{I've Been Reading} The Midnight Knock

 The Midnight Knock by John Fram

I tore through the first few chapters, which felt like a grindhouse movie with the promise of supernatural horror to come. The Brake Inn Motel sits alone beside the Dust Road, the sort of place that travellers are warned to steeer clear of. Something awful happened there back in the 1950s and it's about to happen again. The odd twins who run the place know what's coming, but they're not about to tell their unwilling guests. It's a tempting setup, but the pace gradually slowed to a crawl and I was underwhelmed by the ending. (If you're reading the e-book version, what looks like a serious formatting error midway through isn't...just keep reading.)   

At Death's Dough by Mindy Quigly 

The Deep Dish Mystery series keeps getting better and better. The prologue, set a hundred years ago, threw me a bit, but it really sets the stage for the mystery to come. I love how every book in the series is completely distinct from the others. I'd love to tell you what's invovled in this one, but trust me, you don't want to have the plot spoiled. The characters are fun to spend time with (don't skip over the recipes at the end, which are just as entertaining as the story itself -- especially the last one in this book) and the suspense in this one had me holding my breath more than once. 

A Plattering of Murder by J.C. Eaton

I want to love this series. Who could resist the idea of a protagonist who's haunted by the ghost of a food critic who was too mean for even Gordon Ramsey to handle? Or a series filled with descriptions of charcuterie boards? Or that absolutely gorgeous cover art?! This is the second book I've read in the series and I'm afraid that it doesn't live up to all of that fantastic potential. I really wanted Katie to stand up to her mother and refuse to host her annoying aunt in her house for a week, totally upending her own life in the process. Her presence is vital to the plot, but it made Katie feel less like a capable adult. There's no real backstory to fill you in on the characters or their relationships if you haven't read the previous books. 

Disclosure -- The publishers provided me with advance review copies. 

{I've Been Reading} Death in the Haunted Wood

 Death in the Haunted Wood by Kim Griswell

After reading this fun cozy mystery set on the Oregon Coast, I'm planning a road trip to track down some cinamon bun French toast. I recognized many of the places Saffi drives past in the course of her investigation and actually put down the book to do a quick Google search to confirm that the cafe with the great sounding breakfast food is that place we've passed dozens of times but never stopped at. If you read cozy mysteries for the chance to visit someplace different, this book is a great choice. Aging horror star Malcom Morton is re-inventing a derelict theme park once devoted to The Wind in the Willows. Now the place will be the Haunted Wood, complete with a museum of horror memorabilia, but someone objects to his plans and is sending threatening post cards. It's an enjoyable read with intriguing characters (and the books are included in Kindle Unlimited!) but there seem to be some spoilers for the first book, so beware of that if you want to read the whole series. 

Murder Most Haunted by Emma Mason

I almost put this murder mystery down after the first few pages because the protagonist has such a negative attitute. She doesn't seem to like anything or anyone very much, not even her own wife. And she REALLY doesn't like her retirement gift, a pre-paid ghost hunting weekend at a haunted estate. Reading Midge's complaints about the other guests and the upholstery in the bus and absolutely everything else got old fast. The actual mystery, though, is extremely well crafted and that makes up for the off-putting characters.  

The Girl in the Cellar by Maryann Webb

There's a girl who has been chained in the wine cellar for a year. There's the wife upstairs who is about to discover her. This book takes a familiar thriller trope and explores it in a new way, alternating chapters between the kidnapped woman and the wife, with occasional excerpts from a true crime podcast. After the interesting set up, the plot slowed and the secrets the women were keeping didn't have nearly the impact I was braced for. It's an entertaining read with great potential, but I wish it had been just a little bit more.  

Phantoms of Christmas Past Festive Ghost Hoaxes, Ghost Hunts and Ghost Panics by Paul Weatherhead

I was expecting to read about supernatural hoaxes along the lines of the Fox sisters with their fabricated poltergeist. Instead, I got true stories about villagers running around in the middle of the night draped in bedsheets, like something out of an original episode of Scooby Doo. There are accounts of fake ghosts, the people trying to find and unmask the fake ghosts and the panic that ensued....it's a fun, short non fiction book that I thoroughly enjoyed. 

Disclosure -- The publishers provided me with advance review copies. 

{I've Been Reading} How to Fake a Haunting

 How to Fake a Haunting by Christa Carmen

I loved everything about this book including the cover. The idea of a woman staging a fake haunting to scare her alcoholic husband out of their house intrigued me and Lainey and her best friend tackle the project with such zeal that their enthusiasm is contagious. The prologue lets you know exactly why they're sure their plan will work and by the end of the first chapter you'll know exactly why Lainey is so desperate. She quickly realizes that her friend is willing to go to extreme lengths. Things spiral quickly out of control in a wonderful nightmare of haunted house imagery and unexpected twists. 

Antiques Round-Up by Barbara Allen 

This series is near the top of my "drop everything and read the new book immediately" list. Vivian and Brandy's antics are always entertaining and this book is as wild as ever. The mother/daughter teams sets off for a city wide garage sale in Texas, seeking new inventory for their antique store. And of course they're up to their ears in trouble before they get anywhere near their destination because that's what happens to these two. The murder mystery iteself is well developed and doesn't take a backseat to the other things that are going on. It's fun and fast-paced and filled with references to previous events in the series, but it always includes multiple author's notes to let you know which book those events happened in. 

Disclosure -- The publishers provided me with advance review copies. 

{I've Been Reading} A Tour to Die For

 

A Tour to Die For by Michelle Chouinard

As much as I loved the first book in the Serial Killer's Guide to San Francisco series, I might love this one a little bit more. Capri is such a great character! She's older than the protagonists in most of the mystery series I read, but doesn't dwell on the fact. She's got amazing people skills and manages to push strangers for details without making a pest of herself or doing anything morally questionable. The details of San Fransico's history are fascinating and in this book create some truly suspenseful moments.  I don't know if it quite qualifies as a cozy in the strictest sense, but if not it's awfully close. Waiting for the next book in this series is going to be HARD.

Disclosure -- The publisher provided me with an advance review copy.