Review of Howloween Murder

Howloween Murder
Melanie Travis, Book #26
Laurien Berenson
5 Stars

Synopsis:

As the town of Greenwich, Connecticut, counts down to a spooky celebration on October 31st, a horrifying murder leaves Melanie Travis pawing for clues in a hair-raising game of trick-or-treat . . .

With just a few days left before Halloween, everyone at Howard Academy is anticipating the guaranteed sugar high they’ll experience from gorging on Harriet Bloom’s famous marshmallow puffs. The private school’s annual costume party revolves around the headmaster’s assistant and her seemingly supernatural batches of gooey goodies. So, it’s a shock when Harriet’s elderly neighbor is suddenly found dead with the beloved dessert in his hand. In a snap, police start questioning whether Harriet modified her top-secret recipe to include a hefty dose of lethal poison . . .

Melanie knows her tenured colleague would never intentionally serve cyanide-laced puffs to a defenseless old man. But as explosive neighborhood gossip reveals a potential culprit, it also brings her closer to sealing her own doom. Because on an evening ruled by masked revelers, bizarre getups, and hidden identities, Halloween might just be the perfect opportunity for a cold-hearted killer to get away with murder once again—this time sending a nosy, unsuspecting sleuth to an early grave! (Goodreads)

Review:

Books written by this author are always good, and this one was no exception. I would not have cared if there was no mystery to solve, I was enjoying spending time with the Travis family.

The characters are well rounded and well developed. Melanie and her family are getting ready for Halloween and all of the fun that goes with it. But until she can completely enjoy the season, she has to find a murderer before a coworker is sent away for life.

The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and these descriptions pulled me into the story from the very beginning and took me on a great adventure. The mystery was well plotted and even though I had the killer on my radar, I was not sure I was right.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. I cannot wait for the next time I get to spend time with Melania and her family.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Kensington Books, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.