Manor style murder adds pizazz to Death by Pumpkin Spice

Death by Pumpkin Spice

by Alex Erickson

Kensington Books

Mystery & Thrillers

Pub Date 27 Sep 2016

Review

Fall is coming and Death by Pumpkin Spice is the perfect treat for a restful afternoon. Alex Erickson turns this delightful cozy series on its ear, providing readers with a classic manor house murder mystery starring all of their beloved characters. I was incredibly impressed.

Krissy Hancock is more at home running her bookstore cafe than rubbing shoulders with the elite of Pine Hills, particularly when costumes are involved. She doesn't know what to expect when her boyfriend Will invites her to Halloween at the Yarborough mansion. The house itself is designed to be a horror lovers delight filled with blood and gore of the theatrical variety. The last thing Krissy expects is to discover a very real, very dead body. As a storm makes outside approach impossible, Krissy must help Officer Paul Dalton investigate. It doesn't help that the victim is one of three women dressed as Marilyn Monroe or that Mrs. Yarborough's jewels were stolen while the murder took place.

I was happy that Krissy now has a love interest other than Paul Dalton. Too many cozies pair up the amateur with the professional romantically. I was much happier with Will being supportive of her aiding the investigation. I also liked how Erickson toned down Officer Buchannan's dislike/distrust of Krissy. Both helped Death by Pumpkin Spice depart from the typical cozy formula.

For a cozy series to stay successful, it needs to stay fresh and avoid becoming formulaic and repetitive. Alex Erickson is doing an excellent job. I enjoy this series a great deal, and feel that Death by Pumpkin Spice is the best installment yet.

5/5

I received a copy of Death by Pumpkin Spice from the publisher and netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

--Crittermom

Description

Bookstore café owner Krissy Hancock would rather spend Halloween serving pumpkin goodies than wearing costumes with Pine Hills' wealthiest at Yarborough mansion, especially when the soiree shapes up to be more trick than treat . . .

As if a run-in with an old flame and a failed marriage proposal weren't enough to horrify Krissy for one night, a woman is found strangled to death in a room filled with ominous jack-o'-lanterns. All signs suggest a crime of passion—but when the hostess's jewelry disappears, malevolent intentions seem way more likely . . .

With the estate on lockdown and a killer roaming the halls, Krissy must help Officer Paul Dalton investigate each nook, cranny, and guest for answers—while also confronting a few demons of her own. Someone has lots of skeletons in the closet, and Krissy better tread lightly to expose them . . .

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