Kate Bell (1)

Mia Jordan moved back home after ten years away and not being able to decide what to do with herself. Now she's settled back into Pumpkin Hollow again, living on her own and working in her family's candy store. She also has a new boyfriend in the form of Officer Ethan Banks, whom wasn't very nice to her in school but has turned out to be very nice indeed...

Once morning while passing Stella Moretti's bakery, she finds the door ajar and the lights off. Calling for Stella, she finds her dead show more with a bullet wound to the chest. Yes, the woman was cantankerous to everyone and hated Halloween, but she didn't deserve to die. Now Mia and Ethan are back looking for a killer, and Mia doesn't want to believe it might be anyone she knows, but she also knows finding out could get her killed...

This is the fourth book in the series and I have been reading them because it's the Halloween season and I like to 'read the season.' While I have enjoyed the books thus far, I am beginning to dislike Mia. She seems to have a 'holier than thou' attitude to others. I do agree that you shouldn't speak ill of the dead, but it's not her place to correct anyone who does. It is not her place to make others feel guilty for having the feelings they do. Maybe people should correct her for her attitude a few times and it will change. Just sayin'

Anyway, the other thing that bothers me is the fact she mentions how Boo is her cat, but she allows him to live outside? What kind of cat caretaker is she? Cats that live outside have a shorter life span and catch more diseases. Cats are easy to care for, and being inside they are happier, given enough toys and places to scratch and climb. I've been a pet owner (cats, dogs, fish, turtles, birds, etc. -- you name it, I've probably owned it) all my life, and all my cats have been indoor cats and lived to ripe old ages. This always bothers me in books, but I won't ding the author for it; that would be unfair. This one is just my opinion.

Anyway, while Mia is looking for suspects, the victim's husband Vince is at the top of the list, since he doesn't seem to be mourning his wife very much; but there are others, including Stella's sister Daisy, who wasn't happy about Stella purchasing the bakery and then not participating in the Halloween season. But did either of them have a reason strong enough to kill Stella? Mia doesn't know, and neither does Ethan. But both of them are pursuing the matter...as well as pursuing their new relationship with each other, which is moving along nicely.

When we come to the end of the book and discover the murderer, the clues were all there all along, but you need to look for them and read the words. While I didn't think it was a strong enough reason for murder, who knows what goes on in the mind of a killer? Still, this was a quick read and I will probably continue with the series. show less

Mia Jordan helps her mother run the family's candy store in Pumpkin Hollow, a small town in northern California. She's also trying to save the town's tradition of celebrating Halloween year round, and has the support of most of the shop owners, even though the mayor opposes it. But when she goes to a corn maze with her maybe-beau Ethan, a police officer in the town, she trips over the body of the mayor. Now there's another murder in town, and Mia has to find a way to keep tourists from show more figuring it out. It doesn't help that some people are spreading the rumor of a witch's curse, and it only makes things more difficult. But will the killer stop at the mayor, or try again?

This is the second book in the series, and since the first was shorter, I thought I'd catch this one and see what Mia is up to next. Like the first, the characters are the same, and we get to know a little bit more about them, which is nice. (I would like to know what Mia's father does for a living, though; right now he's just wallpaper in the series). Anyway, when the unpopular mayor is murdered, it seems the only ones mourning him are his widow and brother-in-law. Everyone else seems to be glad of him, which makes finding the murderer a tough job. Even the police are finding it difficult.

Mia is still wondering, though, and looking for clues. But will she come up against a killer or find them and turn them over to the police? Since the town is still divided on the will-they or won't-they get rid of Halloween traditions, anyone could have murdered the mayor. Sifting through business owners as the main suspects, Mia isn't making herself popular, either. She's also deciding if she wants to pursue a relationship with Ethan, who was her bane in junior high, but doesn't ask him why he did what he did. Hmmm...

I will say that I knew who the murderer was the minute they stepped on the page. I was wondering when Mia would figure it out, but she eventually does, as we all know she would. Unfortunately, there was still something about the book that bothered me, and readers will eventually know what it was. The ending was fine and I will probably read the next in the series. show less

This was a fun holiday book. I haven’t read any others in the series. I actually didn’t realize it was book 4 until I finished reading it. The main character is Allie, a single mom who lives in Maine and dates a detective named Alec. For this book, Allie, Alec, her two children and her son’s girlfriend are spending the Christmas holiday with her mother in Alabama. Next door to her mom is a bachelor who possibly is somewhat of a ladies man. Or was. He is the victim. But who is the show more killer? Apparently nearly every woman in town.
I enjoyed reading this book during Christmas in July. I like Allie and could easily imagine what it’s like going home after so many years away. If you are looking for a fun mystery but are short on time, this may work for you. It is under 200 pages making it just right for relaxing with after a day of Christmas shopping. show less