hits like Wings, Just Shoot Me, and Fairly OddParents, but considers her most impressive achievement working as a cater-waiter for Martha Stewart.

A native New Yorker, Ellen is a graduate of Tulane University and lives in the Los Angeles area with her husband, daughter, and a rotating crew of rescue pups. Visit her at http://www.ellenbyron.com/.

Author Links: 

Newsletter: https://www.ellenbyron.com/  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ellenbyronauthor/ https://www.facebook.com/CateringHallMysteries/  

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellenbyronmariadirico/  

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/ellen-byron https://www.bookbub.com/authors/maria-dirico

Goodreads: Ellen Byron (Author of Plantation Shudders) | Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19130966.Maria_DiRico  

Purchase Links – Amazon – Kensington – Bookshop.org – B&N – Hudson Books – Target – Walmart

Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading All Aboard for Murder by Ellen Byron. This book is the third in the Golden Motel Mystery series and will be released next week.

The towns of Foundgold and Goldsgone are celebrating the birthday of Angus Sprockles, the man made the area a historic site. From the opening of a time capsule to the Sprockles Railroad Halloween-themed fundraiser for the Historical Society featuring former child star Dougie Keefer. After a wonderful event the last of the organizers are ready to take the train ride back only to find Moses Sprockles dead on the track. With murky jurisdiction, multiple law enforcement agencies soon descend upon the scene. Dee Stern, former screenwriter and new motelier is more than happy to leave this murder to the professionals. That is until her dad asks her to investigate the death of his friend. Did the murder have something to do with the silver spike from the time capsule? Or perhaps something related to Moses' work as a notary? With the Golden Motel once again associated with murder Dee and her partner, Jeff, will don their sleuthing hats and try to solve another murder.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! On this rainy All Hallow's Eve I thought I'd share some favorite spooky reads.

 

I don't read horror, but I do enjoy a spooky read once in a while. If you want something spine tingling good you need to read the Pluto Snitch Mystery series by Carolyn Haines. THE BOOK OF THE BELOVED is the first book in the series. While Carolyn does write cozy mysteries, this isn't one of them! I'd classify it as Southern Gothic. Speaking of Gothic, I just finished reading THE BELL TOLLS AT TRAEGER HALL by Jaime Jo Wright.You can check out my review Sunday!

If you're looking for a book set at Halloween you could try SHUDDER PULP by Vanessa Westermann, FRENCH QUARTER FRIGHT NIGHT by Ellen Byron, GHOST AND THE HAUNTED HOUSE by Carmen Radtke, ONE OF YOU by Lorie Lewis Ham, FATAL FUDGE SWIRL by Meri Allen or MINESTRONE MISCHIEF by Rosie Genova. You could also try TROUBLE BREWING by Heather Day Gilbert, DEATH RANG THE BELL by Carol Pouliot, MRS. MORRIS AND THE VAMPIRE by Traci Wilton, or MIDNIGHT SPELLS MURDER by Mary Angela.

If you enjoy reading about the Headless Horseman you're sure to appreciate THE LEGEND OF ACORN HOLLOW by Maureen Klovers.  

If you want to mix Halloween and Christmas try MRS. CLAUS AND THE HALLOWEEN HOMICIDE by Liz Ireland.

Of course any paranormal mystery would fit the bill, but especially one set at Halloween like the sixth Ghostly Fashionista Mystery, CORSETS AND CASUALTIES by Gayle Leeson. 

What about a whole series set in a town that is devoted to this holiday? CHAOS AT THE LAZY BONES BOOKSHOP by Emmeline Duncan is the first book in the Halloween Bookshop Mystery series.

There are so many wonderful books out there, books with ghosts, witches, and vampires, books set at Halloween, spooky books, funny books! No matter what kind of books you enjoy I hope you're able to curl up with a great one this Halloween!

Shudder Pulp - A Review

 Review

SHUDDER PULP by Vanessa Westermann
The Second Charley Scott Mystery 

As autumn turns ever closer to Halloween things are getting spooky in Oakcrest, Ontario. Inspired by the legend of the local lake monster Charley Scott is turning her art gallery into an immersive event; a terrifying one at that. When Laura bursts in drenched saying she's been attacked by the lake monster and that it's Charley's fault, Charley is stunned. But she's more stunned when Laura's body is found dead near her brother's marina a few hours later. In her short time in town Laura managed to anger a multitude of people, but who would want to kill her? With Charley's relationship with chocolatier Matt Thorn intensifying the two will begin to investigate. But secrets are even more dangerous than lake monsters and may just destroy them.

Tension continually ratchets up in the second Charley Scott mystery as events take on a macabre nightmarish quality, in artwork, in relationships, in the very atmosphere. Everything seems to have multiple meanings and everyone appears to have a sinister aspect that is slowly being revealed.

The mystery was as unique as the cause of death and I suspected everybody! Innocent people that were suspects in the first book were acting even more shifty and I thought they could be guilty this time around. I still don't trust Kayla. The drama is not just found in the mystery, rather there is an emotional maelstrom intensifying the action.

SHUDDER PULP will have you shivering with both fear and delight in this slow burning mystery. 

Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading Shudder Pulp by Vanessa Westermann. This book is the second in the Charley Scott Mystery series and was released earlier this month.

As autumn turns ever closer to Halloween things are getting spooky in Oakcrest. Inspired by the legend of the local lake monster Charley Scott is turning her art gallery into an immersive event; a terrifying one at that. When Laura bursts in drenched saying she's been attacked by the lake monster and that it's Charley's fault, Charley is stunned. But she's more stunned when Laura's body is found dead near her brother's marina a few hours later. In her short time in town Laura managed to anger a multitude of people, but who would want to kill her? With Charley's relationship with chocolatier Matt Thorn intensifying the two will begin to investigate. But secrets are even more dangerous than lake monsters and may just destroy them.

Corsets and Casualties - A Review

 Review

CORSETS AND CASUALTIES by Gayle Leeson
The Sixth Ghostly Fashionista Mystery 

 

Amanda Tucker is having fun designing retro inspired clothes and costumes for the upcoming Halloween holiday. When Ford shows her an old bible he bought at an estate sale Amanda is surprised to see familiar names, relatives of her ghostly friend, Max. One name, however, isn't familiar to the flapper. It turns out there was an aunt she never knew about. When Max's nephew and Amanda's grandfather go to the auction house to see if they can find other family items they're met with a police barricade-the owner has been shot! Amanda will have to piece together old family secrets and modern day family angst in order to discover more about Max's relatives. Will she find answers or will her curiosity get her killed?

 

Relationships are the bedrock of the Ghostly Fashionista Mystery series. Whether it's the loving familial relationships between Amanda and Grandpa as well as Dwight, Zoe, and Max or the romantic relationship between Amanda and Jason, or even the friendship between everyone at the Shops on Main, the care they have for each other makes for a brighter world and a more fulfilling read. 

 

I truly love this series and find it heartwarming as well as funny. I'd like to hang out with these characters and I seriously want Amanda to design me an outfit! I know I'd be the elephant's eyebrows. The mystery, well, mysteries, were compelling and the subplots emotional. Red herrings lead readers to a variety of possible conclusions with various characters assisting with their suspicious behavior.

New family drama as well as old combine in CORSETS AND CASUALTIES, eventually bringing friends and family closer together in this charming mystery.

A Halloween Homicide - A Spotlight

It may be the day after Halloween, but it's still spooky season! Today I'd like to shine a spotlight on A Halloween Homicide by Tonya Kappes. This book is the third in the Holiday Cozy Mystery series.

Blurb:

It’s spooky season in Holiday Junction and Halloweenie Festival is a hauntingly great time.

Holiday Junction really knows how to throw holiday festivals, and it goes all out for Halloween.

The weeklong celebration includes a ghost walk of haunting tales, a hay ride, carnival games, pumpkin carvings and costume party.

Violet Rhinehammer has the perfect assignment—represent the Junction Journal by attending all the fun festive activities and reporting on them.

When Violet reluctantly goes on the ghost walk, she realizes the body that fell out of the fake casket is a real one and not a prop. She knows trouble is brewing. She puts on a sleuthing costume after someone she loves becomes Chief Strickland’s number one suspect in order to catch the real monster.

Bell, Book, and Corpses - A Guest Post, Excerpt, & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome T. C. Lotempio back to Cozy Up With Kathy today. T. C. writes the Nick & Nora Mystery series. BELL, BOOK AND CORPSES is the seventh book in the series and was released last month.

Fangs and Fields....Why I love Television Vampires
T. C. Lotempio

After Christmas, Halloween is my next favorite holiday! I loved dressing up as a kid and going trick or treating, heck I still love to dress up! I’ve always loved spooky things, and horror movies – Halloween is still my #1 favorite—but another thing I’m fond of is vampires, and while I do watch the Dracula movies every October on the movie channel, the vampires I’m most fond of are...the ones on television.

At the risk of dating myself, I’m going to admit that my love of all things gothic...and vampires particularly...was fueled by a little daytime show I used to run (literally-run) home from High School to watch every Monday through Friday at four o’clock. Yes, I’m talking about DARK SHADOWS. Dark Shadows was a standout when it debuted in the 60’s, a soap opera with a gothic twist: governess who doesn’t know her past goes to crumbling old mansion where she encounters strange...and sometimes spooky...goings on. The show wasn’t doing well, though, and was doomed for cancellation...until they introduced a new character, a cousin from England. Barnabas Collins, who ended up being the show’s breakout star, and the very first television vampire!

Barnabas was quickly followed by others: In the popular series, BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, inspired by the movie of the same name, we were introduced to two: Angel, Buffy’s vampire boyfriend, who later on got a spin off series of his own, and Spike. While Angel would be what was considered a “good” vampire, Spike was definitely a “bad boy”. Spike was rough around the edges, to say the least, but it only served to make him look more admirable when he tried to prove himself to Buffy. Angel, on the other hand, was the epitome of self-sacrifice-and didn’t we love it and him!

TRUE BLOOD, based on Charlaine Harris’ series of books, gave us a Viking Vampire, Eric. I mean, who wouldn’t love a vampire who runs a nightclub called Fangtasia? And let’s not forget THE VAMPIRE DIARIES, who gave us a whole slew of ‘em: Julien, Lucien, Marcel....I could go on!

Of course there are the classic movie vampires: Bela Lugosi, the original Dracula, and Christopher Lee, who played the Count in more incarnations than I can count, pop up on some channel every October. Even Nicolas Cage (RENFIELD) has taken a turn at playing the Count and I have to admit he wasn’t half bad.

Vampires can be a complex lot. Some vampires are reluctant—they’ve been cursed but they hate what they’ve become. (Barnabas, Angel) Other vampires embrace the evil. (OMG take your pick from the Vampire Diaries) Which do I prefer? Well, sometimes it depends on the actor playing the role LOL.

I admit that my fascination has also spilled into my writing. In the latest Nick and Nora mystery, Nick and Nora get into the vampire phase when they discover a body in a coffin in an old mansion-drained of blood! Is there a real vampire lurking around Cruz? Can Nick and Nora solve the mystery in time to save the Halloween gala? I guess you’ll have to read the book to find out. J

So, get out the silver crosses and garlic on Halloween and prepare for a fang-tastic October! I know I will!

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Excerpt:

Little things like a locked car never stop Nick from getting where he wants to go,” I said. The cat in question tipped up his lips and blinked at me, and I bent over and scooped him up. No easy feat, since my tubby tuxedo weighs well over twenty-two pounds. I looked him straight in the eye. “You rascal. I thought you were sleeping, but you weren’t. Playing possum, huh?”

Nick ducked his head and started to purr.

I carried him up the steps but set him down immediately once we were on the porch. We all went over to peer in the giant picture window. The room beyond appeared to be anything but empty. Tables, chairs, even pictures seemed to peer out from behind white coverings. “Looks like a lot of stuff is in there,” I observed. “Most of it will have to be cleared out.”

“The interior doesn’t appear to be too bad, though,” said Chantal, pressing her nose to the glass. “It just looks like all it might need is a good dusting.”

Joannie let out a loud grunt. “Dammit,” she grumbled. “I can’t find the key, and I was certain I put it in here.”

“Maybe you don’t need it.” I inclined my head toward the front door, which appeared to be slightly ajar. I walked over and was about to press my fingertips against the wood when suddenly the door burst open and a young boy stood on the threshold. I judged him to be in his early teens – thirteen, no more than fifteen. His hair was mussed, his pumpkin-colored jacket dirty and torn, and his eyes held a wild gleam. He started to barrel past me but I caught his arm and swung him around.

“Hey, who are you? What were you doing in there?”

He looked at me, eyes wide and tried to jerk away but I held on fast. “What’s wrong with you? What were you doing in that house?” I asked again.

“Yeah,” chimed in Joanne. “It’s private property. We have permission to be here.”

His eyes darted nervously around and he mumbled something under his breath. I wasn’t quite sure what I’d heard, but before I could ask him to repeat it, he reached out, gave me a push, and went flying down the steps and across the lawn.

“Mon dieu,” cried Chantal, as she helped me to my feet. “Are you all right?”

I nodded. “I’m fine. Did you see where that boy went? Something spooked him.”

“I think he cut through the woods,” Chantal answered. “Should we go after him? He’s got a pretty good head start.”

I was about to answer in the affirmative when I caught a flash of black slip through the doorway and into the house. “Oh, swell. I think Nick just went inside.”

I turned toward the door but Joannie grabbed my arm. “You’re not going in there,” she whispered.

“Joannie has a point,” Chantal piped up. “That boy was pretty scared. Who knows what he found.”

I set my jaw. “Don’t worry, I’ll be careful. I just want don’t want Nick to get lost.” I slipped inside before either of them could protest and stood for a minute in the entryway, letting my eyes adjust to the darkness. “Nick,” I called. “Hey, Nick. Where are you, buddy?”

A soft meow came from the darkness beyond.

I moved carefully down the dark corridor in that direction, wishing I had a flashlight. I turned a corner and jumped as I came face to face with a white-faced object, then let out a sigh of relief as I saw it was a statue underneath a white cover to keep off the dust. Nick was nowhere to be seen. I called his name out several times, but no answering meow came forth.

“This is no time to play hide and seek, Nick,” I muttered. By now I’d come to the end of the corridor, which now branched out in three directions. I did a quick eeny, meeny miney moe and started down the corridor to my right. I’d only taken a few steps when the corridor emptied into a large dark room. As my eyes grew accustomed to the dark interior, I could make out a large lump on the floor in front of us. A long, angular lump with a rounded top and big brass handles.

A coffin.

“Good Lord,” I murmured. “Who puts a coffin in a living room?”

I frowned. Obviously this was someone’s idea of a joke, and no doubt what had scared that boy. Kids and their practical jokes. I walked over and grasped the coffin lid. As my fingers curled around the brass handle, Nick suddenly leapt out of the shadows and hurled himself on top of the coffin. He stood there, a true caricature of a Halloween cat, his back arched, tail fanned and spread out, every hair visible. His golden eyes gleamed and his lips drew back in a snarl. He let out a loud hiss.

“Nick!” I reached out, grabbed Nick and lifted him off the coffin. His tail returned to normal size, but his eyes remained slitted and there was no mistaking the growl that rose, deep in his throat. I spoke in a soothing tone. “Nick, calm down. There’s nothing in here, see…oh!”

I’d raised the lid as I was speaking, and now I let it fall back with a loud crash. Dead silence prevailed as I stared at the coffin’s contents: a man, curled on his side, face a sickly white, his lips bloodless. But that wasn’t what captured my attention.

It was the two red tinged holes on his neck.

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 Bell, Book and Corpses (A Nick and Nora Mystery) by T. C. LoTempio

About Bell, Book and Corpses

Bell, Book and Corpses (A Nick and Nora Mystery)
Cozy Mystery 7th in the Series
Setting - California
Beyond the Page (September 24, 2024)
Paperback: ‎ 206 pages

It’s Halloween trick-or-treachery when murder pays a visit to a cursed mansion in the new Nick and Nora mystery . . .

Waincroft Manor has long been tied to rumors of witchcraft and fatal curses, and to Nora Charles, that makes it the perfect place for a Halloween fundraiser. But her first trip to the deserted old mansion turns out to be truly ghoulish when she discovers a dead body. What’s more, the corpse is laid out in a coffin—with two bite marks on its neck. Then the autopsy comes back showing that the body was drained of blood, and there’s no stopping the local gossips from whispering the word vampire to anyone who will listen.

Determined to dispel the rumors and save the fundraiser, Nora sets out to prove the murderer was quite human after all. Sifting through the clues, she learns of a bitter family rivalry that spans generations, and a more recent conflict that may point to the motive for the murder. And when Nick spells out a clue that proves to be the missing piece of the puzzle, Nora knows she’ll have to watch her back—because there’s a killer out there who wants to keep some secrets buried, and they’ll happily bury Nora right along with them . . .

Includes mouthwatering recipes!

About T.C. LoTempio

While Toni Lotempio does not commit – or solve – murders in real life, she has no trouble doing it on paper. Her lifelong love of mysteries began early on when she was introduced to her first Nancy Drew mystery at age 10 – The Secret in the Old Attic. She and her cat pen the Nick and Nora mystery series originally from Berkley Prime Crime and now with Beyond the Page Publishing. They also write the Cat Rescue series from Crooked Lane and the Pet Shop series, originally published by Midnight Ink and rebranded last year as “Urban Tails Pet Shop Mysteries.” Book six in the Nick and Nora mysteries, A PURR BEFORE DYING, is released this February from Beyond the Page. There is also a new series, Tiffany Austin Food Blogger, coming out in April. You can cat-ch up with them at ROCCO’s blog, www.catsbooksmorecats.blogspot.com or her website, www.tclotempio.net

Blog Website Facebook Twitter/X: @RoccoBlogger

Purchase Links – Coming Soon

Amazon – B&N – Apple – Google Play – Kobo – Smashwords

a Rafflecopter giveaway

French Quarter Fright Night - A Guest Post & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome  Ricki James-Diaz to Cozy Up With Kathy today. You can find Ricki on the pages of the Vintage Cookbook Mystery series. FRENCH QUARTER FRIGHT NIGHT is the third book in the series and was released earlier this month.

Hi, Ricki James-Diaz here, proprietor of Miss Vee’s Vintage Cookbook and Kitchenware Shop in Bon Vee Culinary Museum, the largest mansion in New Orleans’ Garden District. I recently left Los Angeles and moved to NOLA, the city where I was born and lived until I was eight years old. I’ve given my life a jumpstart by fulfilling my dream of creating a store for people who share my fascination with cookbooks and kitchenware from past decades.

Why do I need to jumpstart my life, you ask? Well, I made some questionable choices in Los Angeles, like impulsively marrying a struggling, self-involved actor. With his career – and as it turned out, our relationship - going nowhere, Chris started filming dumb stunts and posting them on the internet. He took the name Chris-azy!, and suddenly became an internet star. Sadly, while doing the Marshmallow Challenge where the goal was to see how many marshmallows he could stuff in his mouth, he choked on one and passed away. We were separated but not divorced, which has led to my current status as a twenty-eight-year-old “young widow,” a term I’ve come to hate, along with the sort of patronizing tone people in people’s voices when they use it.

But my goal is to keep moving forward and I’m doing exactly that here in New Orleans. I’m co-parenting two adopted doggies with Virgil Morel, the extremely handsome former chef and current judge on America’s Next Top Southern Chef, who lives across the street from me and I happen to be dating; a couple of murders that involved Bon Vee haven’t stunted my shop’s success, thank goodness; and it’s Halloween in New Orleans! I haven’t celebrated here since I was a kid. I had the idea of turning Bon Vee into a haunted house at night, which the whole staff is incredibly excited about. The only problem is our nasty new neighbor next door, Miranda Fine. She’s the assistant to some actor who bought the house on a whim, it seems.

Oh no… oh no!

I just found out exactly who that actor is: Blaine Taggart, my late husband’s best friend and the man I consider responsible for Chris’s death. He’s the one who talked Chris into doing the stupid internet stunt that killed him. I thought Blaine was out of my life forever, and now he’s our neighbor? My life just got much more complicated.

But not as complicated as life for everyone here at Bon Vee is about to get.

We just discovered that the dummy in the prop tomb on our Haunted House tour isn’t a dummy. It’s the body of Miranda Fine. And it looks like her death was no accident. She was murdered.. And even though New Orleans proudly bills itself as “The most haunted city in America,” I’m guessing the killer wasn’t a ghost.

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Review

FRENCH QUARTER FRIGHT NIGHT by Ellen Byron
The Third Vintage Cookbook Mystery

New Orleans loves a holiday and it’s going all out for Halloween. With a multitude of activities all over town Ricki James-Diaz and her co-workers decide to get in on the action by transforming the Bon Vee  Culinary House Museum into a haunted house with tableaus inside the mansion and an old shed turned into a crypt outside. During the dress rehearsal the staff are shocked to find a real dead body inside the crypt. The victim happens to be the insufferable assistant of their new next door neighbor, the same woman making their lives a misery. With the New Orleans Police Department beyond busy with all of the Halloween happenings and since pretty much everyone at Bon Vee is a suspect it only makes sense they work together once again to solve yet another murder at their property.

Ricki's LA past comes back to haunt her in the third Vintage Cookbook Mystery. While preparing for her first Halloween in New Orleans since childhood she has to deal with neighbors causing problems and ultimately comes face to face with a person from her past she'd rather exorcise from her life. Add murder to the mix as well as hints to her own family mystery and it's another challenging time for Ricki James-Diaz.

I love Halloween and I really enjoyed seeing how the people of New Orleans and the characters of the Vintage Cookbook Mystery series celebrate. The matching costumes of Benny and Jenny, detailed descriptions of decorations, and the camaraderie of friends celebrating make me want to spend Halloween with them in the Big Easy.

I really enjoyed not only the mystery, but how Ricki and her co-workers investigate; working together, albeit with different methods. I appreciate how Ricki deals with disappointment in regards to her investigatory work and her relationships. I also liked learning more about Nina and seeing how she keeps Ricki on her toes. And, of course, I love the addition of Red.

Combining the celebratory atmosphere of New Orleans with a well plotted mystery FRENCH QUARTER FRIGHT NIGHT is the perfect mystery read to get you into the Halloween spirit!

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 French Quarter Fright Night (Vintage Cookbook) by Ellen Byron

About French Quarter Fright Night

French Quarter Fright Night (Vintage Cookbook)
Cozy Mystery 3rd in Series
Setting - the Garden District of New Orleans
Publisher: ‎ Severn House (September 3, 2024)
Hardcover: ‎ 256 pages

The third in the fabulous cozy mystery series with a vintage flair from USA Today bestselling and Agatha Award-winning author Ellen Byron.

Welcome to the Bon Veeevil Festival of Fear! Prepare for the spookiest night of your life . . .

It's Halloween in New Orleans, and the staff of Bon Vee Culinary House Museum is setting up a fantastic haunted house tour for their visitors. But when flashy movie star Blaine Taggart and his entourage move into the mansion next door, gift shop proprietor Ricki James-Diaz gets a fright of her own.

While Ricki is excited about the potential business the tours will bring to her vintage cookbook shop, she's less thrilled by former friend Blaine's arrival in town. Then Bon Vee's prop tomb becomes a real tomb for Blaine's nasty assistant, and suddenly everyone at Bon Vee is a murder suspect. There isn't a ghost of a chance one of them committed the crime, but with NOPD busy tackling the mischief and mayhem generated by the spooky holiday, it falls on Ricki and her friends to catch the killer.

As the Big Easy gears up for the Big Scary, it seems everyone has skeletons in their closets. Can Ricki reveal the shadowy killer before someone else becomes part of the Halloween horror show?

About Ellen Byron

 

Ellen is a USA Today bestselling author, Anthony nominee, and recipient of multiple Agatha and Lefty awards for her Cajun Country Mysteries, Vintage Cookbook Mysteries, and Catering Hall Mysteries (as Maria DiRico). Her new series, The Golden Motel Mysteries, recently debuted. She is also an award-winning playwright and non-award-winning writer of TV hits like Wings, Just Shoot Me, and Fairly OddParents, but considers her most impressive achievement working as a cater-waiter for Martha Stewart. Visit her at Cozy Mysteries | Ellen Byron | Author  

Author Links:

Newsletter: https://www.ellenbyron.com/  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ellenbyronauthor/  

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellenbyronmariadirico/  

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/ellen-byron  

Purchase Links - Amazon - B&N - Bookshop.org 

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Currently Reading...

I am currently reading French Quarter Fright Night by Ellen Byron. This book is the third book in the Vintage Cookbook Mystery series and was released last week.

New Orleans loves a holiday and it’s going all out for Halloween. With a multitude of activities all over town Ricki James-Diaz and her co-workers decide to get in on the action by transforming the Bon Vee  Culinary House Museum into a haunted house with tableaus inside the mansion and an old shed turned into a crypt outside. During the dress rehearsal the staff are shocked to find a real dead body inside the crypt. The victim happens to be the insufferable assistant of their new next door neighbor, the same woman making their lives a misery. With the New Orleans Police Department beyond busy with all of the Halloween happenings and since pretty much everyone at Bon Vee is a suspect it only makes sense they work together once again to solve yet another murder at their property.

Chaos at the Lazy Bones Bookshop - A Review

Review

CHAOS AT THE LAZY BONES BOOKSHOP by Emmeline Duncan
The First Halloween Bookshop Mystery

Capitalizing on the fact that an iconic Halloween movie was once filmed there Elyan Hollow has transformed itself into a year round Halloween themed town with shops such as Elyan's Mortuary and Deli Bottle Shop, Ghostly Gouda, and Baily Briggs' own Lazy Bones Books. Taking the reins of the family bookshop Bailey is spearheading the town's first literary festival, part of the town's popular Halloween festival. After a ghost hunting team wreaks havoc in her shop and her main speaker misses his first event Bailey needs to cool off. But instead of calm in the midst of the pumpkin maze she finds a dead body. As Bailey becomes a suspect she has to wonder, will her first literary festival be her last?

Halloween is one of my favorite times of the year, with cooler temperatures and all things spooky. Add a literary festival to a Halloween themed town and you can count me in! Bailey and her best friend Colby made a great first impression and there were also characters you loved to hate in Taylor and Hudson, people just looking to cause trouble. I liked how issues from the past resurfaced, including the mystery of Bailey's dad. The first Halloween Bookshop Mystery sets readers up for lots of interesting adventures to come.

A complex mystery, a unique Halloween setting, and a background of books make a fun start to a new series.

Ghost and the Haunted House - An Interview, Review, & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Carmen Radtke to Cozy Up With Kathy Today. Carmen writes the Adriana and Genie Darling Mystery series. GHOST AND THE HAUNTED HOUSE is the fourth book in the series and was released

Kathy: GHOST AND THE HAUNTED HOUSE takes place around Halloween. I love this holiday. Is it a favorite of yours as well? How do you celebrate?

CR: I love Halloween! Sadly, it’s not really a thing in Italy where I currently am. One of my favorite Halloween memories is going to a friend’s house who’d completely decked out her house and garden with spiderwebs, bats, jack o’  lanterns and everything spooky under the sun (or rather the moon). It was just as exciting for the adults as it was for kids, without being too scary. Magic! There were also friendly neighborhood competitions who had the best display.


Kathy: In this, the fourth Genie and Adriana Darling Mystery, the possibility of black magic arises. Do you believe that there are practitioners of the dark arts?

CR: I do believe there are a lot of people dabbling in it. Does it work? I don’t know. But there is a certain element of evil and malice involved. That’s why the distinction between white and black witches is so important, especially for someone like Adriana who’s fast becoming a guardian angel for everyone she cares about.


Kathy: Genie and her ghostly great-great-aunt Adriana have a gelato business. Why gelato and not ice cream? What's your favorite flavor?

CR: It had to be gelato! No, really. In GHOST TAKES A VACATION, Genie and Adriana travel to Italy and end taking a gelato-making class where they discover Adriana’s incredible nose for flavors and scents. My personal favorite changes whenever I try something new but cherry, hazelnut and rose water infused ice cream are definitely staying on the list.


Kathy: Genie and Adriana are also helping with the restoration of an old speakeasy. Have you ever done any restoration work?

CR: Not so much restoration, but I built a wooden deck! My two-armed hammer technique made a lot of my neighbors giggle but it did the trick. Much easier on the muscles. I do love classic buildings though.


Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?

CR: I’ve read them pretty much all my life, starting with Trixie Belden and the Famous Five. Then came Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers, way back before the tern cosy crime existed. I love the setting and characters just as much as the idea of figuring out whodunnit. Books where bad things happen but in the end truth prevails, where nothing is as it seems and yet all is fair and above board? Count me in any day.


Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?

CR: I have one historical novel, WALKING IN THE SHADOW. It’s the first I wrote, inspired by a true event. If you love Victoria Hislop’s THE ISLAND, this book is for you.


Kathy: Tell us about your series.

CR: Just a ghost, living her best afterlife … When her great-great-aunt Adriana reappears as a spectral flapper, she turns Genie’s life around, murder and madcap adventures included. The ghost is the only paranormal element!

The Jack and Frances mysteries are set in the early 1930s, starring a telephone exchange operator, a nightclub owner, and a retired vaudevillian. These amateur sleuths always have a trick up their sleeves.

The Alyssa Chalmers mysteries are set in 1862 and were inspired by a true event. A boatload of brides set sail for matrimony in Canada, but there’s something wrong – and dangerous.

Kathy: Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why?

CR: Several! I adore Adriana, with her love for animals and her zest for adventure. Being dead won’t stop her.

In the Jack and Frances mysteries, it’s Uncle Sal aka Salvatore the Magnificent. He wasn’t even planned! Instead, he just turned up on the page, with his debonair flair, stage skills and charm.

Plus, there’s the animal characters. They hold a special place in my heart.

Kathy: Did you have a specific inspiration for your series?

CR: Do you know the classic screwball comedy “Topper” with Cary Grant and Constance Bennett (who even looks a lot like Adriana)? I watched it as a teenager, didn’t think of it for ages, and suddenly it popped into my mind, together with the series idea of teaming up a contemporary heroine with a 1920s flapper.

Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

CR: I started my professional life as a newspaper reporter, so it was a logical progression. I think.

Kathy: If you could have a dinner party and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite?

CR: Joan Hess, Elizabeth Peters, Terry Pratchett and P.G. Wodehouse (to keep it balanced). Agatha Christie was supposedly shy and introvert, so I’d rather have her for a private afternoon tea. Adriana would invite Dorothy Parker …

Kathy: What are you currently reading?

CR: Eryn Scott’s Pebble Cove series.

Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us?

CR: Apart from spoiling my cats? Travel! Movies and books! Tap dance (which is on hiatus here in Italy), and I’m currently learning Italian. It’s a lot harder than I thought.


Kathy: Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry.

CR: This might sound weird, but I lived in Christchurch, New Zealand, during the earthquakes that destroyed half the city centre and killed 185 people. Ever since, I have to have enough cat food in my pantry, plus canned tomatoes, pasta, and sparkling water.

Kathy: Do you have plans for future books either in your current series or a new series?

CR: I do! GHOST CONQUERS THE CASTLE will be set in Scotland at Christmas.

I’m also hard at work on the next in series for the Jack and Frances mysteries, set in London in 1932.

Kathy: What's your favorite thing about being an author?

CR: I have a chance to live vicariously through my characters, although I’m sometimes really envious when I compare their lives with mine. And once in a while a reader tells me how much my books help them escape for a while or even restore their faith in humanity. It doesn’t get much better than that!

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Review

GHOST AND THE HAUNTED HOUSE by Carmen Radtke
The Fourth Adriana and Genie Darling Mystery 

As Halloween approaches Cobblewood Cove is seeing an upsurge in pranks, pranks with an occult edge. Does it have something to do with Samantha Bell’s recently opened shop, Bell’s Books and Candles? Eileen and her cronies are quick to blame Jolene who is trying to restore the town’s old speakeasy and make it a new night club, saying she’s bringing evil to the town. When pranks turn into vandalism with Jolene as the target Genie Darling decides to investigate. She and her ghostly Great-Great-Aunt Adriana, along with her cat, Cleo, will try to determine what, exactly, is going on. Things take an even darker turn when murder occurs…in Samantha’s locked store. Surely there’s nothing supernatural going on. But Genie will have to sort out matters quickly, before ghost hunters arrive threatening Adriana’s very existence.  

Things are getting scary in Cobblewood Cove when signs of black magick begin to appear. 

Halloween is one of my favorite times of the year and what better way to enjoy the spirit of the holiday then by reading an Adriana and Genie Darling Mystery. I love this duo, the younger ghostly great-great-aunt whose joy at living her best afterlife makes me smile and Genie, the good niece, friend, and ally. As an animal lover I envy Adriana's ability to talk with the animals. I love how Cleo was able to join in the investigation because of it.

I appreciate the juxtaposition of Jolene's down to earth business, both as handywoman and restorer and new proprietor of the speakeasy and Samantha's new age shop featuring crystals and other esoteric and otherworldly items. As someone who works with crystals I enjoyed seeing their benefits being touted. Genie, like so many people, misunderstands the symbol of the pentagram, which is not intrinsically evil, and what mediums actually do. I enjoyed the mystery and especially enjoyed the way in which Adriana and Cleo were able to help solve the murder. Locked room mysteries are a treat and this is a great rendition.

A lighthearted Halloween mystery with a hint of the macabre GHOST AND THE HAUNTED HOUSE is a delightful mix of friendship, loyalty, and murder.

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 Ghost and the Haunted House (Genie and Adriana Darling Cozy Paranormal Ghost Mysteries) by Carmen Radtke

About Ghost and the Haunted House

Ghost and the Haunted House (Genie and Adriana Darling Cozy Paranormal Ghost Mysteries)
Paranormal Cozy Mystery 4th in Series
Setting - Fictional small town in New England
Independently Published (May 29, 2024)
Print length: ‎ 194 pages

Could quaint Cobblewood Cove be a hotbed for black magic? Genie and her ghostly great-great-aunt Adriana have been too busy with their gelato business and helping with the restoration of the old speakeasy to notice that something isn’t quite right in their small town. Until pranks with touch of the macabre haunt the neighborhood, right before Halloween. But it gets worse. When a locked room murder case points straight at a connection to dark forces, the sleuthing duo fears for the living - and the not-quite so departed. Can they root out the evil in their midst before it ends Adriana’s happy afterlife - forever?

About Carmen Radtke

Carmen Radtke has spent most of her life with ink on her fingers and a dangerously high pile of books and newspapers by her side.

She has worked as a newspaper reporter on two continents and always dreamt of becoming a novelist and screenwriter.

When she found herself crouched under her dining table, typing away on a novel between two earthquakes in Christchurch, New Zealand, she realised she was hooked for life.

The shaken but stirring novel made it to the longlist of the Mslexia competition, and her next book and first mystery, The Case Of The Missing Bride, was a finalist in the Malice Domestic competition in a year without a winner. Since then she has penned several more cozy mysteries, including the Jack and Frances series set in the 1930s and the Genie and Adriana Darling series.

Carmen now lives in Italy with her human and her four-legged family.  

Author Links:  

Website - www.carmenradtke.com  

Facebook - www.facebook.com/Carmen-Radtke-1958399947738868/  

Twitter/X - https://www.Twitter.com/CarmenRadtke1  

Purchase Links: Amazon 

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