Series: Halloween Bookshop Mystery
Author: Emmeline Duncan
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Publication Date: July 23, 2024
Publisher: Kensington
Bailey Briggs adores her year-round Halloween-themed town of Elyan Hollow, Oregon, but when she takes over her grandfather’s beloved bookshop, Lazy Bones Books, she accidentally discovers the town’s secret dark side . . .
Normally, spooky season is Bailey Briggs’ favorite time of year, and her Halloween-themed small town’s time to shine. But between managing Lazy Bones Books, working on her graphic novel-in-progress, and running the Spooky Season Literary Festival, Bailey hardly has a moment to enjoy Elyan Hollow’s spot-on seasonal vibes. Not to mention, at every turn she seems to be tripping over the contentious crew of Gone Ghouls, a ghost-hunting reality TV show currently filming around town. Bailey tries to stay focused on the Lit Festival, which is supposed to kick off Elyan Hollow’s annual Halloween Fair; instead, this year’s festival begins with a murder . . .
It’s bad enough Bailey discovered the victim, but now, as a lead suspect with some (admittedly) damning evidence pointing her way, she’s got to clear her name! With the help of her librarian friend, Colby, and Jack Skeleton, her world-class bookshop dog (and the absolute bestest boy ever), Bailey sets out to solve a murder . . .
As her investigation weaves through family secrets, professional rivalries, and town feuds, the list of suspects is growing fast . . . and unfortunately, so is the list of victims. If Bailey doesn’t find the killer soon, Elyan Hollow’s haunted reputation will get a little too real . . .
Rating
*I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.*
Hello Fellow Reader,
The concept of a cozy mystery that takes place in a cute Halloween-themed town as well as a bookshop drew me in, unfortunately, it didn't captivate me as much as I hoped it would. Duncan did a great job describing Elyan Hollow, and I got a feel of the small-town life in a tourist town, so much so that I would have loved to visit had it been real. Bailey seemed like she would have been a great lead, especially with her little puppers Jack Skeleton, but I feel she was a little robotic. The plot was very straightforward with almost no twists. Duncan also had the problem of telling their readers things rather than trusting the reader to put things together, Bailey also felt like she was just stumbling along for the ride rather than actually trying to solve the murder and clear her name
Overall, a series with potential if Duncan can learn to trust her readers.
No comments:
Post a Comment